Archive of Our Own

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three!” The banner danced in the air as the crowd, small yet carrying the same electricity as a larger one, clapped and cheered. Hina stood at the front, with the other shopkeepers looming over her, yet the pressure of feeling dwarfed by such a crowd never came.

A memorable feat on its own, as she was the first to slink away or hide behind the legs of her mom at the first sight of a stranger.

Yet, she supposed these weren’t strangers anymore.

She glanced up, at the Obaa-san of the district, who’s now faded out, white hair shined brightly against the sun and her frail body leaned on her cane, a sight that was becoming increasingly more common. Still, she was strong enough to break away from the cane for the moment, clapping alongside everyone else.

Another turn of the head and she saw the store owner of the ramen bar, cheering loudly with a couple of his team behind him, all donning their work uniforms already. Next to him was the owner of the corner convenience store at the edge of the district, already dashing back to his own store, always busy with locals from within the shopping district and out of, seemingly bridging the two together.

 “Are you excited, Hina-chan?” An old, kind and wavery voice asked and Hina turned back to the old lady, their resident baker, Miyahara Momo. The woman smiled kindly as she leaned down, pushing herself against her cane, and Hina inched forward slightly to lessen the burden on the woman.

“Yes! Very much!” Momo chuckled at Hina’s response.

“I’ll give you extra sweets when you visit me at the bakery,” Hina’s eyes lit up as she bowed in appreciation, her mouth already slightly salivating at the memories of the warm, soft bread melting in her mouth. The woman pushed up at her cane, standing as straight as she could as she gazed upon the banner again. “Those two sure work hard for us every year.”

Hina followed her gaze, only briefly glancing at the simple banner that said “Happy Halloween” before looking at the two figures sitting below it. Yui and Takeda, who still had yet to come down from their perched spot on the top of the ladder, tall over the crowd as they chatted amongst themselves. Hina couldn’t help but stare at her Sensei for a moment, at the way the sun seemed to shine so brightly on the brunette, lighting her up to a glow that shined brighter than Hina had ever seen. Yui’s freeing smile had a naturally calming affect on her and she watched as Yui’s body moved just as freely, untethered by anything as languid movements accompanied their animated conversation.

Even Takeda himself sat proud and relaxed, resting his forearm on one thigh as the other waved about in the air, as if they weren’t both in precarious spots. At one point they both laughed and reached out as if to pat each other on the shoulders, though given the wide gap between them, all they managed was to imitate the action, their hands simply patting the air as they leaned forward.

Out of all the sensei’s she had, Yui was her favorite.

And in Hina’s opinion, the coolest.

Yui seemed to notice Hina’s gaze, turning to her and giving her a wave that had her tilting precariously to each side. Azusa, who had been calmly chatting with some of the locals of the shopping district herself, already fitting in with her own little crowd, caught Yui’s movements and excused herself. Hina watched as Azusa gave Yui light admonishments, causing the brunette to chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head in nervousness and began the climb down.

Yui paused just shy of the ground, hovering on the last step to give the top of Azusa’s head a chaste kiss, followed by another one on her cheek. It was like magic as Azusa instantly relaxed, smiling sweetly as she grabbed Yui’s hand and spoke quietly to her. Yui nodded, kissing the back of Azusa’s hand before they both began walking to Hina.

“Aah, young love.” The woman gushed lightly. Hina looked back at her approaching mom and sensei, who still looked just as in love as the first time Hina had noticed, when the shopping district was still new and exciting and scary at the same time.

“Miyahara-san!” Yui called out.

“Yui-chan, Azusa-chan.” The three quickly exchanged pleasantries, with Momo curious about what Azusa and Yui had been up to, how the store had been, and even asking about Hina, which Azusa was quick to share.

Hina squirmed slightly under the positive, though unwarranted, attention and was thankful when they moved on to other topics. She found herself looking back out to the crowd, it dwindled down, no doubt with everyone moving to begin their day at their own respective store.

Her eyes landed on another pair of eyes, curious and steely gray eyes belonging to a boy around her age. She had seen him in Takeda’s store, as he was the man’s nephew, with dark hair like the older man though without the goofy exterior that Takeda displayed out in the open. Instead, he had always stuck to himself, watching the crowd silently, and the few times their eyes met, the boy’s face grew red, and he darted back into the back.

Each time Takeda would chuckle to himself and give Hina a wave, one that she gladly returned.

The man was odd, like her Sensei, and always so jovial and whimsical despite his age, it was hard not to say hello to him.

Much like before, the boy realized she had caught his gaze, and he spun around, leaving Takeda in the dust.

Hina herself wanted to duck behind Azusa’s legs, though the boy had sped off faster than her own anxiousness could act up, and she was left looking braver than she was. A light pressure on her head caused her to look up, at Yui’s face. “I’m going to walk Miyahara-san to her bakery, make sure to watch the shop for me until then.”

That pulled Hina out of her inner musings as she smiled brightly and nodded her head vigorously. “Okay, Sensei!” Both Azusa and Yui chuckled at her excitement and Yui held out her arm to the old woman, who chuckled as she took it.

“My, my, what a perfect gentlewoman.” Momo joked, and Yui laughed along with her.

“No, no, not at all.” Hina watched as they walked away, with Momo sweetly gushing over Yui’s polite nature, causing Yui to laugh goofily as she tried to deny all the kind words. Hina looked up to Azusa, who was looking at Yui with full adoration, a look that was still a permanent fixture on both adults when they saw each other.

Hina rolled her eyes playfully, used to such looks now, and grabbed Azusa’s hand, pulling her attention back to her. “Come on, Mom!” All Hina could think of was the store, at the sparkling musical instruments that lined the walls, and she pulled Azusa as hard as she could to get to the place of warmth and comfort.

