Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Miko is sixteen when she meets Suisei for the first time.

Miko befriends a classmate in high school and gets invited to her house to do some homework together. She would honestly rather spend the entire afternoon just lazing around and playing games, but their test results came out recently. Her friend noticed how bad Miko's grades were, and she invited Miko over for a study session at her house. Miko reluctantly accepted, aware that she still needs to pass her classes despite wanting nothing more than to stay at home instead. She wasn't going to decline such a kind offer either.

Now here she is, dragging her feet to face an afternoon of pure suffering.

It's the start of summer, and the heat doesn't make her feel any better. She feels sluggish and sticky, and her friend doesn't seem to be doing too well either. She walks beside Miko, shoulders slumped and pink hair tied into a side ponytail that sways with each step.

Miko wishes she brought a hair tie too so that she could expose her neck to the wind. She wipes the sweat off her forehead and buys some ice cream for herself and for her friend to cool down as a small repayment for helping her study.

“We should head to the beach,” Miko casually offers. She doesn't really want to go to the beach, but it beats studying.

“Nice try,” her friend responds with amusement, and Miko pouts, having no other choice but to accept her fate.

They continue their walk to her friend's house underneath the afternoon sun. They reach their destination, and Miko is extremely thankful because she feels like she would have fainted if they took a few more extra steps.

Right as they enter through the door, a child with blue hair, sparkling eyes, and the cutest smile immediately runs up to greet her friend with an excited hug.

Miko smiles at the wholesome sight, and the adorable illusion shatters when the kid turns to her and gives her once over. Miko starts to feel self-conscious at the dry stare.

“You look stupid,” the child bluntly states, pointing at her ahoge.

Miko instinctively covers her ahoge to protect it from the rude child. She gapes at the sassy kid, indignant and speechless at the unprompted insult.

“Sui-chan!” Her friend scolds, but the blue haired child merely gives Miko a look of superiority. Despite how tiny she is, Miko somehow feels she's being looked down on. Is it weird to feel intimidated by a child?

Miko attempts to retain the pleasant smile on her face and tries to curb her annoyance.

“Nice to meet you! My name is Sakura Miko,” she politely introduces. She's older, so she has to present herself as a perfect example of maturity to this young kid.

“My sister said that you're failing your classes like a dummy.”

“I didn't say that,” her friend corrects before giving Miko a pointed look, “I just said that she was failing, which is true.”

“She still looks like an idiot,” the child tactlessly says with a shrug.

Miko's smile crumbles, and she aggressively rolls up her sleeves, ready to give her a piece of her mind.

“Why you little -”

Her friend interrupts the storm of insults on the tip of her tongue. She hurriedly drags Miko to her room to avoid a potential ruckus, and the kid has the audacity to stick her tongue out at her with a triumphant smile.

Miko gasps in shock, irked beyond belief.

Sure, the cheeky brat looks to only be around ten years old, but Miko isn't above picking a fight with a child.

Her friend shuts the door behind her and apologizes to Miko profusely.

“Sorry about that,” she guiltily says, “I'll make sure to talk to her about her behavior later.”

“It's fine, she's still young so it can't be helped,” Miko lightheartedly laughs, putting on a mature front even as she inwardly imagines smacking the back of the kid's head. She secretly stews in her irritation, a grudge forming inside her.

“My little sister's name is Suisei,” her friend offers, “I hope you two could get along.”

Miko doubts it.

They settle into her room to study, and Miko feels productive enough that it becomes their usual routine. Surprisingly, her grades actually do improve. She thinks that it's partly due to her petty motivations to prove to Suisei that she isn't an idiot.

She starts coming over more often to study at her friend's house and sometimes just to hang out. Because of this, she encounters Suisei more frequently too. She childishly tries to annoy Suisei with her constant presence around their house, but the opposite happens. The arrogant brat would always have an air of superiority and the smuggest smirk on her face, and Miko can't believe that she's losing to a child.

Suisei keeps taunting her and talking to her casually despite being six years younger than Miko. Her speech is informal whenever she addresses Miko, and Miko feels like she's being reduced to a toddler whenever she argues with Suisei.

She makes snarky remarks that are subtle enough that no one else but Miko could pick up on it. The only reason Miko could tell that the snide comments are directed at her is because Suisei would give her the most impish grin before saying it.

Miko knows that she shouldn't take any of it seriously. She guesses that the only reason why Suisei plays around with Miko like this is because she knows how easy it is to get a rise out of her. Regardless, Miko still always falls for her traps and provocations.

She's normally good with children, so she doesn't know how to handle this new challenge.

Miko would like to think that she's a decently patient person, but being around Suisei brings out the worst in her. It was like the child decided that her new purpose in life is to be the most obnoxious little shit towards Miko specifically. She can't believe that someone as kind and refined as her friend could have a sister who seems like the embodiment of evil in comparison.

Deep inside, it's not like Miko really minds. There's no harm done. She's gotten used to Suisei's attitude at this point, and her constant, annoying presence is something that she's come to expect whenever she visits the Hoshimachi household.

Does she feel pathetic having an ongoing rivalry with a kid? Yes, she does, but she can't help but stoop to Suisei's level anyway. It would be extremely embarrassing if anyone finds out.

This goes on for a few months, all through summer. Until one autumn day, her friend suddenly calls her in a panic.

“What's wrong?” Miko asks, alarmed at the fear in her friend's voice. Worry rises in her chest when her friend explains how Suisei ran away from home after an argument with their parents.

Miko isn't a horrible person, and it's not like she wants anything bad to happen to Suisei despite being a thorn in Miko's side. Miko instantly offers to help look for Suisei, and she rushes out of her house to find her. She goes around town, peeking at every possible place that Suisei could be hiding in.

“That little brat...” she grumbles in frustration. It's slowly getting dark, and Miko's heart pounds with anxiety.

Just their luck, it starts to rain heavily too. She didn't bring an umbrella, but she can't just go home without knowing that Suisei is safe. Her conscience wouldn't let her sleep.

The strength of the wind makes her forgo buying an umbrella too, since she's already drenched by the rain at this point.

She presses on, her wet clothes clinging to her body as she continues her search. Her bangs are matted against her face, and she brushes them away from her eyes. She can barely hear nor see anything through the heavy rain.

She goes to a nearby playground to sit down on the swings and rest for a short moment. Her legs are starting to hurt, and she curses her lack of exercise.

“Where are you?” She grumbles before sneezing. She already anticipates an incoming cold over the next few days.

A loud clap of thunder startles her, but her attention is drawn to a loud yelp coming from somewhere underneath the slides.

She creeps closer, hoping that her search is over. She pauses when she hears soft, sniffling sounds.

Miko carefully approaches and sees a head of familiar blue hair, barely visible from this angle. She takes her phone out to call her friend over, but she hesitates when she hears the weak sobs cutting through the echoes of the rain.

“Sui-chan?” she gently calls out to make her presence known.

Suisei jumps in surprise and quickly tries to hide the fact that she was crying.

“What are you doing here?” she hisses. She tries to sound angry, but she only ends up sounding pitiful instead.

“We were looking for you,” Miko explains softly, moving closer to her.

“Leave me alone!” Suisei growls and turns to run away from her.

“Wait!” Miko reaches out, flinching when Suisei accidentally slips from a nearby puddle.

“Sui-chan!” she yells, rushing over to her worriedly. She must have hurt herself when she fell down, because Suisei starts to cry even harder. She looks so young like this, unlike how she normally looks whenever she torments Miko for her amusement.

It pains her to see Suisei act like this when she's usually such a stuck up brat.

Unable to resist the urge to console her, Miko hesitantly holds out her hand to see if Suisei would pull away from her touch. Suisei doesn't react except to give her a subdued glare, the effect lost as her shoulders shake from trying to hold back tears.

“I'm going to carry you, okay?” Miko states. Suisei doesn't respond, and Miko takes it as permission to attempt to scoop her up. She slowly places an arm under the back of Suisei's knees, still giving her a chance to refuse.

Suisei remains silent, her eyes downcast. She looks miserable and tired.

Miko's heart melts, and she begs her body to cooperate as she tries to lift Suisei in her arms. She wouldn't be able to stand the humiliation if she fails, and Suisei most likely would never let her live it down either. Her dignity is on the line.

She's immensely proud of herself when she's actually able to lift Suisei. Fortunately, Suisei is small and pretty light, but Miko still clumsily struggles. She tries not to make it obvious to Suisei that her arms and back are already burning from the few steps that she takes.

A large crack of thunder startles her again, and Suisei seems to curl up in fear. She hides her face into Miko's shoulder, her hands twisting into fists around Miko's shirt as small tremors wrack through her tiny body. The heartbreaking sight gives Miko a little burst of adrenaline, enough to carry Suisei further.

She cradles Suisei against her chest while she brings them over under a nearby shade to shield them from the rain.

She places Suisei to sit on a bench, and her arms feel like it's about to fall off.

She notices the bloody scrape on Suisei's knee, and Miko takes out her handkerchief. She kneels in front of Suisei and lightly dabs at the wound to clean it. Suisei winces at the pain, and Miko apologetically stops. She tries again after a moment, and Suisei allows her to pat around the area.

She puts her handkerchief away and sits beside Suisei on the bench. She remains quiet and listens as Suisei's choked whimpers slowly subside.

She's cold, and she's probably going to get sick, but she forces herself to endure the discomfort for a little while for Suisei's sake.

She stays with her, and only the sound of rain fills the silence.

Miko doesn't pry despite her own curiosity. She just hopes that her presence could offer Suisei a little bit of comfort and reassurance that she isn't alone.

Suisei seems to calm down after a while and aggressively wipes the tears from her eyes. She halfheartedly glares at Miko and mutters, “If you tell anyone about this, I'm going to make you regret it.”

Her voice is shaky, and the threat holds no power with the way her body still trembles.

Her heart aches at the sadness in Suisei's voice.

“I'm sure you will,” Miko responds simply. She takes off her soaked jacket and wrings it out a little to dry it off. She carefully places it over Suisei's shoulders to offer a little warmth. It's still wet, but it might help with the cold.

Suisei gives her an odd look that Miko can't quite decipher. It's a kind of expression that she's never seen on Suisei, but she chooses to ignore it. This whole day has already shown her a new side of Suisei that she's never seen before, and she wants to convey to her that she's safe with Miko.

They go back to sitting in silence, only interrupted by the occasional hiccups from Suisei.

“Stay here,” Miko tells her before going to a nearby vending machine to buy Suisei a drink.

She walks through the rain, but she's already drenched anyway so she pays it no mind. She hands the drink to Suisei, who accepts it while still looking at Miko with eyes filled with wonder.

She's not used to Suisei looking at her like that, so Miko squirms a little bit at the curious gaze.

She settles beside Suisei once again as they wait for the rain to stop.

“You're wondering why I ran away, right?” Suisei begins, breaking the silence.

Miko glances at her, surprised that she's starting a conversation. Suisei looks away, and Miko scrambles to make the atmosphere less awkward for Suisei.

“I am, but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” Miko responds. She doesn't want Suisei to feel like she needs to explain anything to Miko, so she patiently waits to see if Suisei would continue.

“I've always wanted to be a singer,” Suisei confesses. Her voice sounds wistful, and there's a desire in her tone that seems to come from deep in her soul.

“I don't want to study anymore,” Suisei scowls, her shoulders drooping, “I don't need it. It's useless to me when all I want is to sing.”

Miko is speechless for a moment but listens as Suisei opens up to her about her dreams. She explains that she's been making song covers online and that she's been practicing hard. The stars in her eyes seem to twinkle as she happily talks about her passion, and Miko is amazed at how determined she sounds.

The genuine dedication in Suisei's voice leaves Miko astonished, and she can't help but root for her. She's still so young yet already knows what she wants to do, and there's something admirable about it. Her resolve is impressive.

“I've never heard you sing before,” Miko comments, and Suisei looks at her with a confident smile. It's unlike the usual haughty smile that Miko normally sees on her face.

“Do you want to hear me sing?” Suisei offers with excitement, and Miko nods with delight.

Suisei opens her mouth to sing, and suddenly Miko forgets to breathe. Her head is filled with the melody of Suisei's voice, powerful and smooth in a way that leaves Miko in awe.

It's one of the most beautiful sounds she's ever heard. Suisei turns into a different person in front of her eyes, and suddenly she looks cool instead of the cheeky brat that Miko knows her to be.

A lot of people have told Miko about their dreams in passing, but this is the first time that she's seen a certain spark that makes her feel like it could actually come true.

“How was it?” Suisei shyly asks, and Miko snaps out of her stupor.

She showers Suisei with compliments and praises, and Suisei must see her sincerity because her smile becomes the brightest that Miko has ever seen and the sparkle in her eyes shine with joy.

She looks proud of herself, and Miko is happy that she seems to return to her usual cocky attitude.

It's somehow endearing, and Miko vows to herself that she would help Suisei make her dream come true no matter what.

She doesn't doubt that Suisei could do it, especially with her one of a kind talent. From what Miko knows about her, she's pretty hard headed and stubborn. She knows that it's going to be a tough road, but she's sure that Suisei wouldn't be the type to just give up in the face of challenges.

Suisei's eyes turn dull again, and Miko feels sympathy swell in her chest.

She decides to share something a little personal about herself too so that Suisei wouldn't feel so alone.

“I want to be a voice actress,” Miko shyly confesses.

Suisei turns to her in surprise as Miko shares her own feelings.

Miko explains how it's always been her dream, and it's something that she plans to pursue seriously once she graduates. She tells Suisei about how she's been practicing on her own and watching videos online to learn. She's even part of their school drama club where she can get some support to enhance and further improve her skills.

It feels nice to talk about it with someone who seems to understand, and hearing Suisei's commitment to her goals inspires Miko to work even harder to achieve her own.

She still can't believe that it's Suisei of all people that she's having this heartfelt conversation with.

Suisei listens intently and seems to ponder on her words. She seems to be deep in thought, absorbing Miko's words.

“How about this,” Miko says, moving to crouch in front of Suisei, “Let's promise each other that we'll do our best to reach our dreams no matter what.”

She sticks out her pinky finger to Suisei, and Suisei stares at her for a few beats. After a brief moment where Miko awkwardly considers retracting her hand, Suisei reaches her own hand out to Miko and links their pinkies together.

“Then it's a promise!” Suisei firmly declares, and Miko smiles at the determination burning in her eyes.

She ruffles the messy blue hair affectionately, half expecting Suisei to slap her hand away and get mad at her. She's surprised when Suisei's expression suddenly clears up, gazing at Miko with starry eyes as she lets her pat her head.

She must be too tired to stir up a fuss after the rough day she had. Miko herself can feel her own energy dropping as the tension disappears from her body.

She's still crouched in front of Suisei, so she turns around to face the other way.

“Get on my back, I'll take you home,” Miko offers.

Suisei bites her lip, “But -”

“You must be tired, and you hurt your knee too,” Miko explains.

Suisei still looks hesitant, and Miko complains, “You should rely on me a little. I'm older than you, you know?”

She huffs in exasperation at the thought that Suisei sees her as someone incompetent. She had hoped that she was able to prove to Suisei today that Miko can be responsible too, especially since she's the older one here.

She expects Suisei to reject her offer, claim that she can walk by herself, and throw a snarky comment at Miko, but instead her cheeks turn a shade of pink. Miko tilts her head curiously, and Suisei moves to wrap her arms around Miko's shoulders from behind as she gets on her back.

She's so surprised by the action that she doesn't immediately move.

Miko shakily stands up with Suisei on her back, and she forces herself to be strong for Suisei. She manages to balance herself while carrying Suisei, and she hopes the kid doesn't notice that Miko is barely able to lift her.

A sense of victory floods her chest when Suisei nuzzles into her back as she carries her home.

She falls asleep on Miko's back, and she feels accomplished that Suisei trusts her enough to do so. She must be really tired, and Miko feels proud of herself that Suisei is comfortable enough around her to relax.

She passes Suisei off to her parents and smiles at the peaceful look on her face. They thank her repeatedly, apologizing for all the trouble, and Miko hopes that Suisei won't get into too much trouble once she wakes up.

Miko catches a cold the next day, but she thinks that it's all worth it.

Suisei quickly starts warming up to her after that, and her attitude towards Miko drastically changes. Although she still has an air of playful mischief, she doesn't antagonize Miko all that much anymore.

Maybe it's because of their heartfelt conversation in the playground, but she feels like they both understand each other a little better.

“You two seem like you're getting along lately,” her friend observes.

“We're not,” Miko denies.

“You're spoiling her too much,” her friend chuckles.

Suisei is asleep on her lap, and Miko smiles at the adorable sight. It's winter, and they're all bundled up under thick blankets. Suisei must be feeling cozy, because she snuggles up against Miko even more.

She's still not quite used to Suisei being so attached to her. The days when she was trying to piss Miko off like it was her job feels so long ago.

She's still a cheeky little brat, but Miko doesn't have the urge to strangle her anymore.

Despite the satisfaction that she feels now that Suisei has fully welcomed her, Miko sometimes wonders if Suisei's attachment to her has become a little bit excessive recently.

On a fine day during spring, Suisei confesses to her under the cherry blossoms.

“I love you!” Suisei proclaims, her face bright red.

Miko is elated that Suisei feels close enough to her to see her as something akin to family. Before Miko could respond, Suisei continues, “Let's get married!”

Oh.

She means that kind of love.

Miko holds herself back from laughing when she sees the serious look on Suisei's face. She can't believe that Suisei has a crush on her, especially with how rocky their friendship started out.

She stops herself from giggling because she doesn't want Suisei to feel like Miko is trivializing her feelings. It must have taken her a lot of courage to confess, and Miko didn't want to leave the poor kid traumatized.

She crouches down in front of Suisei and responds to her genuine feelings with sincerity, “Thank you, Sui-chan. Your feelings make me happy, but I think I'm a little too old for you.”

She tries to let her down as gently as possible. She hopes that Suisei isn't too heartbroken about it.

Suisei frowns, her brows furrowing at her words, “Then wait for me! When I grow up, I'll definitely marry Miko-chi!”

Miko almost squeals at how precious she sounds. Again, she holds herself back from ruining the moment. She doesn't want Suisei to think that she was laughing at her.

Suisei's voice is filled with determination, the same way she sounded when she opened up to Miko about her dreams that day in the playground.

She doesn't want to get Suisei's hopes up when Miko has no chance of reciprocating her feelings.

Miko considers rejecting her but decides against it. Suisei is still young, and these feelings will pass. She'll move on soon and meet someone her own age, and this would become a funny memory that Miko could tease her about someday.

She gives Suisei a gentle smile and pats her head instead. Suisei happily declares, “Then that's a promise!”

“I can't believe that you're engaged to my sister,” her friend laughs upon witnessing the scene.

“Shut up,” Miko huffs.

The following years after that, Suisei would occasionally propose to her. She always asks Miko if she's grown up enough, and Miko would always give her a cheeky smile and say “no.”

Suisei always grunts in disappointment and frustration before declaring that she'll try again next time.

She even goes to visit Miko during their school festivals and introduces her to her friends as Suisei's future wife. Miko just laughs it off and affectionately pats her head.

She's surprised that Suisei still seems to latch on to her and the silly promise from years ago. She assumed that her crush on Miko would just be a short phase, but years pass and Suisei still consistently confesses to her. Miko should have realized sooner that Suisei is a very stubborn person when she wants something.

Suisei grows up, but she's still a child in Miko's eyes.

Miko thinks that someday, she'll eventually meet someone who would catch her attention and reciprocate her feelings.

It doesn't happen. Suisei still looks at Miko like she couldn't see anyone else, and it makes Miko feel a little guilty. She doesn't want Suisei to waste her youth on Miko, so when Suisei proposes to her again, Miko decides to take the opportunity to clear things up.

Suisei gives her a cold look that makes Miko shudder in fear. She's only gotten even scarier the older she gets.

Suisei shakes her head with a sigh, “Maybe I'm just not grown up enough yet.”

Miko gives her a sympathetic look, but Suisei glares at her and asserts that she has no intention of giving Miko up.

“I'm going to marry you!” Suisei declares once again.

Miko frowns, but her guilt lessens knowing that at least she already tried to dissuade Suisei. It's her choice now if she still wants to continue.

“Prepare yourself, Miko-chi!” Suisei grumbles, almost sounding like a threat as she storms off.

She could only hope that Suisei comes to her senses soon.

Before Suisei starts high school, Miko decides to move to the city to take a shot at becoming a professional voice actress.

Suisei looks upset, and Miko doesn't think she's seen Suisei look this unhappy since that day in the playground all those years ago.

“I want to go with you,” Suisei mumbles, holding onto Miko's sleeve like she doesn't want to let her go. The action is surprisingly childlike, and she can't resist the urge to comfort her.

“Your parents are going to kill you,” Miko jokes to lighten the mood.

“We promised each other that we'll fulfill our dreams, so don't forget to wait for me,” Suisei softly says.

“Don't worry, I won't forget,” Miko placates. She still believes with all her heart that Suisei is someone who can achieve her dreams. Through the years, her singing has only improved even further, and Miko is excited to watch her succeed.

Suisei makes her swear to keep in touch, and Miko agrees.

She moves to the city and starts to live alone. She gets a job to pay the bills, while her other time is spent attending vocal lessons and applying for small voice acting roles. She has a hard time adjusting to the hectic city life, and she starts to feel lonely. She ignores her homesickness and concentrates on working towards her goals.

She toughs it out at first, but she feels the daily grind slowly get to her. She starts to lose hope as more and more rejection comes instead of the big break that she's been hoping for. She's never felt so tired and hopeless before.

Time flies, and before she knows it, she's been living in the city for a few years, yet she's still stuck right where she started.

She stops talking to her friends, lacking the energy to go out or meet up. She feels like a total failure, and the longer she tries, the worse she feels. When she's not working, she just wants to curl up into a ball and be left alone.

Sometimes, she considers giving up, but she remembers her promise to Suisei. She doesn't want the other girl to see how Miko turned out, so she pretends that everything is fine whenever they message each other. She feels ashamed, and she's scared of what Suisei would think of her if she could see her now.

The only person she still consistently talks to other than her family is Suisei, because the other girl would spam her with messages if Miko doesn't reply. Her notifications would be flooded if she takes too long to respond. She doesn't have the heart to ignore her either, because if Miko is being honest, she does have a soft spot for Suisei.

She only talks to Suisei through messages, because she's afraid that Suisei would immediately notice that something is wrong if she hears Miko's voice. She's perceptive, and Miko doesn't want to worry her.

She hasn't seen Suisei in over three years. She stopped visiting home a while back when she started to feel too embarrassed to show herself when she still hasn't achieved anything. She always tells her family that she's been too busy lately, so they come visit her in the city sometimes instead.

Her daily life blurs together, and she feels numbness through it all. Until one day, Suisei suddenly brings up her plans to go to the city for college to study music. She asks Miko to help her look for a place to stay since she's more familiar with the area.

Miko hesitates but ultimately agrees. She has no reason to refuse, and she'd rather be there for Suisei than have her get lost. Her conscience wouldn't allow her to leave Suisei to fend for herself, and she wants to make sure that the other girl would be completely fine.

Besides, maybe seeing Suisei again would bring back a little bit of spark in her life. Suisei always had a way of riling Miko up.

The day of Suisei's visit arrives, and Miko heads to the train station to meet up with her. She waits around the area, keeping her eye out for a head of blue hair.

Come to think of it, she doesn't really know what Suisei looks like nowadays. Miko doesn't check her socials all that much except for work, so she's not exactly up to date with her friends.

Suisei sends her a message to inform her that she's already in the area, so Miko looks around to find her.

She notices a blur of blue out of the corner of her eyes and turns to that direction. She sees a woman standing around and looking a little lost. Her features are sharp, and she looks sort of like a model. She's incredibly gorgeous from what Miko could tell from the distance. She's a bit tall, and her posture carries a powerful stance that comes off as a little intimidating. It seems that Miko isn't the only one captivated by her appearance, and she notices a few people glancing at the girl too.

Her face is impassive as she scans the crowd, and she looks so cool that Miko has a hard time stopping herself from staring too much.

Miko shakes herself out of it and tries to resist checking the stranger out further. She's only here to look for Suisei. Before she could look away, the pretty woman suddenly makes eye contact with her.

Miko feels her heart leap when the woman's face lights up so brightly that it takes Miko's breath away. She walks towards Miko's direction in quick strides, and Miko can't help but notice how long her legs are.

But why was she approaching Miko? Maybe there was someone else behind her?

She turns around but there's no one else. An absurd thought suddenly hits her.

Could this person be Suisei? She laughs to herself, finding the very notion to be impossible. Sure there's some resemblance, but Suisei is just a cute little girl. She wasn't exactly that little anymore the last time Miko saw her, but she's not this tall either, and her features aren't this sharp.

She would describe Suisei as cute instead of whatever the hell this was.

She hasn't seen Suisei in over three years, but surely she couldn't have changed that much from the last time Miko saw her.

The pretty lady stops in front of her, and Miko is frozen on the spot. She's even more beautiful up close.

The gorgeous stranger stares back at Miko, gazing at her like she's enthralled by something, and Miko shifts underneath the intensity.

“Miko-chi,” the girl greets cheerfully, and her smooth voice sends tingles throughout her whole body.

Her doubts are cast aside when the other girl calls out to her in that adorably familiar way she always says Miko's name. It really is Suisei.

But since when did Suisei sound like that ?

Oh no, she's hot.

Suisei hasn't uploaded any songs online for the past few years since she was busy with her club activities. Apparently, she joined a school band club in high school, so Miko hasn't heard her voice for quite a while either, hence her state of absolute surprise at this version of Suisei.

Miko feels like she might be in a little bit of trouble, because Suisei shouldn't be hot, but it seems that puberty had other plans.

She has a hard time reconciling this Suisei with the little brat that she knows.

Her eyes are drawn to the stuffed plushie that Suisei is holding, and she recognizes it as the one Miko gave her as a birthday present a few years ago.

“Sui-chan?”

The stars in Suisei's eyes seem to shine even brighter upon hearing her name, and her cheeks redden. She lifts the plushie and uses it to wave at Miko.

Suddenly, she turns back into the same Suisei that Miko knows, the adorable and cute Suisei that she remembers.

She waves back at the plushie to humor the other girl, and Suisei takes a step closer to her. She then throws herself into Miko's arms, and she almost stumbles backwards if Suisei hadn’t kept her upright.

“I missed you so much, Miko-chi,” Suisei whispers into her ear.

Miko feels her face heat up, and it's weird, because this is just Suisei.

She forces herself to calm down as she wraps her arms around Suisei to return the hug.

“I missed you too, Sui-chan.”

Chapter Text

After meeting up with Suisei, they immediately go to check out the available apartments without wasting any time. They don't really need to catch up that much since they've been in contact with each other through the years anyway.