They eventually made their way down the busy streets and Hina wasted no time in entering the store. Azusa trailed behind her, smiling at the joy within the girl at being at the shop, a joy shared within Azusa herself.

Hina settled on the stool that sat at the register, watching as Azusa took it upon herself to dust off some of the merchandise in Yui’s absence. Hina let out a content sigh, as she looked about, never getting tired of the sight of the store, or its continuously changing product due to a booming business.

Hina jumped off the stool she had been occupying and walked to Azusa, who looked at her curiously. “How can I help you today, miss?” She gave her best Yui impersonation, and Azusa began laughing. Hina pouted at the noise. “This is serious business, ma’am.” Hina sounded very serious. Azusa bit her lip and pushed down the full belly laugh that was threatening to knock her over.

Eventually, she calmed down enough to lean down with her hands on her knees. “Well, you see, my daughter loves listening to me and my…” Azusa paused, looking at Hina, eyes shrouded in thought. Hina tilted her head and the movement caught Azusa’s eyes. The dark-haired woman smiled and cupped Hina’s small cheek, rubbing it with her thumb. “Well, not wife yet, but what do you think? Do you think my daughter would love having another mom?”

Another mom.

Another parent.

Hina recalled all the whispers from adults, despite their attempts, many had reached her ears, hushed judgements and pity. She had never understood it, as she was never unhappy with having just a mom, one who had given her everything she had ever needed. One who loved her and cooked tasty food and read her all the bedtime stories she ever wanted.

Still, the little seed of insecurities welled up when her classmates talked about their dad’s, who seemed to fix any problem, and rough housed with them, all the things Azusa herself had done for Hina yet somehow… better.

Especially when Azusa stayed late to work, forcing Hina to spend the day and night with her grandparents, who were only becoming more frail and tired to chase Hina around the house like Azusa did.

Yui did though.

After a long day at her store downstairs, when everything was closed and dinner was already made, Yui would come up the stairs and be welcomed with open arms by both Azusa and Hina. And both adults would dote over Hina, and she loved it, she loved the air of comfort when both were home with her and the warmth that filled the apartment in the coming cold season.

Yui had already filled the missing piece that seemed to be constant in Hina’s life, enriching it in ways she never thought possible.

Yui had already become more than just her Sensei.

“Yeah!” Hina chirped, bouncing up and down. “I love Sensei!” Azusa chuckled and patted her head.

“Me too.” Just then, the bell above the door rang and they looked up to see Yui enter with a smile as her eyes already locked on to them.

“Sensei!” Hina ran to her, wrapping her arms around her legs like usual, though now she was closer to Yui’s midsection, and her weight started to cause Yui to buckle backwards a bit. Still, Yui chuckled as she reached down and patted Hina’s head.

“Thanks for taking care of the shop, Hina-chan,” Hina glanced up at the praise and released her grip from Yui, allowing the brunette to walk to Azusa and give her a proper kiss on the lips, one that Azusa eagerly returned. “What are you girls up to?”

“I’m selling!” Hina responded before Azusa could. Yui’s eyes lit up at the confession. “Just like Sensei.” Yui looked like she was ready to burst with excitement, pride evident on her face.

Azusa gave Yui a caring smile as she rubbed Yui’s arm for a moment. “Customers will be coming in any second now, let’s leave Sensei to work.” Hina couldn’t help frowning at the words, but she nodded. Yui noticed her expression and walked to her, holding out a pink box with a cute sticker on the top.

“Here you go Hina-chan, Miyahara-san gave me these as a thanks, you two can have as much as you want,” Hina’s mood lifted as the aroma of the sweets inside already infiltrated her nostrils. She gingerly took them, giving Yui her thanks as well. “Just, uh, leave one or two for me, please?” Yui asked, clapping her hands together in her plea.

“Don’t worry,” Azusa chuckled as she reached Yui’s side again. “I’ll make sure there’s something left over for you, I can even make you a tea to go with it when you come upstairs.” Yui’s eyes lit up and she wrapped Azusa in a hug. Azusa let out a light squeak at the action as her body immediately returned the gesture, albeit with much more shyness.

Hina giggled at the two and the bell ringing again caused them to pull apart. Yui turned around, her entire being changing to one of professionalism as she welcomed the customer. Azusa quietly moved to the door, motioning Hina over, and the two made their way to their home upstairs.

Hina walked to school like any other day, saying goodbye to both Azusa and Yui, both already dressed and ready to go to their own jobs, and headed down the street. She smiled as she passed the banner her Sensei had put up with the whole district rallying behind her.

Just another thing to add to the list of everything that made her Sensei so cool.

As she walked she turned a corner, luckily the trek to school only involved walking, when she bumped into someone. She squealed as the action surprised her, and she heard another small voice do the same. She looked up and saw her classmate, a student that had just transferred to their school, standing in front of her in shock and embarrassment.

The girl, just a little shorter than her with dark, short hair and clunky round glasses over blue eyes, jumped when Hina made eye contact with her. “I-I’m s-s-s-sorry!” She made a quick, clumsy bow, and ran down the street, toward the direction of the school.

“A- W-wai…” It was no use; the girl was already too far away before Hina could get a word out. Hina sighed and glanced at the floor, where a book lay forgotten. She crouched to pick it up, opening the cover to realize it had come from the library. She pulled out the yellow piece of paper, looking at the names until she had reached the last one.

Miyahara Mei.

Hina remembered the day she had transferred to their school, where she attempted to introduce herself, but the only thing that came out was a stuttering, garbled, mess of words and she looked as though she was ready to cry. Hina felt bad as the class stayed awkwardly silent before a just as awkward clap and the teacher directed her to her desk, in the back and near the doors of the classroom, completely opposite Hina’s window seat.