Miko repeatedly glances at Suisei as they walk side by side, and she hopes she's subtle enough that the other girl wouldn't notice.

They fall back into their usual conversation, and the initial awkward atmosphere quickly dissipates. They comfortably talk to each other like normal, and Miko tries to hide how flustered she feels.

She notices Suisei shove her plushie into her bag at some point, and Miko wonders if she was also feeling nervous earlier. If that's the case, then she's glad that Suisei seems to be loosening up around her again too.

She's still in awe at how gorgeous Suisei looks, and Miko tries to shake the thoughts away. Her pretty blue hair cascades down her back in soft waves, and whenever she looks over at Miko with her sharp gaze, it makes her chest feel like it's about to burst.

Miko's eyes follow the movement when Suisei tucks her hair behind her ear, revealing her earrings, and her accessories make her look even more fashionable. She smells good too, and she didn't know that it was possible for someone to be this attractive.

Suisei was always a cute kid, and Miko knew that she would grow up to be absolutely beautiful, but this is plain unfair. She grumbles to herself in annoyance, and Suisei merely gives her a curious glance.

She's taller than Miko now too, and she has to tilt her head up a little to meet Suisei's eyes.

Suisei quirks an eyebrow at her when she catches her staring for a bit too long, and Miko swiftly looks away. She begs her heart to stop beating so fast.

The more they chat, the more at ease Miko starts to feel around her. In the end, she's still Suisei even though she looks a little different. She's still the same cheeky brat that finds amusement in winding Miko up. It feels refreshing to be able to talk to someone so easily with barely any filter.

It helps that they still communicated pretty often the whole time, so it's not like there was a barrier that formed between them despite not seeing each other physically.

While they walk around, Suisei suddenly grabs her hand, and Miko jolts in surprise.

She feels sparks from the touch and her palm tingles from the warmth of Suisei's hand. She attempts to tug her hand out of Suisei's grasp, but she refrains upon realizing that she's the only one making things weird.

Holding Suisei's hand is normal, and they've done it countless times before. Miko would always hold her hand when she wanted to make sure that Suisei wouldn't get lost in a crowd back then.

What makes this time different? Miko bites her lip. For starters, she has a hard time seeing Suisei as a little kid anymore, not when she looks like that.

She doesn't understand why being around Suisei now makes her heart pound and makes her feel extremely self-conscious. She doesn't want to overthink every single action when it's not supposed to have any deeper meaning.

She reasons that Suisei is just holding her hand because she doesn't want to get separated in the crowd, especially in an unfamiliar city. The touch is completely innocent, and Suisei probably didn't even think twice about it.

She's proven wrong because Suisei purposely intertwines their fingers together, and that's totally new. They've never held hands like that before.

Suisei gives her a charming smile, and Miko's heart does a flip. Her face feels like it's on fire, and the tips of her ears burn. Suisei seems completely unaware of the new effect that she has on Miko, and the other girl smoothly pulls her by the hand to look at the next apartment.

“W-what are you doing?” Miko stutters, staring at the way their hands seem to fit perfectly together. The long, slender fingers are laced with Miko's own, and she remembers how tiny Suisei's hands used to be. She's a little peeved that Suisei's hands are bigger than hers now, triggering a twinge of competitiveness.

“There's so many people here. I don't want to accidentally get lost,” she easily explains.

Miko is alarmed for a moment and protectively steps closer to Suisei. Despite the conflicting feelings swirling inside of her, she still feels a sense of responsibility to take care of Suisei.

“Fine, stay close to me,” Miko relents, her cheeks still burning. She squeezes Suisei's hand to reassure the other girl.

Suisei looks self-satisfied, a familiar smug look on her face, and Miko somehow feels like she lost again.

They continue to look at the apartments, and Miko takes notes of the details like the environment, the distance from the train stations, the building's security, and other factors that need to be taken into consideration. Suisei happily follows her lead with their hands still linked together.

Miko sees a couple of places that seem fine, but the location is too far away from her apartment. She's uncomfortable with the thought of Suisei living alone without anyone to watch over her.

They stop to eat for a while, and Suisei's taste in food is still the same. She orders dishes that are all meat, and Miko makes a mental note to ensure that Suisei eats proper meals while she's here.

Suisei still remembers the type of food that Miko likes too and buys her dessert.

She tries to decline at first, but Suisei is very convincing.

“Think of it as a thank you gift for coming along with me today,” Suisei persuades. She isn't going to reject free desserts, so Miko yields despite her hesitation. Somehow, she feels like her pride as the older of the two is being put into question.

They resume looking at apartments all through the afternoon. It's getting late, and they still haven't found the right one for Suisei. Miko feels like she's being too picky when Suisei herself seems fine with some of the apartments they've seen.

“How about the fifth apartment that we visited? It didn't seem too bad,” Suisei suggests.

“There were bugs in the bathroom,” Miko replies, laughing at the way Suisei's face pales.

“How about the one with the big window?” Suisei asks, “I can't remember which one that was, but it looked pretty good.”

“It doesn't have proper heating,” she shoots down.

“What about the yellow building?”

“The elevator's broken.”

“The one with the long hallway?”

“The fire exit was blocked off.”

“The one with the fancy lobby?”

“...It's too far away from my place,” Miko responds apprehensively.

“You want me to live close to you?” Suisei teases, and the elation in her voice makes Miko blush.

Miko whines, “Don't get the wrong idea!”

“Is Miko-chi starting to see me as an adult?” Suisei coos, and Miko feels her face heat up even more.

“You're going to live alone, right? I just want to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get into any trouble while you're here,” Miko defensively huffs, and Suisei laughs at how flustered she sounds.

“Sure,” Suisei drawls.

“I'm only doing this because your sister is going to kill me if something happens to you,” she reiterates.

“Whatever you say, Miko-chi,” Suisei playfully acquiesces.

She pouts at her mischievous tone and lets Suisei drag her over to a nearby park.

They sit on the benches to rest for a few moments, and the frustration she feels makes her blurt out, “You could just stay with me if you want to.”

She has an extra bedroom because it was the only available apartment left in the area when she moved to the city, and the location was too convenient to pass up.

Miko's mind takes a while to catch up with her mouth, and her eyes widen once she realizes what she suggested. Suisei enthusiastically accepts, not giving Miko a chance to take back the offer.

“Wait, you haven't even seen my apartment yet,” Miko weakly says. She doesn't know if she can survive being around Suisei too much. Her heart isn't prepared for the prolonged exposure.

“Then show me,” Suisei cheekily retorts.

Resigned, Miko has no choice but to take Suisei home to see her place. She can't back out when she's the one who brought up the idea in the first place. Besides, it certainly beats the alternatives, and it would allow her to watch over Suisei and make sure nothing bad happens to her. She chooses to ignore the triumphant smile on Suisei's face.

They arrive at Miko's apartment, and she's relieved that she didn't leave any mess around. Suisei enters and looks around as if she's assessing the place.

It's spacious enough to fit the two of them, and Miko somehow feels nervous as Suisei walks around her apartment and takes in her living arrangement.

She lets Suisei wander around and look at her potential room and the bathroom. She feels like she's being evaluated, and she wonders if Suisei is intentionally trying to mess with her judging by the barely hidden glee on her face as Miko fidgets near the entrance.

Miko doesn't understand why she feels on edge, almost like she's taking an exam while Suisei deliberately moves to make a show of scanning the area.

Suisei exaggeratedly runs a finger along a shelf and frowns at the dust that sticks to her finger.

“Are you only asking me to live here to help clean your apartment?” Suisei teases, and Miko cries out in humiliation.

“Shut up! Idiot! It's not like that!”

She covers her face to hide her embarrassment, all while Suisei laughs at her. Once again, she feels like her identity as the older of the two is being put to the test, and she's tragically failing.

Miko sulks in defeat. She doesn't leave her mess around, but it doesn't mean that she cleans as often as she should.

“Sorry,” Suisei laughs at her pitiful expression, eyes twinkling mischievously and not sounding the least bit apologetic. She pats Miko's head to console her, and with the way Suisei is treating her, Miko forgets that she's supposed to be the adult here. Although, she has to concede that Suisei is now technically an adult too. Her mind still struggles to accept that fact.

Miko huffs and looks away, “So are you going to move in or not?”

Suisei swiftly accepts like she didn't even need to think about it, and somehow it makes Miko happy. With that decided, she goes with Suisei back to the train station so that she could get home before dark.

For some reason, Miko finds it a little difficult to let go of Suisei's hand. Maybe it's because she spent the whole day with Suisei, but Miko instantly feels a little lonely at the thought of going back to her apartment alone. It's been a while since she's had so much fun.

Suisei must sense her mood, because she squeezes Miko's hand with a gentle smile on her face and pulls her into a hug. Miko freezes, not used to being touched, before she melts into Suisei's arms.

She's acting so mature, and Miko once again marvels at how much she's grown.

"I'll be back soon," Suisei promises, and the words are exactly what Miko needed to hear.

Miko feels a little pathetic that Suisei is the one who has to comfort her, but she can't stop herself from finding solace in her sweet embrace.

She waves goodbye to Suisei as she leaves, pacified by the fact that the other girl would be coming back again soon. Maybe living with Suisei could be a good thing.

It would be a nice change of pace and could bring a little bit of spark back into Miko's monotonous life. For the first time in a while, Miko feels excitement bubble in her chest.

She heads home with a skip to her step and prepares the room for Suisei for when she's ready to move in.

She rushes to accomplish all the required paperwork for Suisei's move. Suisei brings a few things with her to the city and eventually starts to live with Miko. She enrolls in a music program and starts to work part time to help pay the bills and her share of the rent. She also begins to regularly upload some music and covers online once again.

Living with Suisei is surprisingly easy. They split the chores, and there's a level of comfort that Miko didn't think was possible. Her loneliness disappears with Suisei around, and mundane things become fun with the two of them. Basic things like going grocery shopping or having meals suddenly become much more enjoyable.

Having someone to talk to and share things with makes her feel infinitely lighter. Something as simple as greeting each other when they get home makes Miko's life feel brighter. A dull gray world is gradually filled with color once more, and somehow blue is the most prominent shade.

Through their everyday life, Miko observes how similar Suisei is to her younger self – her small habits and the little details in every action like the way she twirls her hair around her fingers when she's deep in thought, the way her brows furrow when she's concentrating on something, the way her lips curl up into a soft smile when she's relaxed, the way the stars in her eyes sparkle when she gets excited, the small pout on her face when she's tired, the way she laughs so happily whenever she's amused.

All of it seems so familiar, exactly as Miko remembered, yet at the same time everything feels entirely different. Her adorable mannerisms evoke a similar feeling within Miko, but there's a new emotion mixed into it that she can't quite understand.

She's afraid to think too deeply about the implications. She writes it off as a simple happiness from being able to spend her days with someone she's comfortable with and cares deeply about.

She notes that one thing that's changed is that Suisei doesn't proclaim her feelings for Miko anymore. Ever since they reunited and she moved into Miko's apartment, she hasn't declared her intentions of marrying her like she used to do back then. She wonders if Suisei grew out of her feelings. Other than the mildly flirtatious comments she made when they first saw each other again, which Miko brushes off as nothing more than playful teasing, Suisei hasn't shown any signs of interest in her. She comes to the conclusion that the other girl most likely isn't into Miko romantically anymore.

She should feel relieved that Suisei seems to have finally been able to move on from her, but she can't shake the feeling of disappointment in her chest.

Besides, Suisei is probably too busy to have time to think about such things for the time being. She gives her all to work towards her goals, and it inspires Miko to work even harder to reach her own.

After each tiring day, her exhaustion melts away when she sees Suisei at home. The other girl is always busy too, and Miko distracts herself from her own problems by focusing her attention on taking care of Suisei. She always did secretly enjoy pampering Suisei anyway, not that she'd admit it. Suisei would be way too smug about that knowledge.

Miko cooks for her, and she always feels a sense of accomplishment when Suisei's face lights up with gratitude once she comes home to a hot meal lovingly prepared by Miko.

She chops up the vegetables in small pieces hoping that Suisei wouldn't notice, and she usually doesn't.

“Miko-chi,” Suisei complains when she catches Miko putting in vegetables while she's cooking, “The sizes are too big.”

She's overly aware of Suisei's proximity as she stands behind her.

“You can't even taste it,” she dryly responds.

Her breath hitches when Suisei steps closer to look over her shoulder, and Miko awkwardly fumbles with the spatula in her hand while she tries to normalize her heart rate.

“I'd definitely still be able to taste it,” she childishly whines, much to Miko's amusement.

She finds it endearing how Suisei enjoys everything Miko cooks despite being such a picky eater. Miko remembers how choosy she is with food, yet she makes an effort to eat the vegetables if Miko is the one who prepares it for her. Or at least, she tries to, depending on her mood, but Miko appreciates the attempt regardless.

She usually makes the dishes that she knows Suisei likes anyway.

“Seriously, Sui-chan?” she playfully taunts, “You're such a baby.”

“Shut up,” Suisei scowls, “And stop treating me like a kid!”

Her retort gets stuck at the tip of her tongue when Suisei wraps her arms around Miko's waist from behind. She places her chin on Miko's shoulder and adorably requests, “Can you make it even smaller?”

How could she say no to that?

“Please?”

“...okay.”

“Thanks, Miko-chi!” Suisei happily says, moving away and leaving Miko to stand there, cheeks aflame and her spatula hovering in the air as she tries to recover from the unintentional attack of cuteness.

Suisei usually defaults to threats whenever she wants something, and as scary as she is, Miko is always tempted to instead do the opposite of what she asks for just to piss her off. The satisfaction of annoying Suisei more often than not outweighs the terrifying consequences.

However, Miko has no chance of resisting whenever Suisei resorts to acting cute.

During the days when Suisei seems to look extra tired, Miko cooks Suisei's favorite meal for her in the hopes that it would lift her spirits. It seems to work, because her smile turns brighter and her gaze turns softer.

She frequently dries Suisei's hair for her after a bath and would let her snuggle up against her side while they relax after a long day.

She wants Suisei to rely on her and focus on her dreams, and Miko wishes she could do more for the other girl. She can see the fatigue in her eyes from having to manage school, work, and her pursuit of a music career. Miko wishes that she could take some of her burden away, and she resents herself a little bit for not being able to give Suisei what she needs.

She's unable to support Suisei enough. She could barely even support herself with the way things are now.

Sometimes, when Suisei has a rough day, she shares some of her frustrations with Miko and opens up about her struggles. Miko feels bitterness in her heart that all she could do is listen.

Suisei always gives her a gentle smile and thanks her for listening. Her perseverance is admirable, and Miko feels even more motivated to achieve her goals with Suisei and climb to the top with her.

Through it all, Suisei looks content so far, her eyes still shining with an untainted passion and commitment to her dreams. Miko worries that one day, she'd feel as worn down as Miko does. She wants to protect her from the heartache and disappointment when things don't turn out the way she expects.

But Miko believes in her, and she's confident that Suisei will find success. Her voice is magical, and Miko knows that she belongs in the spotlight.

She plays Suisei's songs on loop, and Suisei catches her one day.

“I didn't expect you to be my biggest fan,” Suisei coyly teases, and Miko groans at the remark.

She couldn't even bring herself to deny it, not when Suisei looks genuinely happy to find out that Miko sincerely loves her music.

Instead, she loudly sings Suisei's song as often as she can to annoy the other girl, but Suisei doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she playfully jokes that her songs are partly Miko's now with how frequently she sings them in their apartment.

She unconsciously hums the tunes while she does some chores, and she thinks that Suisei is secretly happy about it based on the way her face lights up whenever she notices.

Suisei tries to do things for her too, and Miko feels a little awkward about it at first. The duty that she feels as the older of the two makes it hard for her to accept Suisei's kindness initially.

She tries to put on a strong front, afraid that Suisei would realize how weak she really feels. She's ashamed to let her see all of Miko's flaws and insecurities, but she knows that she can't hide it forever.

However, as usual, Suisei is very persistent.

On Miko's birthday, Suisei gives her a physical limited edition copy of the game that she's been wanting for quite some time. It's the one that they saw while out shopping one day, and Miko had offhandedly mentioned how much she wanted to buy it. She just left it at that because she was trying to be careful with money.

She had no idea that Suisei went back and bought it for her.

Knowing that Suisei worked hard to save up and give her something that she wanted makes Miko feel special. It touches her so deeply that Miko can't stop her tears from falling.

“Miko-chi?” Suisei asks, her tone filled with anxiety, “Do you not like it?”

Miko shakes her head, because of course she loves it. It's a filthy eroge that Suisei probably finds disgusting, but she went into the store to buy it for Miko anyway just because she knew that it was something she wanted.

“Thank you, Sui-chan,” she breathes, staring at the gift like it's a trophy. It's still a little embarrassing, so she smacks Suisei's arm, “But you shouldn't go around buying adult games!”

“Why not? I'm an adult,” Suisei scoffs, “Besides, pretty sure you used to have a bunch of dirty visual novels lying around your house back then.”

Miko chokes at the accusation, “You saw those?!”

“You left it out in the open.”

Miko covers her face in shame while Suisei loudly laughs at her expense.

“I'm surprised you kept your collection well-hidden here,” Suisei muses.

“I-I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You shoved it all into your room when I moved in, didn't you?”

“...shut up.”

They spend her birthday together, and Suisei even bought her a cake. It's been so long since she last celebrated her birthday, and she's filled with overflowing gratitude towards Suisei that she starts to cry once more.

“You're such a crybaby,” she lightheartedly teases as she tenderly wipes Miko's tears away.

“Thank you again for today, Sui-chan,” she sniffles, hoping that her feelings of appreciation reaches Suisei.

Based on the sweet smile that she receives in return, she's sure that Suisei understands.

On Suisei's birthday later that month, Miko decides to buy Suisei more expensive equipment for her music. The satisfaction that she feels when Suisei looks at her like she put the stars in the sky for her is incomparable, and Miko proudly gloats about how awesome she is.

Her heart races when Suisei leans in to kiss her cheek and pulls her into an intimate hug, burying her face into Miko's shoulder.

“Thank you, Miko-chi,” Suisei shakily says, and Miko hugs her back just as tightly. It makes a dent in her savings, but Suisei deserves the world.

“Don't thank me yet,” Miko teases, “You don't even know how to set it up.”

“Obviously you're going to help me,” Suisei cheekily responds.

They spend a week just to properly set the equipment up, but Suisei seems to be happy with it, and that's all that matters.

After that, something seems to shift between them, and she begins to completely forget that she's supposed to be the older of the two. She lowers her guard and lets Suisei do whatever she wants.

Suisei spoils her sometimes, and Miko doesn't even resist anymore. Suisei buys her sweets some days when she comes home from school or work. She dries Miko's hair too and lets Miko lean her head on her shoulder.

She starts to depend on Suisei, and she becomes the first person that Miko pictures whenever she needs anything. After tiring days, all she wants is to be held in Suisei's arms to recharge.

She happily relishes everything that Suisei does for her. At this point in their lives, six years doesn't feel too big anymore.

It's Suisei's break from school in between semesters, and Miko feels relieved that the other girl can get a chance to rest a little bit. However, Suisei spends her time recording instead and works hard as always. It's the same thing that she did during her last break, but at the time Miko was helpless to do anything else but watch.

This time, Miko has a little extra money after getting a bigger voice acting role, so she decides to spend it on Suisei.

She understands how much Suisei wants to succeed, but she worries that Suisei might be pushing herself too hard and burn out.

“Sui-chan?” she calls out.

Suisei hums in acknowledgment and turns to look at her.

“Do you want to go to the hot springs with me?” She asks.

Suisei perks up, but hesitation crosses her features, “I'm kind of busy, and I'm pretty tight on money right now.”

“I'll pay for the trip,” Miko insists.

Suisei scowls, “I don't need you to pay for me.”

She sulks, “Think of it as a loan. You can pay me back with another trip next time.”

Suisei still looks unconvinced, and she's probably too proud to admit that she needs a break.

Miko frowns in frustration, and she imagines a future where Suisei could afford to take it easy without worrying too much. She badly wishes for that day to come. For now, all she can do is support her as best as she can.

If she thinks that it's for Miko's sake, then she'll have a better shot at persuading her.

Miko knows it's a little manipulative, but she rubs the back of her neck like she's in pain and makes sure that Suisei notices. Suisei glances at the action with concern, and Miko pouts, “I'm so tired. I was hoping we could go somewhere for a short vacation.”

Suisei immediately gives in, and they plan the trip together. She's pleased with herself for the success. She knows that Suisei needs a break, and she thinks that she deserves one herself. She hasn't taken a vacation in years, and being able to go with Suisei makes her look forward to it even more.

Before she knows it, they've been living together for over a year, and now Miko has a new problem.

Another trouble that she faces is the fact that she has to actively calm her racing heart whenever she's around Suisei. Seeing her smile and constantly being in her presence makes Miko feel like she's slowly going insane.

She can't possibly be catching feelings for Suisei, right?

It would be a cruel irony for her to start liking Suisei now that Suisei no longer sees her romantically. It would also be incredibly insensitive of Miko to suddenly dig up Suisei's old feelings after she spent years moving on from Miko.

It's all just bad timing. She only saw Suisei as a child back when she used to like Miko, and now that she no longer sees Suisei as a kid, she doesn't like Miko anymore.

She swallows down the sadness that she feels.

She sees the tenderness in Suisei's eyes and the care and attention that she puts into every action when it comes to Miko, but she writes it off as merely her own hopefulness. Of course she knows that Suisei cares about her a lot, but her feelings are probably completely platonic now. Obviously, if Suisei was still in love with Miko then she would have had no problems telling her, just like she used to always do back then.

“You told me to wait for you,” Miko grumbles under her breath before she snaps out of it. It's unfair to expect Suisei to have waited for her when she only made that promise when she was a kid. Miko didn't even have any intention of reciprocating her feelings, so there's no point in dwelling on those thoughts.

She tries to curb her feelings to avoid the complications that come with it.

However, it gets harder to deny the longer they're together. When she wakes Suisei up in the mornings, she sleepily wraps her arms around Miko's neck and pulls her down to nuzzle into her. Miko yells in embarrassment at the affectionate gesture, but she endures it when the stars in Suisei's eyes twinkle the same way it always does when she's happy. Miko is filled with a sense of victory that she's the one who makes Suisei smile so cheerfully.

There are moments when she decides to drag Miko on her lap while they watch movies together and place her chin on Miko's shoulder from behind.

There are nights when Suisei sneaks into her bed, which started after they watched a horror movie that one time. It spooked Suisei so terribly to the point that she was too afraid to sleep in her own bed. Miko felt bad so she allowed Suisei to sleep with her, and Suisei must have taken it as an invitation to sleep in Miko's bed whenever she wanted. Miko doesn't mind whenever Suisei happily cuddles into her so she never asks her to stop either. The proximity is bad for her heart, but she withstands it if it means Suisei can get a good night's sleep.

The next thing she knows, Suisei's room turns into a makeshift recording room, and she just uses Miko's room to sleep whenever she pleases.

When Suisei cleans their apartment, Miko can't help but stare at her back and side profile, and the thought that she would love to see this view forever startles her. Suisei gives her a curious, innocent look, like she has no idea that Miko is going crazy because of her.

Some days, she hugs Miko from behind while she cooks, and each time she does, Miko's heart threatens to explode. The domesticity makes it harder for Miko to imagine a future away from Suisei.

Sometimes, Suisei rests her head on her lap and lets Miko stroke her hair like she used to always do. Whenever she falls asleep like this, Miko takes the time to study her features and ponder on how much she's grown. She's frustratingly pretty, and Miko feels a blush creep to her face before she lightly ruffles Suisei's hair in annoyance. Suisei's nose cutely scrunches up at the action as strands of blue tickle her face.

She pats down her hair and brushes her bangs away from her face, watching with amusement when Suisei lets out an involuntary sigh of contentment in her sleep.

She looks so peaceful, and Miko doesn't have the heart to wake her up even when her legs start to go numb.

She has a hard time resisting Suisei. She's dedicated and passionate. She works hard, and she's serious about her goals. Her resilience and mental fortitude is astounding. She's one of the strongest people Miko knows, yet she turns into a baby around Miko. It makes her even cuter in Miko's eyes.

She's playful and sweet, yet she loves pissing Miko off just to get a reaction. She constantly annoys Miko, just like she always did when she was a kid, but on the roughest days she gets Miko to smile and laugh.

Suisei seems to remain completely oblivious to Miko's inner turmoil, innocently doing things that leave Miko absolutely flustered.

Every intimate action makes her hopeful that Suisei could like her again, but she stomps down the thoughts before they can take root.

Another year passes, and Miko is still stuck doing small jobs and receiving nothing but rejections in her auditions. She feels like she's still right at the starting line, and after a particularly bad day, she reaches a breaking point.

She thinks that she's ready to let go and give up. She comforts herself with the thought that she can support Suisei with her dreams instead.

She goes home and slams the door shut. It's a cold, winter day, fitting for her mood as she lifelessly shrugs off her coat.

She knows that Suisei's classes will end late today, so she lets herself fall apart.

She leans her back against the wall and sinks to the ground as she loses strength. She cries into her knees alone in their apartment.

It's an eruption of all the negative thoughts that she's kept hidden for so long, years of bottled up insecurities that she's been keeping in her heart that finally rises to the surface.

She doesn't know how long she cries, and she hurries to hide her tears when she hears the door creak open.

Suisei enters the apartment, and she looks alarmed at the sight of her.

“Miko-chi?” she calls out with worry, hastily taking off her coat. She doesn't even remove her scarf as she frantically rushes to her side.

“Sui-chan?” she weakly responds through her sobs.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she anxiously prods. She carefully reaches out to Miko, looking panic-stricken. Her nose and cheeks are red from the cold, and Miko manages to let out a wet chuckle at the adorable sight.

“Why are you back so early?” Miko shakily asks as she weakly wipes the tears from her cheeks. She averts her eyes and tries to hold back her tears. She feels ashamed and a little pathetic that Suisei has to see her like this.

"I skipped class," Suisei distractedly responds as she takes her gloves off.

"Again?" Miko reprimands, but Suisei completely ignores her words. She grabs Miko's wrist and cups her cheek, tilting her face to look at her, “What happened?”

She shivers at how cold her bare hands feel, and she places her own hand over Suisei's, pressing it against her cheek.

"You're freezing," she mildly scolds, and Suisei gives her an unamused look.

"Miko-chi."

The concern in her tone and the sincere worry in her expression makes Miko break down once more.

Miko's vision blurs as more tears fall down her cheeks, “Sui-chan...”

She starts sobbing again. Suisei holds Miko tightly against her chest and lets her cry into her shoulder.