She had meant to go up to her, give her words of encouragement, introduce herself. Though she had always scampered away right as the bell rang and Hina’s own nervousness caused her to stay rooted to her desk. It had turned into a long- standing dilemma, one that Hina wasn’t proud of.

She sighed, she wished she could be like her Sensei in that regard.

She put the book in her bag and continued her walk to school, determined to finally gather the strength to go up to her classmate. That chance came during lunch period, when Hina turned in time to see Mei rummaging through her bag and her lips wobble at the realization that her book was nowhere to be found.

Hina felt a pang of guilt at not returning the book sooner, or in between classes, though it seemed Mei seemed excellent at avoiding people, as she hadn’t shown up to her desk until the bell rang, and she darted out of the classroom at any given chance.

Now was the moment, Hina realized, and with a deep breath, she got out of her seat, Mei’s book hidden behind her back.

Only for the P.A system to sound, followed by one of the faculty members calling for Mei. Both girls paused, and Mei gloomily packed up the bento she had barely touched and made her way out of the class, not even glancing in Hina’s direction. Hina sighed, disheartened. She slowly turned and sulked back to her own desk, thwarted by the faculty.

She didn’t even get a chance to talk to Mei after, as the girl was the first to dart out like usual.

That night, the growing amount of Halloween decorations had barely lifted her spirits up and she pushed her worries to the back of her mind as she ate dinner with Azusa and Yui. It wasn’t until the following morning that the nerves came back as she looked up at her costume, the costume of her favorite magical girl heroine, and looked back at the book in her hands.

If only she could be brave like her favorite character, or like her Sensei.

There was a knock on her door, and she turned to see Yui peeking in. Her brown eyes glanced up at the costume and she smiled. “Are you excited for Halloween, Hina-chan?” Hina sighed and sat down on her bed, causing Yui to frown and walk further into her room until she was kneeling in front of her.

“What’s wrong?” Yui gave Hina’s shoulder a comforting squeeze and Hina bit her lip. She thought the woman in front of her, who stood so tall and seemingly connected with everyone so easily.

And then there was her mom who had reconnected with so many people, and suddenly Hina had so many pseudo aunties that showered her with love.

And then there was Hina, who was still stuck, far too scared to attempt to reach out and make her own connections. “Sensei…” Hina finally asked, and she glanced up at Yui, who now had her arms wrapped around her knees and placed her head down on them, looking at Hina with patient eyes. “How did you get so cool?”

Yui blinked and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, maybe even a little giddy. “Cool? Me? Yui laughed a bit and Hina felt her stomach churning and the corner of her eyes prickling.

I knew it was a dumb question. She clenched her skirt in her fists tighter as the realization that her biggest insecurity was as ridiculous as she had thought, that what had been kept in the depth of her mind had been answered by laughter.

“Ah, well,” Yui began, oblivious to Hina’s turmoil. The laughter had dwindled down, but it still rang loudly in Hina’s ear and she hopped off the bed.

“Forget it!” Hina screeched, startling Yui.

“Huh? Hina-chan, wait-” But Hina had already thrown open the door and she stomped to the kitchen, where Azusa looked up, startled. Hina simply scarfed down her food, too many thoughts and emotions she could make of running through her head to notice Azusa look past her at Yui and her expression shift to an accusatory one.

Nor the way Yui screeched to a halt and was whisked away by Azusa.

She certainly didn’t notice how Yui had already gone downstairs when Azusa gave Hina her bento with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Her mood hadn’t changed much at school as she gloomily sat at her desk watching the changing leaves. She let out a sigh as she glanced around at her groups of peers, then at Mei, who still sat at her own desk seemingly unbothered. Hina lowered her gaze and looked back out the window.

Even Mei seemed stronger than her, appearing like she welcomed solitude.

And Hina was the one floundering, trying to stand on shaky ground as she failed to reach out like others did so easily.

It was even closer to Halloween, so the number of decorations had spiked up a bit, but not even the whimsical board cutouts or balloons or banners did anything to brighten her mood. She shuffled down the sidewalk, thankful that it was just a few more steps and she could gloom about in her own bedroom. She paused as she passed the front of Yui’s store and looked inside, seeing both her eccentric pseudo aunt and her Sensei inside, both assisting customers.

Hina gazed at Yui, who was all smiles and had apparently said something funny, making the customer laugh. Hina looked away as she slowly continued her way to the door, hands gripping the straps of her backpack.

I wish I could be like Sensei. Yui shined so brightly, brighter than the store and instruments inside, and Hina had adored her Sensei the moment she had met her. Yet despite all the imitations, it seemed she could never match her confidence.

“Hina-chan!” Hina jumped and she begrudgingly spun around, seeing Yui holding the door open and leaning against the doorframe. Yui’s brown eyes looked at her softly and she smiled as she motioned Hina to come closer.

Despite the warm gaze, their prior conversation, if one could even call it that, was still fresh in her mind and she showed no enthusiasm as she made her way to Yui. She eventually reached her, eyes downcast, and she felt a hand on the top of her head ruffle her hair. “Let’s go upstairs to the living room, okay, Hina-chan?”

Hina nodded and followed Yui, giving a quick glance inside the store again. Mugi caught her gaze and gave her a kind wave, one that Hina returned despite the frown on her face and hunched shoulders. The pair made their way to the couch, where the brunette patted the spot next to her, allowing a few moments of silence once Hina had settled in.

“Hey, Hina-chan… about the other day…” Yui began and Hina stiffened, shaking her head.

“I-it’s alright, Sensei! You don’t have to worry!” Hina moved to jump off, but the weight of Yui’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“That question you asked me… becoming cool… is that something you’re worrying about?” Yui asked and Hina didn’t answer right away, her nerves clamping down on her again. The two sat awkwardly even as Yui tried to rub comforting circles on her back. “Ah, I didn’t mean to laugh the other day… I’m sorry, Hina-chan. The question just surprised me, that’s all.”

Yui leaned back, gazing upon the other wall, where the glass cabinet that encased Gitah had moved to the living room. Beside it, in a matching container, stood Muttan, its vibrant red color shining in the light. The two stood side by side now, standing proud as they basked in the sunshine and watched over Yui and Azusa, and Yui had caught Hina gazing adoringly at them at times, sometimes with the practice guitar in her own hands.

“You know, your mom was so shy back then, she might not have come to our club if it wasn’t for Ui, ah, you remember her, right?” Hina nodded, recalling Sensei’s sister who was practically a twin and held the same kindness, yet the warmth didn’t envelope Hina like Sensei’s warmth did. “Cool, huh…” Yui mumbled, rubbing her neck as she thought of the word, one that she would have never used to describe herself.

On the good days she went easy on herself, basking in the mediocrity of herself that she believed was all she could be, and bad days… she frowned as she thought of the self-deprecation her mind would repeat to herself, the worst of it during the middle of university and in the beginning of her business career.

Yui glanced at Hina, sweet Hina whose shoulders stayed slump and head hung low. For a moment, Yui saw herself, a cheerful girl with hidden insecurities rumbling deep inside, waiting for a boiling point to unleash and begin pulling her down.

Yui reached out and lightly nudged her chin to look at her, at too young of eyes to be swirling with conflicting emotions. “Hey…” Yui began softly. “I don’t know anything about being cool or popular, but I know you’ll find people that love being around you, and you’ll be able to take the steps to reach out to others, and it’s okay to go your own pace. You’ll have the strength to bloom into yourself eventually and people who’ll love you for who you are will come.”

Hina drank in Yui’s words and her eyes stung as her insecurities became exposed, somehow Yui had reached the root of her problem with barely any effort and Hina balled her skirt up in her hands. Could she really be strong enough to reach out? To Mei? To anyone else? “T-there’s a girl in my class…” Hina began quietly, and Yui had to lean in slightly to hear her properly. “She hasn’t really made any friends yet, and I’ve been too nervous to go up to her because… because…” Her lips wobbled as she was barely able to get her biggest insecurity out. “I don’t really have any either.”

Yui slid closer to her, putting her arm around her and tucking her into her side. “I know you’ll have lots of friends one day. Just take things one day at a time, and you can just start with Mei-chan, I’m sure she’d be really happy to have you as a friend,” Hina leaned against Yui, closing her eyes as she let Yui’s words wash over her. “Oh, I know, me and your mom will make an extra helping of lunch to share with her! How does that sound?”

Hina began hiccupping as she tried to hold back her sobs, her shoulders lighter and her worries placated. Her arms shot out, hugging Yui’s midsection tightly as she buried her head into Yui’s body, the scent of the brunette lulling her to calmer emotions. Yui gladly pulled her in tight and Hina clung.

The tension in her finally dissipated, her mind already jumping to the next day, though not with worry and trepidation, but with a hopeful attitude that perhaps she could be brave like her Sensei.

No.

Brave like Hina. Even without a costume, perhaps she could reach out and befriend someone, albeit maybe not as easily as her Sensei but just the right amount.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she sunk into Yui’s warmth. Yui chuckled, finding the sight adorable. “Let’s take a little nap, we’ll wake you up in time for dinner,” Hina simply hummed. She wanted to argue that she wasn’t a little kid anymore, that she didn’t need to take naps, but the conversation was more draining than she realized, and her Sensei was so warm. Yui easily picked her up and took her to her bed, pulling up the covers to her chin. “Goodnight, Hina-chan.”

“Night… love you, Sensei.” Was all Hina managed to get out before she succumbed to sleep. Yui rocked back on her heels, almost as if the words held so much power. Yui’s own eyes watered, it wasn’t the first time Hina had said those words to her, making her feel truly a part of Azusa and Hina’s little world, yet it touched her all the same.

Perhaps even more, as each time seemed to carry more weight and Hina seemingly began to speak out of more than just adoration, but genuine love. Yui wrapped her arms around her legs, her body buzzing with warmth and happiness that needed to be released in some way.

She looked up at the sensation of hands on her shoulders, rubbing them in comforting motions. She smiled as she looked up at Azusa, who was smiling fondly at Hina before looking down at Yui with love and appreciation in her eyes. She reached down, giving Yui a soft and long kiss. “Thank you.” She whispered as she pulled away. Azusa pulled Yui up, and the two exited Hina’s room.

Yui quietly closed the door and turned to Azusa, who patiently waited beside her. “I was worried I was going to say the wrong thing again…” Yui admitted, and a look of sadness and regret flashed on Azusa’s face. Yui herself winced at the memory of the scolding she received from Azusa the previous morning, where Hina had stormed out and Yui chased after, looking guilty as could be.

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you, I’m sorry,” Azusa knew she was rather protective of Hina, her only pride and joy. Until recently, it was just the two of them, and Azusa had relegated herself to the fact that it would just be the two of them for a long time. And then she had walked into the store below and all the dreams she had of a reunion, of Hina having the joys of everyone in her life became a reality.

Though it was hard to let go of her own worries and insecurities and to allow anyone else to help.

Azusa grabbed Yui’s hand, pulling her towards the couch. “I know you have to go back downstairs in a little bit, but,” Azusa sat her down and took both her hands. “You’re so good with her, I don’t think I’ll ever have to worry about you saying the wrong thing, though I do too sometimes. I think this time it really had to be you to talk to her, and because of you she feels a lot better, I know she does, she loves you so much.”