She buries her face into her shirt and grips onto her sleeves to pull her as close as possible, seeking relief in Suisei's warmth.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she softly asks, rubbing comforting circles across Miko's back.

Miko hesitates, and Suisei patiently waits as she gently hugs her. It feels soothing just to be in Suisei's arms, and she slowly tries to regain control of her breathing.

When her tears run dry, she continues to lean her body against Suisei. She feels completely spent, barely able to keep herself together if not for the tender way Suisei holds her.

Suisei still feels a little cold, so she absent-mindedly rubs her hands up and down Suisei's arms, trying to warm the other girl up. She smiles at the way Suisei seems to unconsciously huddle closer to her.

“I don't think I'm cut out for this,” she confesses, feeling totally drained.

She begins to tell Suisei everything, about how she struggled for so long yet she feels like she's still stuck and unable to make any progress even after all these years. She tells her about all her doubts and fears, all the rejection and failure, and all the self-deprecating thoughts that haunt her.

Sure, she gets small roles here and there, and she's recently been getting a couple of bigger roles, but she can't imagine her career going any further.

It isn't stable in the long run at the rate things are going, and maybe she needs to consider other career options.

Suisei listens silently even though Miko could tell that she's upset. Regardless, she's extremely grateful for Suisei's presence, and she feels a little lighter just from being able to talk about her feelings with the other girl. Some of the weight is lifted off her shoulders, and the heaviness that she's been carrying seems to lessen upon finally letting it out, especially with Suisei gently holding her throughout.

She probably looks like a miserable mess, and she apologizes to Suisei.

“Don't apologize,” Suisei huffs, and understanding shines in her eyes as she continues to softly caress Miko's cheek, “I get it.”

“You can still pursue your dreams, Sui-chan,” Miko chokes out, “I'll still support you.”

Suisei shakes her head and wipes away a stray tear with her thumb, “Today was just a bad day for you.”

“I've been doing this for so long, and I'm tired,” Miko mumbles.

She carefully tilts Miko's chin up to look into her eyes, and she loses herself in the intensity of Suisei's gaze, “Miko-chi, I'm not going to let you give up, just like I won't give up on my dreams. You worked so hard for this, and you're talented at it. We're supposed to reach the top together, remember?”

"Hard work isn't enough," Miko frowns, "Luck plays a big part too. There's so many people out there who worked hard and never got a chance either. Maybe I'm destined to be one of them."

Suisei's brows furrow at her words, determination settling in her eyes, "You're luckier than you think, and even if you aren't, then let's make our own destiny."

Her breath hitches at the ferocity in her words, and she tells herself that this isn't the time for her heart to swoon like this. Even with all the bad luck she experienced through the past years, she feels like she's the luckiest in the world for having Suisei.

Still, she doesn't want Suisei to concern herself too much with Miko's problems. She has a lot on her own plate too, and she's working hard for her own dreams. Miko doesn't want to hold her back.

“I'm going to leave my agency and get a full-time job,” Miko dully responds, “I'll support you financially, so you can quit your job and focus on your studies and music instead.”

She flinches at the stern look that Suisei graces her with. She pinches Miko's cheek, and she yelps at the pain.

“Ouch! Sui-chan, that hurts!” She whines. Suisei releases her, and she rubs the spot before glaring up at the other girl.

“I want you to see me as a partner, not as some little kid that you need to take care of,” Suisei scolds before apologetically kissing her sore cheek. Her heart flutters at the soft press of her lips against her skin.

“I didn't mean it like that,” Miko explains, “I just wish I could do more for you.”

Suisei's eyes soften, and she strokes Miko's cheek delicately, “I love you, Miko-chi. Just having you here with me is more than enough for me.”

“Really?” she whimpers, her voice cracking in disbelief at the sudden confession. She doubts her own ears.

“Idiot, isn't it obvious?” she playfully teases.

Miko shakes her head as she stares at Suisei hopefully, holding her breath as she waits.

“I never stopped loving you, Miko-chi,” Suisei shyly confesses again, the affection in her gaze making Miko's heart jump. It's the first time Suisei had said the words since they started living together. The whole time, Miko thought that Suisei already moved on from her feelings, and the unexpected confession fills her with immense relief.

She's tempted to make fun of the crimson coloring Suisei's cheeks, but she's too choked up to form words.

Suisei loves her.

It's the words that Miko has been dying to hear.

After all this time, Suisei still loves her.

The tide of emotions that she feels makes tears well up in her eyes again.

Suisei takes her hand into her own and tenderly brushes her lips against the back of her hand. She swallows the lump in her throat as a rush of feelings swell inside of her from the action.

Suisei gives her a captivating smile, “I still haven't given up on marrying you.”

She feels warmth flood her chest as she stares at the galaxies in Suisei's eyes. She's frozen from the rollercoaster of emotions she just experienced, and all she can do is get lost in the softness of Suisei's gaze.

She shyly plays with the scarf around Suisei's neck to distract herself.

“I'm going to drop out of school and pursue music full time,” Suisei suddenly declares.

The change in topic gives her a whiplash.

“Wha-”

“I won't quit my job so that I can still help with the bills.”

“Wait! Don't make such big decisions so quickly!” Miko yells.

“I'm not,” Suisei explains, “It's something that I've been thinking about a lot.”

“But...” Miko trails off.

“I'm going to give it my all,” Suisei stubbornly says, “I'm going to show you that it's possible. I won't give up, so please don't give up either.”

Miko looks at her, eyes still wet with tears.

“You told me about how much you wanted to be a voice actress, right?” Suisei implores.

“I do!” Miko agrees.

“Please give it another shot. If you decide that you really want to stop, then I won't bother you about this any more,” Suisei negotiates.

“Sui-chan,” she hesitates.

“You have your dreams, and I have mine, but we're in this together,” Suisei leans forward to kiss her forehead, down to her eyelids, down to her tear-stained cheeks. She takes Miko's hand and kisses her palm, and her breath hitches at the pure adoration and utter devotion reflecting in Suisei's eyes.

It makes her feel loved.

Suddenly, she doesn't feel cold anymore.

With the overwhelming joy that she feels knowing that Suisei apparently never stopped loving her through all these years, Miko knows for sure that she can't suppress her own feelings anymore.

Knowing that Suisei believes in her when she can't even believe in herself touches her deeply. At her lowest point, as Suisei comforts her with the softest gaze and without any hint of judgment, Miko can't deny it any longer.

She's fallen in love with Suisei.

The future that she imagines always has Suisei by her side, regardless of which road she takes.

Suisei closes her eyes and leans her forehead against Miko's. She feels warm.

“So stay with me,” Suisei pleads.

And Miko stays.

Chapter Text

Suisei falls in love on a rainy autumn day.

She runs away from home after an argument with her parents, and Miko finds her crying alone in the playground. She'd rather die than let Miko see her in this state, so she tries to escape. Much to her humiliation, she slips and stumbles to the ground, scraping her knee from the impact.

Miko rushes over to her, and she finds nothing but worry and concern in the other girl's expression, without any hint of judgment.

Miko reaches out to her with eyes filled with compassion, and her warmth surrounds her as she comforts Suisei from the sounds of thunder.

She scoops Suisei up and drops her off underneath a nearby shade to protect her from the rain. Miko's arms tremble while she struggles to carry Suisei, but she tries her best for her. The other girl isn't exactly the peak example of physical strength, so seeing the effort she put in just for Suisei made it feel all the more special.

Her voice is sweet as she tries to cheer Suisei up. She sees the gentleness in Miko's eyes and the kindness in her heart. She feels the warmth of Miko's hand and the sincerity on her face when she listens to Suisei talk. She encourages her to pursue her goals, and they make a promise together that day to fulfill their dreams.

Miko is surprisingly cool and reliable when she needs to be, and Suisei suddenly sees her in a different light. Instead of simply being her older sister's clumsy friend that Suisei can antagonize for fun, she starts to admire Miko and see her as someone dependable.

Miko is the type whose emotions are written all over her face, so when she praises Suisei's voice and tells her that she believes in her, she could tell that it's completely genuine. Her brilliant green eyes are pure and earnest, and it makes Suisei happy to know that Miko is rooting for her.

Suisei has never experienced a crush yet at that point in her life. She would feel a little left out when her friends talk about romance, but Suisei isn't really interested in things like that.

She used to only care about music and anime, but then suddenly she starts to feel all these new emotions that overwhelm her. There are days when all she could think about is Miko.

She's so adorable even though she's older than Suisei by a few years, and somehow it makes her even more charming. It makes it hard to resist winding Miko up just to get a cute reaction out of her, and she knows that Miko doesn't take any of her teasing seriously judging by the playful glint in her eyes when she pouts at Suisei.

It's like her world is suddenly filled with color, and shades of pink fill her heart.

The intensity of her emotions confuse her at first, and then suddenly she finds herself relating to all the songs about love and all the characters in romance shows that she used to judge. It clicks in her head, and she finally understands why her heart races and her palms turn sweaty around Miko. The excitement that she feels whenever she spends time with Miko and the happiness that spreads in her chest whenever she thinks about her should have clued her in much earlier.

Her crush worsens, and the more time passes, the deeper her feelings become.

Suddenly, she has another dream, and that's to be with Miko.

Her hands shake and her legs quiver when she confesses to Miko for the first time, underneath the cherry blossoms on a beautiful spring day.

Miko tells her that she's too old for Suisei, but that doesn't deter her. Once she grows up, she'll definitely marry Miko for sure. For the meantime, she's happy just to be by Miko's side. She's satisfied with spending time with her and seeing her smile. She vows to make Miko the happiest girl in the world someday.

Since then, she's been asking Miko to marry her. The answer is always the same, but Suisei isn't the type to just give up.

When Miko decides to move to the city, Suisei doesn't ask her to stay. They made a promise to fulfill their dreams and reach the top, so she understands. She'll do nothing but support Miko every step of the way no matter how much she wants Miko to remain by side. However, it doesn't lessen the pain in her chest whenever she thinks of the incoming distance between them.

“You already finished packing?” she asks, not really wanting to hear the answer. She stares at the ground and kicks a pebble away from the path as they take a casual stroll together.

Miko laughs guiltily, “Of course.”

She gives Miko a look, raising an eyebrow to indicate that she doesn’t believe her one bit.

“Almost,” Miko admits with a pout, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

They stop walking and take in the fresh air. The town feels silent, the soft rustling of the trees the only sound around them.

“I’m going to miss this place.”

It’s a reminder that today is Miko’s last day here before she moves away to live in the city. It’s Miko’s last day with her. Miko won’t be here anymore the next day. Her mood instantly sours.

“You’re saying it like you aren’t going to come back,” she glances back at the ground and kicks away another pebble.

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

She feels the distance between them grow. Miko feels so far away even though they’re right next to each other, and she desperately wishes to close the gap.

“I’m going to miss you,” she weakly confesses.

Miko smiles at her, and Suisei feels the loneliness settle in, weighing in her heart terribly.

“I’ll miss you too.”

The ache in her chest feels too heavy for her. Things are going to change whether she likes it or not. Her normal days aren’t going to be the same, and she’s not ready for it.

It feels like goodbye. Their paths will temporarily diverge, but she’s sure that it will cross once more and intertwine when the time is right. Their promise binds them together, and there will be no need for them to part ways again in the future.

“Wait for me,” she pleads, unable to bear the thought that the days of her life with Miko will vanish without a trace and remain as a mere memory.

The only response she receives is a look of remorse that Miko tries to hide behind a gentle smile. The hollow feeling in her heart worsens, and Suisei swallows the lump in her throat.

It’s her first taste of heartbreak.

She reaches out and holds onto Miko’s sleeve as if it would get her to stay by her side. She closes her eyes and wishes that the depths of her feelings will reach Miko. If not now, then maybe someday.

“I want to go with you,” she mumbles, holding back her tears and begging herself to be strong.

I want to be with you forever.

“Your parents are going to kill you,” Miko teases, and Suisei manages a small smile at the playful tone.

“We promised each other that we’ll fulfill our dreams together, so don’t forget to wait for me,” she repeats her plea, barely able to get the words out as she tries to stop her voice from wavering.

She resists the childish urge to cry and break down in tears, trying to present herself as mature in front of Miko. Miko already told her back then that there’s nothing wrong with crying and that adults do it too. In fact, her sister also said the same thing, but Suisei still tries to avoid it.

Miko is surprisingly perceptive at times, and she must sense the urgency in Suisei’s voice because she pats her head to comfort her as she usually does.

“Don’t worry, I won’t forget,” she promises.

The words are enough for Suisei for now, and she allows her to go.

She says goodbye to Miko, and she’s unprepared for how painful it feels to be left behind. When the time comes, she doesn’t have any intention of saying goodbye to Miko again for a second time.

Miko still reaches out to her and sends her words of encouragement and support, but it’s different.

The cold creeps into her chest where Miko’s warmth used to linger. The heat gradually disappears and slips away from her grasp.

Suisei starts high school, and through countless confessions from her schoolmates that come her way, there's only one person that fully occupies the space in her heart. She focuses on music and joins a school band club.

The thrill of performing on stage gives her a taste of the future that she craves, a grander scale where the world can watch her shine. It's a glimpse of the life that she envisions. The only thing missing is Miko.

Miko stops visiting at some point, and Suisei longs to see her again. She patiently waits for the time when she can finally go to Miko. She wonders if Miko is waiting for her too.

As she gazes at the night sky, blanketed with a sea of stars, she stretches her hand out and yearns for the day when she can be the brightest star of them all. She hopes that when that day comes, Miko will eventually be able to see her too.