Yui smiled brightly moved to lay on her back with her head on Azusa’s lap. Another commonplace for them, if it wasn’t Azusa tucked underneath Yui’s arm, it was Yui curled up on her lap, soaking up all the attention as Azusa played with her hair. “Praise me more.” Yui sang and Azusa chuckled.

“Such a child.” She teased, her voice light and airy as she ran her hands through Yui’s now long locks. Yui hummed and the two silently stayed in the same position.

“Did you know she was having trouble making friends?” Yui carefully asked and Azusa sighed. She had seen Hina’s shy nature, the way she would try to cling to Azusa and only Azusa given the chance. She had heard from multiple teachers that she kept to herself, and each time guilt and self-blame had built up inside her.

“It was something I was worried about.” Azusa admitted, and Yui nodded in understanding.

“I told her we’d make her lunch extra big, to give to a classmate she’d been wanting to talk to.” Yui replied and Azusa hummed.

“In that case, we’ll make plenty.” Azusa said and Yui nodded, grinning.

“I get to make a bento with Azunyan,” Yui said gleefully to herself, and Azusa laughed again. Yui looked up at Azusa and raised her hand, cupping Azusa’s cheek. “I love Hina-chan, I’ll continue to do my best with her, I promise.” Azusa smiled and kissed Yui’s palm.

“I know.”

They were extra lively in the morning, so lively that the ruckus from the kitchen woke Hina up from her slumber earlier than usual. She glanced at her clock with bleary eyes before looking at her bedroom door and smiling. She could hear them giggling to themselves, and it seemed her Sensei had done something as Azusa gasped, whined out Yui’s name, and they both started giggling again.

Her parents sure were silly.

She decided to ignore them and looked at her school backpack that lay open with the book she had yet to return peeking out. She took a deep breath as she steeled herself, she was going to do that today. She was going to follow Sensei’s advice, just be herself, and hope for the best.

She sat up and looked at her costume that hung on the wall. She was going to be brave before she put the costume on.

She pumped up her arms slightly, giving herself a mental pep talk before hopping out of bed and changing into her clothes. She walked into the kitchen to see breakfast nearly done, and both the adults doused in pancake batter.

“Uhm… morning…” Yui and Azusa jumped, not expecting to see Hina awake so early. They both gave an apologetic smile and laugh and assured her breakfast would be done soon. Well, at least Hina had gotten some time to watch an episode of her favorite show on the tv before being called for breakfast.

And just as they promised, her lunch was packed with enough for two people.

The leaves seemed more colorful during that walk to school, and the sky was a little less cloudy. By the time it was lunch period, she stood up from her seat with her packed lunch before there could be any distractions and marched as well as she could over to Mei’s desk, where the girl had barely set her own food down before Hina had appeared before her.

“U-uhm!” Hina stuttered with slightly more force than she intended, making Mei jump in her seat in surprise. Hina grimaced at herself, nearly clamming up and turning around from the small blunder. “Uhm,” She continued again, lighter. “M-Mei-chan… right?”

“Y-yes!” Mei squeaked, fixing her glasses as she shyly looked away. She glanced back at Hina. “You’re…” Mei paused, frowning as she tried to think of her name.

“Nakano Hina.” Hina piped in and Mei popped out of her seat to give Hina a proper bow.

“M-Miyahara Mei.” Hina smiled and shuffled forward, stopping just shyly of her and looked down at her lunch.

“W-would you like to have lunch with me?” When Hina looked up, Mei’s eyes were lit up with excitement and she nodded vigorously. Hina let out a sigh of relief and they hunkered down at Mei’s desk.

It was an odd sensation to be away from her own desk, even odder to be sharing the period with someone. Though when she offered her food to Mei, which was more than enough to cover the whole desk, she found herself enjoying it, realizing perhaps it wasn’t so scary to reach out after all.

“Oh!” Hina quickly ran to her desk to collect the book she had been meaning to return and saw Mei’s face turn to one of relief. “You dropped this when we bumped into each other, and I haven’t returned it yet… I’m sorry.” She gave Mei the book, who opened it to look at the scribbles of names.

“It’s okay,” Mei smiled and held it back out to Hina. “It’s… not due, d-do you… y-you can borrow it if you want!” Mei finally asked awkwardly.

“Are you sure?” Hina asked, grabbing the book and giving it a proper look. It seemed like some sort of fantasy book, and she had to admit she was curious about it as she read the general synopsis.

“Oh, yes!” Mei seemed excited for her to read it, and Hina couldn’t say no. She smiled and nodded, and the two found themselves talking about the shopping district.

That’s where Hina learned Mei’s last name had not been a coincidence as the girl explained she had moved in with her grandmother, and Hina wondered how she had hardly seen Mei in the shopping district. Mei noticed her surprise and looked away shamefully. “My grandma and dad want me to go out and explore but… it’s… i-it’s scary! And… I don’t know anyone, and I’m too nervous to talk to the other kids there…”

Hina understood the sentiment, as it seemed to be only recently that she was able to speak with others as freely as she wanted, though sometimes it was still daunting. Hina smiled and leaned closer slightly in her chair, catching Mei’s attention. “Do… do you wanna spend Halloween with me? The adults are giving out candy at the stores, it’s my first time doing it, so… maybe it’ll be less scary if I had you with me.”

Mei seemed unsure, looking away as she gave it some thought. Her eyes looked back at Hina, and she shyly nodded. Hina smiled and internally cheered, thankfully she truly didn’t have to go through the new experience alone.

As excited as she had been, her nerves still frazzled slightly at the thought.

Together, they made their plans, with Hina offering to go the bakery first. The bell signifying the end of the period rang and they quickly cleaned up, and that day Mei didn’t dash out of the classroom like she usually did.

And it didn’t take much for Hina to catch up to her, this time walking home with a companion to talk to, and by the time they reached the shopping district, even Mei was excited for the holiday.

It was finally the day of Halloween.

Hina twirled about in front of the mirror, her skirt flowing in the air. She finished her spin and struck a pose, her fingers poised into a peace sign near her eyes.

For a moment, she truly was the character she had dressed up as, strong and confident and in her mind, there were definitely sparkles surrounding her.

The sound of clapping startled her, knocking her out of her sense of confidence just a bit, and she turned around to see Yui and Azusa peeking from the door, the former clapping as the latter not-so-discreetly held out her phone.

“M-mom! Sensei!” Hina whined, crossing her arms slightly to shield herself.

“You look super cute, Hina-chan!” Yui walked further in, placing one hand on her hip as she casually mimicked Hina’s pose. “Pure Heart, right?” Hina nodded, though frowned at the pose.

A disgrace to the leader of a team of heroes, really.

Hina crossed her arms and shook her head. “No, Sensei, like this.” She turned back around and finished the action with an expectant look to Yui. Her Sensei laughed, eyes bright, and moved into position. Hina smiled and began the icon choreograph again with Yui following her commands. She noticed Azusa in her peripheral, phone still out, giggling to herself.

She felt herself smile for more than the moment, but also at the happiness that was on her mom’s face, something that was increasingly more common ever since Sensei had joined their lives. She turned to Azusa and tugged on one of her hands. “You too.” Azusa sputtered as she allowed Hina to pull her forward, but with such a small and cute and adoring face looking at her, Azusa didn’t have the heart to refuse.

So, with a blush on her face and rigid limbs, she completed the signature move. She glanced at Yui after, who now had her own phone in her hands, causing Azusa to pout. “Y-Yui…”

Yui laughed, walking to Azusa to show her the video. Azusa blushed and grumbled, making Yui laugh more and give her a sweet kiss on the lips. “You were really cute!” Yui wrapped her arms around the dark-haired woman, who happily leaned her back against Yui’s front, allowing the brunette to support her as they watched the video, laughing amongst themselves.

The comforting sight even touched Hina, who felt herself wanting to join them in the idyllic moment. She hoped moments like this never ended. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, marking the time was supposed to head out.

She quickly bid Azusa and Yui goodbye, darting out of the house in excitement. She felt her body buzzing with the energy of the shopping district, the cacophony of the busy chatter filling her ears with warmth. She received many compliments along the way, and she shyly muttered her thanks to each of them, glad when she finally reached her destination.

She entered the bakery, finding it rather full and busy. Momo stood at the counter, happily ringing up customers as a slightly younger, bespectacled man worked behind her. While the woman portrayed comfort and confidence with her smooth movements, it seemed the man was the complete opposite as his movements were stiff and erratic as he floundered behind her.

Hina looked past the counter, finding Mei sitting at one of the tables in a witch’s costume, complete with a pointy hat. “Mei-chan!” Mei looked away from the direction of the counter, her worried expression turning to one of joy.

“H-Hina-chan!” Mei slid out of the table and the two met halfway.

“Your costume looks super cool!” Mei gushed as she looked Hina over, and the girl blushed as she flattened out all the invisible crinkles.

“Thanks! Yours looks super cute!” Mei blushed and nodded.

“Thanks, my dad helped me pick it out, he’s over there working,” Mei pointed at the bespectacled man. “But… I don’t know if he’s doing a good job…” Hina couldn’t help but share Mei’s worries, though it seemed the customers were sympathetic.

“I think… I think Miyahara-san will take care of everything. She’s really good at her job!” Hina wasn’t sure what it took to run a bakery, she wasn’t even sure what it took to run a music store, but like her Sensei, Momo seemed to always know what to do. Mei nodded, not quite as convinced, but it seemed she was able to push it out of her mind as she looked at Hina.

“I guess… He and grandma told me to enjoy today though, so…” Mei’s sentence died off and she stood, unsure of what to do next, and Hina realized she was waiting for her to initiate the start of the afternoon. Hina nodded and grabbed Mei’s hand.

“Let’s go then!”

Just as Yui had promised, the store owners had plenty of candy for the kids that visited. Hina smiled as they both received compliments, and to tell their respective guardians that they said hello. Even Mei couldn’t get away from the kind treatment, with all the adults seemingly giving the incredibly shy girl extra candy.

As the day progressed, Mei seemed to come out of her shell a little bit more. She began walking more alongside Hina than behind her, and she seemed to begin to stutter just slightly less.

Hina was glad, the day had been going far better than she thought it would, and she made sure to stop by the music store, where it was no longer just Yui, Mugi, and Azusa anymore.

“It’s the little squirt!” The energetic voice of Ritsu called out from the displayed drum kit, and a drumstick waved in the air as she waved to Hina. Hina smiled and waved back and turned to a curious and slightly startled Mei.

Hina didn’t blame her for that either, as Ritsu had also startled her with her vibrant energy when they had first met.

“Those are my mom’s friends.” Hina explained, and Mei nodded.

“Is this a friend of yours, Hina-chan?” Mio calmly walked to her, a stark contrast to her other half. Hina nodded and Mei nervously introduced herself, and Mio chuckled as she gave them both candy.

“Oh, me too, me too!” Mugi sweetly chanted as she dropped candy in both their bags as well.

“Oi, don’t forget about me,” Ritsu stood from the drum kit, doing the same as the others and making sure to give Hina’s hair a good ruffle. “Keep up the good work, Cadet!” Ritsu teased, and Hina giggled at their little game they shared with Yui.

Captain, Private, and Cadet.

“You must be Mei-chan,” Azusa said softly, not wanting to scare the little girl off more than everyone probably already had. Hina tilted her head at the cat ears on her mother’s head, though didn’t say anything about it. “Thank you for spending the day with my Hina.”