More than that, she wishes that Miko would be the star shining right next to her.

She seems fine when they message each other, but Suisei wonders if she's doing well. She hasn't seen Miko in so long, and she worries about her. It's been a while since Miko last visited, and Suisei forces herself to be patient.

Just a little longer. She hopes that her patience will be rewarded.

When the time is right, she can move to the city too and be fully committed to pursuing her dreams, both with music and with Miko.

She's not really worried that Miko would date anyone else. Miko is extremely attractive, but she doubts that anyone can manage to steal her heart away. Suisei knows her well enough to be certain that she's too much of a recluse to go out and meet people outside of work. Suisei also messages her often enough to know that she's usually just at home during her free time, so that's one less problem for her.

When Miko agrees to help Suisei look for an apartment in the city, she can barely contain her excitement. She'll finally get to see Miko after all these years. Her feelings never faded, even after all this time.

When she finally meets Miko again, Suisei feels like the rest of the world fades away. Miko is already looking at her, and time seems to slow down around them. She's drawn to Miko, her feet carrying her like there's an invisible pull, and she unconsciously starts to walk towards the other girl.

All she wants is to be closer to her. She stops in front of Miko, and Suisei feels like the air is knocked out of her lungs.

Miko is still as pretty as she remembers, maybe even more so. She looks the same, her sparkling green eyes still containing an air of innocence, but there was an underlying weariness too. It makes Suisei want to take all her worries and anxiety away, and it makes her even more determined to make sure they both fulfill their promise.

Her hair is longer, waves of gorgeous pink flowing down her back, and Suisei is tempted to run her hands through the silky strands. She looks a little more mature, but at the same time she's still so adorable that Suisei wants to pinch her cheeks.

She greedily drinks in the sight of Miko, absorbing every single detail and committing it to memory. She's so beautiful that it stuns Suisei, and she stands there, gawking like an idiot.

She feels like she's suddenly bathed in a gentle warmth after years of being deprived of the sun. The cold melts away and heat fills her chest once more.

Miko remains silent, shyly glancing at her, and she looks at Suisei like she doesn't recognize her. She feels a twinge of annoyance at the thought that Miko would look at her like a stranger.

She calls out her name, and Miko seems to snap out of it. Suisei couldn't help but hug her, breathing her in and wishing that she could hold her forever.

They fall back into their usual conversation, and being able to hear Miko's voice and see her in front of her feels exponentially better than just sending messages to each other.

Miko unexpectedly invites her to live with her, and Suisei doesn't even need to think about it. She wants to take every opportunity that she can to make up for the time they've spent away from each other. They've been apart for too long, and Suisei doesn’t plan on letting Miko go again.

Living with Miko already feels like a dream come true, and Suisei is still so hopelessly in love with her.

She doesn't think that she can be as honest with her feelings as she used to be when she was younger. It feels a little embarrassing to do the same thing now so she holds herself back. There's also a part of her that fears the possible rejection.

Back then, she could use her age as an excuse, but she's not sure if she could pass it off as that anymore if Miko rejects her now.

Besides, there's no reason to say it out loud because it's obvious that she's still head over heels in love with Miko. The words are stuck inside of her, so she shows it through her actions instead. It would be practically impossible for the other girl not to realize.

She resists the impulse to touch her, to hug her, to kiss her, to just hold her, and she clenches her hands into fists to restrain herself around Miko.

She's always acted like even more of a baby than Suisei despite being older by a few years, and it only serves to make her cuter in Suisei's eyes. Miko still has the cutest reactions to her teasing, and it makes Suisei want to play around with her even more.

How is it possible for someone to be this adorable just by existing?

However, even back then, Miko would always try to act mature and take on all the responsibilities when she's with Suisei, maybe because she feels like she has the obligation due to their age. The six year difference between them doesn’t even feel tangible anymore unlike before, yet Miko still treats her like a child sometimes.

Suisei wants to change that. She wants Miko to see her as an equal.

Whenever she comes home after a long, hard day, all she wants is to cuddle with Miko on the couch. They split the chores, and Suisei wonders if this is what being married to Miko feels like. They're in their own little world, in a space shared between just the two of them. The happiness that she feels is indescribable.

Sometimes she can't resist the urge to wrap her arms around Miko from behind when the temptation is far too great and when the opportunity arises like while she’s cooking. Miko never pushes her away, and it only encourages Suisei even more.

Suisei has a hard time managing her studies while working, especially since she keeps prioritizing her music. There are multiple times when she'd begin to doubt herself and wonder if she's making any progress at all. During the days when she feels like she's not good enough, she looks at Miko's face and remembers their promise. It gives her a little boost in morale, especially when Miko looks at her with the most gentle smile as she supports Suisei through everything and cheers her on wholeheartedly.

Miko spoils her too much. She cooks her favorite meals for her. She stays up late to wait for Suisei whenever she comes home past her usual time. She welcomes her home and fusses over her with eyes that contain so much concern. She greets her with a hot meal and prepares a bath for her, and the utmost care in her actions always makes Suisei's heart skip a beat. She even stays up late to keep Suisei company whenever she pulls all-nighters, sometimes even bringing her some snacks and drinks. Suisei secretly swoons from each thoughtful gesture by Miko. Gratitude floods her chest at how sweet and reliable Miko could be, despite her default state of being way too smug and annoying.

It's unfair how Miko could just smile at her with complete innocence while she unknowingly makes Suisei's heart accelerate to an unhealthy pace.

She didn't think that it was possible to love Miko even more than she did, but she finds herself falling even deeper.

During the hardest days, Miko's smile gives her strength.

She always makes Suisei laugh, and she feels like everything will be alright as long as Miko is with her. Her presence is calming, and just being around her makes Suisei feel at ease.

She could tell that Miko is tired too despite the strong facade that she likes to put up in front of Suisei. She wishes that Miko could lower her guard around her and open up to Suisei about her feelings too.

She wants to comfort her from her troubles, and she wants to listen to her worries. She wants to share her life with her, from her joy to her pain. She wants Miko to think of Suisei first whenever she needs anything at all. She does her best to show Miko that she can rely on Suisei.

Her efforts don't go to waste, because Miko starts to seem more relaxed around her and begins to open up to her too.

She turns into even more of a baby around Suisei. She seems to start depending on Suisei too, and the thought fills her with joy.

She looks a little lonely whenever Suisei gets too busy. She pouts at Suisei like some sort of neglected cat, and she sticks to Suisei's side, silently asking for some attention but too kind to ask for it directly in fear of disturbing her. She affectionately leans her head on Suisei's shoulder, and she instantly melts at the action whenever she does so. Her face lights up adorably whenever Suisei pets her head, like something as simple as that is enough for her. It makes Suisei want nothing more than to keep her smiling like that forever. A sense of pride fills her chest, knowing that her presence can soothe Miko's feelings of loneliness.

She starts to sleep in Miko’s room at some point, and sharing a bed together makes the nights feel warmer and cozier, especially during the cold winter months when their heater would fail them. Being able to see Miko’s cute, sleeping face every night and waking up next to her always fills her with a sense of peace and contentment, soothing her own loneliness during the days when both of them are too busy to really spend time together.

Miko clings to Suisei's arm when they walk together outside. She happily lets Suisei dry her hair for her after a bath. She finally allows Suisei to take care of her and reciprocate her kindness.

She likes knowing that Miko is starting to see her as more of a partner instead of treating Suisei like a helpless kid.

It all comes to a head when she comes home from school earlier than usual and finds Miko crying alone in their apartment. Her heart breaks at the sight, and she gathers Miko into her arms and lets her cry into her shoulder.

She tells Suisei everything about her thoughts and struggles. Her heart clenches painfully in her chest at the look of hopelessness in Miko's eyes.

She absolutely hates seeing the sadness on Miko's face. Her tears evoke an ache deep in Suisei's heart, and she tries to reassure her, unable to bear seeing her cry.

She doesn't want to see Miko's hard work disappear. She wants to stand at the top with Miko by her side, with both of them happy in their chosen paths.

In the heat of the moment, she's unable to refrain from letting her true feelings slip out, and she gains a little confidence to be more honest. She tells Miko that she hasn't given up on marrying her. Miko's face turns bright red, and Suisei feels hope bloom inside her.

Miko looks surprised at her confession, and it's an unexpected reaction since Suisei's pretty sure that she's been incredibly obvious about her feelings. She thinks that her affection has always been apparent in her actions, and she didn't think she needed to say the words. Leave it to Miko to remain completely oblivious.

She manages to convince Miko not to give up yet, and she hopes with all her heart that things would look up for them.

Something seems to change after that. Miko seems livelier, and there's a certain spark that returns to her. Suisei feels relieved that Miko seems to be back to her usual self.

Suisei starts to focus on her music now that she has more free time after dropping her studies, and they both work even harder than before to make a name for themselves.

The future that she imagines is bright, where she and Miko reach their dreams together. It's a future where all their struggles pay off, and she gets to be happy with Miko by her side. She desperately wants it.

She pushes herself as hard as she could, and it gets to a point where she barely gives herself time to sleep anymore. She often goes out for auditions and records song covers at home, and her frustration builds up when the quality doesn't meet her standards. She repeatedly records herself singing the same song over and over again, but it still doesn't sound the way she wants it to.

Miko always tries to stay up late with her, but she usually falls asleep on the couch while waiting. Suisei appreciates the attempt nonetheless and covers Miko with a blanket, trying not to wake her. Sometimes, she'd flop down beside Miko on the couch when she’s too tired, their bodies barely fitting together in the small space. She has to snuggle up to Miko as closely as possible to make sure neither of them falls off the couch. The proximity calms her down and allows her to drift off into her own sleep with Miko in her arms.

They'd wake up with their limbs tangled together, their positions shifting due to how much Miko squirms around in her sleep until she’s nestled comfortably underneath Suisei. Her head rests against Miko's chest, the gentle rise and fall giving her the motivation that she needs to face the day and keep going. She listens to the gentle rhythm of Miko's heartbeat, close and intimate, and she shuts her eyes to enjoy the moment a little longer before Miko wakes up.

However, the constant lack of sleep becomes too much, and one day, she suddenly starts to feel dizzy. Her vision darkens, and she almost loses consciousness. Miko finds her lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

She feels guilty at the look of fear and panic in Miko’s face as she stumbles towards Suisei in a hurry.

“Sui-chan?!”

She grunts and waves off her concern. Miko helps her sit up and gives her some water. She looks scared, her face pale as she worriedly checks on Suisei.

“Don’t worry, I was just resting,” she explains, trying to calm her down.

“On the floor?!”

“Why not? It’s clean and comfortable,” she defends.

Miko looks unconvinced, and the frown on her face makes Suisei want to hug her until she feels better.

She tries to assure her that she’s fine, but Miko takes her to the hospital anyway. The doctor says that it’s stress from overworking herself, telling her to take some time off to rest for a while and recuperate before her health worsens.

She reluctantly follows the advice, knowing that she can't risk getting sick and getting any ailments that might affect her health and more importantly her voice. She feels like every moment that she's not doing anything is wasted time. She finds it difficult to stay idle when she’s still desperately chasing after her dreams that seem so out of reach.

“It's important to rest too,” Miko consoles her, and she silently nods despite her frustration. She's not allowed to do any strenuous activities unless absolutely necessary for a while in order to speed up her recovery.

She sulks and tries to distract herself with other things to avoid the negative thoughts from flocking to her head. She goes out with her friends and tries to relax during her break. She finds it sweet and thoughtful when Miko decides to free up her own schedule too in order to keep Suisei company, although it might have just been to get her to shut up from complaining so much.

They play games together, and as much as Suisei is having fun, she's not used to having so much free time.

“Ha! I won again!” Miko gloats with the smuggest grin on her face. Suisei scowls at the provocations.

“I want a rematch!” she demands.

“You're just going to lose again,” Miko taunts, childishly sticking her tongue out at her.

Suisei feels her eye twitch, and she briefly wonders if this was how Miko felt all those years ago when Suisei lived to make things difficult for her.

She manages to convince Miko to play another round, and she feels her competitiveness flare up. She normally prefers winning fair and square, but she wants to wipe that self-satisfied smile off Miko's face. She fakes a cough, and Miko instantly turns to her with concern.

Worry is evident on her face, and she reaches over to rub Suisei's back, “Are you feeling dizzy again? Does your throat hurt? Do you want me to get you something to drink? Do you want some soup? Something hot might help.”

It touches her that Miko's care and concern for her seems to override her competitiveness. As happy as she is that Miko prioritizes her well-being, Suisei doesn't let the chance slip pass her.

While she's successfully distracted, Suisei takes the opportunity to win the round. Miko gapes at her in disbelief while Suisei victoriously runs out of the room and leaves Miko behind.

She doesn't feel any remorse when Miko angrily yells her name, “Hoshimachi!”

She laughs to herself and hides in her old room until Miko calms down. She sneaks out after a while and cuddles up to Miko until she forgives her, which doesn’t take much. Miko is pretty easy sometimes.

She slowly learns to balance her activities despite how much she wants to keep pushing as hard as she can, and it gets easier with Miko helping her out and constantly reminding her not to overdo things.

She starts to jokingly propose to Miko again sometimes, and her reactions are totally different from before. Back then, she would just laugh it off, but lately she acts flustered in the most adorable way, and her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink.

She still finds it embarrassing to tell Miko that she loves her, but there was no reason to hold back anymore now that Miko already knows her feelings. Besides, it greatly amuses her to see Miko get flustered and cutely stutter out unintelligible words in response.