“O-oh! I-It’s no problem!” Mei quickly responded and looked down shyly. “It was her idea, I… should be thanking her… Oh! I mean I did, of course! I just mean-” Mei began to nervously ramble, and Azusa quickly put a comforting hand on her back.

“It’s alright,” Azusa smiled warmly at her. “Still, thank you.”

“You two make sure to have lots of fun,” Yui was the last to give them candy, and Hina beamed as Yui gave her a little wink. Yui turned to Mei and smiled. “Tell your grandma and dad I said hi, and you’re welcome to visit our store anytime, Mei-chan.” Mei nodded, suddenly too shy to speak. Hina quickly diverted the attention back to herself.

“Well, we’re off,” Hina gently pulled Mei out with her, leaving behind a wave of friendly goodbyes as she gave her parent’s friends one last wave.

Yui and Azusa watched them leave, and Azusa turned to Yui with gratitude. “I’m so glad it worked out.” Yui smiled and took Azusa’s hand.

“Me too.” Yui gave it a squeeze before pulling away to attend to store duties as Ritsu decided Yui needed more beer upstairs and volunteered herself to grab some while Mio and Mugi volunteered to get everyone food. Azusa had offered to stay in the store, but Yui shooed her.

“You need to enjoy it with them!” Yui argued and Azusa relented, knowing that she couldn’t do much in the store anyway. She gave Yui one last peck on the lips and made the trip with her friends, crossing paths with Ritsu along the way, and eventually all four came back with more than enough. Yui eagerly flipped the sign for her lunch break, gleefully joining her friends upstairs for at least the food.

Hina watched as Mei’s shoulders seemed to loosen up and the girl let out a small sigh of relief. Hina giggled and patted her back. “Sorry about them.” Mei smiled and shook her head.

“They seem nice.” She replied and Hina nodded. They truly were, and as rowdy as they had gotten at times when they were all together, Hina was happy for the fond memories.

They walked across the street to the electronic store, where Takeda gleefully greeted them with the same enthusiasm as Ritsu had, perhaps even more. Hina looked around for his nephew, though the only person in the store was Takeda.

“Aaah, Hideyoshi is… huh? Where is Hideyoshi?” Takeda wondered as he looked about the store and Hina blushed lightly as she spoke up.

“I-I wasn’t looking for him!” She stuttered, face hot as she thought of the boy from the class next door. Despite hardly having much communication with him, her heart fluttered, and she quickly became more of a nervous mess. “Thank you for the candy, Takeda-san!” She quickly turned and began making her way to the door, and Mei yelped at the threat of being left behind. She scurried behind Hina, who took a deep breath and pushed down on her beating heart in front of the door.

“Hina-chan…” Hina jumped and turned around, her heart dropping at the realization she had inadvertently left Mei behind.

“Ah, Mei-chan! I’m sorry!” Hina apologized, embarrassed.

“It’s alright… is that boy you were looking for another friend of yours?” Mei asked, and Hina frowned as she shook her head.

“No… Just… he just comes and visits a lot.” Was all she said, which wasn’t a lie. The boy didn’t live in the district, but she had seen him numerous times, and each time both seemed to dart away from each other with red faces.

Not that either noticed.

Mei hummed and the two continued their way. Multiple stops later and a pit stop at a food truck had the night coming to an end with the full moon rising to accompany them. Hina was almost sad to see the day end, and when she looked at Mei, she saw the same frown on her face.

They were on their way back from their excursion, bodies warm despite the cold and smiles bright despite the darkening sky, when a figure darted from the shadows. Mei yelped as it crashed into her, and her candy suddenly vanished as the dark mass ran down an alleyway.

Hina blinked and the two stared at her now empty hand. Mei’s lips began to wobble, and her eyes began to water. “I-it’s okay, Mei-chan!” Hina tried to appease the girl, whose shoulders now slumped over. Hina felt her body heat up in frustration as her brows furrowed at the empty hands. She looked toward the alley, shrouded in shadows and flinched back slightly.

She looked back at Mei, who looked brokenhearted. Hina swallowed thickly and turned back to the alleyway, quickly shoving her bag of candy into Mei’s hands before the other girl could say anything. She stared at the daunting alleyway and bunched up her skirt, feeling the fabric of what was supposed to be magical armor.

That’s right, with this… with this I’m strong, like Pure Heart. She shook as she stared at the daunting alley, seemingly spinning with untold horrors. She felt Mei tug her costume, trying to get her attention. “N-no, it’s okay!” Hina shook her head, still quivering too much to speak, and slowly inched forward.

Mei clung to her as they slowly shuffled further in the alleyway, and Hina was sure she was beginning to hear the ghastly noises of what went bump in the night. They continued going, where the dark shadows were becoming sinister as they overtook every nook and cranny. Mei pushed further into her and Hina was shaking with more fear with each step when a loud voice boomed near them.

“Boo!” They both shrieked and fell to the floor, with Mei fully sobbing now. Hina looked up and saw a boy, face hidden by a mask, standing over them laughing. Hina frowned and turned to Mei, quickly rubbing her arms like Azusa and Yui did often.

“It’s just a stupid boy.” Hina said, hoping to calm Mei down.

“Who’re ya calling stupid!?” He huffed. Mei looked up at him, and though she flinched, she stopped crying and began wiping her eyes.

“Thank goodness…” She muttered, and the boy sputtered.

“Shut up, stupid girl!” Hina frowned at his remark.

“You shut up, stupid! And give us back her candy!” Despite every urge to clamp up, to sit still until they went away, she found herself talking back before she realized. Perhaps it was the costume, or the need to help her classmate, but her voice came out stronger than she had anticipated, enough to shock herself.

The boy didn’t seem phased though as he laughed at them. “You mean that candy?” He pointed behind them, and they turned to see two other boys around his age already digging through.

“H-hey!” Mei called out, though she flinched back when the other masked boys looked up at her.

“Hey!” They looked back at the first boy in time to see him lift his mask up enough to stick out his tongue at them. He placed the mask over his head again and he reached his arm out. Hina’s eyes widened as time seemed to slow as he reached for the other bag of candy. She froze, fear gripping her as her mind screamed in different directions at her.

Finally, her own hands shot out, taking the bag from Mei and folding her body over it. “You little brat!” She heard the boy spit, and she clenched her eyes closed. I’ve done it now. She was shaking like a leaf now, and she could still feel Mei clinging to her.

“Leave them alone!” A voice called out, and Hina opened her eyes just in time to see a cape flapping in the breeze that had come through suddenly, attached to what looked like a button up shirt and dark pants. She noticed arms outstretched, blocking the incoming boy’s path. Despite the figure being smaller than the boy, he took just as much space, so much so that Hina only saw the figure protecting them.

The boy stumbled back and scoffed as he looked at their savior. “Beat it.” He tried to move around the figure, who only shuffled further in his way.

“I said no!” The voice shot back, strong and loud. Hina’s eyes widened, and she took in the figure, who looked to be a boy no older than her, yet whose body shook with what she was sure was more than cold.

She was sure because her own hadn’t stopped shaking, and she knew the cold had nothing to do with it.

Still, his voice had carried through the wind, somehow striking her in the heart just the same. With a barrier now between her and the mean boy, and Mei’s fright still loud in her ears, she felt herself stand up on shaky legs and moved closer to him, just enough to become another barrier between the mean boy and Mei.

Their savior turned his head at her movement, and she quickly realized it was Takeda’s nephew, Hideyoshi. Hina barely had time for her normal nerves to flare up at the eye contact they gave each other before Hideyoshi looked back and Hina did the same.

The mean boy scoffed as he looked at the two in front of him. “What a drag,” He looked at his friends. “Let’s go,” He ordered, and the two nodded, darting past them. “We’re keeping the candy though.”

“Catch us if you can!” One of the boys laughed and Hina frowned. The boys ran past them, and Hina let out a small shriek at the proximity, darting to cling to Hideyoshi’s back. The boy stumbled in surprise but stood his ground, awkwardly shuffling to ensure he was always facing the pack of boys, arms stiffly held out on each side.

The boy’s chatter was eventually carried away by the breeze, and all three stood in stiff silence. Hideyoshi let out a long exhale, finally dropping his arms and silently clutching his heart. Slowly, Hina peeked over his shoulder, letting out her own sigh of relief. She looked at the shoulders that her hands were wrapped over, no longer clinging but still with a secure grip.

Her face warmed up at the realization and she shot her hands back, nearly stumbling in the process. “Uhm…” The small voice reminded Hina that poor Mei was still on the floor, and she shot her hands out to help her up. Mei smiled appreciatively and once they were both on solid ground, they looked at Hideyoshi, who looked to still be recovering from the ordeal.

Hina and Mei glanced at each other, unsure of how to properly give their thanks, as the boy hadn’t turned to them yet. Slowly Hina began reaching her hand out when he spoke up, his voice booming much like before. “I-I’m glad you’re okay! Get home safe!” He sprinted away before either girl could say a word. They watched him dart down the alley, only to stop halfway and run back, shoving his own bag of candy into Mei’s chest, who barely caught it in time before he scurried away again.

And then he was gone, and it was just them with a new bag of goodies. Hina and Mei stared at the bag for some moments before Mei began giggling to herself. “He was really strange, wasn’t he.” Hina smiled and laughed.

“Yeah,” His defensive stance with squared shoulders, no matter how much they shook, and a voice that had the same strength as all the heroes in her shows returned to her mind, and she felt a blush rise. “But, he was kinda cool.”

Mei hummed. “You were too,” Hina’s eyes snapped back to Mei, who was smiling wildly at her despite the rather traumatic experience that just happened. “You were super cool, and brave, you yelled right back at them!” Hina sputtered and shyly looked away.

“I just…” She thought about Mei, who was reduced to tears after spending so much time enjoying herself, who, like her, was experiencing her first Halloween in the district. She knew the holiday was scary, but when she was met with the sound of sniffling beside her, her insides boiled, and her body reacted before she could. “They were mean. I didn’t like it.”

Mei smiled and looked at the bag that was now in her hand. “They were. But I know there’s some nice people here too now,” She looked back up at Hina and gave her a toothy smile. “Thanks for spending Halloween with me, Hina-chan!” Hina smiled, her nerves relaxing again at the words. Her shoulders rose a little and her chest puffed out a bit as agreed with the sentiment.

The walk back didn’t seem nearly as scary, and all the creaks and ghastly sounds of the night were replaced with their laughter as they excitedly returned to their respective homes. Hina smiled and she bid Mei a goodnight, who gave a bright wave. Hina laughed and did the same, the cold not even bothering her as the joy of the night still clung to her, keeping her warmer than she had ever been. When she returned home, her parents’ friends were still over, and Hina excitedly told them all about her day. Each adult smiled warmly at her, and she made sure to leave out the bit about the mean boys.

She passed out far faster than she normally would have, and the next day she was walking to school like usual when she heard her name in the distance. “Hina-chan!” She looked up, seeing Mei a little bit ahead, waving at her.

Hina grinned as she jogged up to her. “Mei-chan!” She caught up to her, and the two continued their walk together. They spoke of the previous night, of their classes, of many more things than Hina had ever had a chance to talk about on her way to school.

Hina couldn’t wait until the next Halloween, when perhaps she could be even more brave. In the meantime, as she walked with giddy steps and spoke freely with a friend, she figured she was plenty brave enough.