“I love you.”

She curiously observes the way Miko's cheeks turn red, and she laughs with amusement when Miko glares at her, the impact minimized by the blush on her face.

“Miko-chi, I love you,” she sweetly repeats.

Miko turns away with a huff, but Suisei can see that the tips of her ears are tinted red. Her reaction only makes Suisei want to purposely tease her.

She steps closer and pulls Miko into a hug, “Let's get married.”

Miko's body trembles, and her hands curl around Suisei's shirt as if to keep her close. She hides her face into Suisei's neck, weakly mumbling, “Shut up.”

Her heart pounds and her own cheeks heat up at the cute reaction, but she doesn't know what it means.

She prides herself in being observant, especially when it comes to Miko. Her attentiveness seems to multiply exponentially when it comes to the other girl, and she can’t help but notice every little detail and action. She knows the type of food and drink that Miko likes even when she doesn’t say anything. She stores every small habit into her mind, even the ones that seem mundane. She memorizes each expression on her face, every tone of her voice that varies depending on her mood, and every small mannerism that’s unique to Miko. All of it is important to Suisei, because she loves every bit of Miko.

However, the way Miko acts lately can’t seem to be found in Suisei’s encyclopedia of knowledge for all things Miko-related. It frustrates her that she can’t quite understand.

Miko still doesn't really respond to her feelings, and Suisei wonders with disappointment if Miko still sees her as a little girl. It's another dream that she feels like she's not making much progress with.

Miko wakes up with a fever one day, and Suisei worriedly dotes on her. Her cheeks are flushed from the fever, and her skin is hot to the touch. She curses herself for not noticing sooner, since Miko was already a little pale last night and drifted off into sleep in the middle of their usual late night pillow talk, scooting into Suisei’s arms and immediately dozing off against her chest.

She lets out a sound of disapproval upon checking Miko's temperature, and she's thankful that it's the weekend so she can stay with Miko to take care of her. She gently wipes the sweat off Miko's forehead with a towel.

"I should get sick more often if it'll get you to be this nice to me," Miko teases. She must not be feeling that bad if she still has the strength to mock her.

"I'm always nice to you," she dryly responds.

Miko closes her eyes and leans into the touch, and despite the situation, Suisei can't help but smile at the adorable sight.

“I'll go make you something to eat,” Suisei softly says. She turns to leave, but a hand grabs her wrist and tugs her back.

“Miko-chi?”

“Don't leave,” Miko weakly requests, looking at Suisei with a pleading expression, and it's unfair.

“But...you need food,” she lamely responds. Miko slips her hand into Suisei's and pouts at her.

“Sui-chan, stay here?” she asks, squeezing her hand and saying her name in an unreasonably cute way. Mikos eyes contain a fondness that makes her breath hitch. Suisei instantly melts, and a small, seemingly involuntary smile appears on Miko's face as if she won. Suisei has to admit that she's pretty easy too when it comes to Miko.

She pulls Suisei by the hand to lie down next to her, and the proximity makes her heart race.

Miko snuggles against her side and tucks her face into her neck. Suisei's cheeks heat up at the action, hoping that Miko wouldn't notice how fast her heart is beating.

She softly strokes Miko's hair and rubs her back until her breathing slowly evens out.

She wonders if Miko has been working too hard again, and Suisei frowns at the thought. She has no room to scold Suisei about how much she pushes herself when Miko does the exact same thing too. She’s just as stubborn as Suisei.

She wishes that she could do more for Miko. She inwardly apologizes to the other girl and bites her lip in frustration. She vowed to make Miko happy, and she promised to give her the world, yet here she is now with nothing to offer.

“Sui-chan?” Miko softly calls out to her, and Suisei plasters a smile on her face.

“Yes, Miko-chi?” she gently asks.

“...love you,” she sleepily mumbles.

She wishes that Miko's love was the same as her love, but regardless, her heart still soars at the words.

She knows that she’s an important person to Miko, but the greediness in her heart can’t help but desire more. She wants to be special in Miko’s eyes.

She brings Miko closer and rests her cheek on top of her head. She could smell the fragrance of her shampoo, and she closes her eyes and inhales the intoxicating scent.

“I love you too, Miko-chi.”

She sneaks out of her bed once she's sure that Miko is asleep, and she struggles to remove herself from the tight grip that Miko has on her. She manages to slip out of her grasp without waking Miko up.

A frown appears on Miko's face, and Suisei apologetically tucks her underneath the covers.

“I'll be right back,” she gently pacifies even though Miko isn't awake to hear her. She leans over to press her lips against Miko's forehead.

Miko's face seems to soften from her words, and a peaceful look replaces the furrow in her brows. Suisei smiles in satisfaction and leaves the room to prepare some porridge for her. The grateful smile that Miko gives her when she wakes up brightens the room.

Miko recovers relatively quickly, but she still looks sluggish probably due to the suffocating heat wave.

It's a hot summer day, and she sits with Miko in front of the fan to cool down. She's sticky with sweat, and Miko isn't helping either because she's glued to Suisei's side. She doesn't question it since Miko usually likes sticking to her.

“It's hot,” she complains, but Miko just droops against her side even more and grunts in agreement.

She lifelessly leans her weight against Suisei, and it just makes the room feel warmer. Even the wind from the fan feels hot, and she struggles to breathe from the sweltering temperature.

Miko's face is flushed and her eyes are closed. She looks like she has no energy left, and Suisei is in a similar state.

She gives in and lets Miko stick to her despite the stifling heat.

“Miko-chi?” she calls out.

Miko makes a noise of acknowledgement.

“What would you do if I said that I want to give up?”

She doesn't look over at Miko even as the silence stretches.

“I'd get mad because if I'm not allowed to give up, then neither can you,” Miko huffs.

Suisei laughs at the petulant response.

She's not going to lie, the thought has popped into her head multiple times, but she wants to succeed too badly to allow herself to give up.

“Thought so,” Suisei playfully says.

“What brought this on?” Miko asks gently.

She shrugs, “I've just been thinking.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“It's nothing,” she explains, “Maybe I'm overthinking things.”

Miko turns to face her like she's waiting for more, but Suisei doesn't look back at her.

“I think I can understand why you wanted to give up that day,” Suisei lets out a bitter chuckle. She failed another audition, and she knows that there are a lot of talented people out there. It's understandable that record labels and production companies would overlook her. The industry is competitive, but Suisei wants to shine the brightest among them all.

She can see the understanding dawn on Miko's face since it's a feeling that the other girl knows all too well. It's cathartic to talk about her frustrations with someone who knows exactly how she feels.

“I can't imagine you ever giving up,” Miko carefully comments.

She doesn't want to give up, not even a little bit. She doesn't know if she's strong enough to let her dreams go just like that. She spent her whole life wanting it so badly and chasing after it, and she doesn't know what to do with herself if she loses this. She held on tightly despite all the hardships that went her way, and she can't stand the thought of all her hard work just crumbling away and vanishing into nothing.

“I don't want to give up,” Suisei weakly confesses, “But what if my dream is meant to just be a dream?”

“Sui-chan...” Miko pulls her into a hug, and it makes them both even stickier from sweat. Despite the heat, she still finds the contact comforting. Miko wraps her up in a gentle hug, the kind that always makes Suisei feel safe and secure. She melts into Miko's arms while the other girl pats her head and strokes her back in soothing patterns.

She buries her face into Miko's shoulder and lets out a dull chuckle.

“Maybe neither of my dreams were meant to come true.”

She feels Miko freeze against her, and she braces herself for Miko’s usual response. She expects Miko to brush her words off, but instead Miko gently pushes her shoulders back and looks at her like she's contemplating something.

Suisei gazes back at her curiously. Miko looks like she's deep in thought for a moment before a determined expression appears, eyes filled with an intensity that catches Suisei off guard.

Suisei forgets to breathe when Miko's face seems to slowly inch closer. Her cheeks are even redder than earlier, and her skin feels feverish against Suisei. Miko's eyes flutter close when their faces are only centimeters apart, and before Suisei could ask what the hell Miko is doing, Miko's lips press against her own.

Her eyes widen, and her hands clench tightly around Miko's shirt in shock. A few seconds pass before Suisei realizes what's happening.

Miko is kissing her.

She's so frozen in surprise that she doesn't respond to the kiss as her mind tries to process the situation. The other girl tentatively brushes her lips against Suisei's for a few more moments, and she snaps back to reality when Miko begins to pull away.

She still doesn't fully grasp what's happening, but she doesn't let Miko move away. She tugs Miko by the shirt to pull her back in and kiss her more firmly. She smiles in satisfaction when she hears Miko's squeak of surprise before she melts into the kiss.

Miko tastes sweet. Maybe it's the watermelon flavored ice cream that she ate earlier.

Each light peck makes her heart soar even higher from the tenderness of each kiss. She couldn't get enough of the softness of Miko's lips, not when she's been craving it for so long.

It's better than she ever imagined. She pours all of her feelings into the kiss, years of overflowing longing and yearning finally being allowed to trickle out.

Miko breaks the kiss, and a flash of panic rises within her, wondering if Miko regrets it.

But why did Miko even kiss her? What does it mean? Does she like Suisei back?

As if sensing her panic, Miko wraps her arms around Suisei’s neck to keep her close.

She feels her hopes shoot up, yet at the same time a paralyzing fear grips her heart.

“...why?” she chokes out through the dryness in her throat, afraid of Miko's response.

“I love you, Sui-chan,” Miko confesses with a shy smile.

For a moment, she's confused about what kind of love Miko means, still afraid to get her hopes up.

“I'm in love with you.”

Her heart skips a beat at the words.

It almost sounds too good to be true that for a moment, Suisei doubts that she heard her correctly. Despite how badly she's always wanted Miko to say those words to her, Suisei finds herself totally unprepared for the actual scenario.

But Miko looks at her, emerald eyes gazing at her with nothing but adoration. She reaches her hand up to stroke Suisei's cheek, her touch delicate.

She's been hoping and wishing for Miko to reciprocate her feelings for so long.

It leaves her speechless as a rush of emotions swell in her chest - overwhelming joy and relief mixed with surprise and disbelief.

“Say it again,” she requests, her voice trembling, “I waited so long to hear you say that.”

She doesn't even realize that she's crying until Miko wipes a tear from her cheek. Miko gently covers her face with kisses, and Suisei closes her eyes as she savors the intimate gesture.

“I love you so much, Sui-chan,” Miko repeats, her eyes radiating nothing but sincerity, and Suisei can't stop the flood of affection that fills her chest.

“I'm sure you'll achieve your dreams,” Miko continues, “Now that you have me, that's one dream you can cross off your list.”

The words sound so uncharacteristically smooth that it makes Suisei burst into laughter while Miko pouts at her.

Miko grimaces at her own words, “I can't believe I just said that. I sound so full of myself.”

Suisei shakes her head in amusement and gives her another sweet kiss. She can't even bring herself to make fun of Miko at the moment, too overwhelmed with joy to think about anything else.

She pulls Miko into a hug once more and holds her in her arms, the most precious treasure that she wants to protect. Her heart flutters wildly in her chest, and she doesn't want to ever let go.

“I was starting to lose hope too,” she weakly admits as she lovingly nuzzles her face into Miko’s neck.

“Thank you for waiting for me,” Miko mumbles against her shoulder.

They can't stop hugging each other and whispering words of love into each other's ears, too happy to care that they're both sticky messes due to the summer heat.

They start officially dating, and nothing much changes, but there's a security and contentment that she feels knowing that Miko actually loves her too.

She still has a hard time absorbing the new development. She forced herself to be patient for so long without having any certainty that Miko could ever return her feelings. She's unbelievably happy that her dedication is rewarded.

She finds that the years of pining is worth it, because Miko spoils her with so much affection that Suisei gleefully drowns in it.

Miko still enjoys annoying Suisei and teasing her whenever an opportunity arises, but she's unprepared for how openly affectionate Miko becomes once they start dating. Miko rains kisses all over her face until Suisei's cheeks are dusted pink from the loving gesture. She plays with Suisei's hand whenever they idly cuddle. She showers her with praises and words of support, and it serves to encourage her during the days when she begins to doubt herself once again. She sweetly tells Suisei how much she loves her whenever she gets the chance, and it always leaves Suisei's heart jumping erratically in her chest.

Suisei doesn't need to restrain herself around Miko anymore either, and she doesn't hold back the love that she pours out to Miko. A dam of emotions broke, and both of them are left with a whirlpool of feelings that have nowhere else to go but to each other.

Miko seems to be happier lately too, and Suisei feels like her chest is about to burst with giddiness whenever Miko looks at her like she's the cause of that happiness. Miko looks positively glowing, and she looks at Suisei like she's her entire world. She wonders if her own eyes reflect how deep her devotion is to Miko.

She becomes even more inspired to reach her dreams with Miko by her side. She writes songs about her experiences and struggles, and she even writes out a romance song. Miko looks at her with an air of superiority, an expectant, smug smile in place.

“What? Did you think I wrote that for you?” Suisei teases.

“You've been pining for me for over a decade. Who else could it be for?” Miko smirks, and Suisei scowls at her.

“You still have to make it up to me for making me wait that long,” Suisei whines.

“It's not my fault that you were a kid back then!” Miko scoffs.

Suisei moves her face close to her, and she watches with satisfaction at the way Miko immediately shuts up, “You don't see me as a kid now?”

Miko freezes at her tone, her face turning pink, and Suisei laughs at the way she tries to stutter out a response.

“Shut up!” Miko grumbles in defeat.

Things slowly start to look up for the two of them. Suisei notices that her songs seem to be gaining some traction. One of her songs seems to have gotten popular, and in turn it brought some attention to her other songs too. She takes advantage of the momentum and gradually gains more recognition.

Miko, on the other hand, also gets offered a big role in an upcoming anime based on a popular manga.

Suisei rushes over in alarm when Miko screams from her room.

“Miko-chi, what's wrong?” she asks as she barges in, heart pounding in her chest with fear.

“Sui-chan I got the lead role!” Miko squeals with joy and throws herself at Suisei in excitement. They both bounce around the room, and seeing Miko so happy makes Suisei want to scream with joy too.

She's so proud of Miko. She's proud of both of them.

Miko gives her a peck on the lips, and they both giggle in between each kiss.

“Thank you for not letting me give up,” Miko breathes, her eyes sparkling with a gentle affection that makes Suisei's heart leap, “I love you, Sui-chan.”

Hearing Miko say those words still makes her feel absolutely flustered, and her face heats up. Miko looks proud of herself at her reaction, and Suisei just scowls at the annoying way Miko smiles at her.

“I know,” she mischievously responds instead.

“Say it back!” Miko complains

“So noisy,” she teases while Miko grumbles at her.

“Sui-chan,” she whines.

“I love you so much, Miko-chi,” Suisei relents, her words completely sincere. Miko's face lights up, and her cheeks turn red.

They gain momentum in their respective careers, and Suisei is thankful that they live together because their busy schedules would have made it hard to meet up.

They both get to the point wherein they could afford to quit their mundane jobs and focus on their respective fields as a full-time profession.

Some music labels reach out to her, and Suisei gets a chance to produce an album. It gets sold out immediately. She's also invited to music shows, and it's everything that she's ever dreamed of and hoped for.

They often go out to celebrate their newfound success.

Their fingers are intertwined as they take a stroll together. Their faces are partially hidden with their scarves to hide their identity since they're now popular enough to be noticed outside. Luckily, the fair weather at the beginning of spring gives them an excuse to cover up, especially with the way Miko’s nose is red from pollen allergies.

“I can't believe that you're going to start preparing for your first concert,” Miko enthusiastically bounces beside her.

“There's still a lot of things to do, so it might not happen until the end of this year or early next year,” Suisei chuckles, although she eagerly looks forward to it.

Miko joyfully laughs, “I'm so lucky that I get to have dinner with our top rising star, the Hoshimachi Suisei.”

“I'm the one who's lucky. I have the Sakura Miko, most popular voice actress of the year, treating me to yakiniku,” she mischievously taunts in return.

“What? Aren't you the one paying?”

“I didn't bring my wallet.”

“It can't be helped then,” Miko playfully shakes her head. Suisei doesn't feel bad about making Miko pay for her anymore now that they aren't worrying about money.

They can now afford to eat out whenever they want to. They can splurge and buy whatever they want. They try to spend in moderation, but they can't help but spoil themselves and each other as a reward for all the sacrifices they've made through the years. They deserve to indulge themselves after all the struggles they went through with an uncertain future.

Having her dreams finally realized overcomes her with unrestrained joy, especially since she has Miko by her side through it all and achieving her own dream.

Meanwhile, Miko consistently gets lead roles and is constantly invited to interviews. The ascent of their careers feel like the stars aligned just for the two of them.

In public, she’s Hoshimachi Suisei, a shining star and a diamond in the rough. In private, she’s still Miko’s very own Sui-chan, just as Sakura Miko is still her very own Miko-chi. She’s pretty sure the public already knows how close the two of them are since they always bring each other as their plus one to events, but they probably don’t know the true extent of their relationship.

They move to a bigger apartment, and it's way more spacious than their previous one. They still share a bedroom, and the other rooms are used as a studio for their work.

The rooms feel cozy, and the heating works perfectly. The view from the balcony is great too. It's pleasant and way better than their previous place, although it's not very glamorous since they prefer to live in a simple, comfortable apartment. She's pretty sure the bulk of their expenses are for food and entertainment anyway.

Miko leans her weight against Suisei's side as they lounge around their new apartment.

“Miko-chi, you're getting heavier,” she teases.

“Shut up! I'm not!” Miko grumbles even as she continues to eat her double cheeseburger.

Suisei only laughs in response and lets Miko cuddle up against her side.

The journey paved with a path of tears led them to a present filled with unbridled joy.

They don't stop working hard, but now they get to treat themselves to as much happiness and relaxation as they can.

Suisei takes Miko to expensive vacations to make up for all the times Miko had to pay for their trips back when they had nothing. She takes her to amusement park dates, to the beach, glamping, and all the places she always wanted to visit.

They finally get to enjoy the fruits of everything they've worked hard for, and she doesn't think she could be any happier.

They even get to work together a few times whenever Suisei is asked to sing for the opening theme of an anime where Miko voices a main character.

Suisei makes some close friends in the industry, and she's surprised to find out that some of them are Miko's friends too, people that she's also worked with.

They form a small group and become close enough that they even invite their friends over to their apartment to celebrate Christmas together now that their place is large enough to host a small party.

Flare and Noel arrive together, and they stuff their presents underneath the small Christmas tree. Polka arrives after a while and shoves her own present underneath the tree too. The five of them eat and laugh together, and Suisei feels like they have their own family here. Miko smiles at her brightly, and Suisei’s heart melts at the pure happiness in her expression.

She remembers their first Christmas together in their old apartment. She got home from school to find that Miko decided to put up a few decorations to surprise her since she knew how much Suisei enjoys the holiday ever since she was a kid.

Suisei started to help put up the decorations in the years following that, and since then, celebrating Christmas together has been one of their little traditions. It seems that they might have a new tradition from now on with their friends.

They go visit their families back home one day, and Miko finally gets to go back for the first time in a long time.

“I still can't believe that you're dating my sister for real,” her older sister playfully teases Miko.

“Miko-chi couldn't resist my charms,” Suisei smugly says.

Miko groans in embarrassment, blushing as they laugh at her reaction.

That night, she walks back to the playground, to the place where it all started.

She sits on the swings and reminisces about how far she's come from back when her dreams were nothing more than her heart's desires.

She had her first concert a few days ago, and the cheers of the crowd still echoes in her mind. She smiles as she remembers the good luck kiss that Miko gave her backstage.

To have her dreams as a reality now makes all of her sacrifices through the years infinitely worth it. Seeing her name plastered all over still feels unbelievable to her, but seeing Miko's name everywhere feels like it's always been inevitable.

It didn't matter if it was destiny or not. She would have rewritten the stars for them if she had to.

With promises fulfilled, it makes them both work even harder to rise higher. She doesn't have any plans of stopping any time soon. This is only the beginning for them, and there's still so many things to do. She’s confident that Miko feels the same way too.

She hears footsteps approaching, and she doesn't even need to look to know that it's Miko.

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Miko playfully retorts as she settles on the swings, “Are you reminiscing again?”

“You make me sound so overdramatic,” Suisei complains.

“It's nice to just enjoy everything that we've worked hard for,” Miko comments, “Slow down and smell the roses or however the saying goes.”

“After everything, we're finally living our dreams,” Suisei agrees, staring far away into the starry sky. Miko looks up and stretches her hand out to the stars.

She smiles at the endearing view. Miko looks breathtakingly beautiful underneath the moonlight, and Suisei can’t help but feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have her as her own.

She's still the same girl that Suisei fell hopelessly in love with all those years ago. Her feelings never changed, in fact, it only strengthened through the years.

“It used to feel so unreachable,” Miko ponders.

“I'm glad we made that promise together,” Suisei says wistfully.

“Me too.”

Years of dedication to her dreams, her never-ending loyalty and devotion to Miko and her goals, led her to where she is now. It wasn’t easy at all for either of them, and it makes their success feel much more satisfying, especially since they got to fulfill it together.

“You know, this is where I fell in love with you,” Suisei chuckles, “You were so cool that day.”

“I'm still cool now,” Miko scoffs, and Suisei playfully ruffles her hair. Miko swats her hand away with a pout.

It still amazes her to have both of her dreams come true. She doesn't think that she could ask for anything more. From when she had nothing to when she now has everything, Miko has always been by her side supporting her.

She feels a drop of water land on her cheek, and she notices that it's starting to rain.

“I didn't bring an umbrella,” Miko whines. She grabs Suisei's hand and pulls her along towards a nearby shade.

They don't make it, and they get drenched as the rain swiftly strengthens.

Suisei laughs, tugging Miko back to soak in the rain since it was too late anyway. Miko squeaks at the sudden outpour and sweeps her bangs away from her eyes.

“Sui-chan!” she scowls, and Suisei only laughs harder as she brushes her own hair away from her face.

They're thoroughly drenched at this point, and Suisei could only chuckle at the adorable sight in front of her. Everything feels so easy and carefree with Miko.

Miko starts to laugh too, airy and happy, and the sound sends tingles through Suisei's heart.

“Bet I could still carry you,” Miko states, her eyes glinting at her own challenge.

“Doubt it.”

“Let me try!”

“No thanks,” Suisei dryly responds, “I'm not in the mood to go to the hospital.”

“Hey!”

The adorable pout just makes Suisei laugh harder.

“How about if I try to carry you instead?” Suisei offers.

“That sounds a little dangerous.”

“Just let me try!”

“No way.”

“I had tons of dance rehearsals for my concert and worked out a lot. It'll be fine,” she pouts.

Miko takes a look at her face and immediately relents. Suisei smiles victoriously and crouches down in front of Miko. She hesitantly wraps her arms around Suisei's shoulders from behind and leans her weight against her back. The rain makes everything feel slippery, but she manages to lift Miko up.

Miko squeaks in surprise and wraps her arms more firmly around Suisei's neck.

“You're heavy,” she grunts.

Miko starts flailing around, yelling in annoyance, “Shut up! Put me down!”

Suisei teases, “Stop struggling! I might drop you!”

“Hoshimachi!” Miko complains, placing her chin on her shoulder and slumping against her back in defeat.

“Sorry,” she apologizes through her laughter, not feeling remorseful at all. She takes a few steps forward, gripping onto the back of Miko's thighs to keep her from falling off.

She spins them around in the rain, laughing harder when Miko squeaks and tightens her hold around her shoulders in fear before letting out her own laughter. The sound of Miko’s giggles against her ear fills Suisei’s chest with warmth that replaces the coldness soaking their skin.

“You're right, it feels like a bad idea to do this in the rain.”

“Idiot, that's what I said!” Miko huffs as Suisei lowers her down.

Carrying someone sure is harder than it looks. She's satisfied that she's able to lift Miko, relieved that she wouldn’t have to endure that stupid albeit cute look of superiority Miko is sure to have on her face if Suisei had failed. Besides, her own pride wouldn’t be able to stand the humiliation.

She wonders if she can carry Miko bridal style. Maybe she can try when they get married someday. She can’t hold back a smile at the thought.

“Come on,” she interrupts Miko's complaints and tugs her to sit on the benches underneath the available shade. They sit side by side as they try to wring the water from their hair and disheveled clothes.

She glances at Miko and chuckles at the sight of her messy pink hair. She helps her smooth it out, running her hands along the soft strands. Miko closes her eyes and leans into her touch as she gently strokes her hair.

“This feels a little familiar, doesn't it?” Miko asks with a soft smile.

She reaches over to smooth down Suisei’s hair too, gently moving her hands through the mess of blue. Miko leans forward to kiss the corner of her lips, and heat blooms across Suisei’s cheeks at the gentle display of affection.

“It does,” Suisei chuckles. She takes off her jacket and places it over Miko's shoulders, hoping that it would protect her from the cold even just a little bit.

Miko's cheeks turn a shade of pink, and she holds Suisei's jacket tighter around her frame.

She leans her head against Miko's shoulder and interlaces their fingers as they wait for the rain to stop.

“I already have everything that I've ever wanted, but there's still one thing left,” Suisei thoughtfully says.

“What is it?” Miko curiously asks.

“I love you, Miko-chi. Will you marry me?” Suisei tries again, smiling at Miko hopefully.

“Nope.”

“Miko-chi, I swear to god -” Suisei hisses but stops when Miko crouches down in front of her, similar to the way she did all those years ago.

“You should really prepare a ring before you propose to someone,” Miko teases, “What if I said yes?”

“What are you doing?” Suisei breathlessly asks.

Miko pulls out a ring box and presents it to Suisei, “I love you so much, Sui-chan. Thank you for being patient and waiting for me all these years.”

She could only stare at Miko in shock, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

“You've always supported me, and you never gave up on me. I'm so incredibly happy that we got to fulfill our dreams together and that I had you by my side through it all,” Miko continues. She takes Suisei's hand and squeezes gently.

“Sui-chan, will you marry me?”

Suisei closes her eyes. relishing in the words and cherishing it. Her heart soars in her chest from how happy she feels.

She wants nothing more than to throw herself into Miko's arms, hug her tightly, and scream “yes” a million times.

Instead, she gathers all her self-control and gives Miko a cheeky smile.

She strokes her chin and pretends to think about it. She inwardly laughs at the look of impatience on Miko's face.

“I think I might be a little too young for you,” she playfully hums.

“Sui-chan,” Miko whines, her tone so adorable that Suisei instantly gives in.

She pulls Miko into a kiss and joyfully repeats “yes” in between their kisses, ignoring the rest of the world around them.

They happily laugh with each other underneath a sea of stars as they make a new promise together – a promise of forever with each other.