Chapter Text
It's a little past twilight by the time Mizuki reaches their destination. The bus they're on is worn down, and the sputtering sound it makes as it pulls up to the bus stop makes it evident that it's on its last legs. The distorted name of the station stop crackles over the broken speaker, and Mizuki jumps out of their seat, skipping past the other denizens weary from their workweek. They're the only one to exit the ancient vehicle, which made sense given the time of year. The college semester ended last week and most students had presumably gone home for the holidays. Mizuki doubted this place got much foot traffic without them.
Now that they thought about it, there probably wasn't much traffic up here at all. Sapporo wasn't a ghost city, nor the whole prefect of Hokkaido for that matter, but they could count on one hand the number of times they'd been up here. Mizuki couldn't say they ever felt a need to venture out of Tokyo, regardless of the pain associated with it. They doubted they were unique in that respect.
Regardless, it wasn't like they were in the middle of nowhere, it was Sapporo after all! The last time Mizuki had been here was when they were in Junior High. It had been an overnight field trip to see some traditional stage play. They didn't pay too much attention at the time, it was much more interesting to gawk at all the extravagant clothing the adult attendees were wearing. The cream-colored satin fabric one woman was clad in still haunted Mizuki's dreams. One of these days they'd bite the bullet and buy a yard or two, bank account be damned.
Mizuki took a cursory glance at their phone. Their mom had been spamming them with messages ever since they got on the train back in Tokyo. Not that Mizuki could really blame her, they were traveling during the holidays after all. In hindsight, Mizuki wasn't quite sure how they convinced their parents to let them come up here in the first place. They had a sneaking suspicion their sister deserved some credit in changing their parent's minds, much as she might deny it.
The only other message they'd received was from An, wishing them good luck on their mission. Mizuki's eyes narrowed as they heart-reacted the message. That's right, they were on a mission and couldn't afford to lose focus. They turned their attention back to the entrance of the school in front of them. Or one of the entrances of the school, rather. It was at this point they realized they had no idea where they were supposed to go. There was only one way to find out.
After navigating on their phone for a bit, Mizuki found their finger hovering over a contact name. It had been a while since it'd been updated, as evident by the long string of emojis in the place where a last name would go. Without warning, their brain flooded with memories from a bygone era. Shopping trips, late-night conversations, creative collaborations, everything in between. They remembered places too. The school rooftop, the koi aquarium...
An empty plane of existence that stretched for miles.
They shook their head. Now wasn't the time to lose themselves in thoughts like this. They couldn't get distracted, not now. It was a miracle Mizuki had made it here in the first place. They had to take advantage of it. Regaining their resolve, they pressed the call button on the contact. It rang once, twice, a third time, and as Mizuki was about to hang up and try again, they heard it. That voice. That familiar, comforting voice. It used to be one of their favorite sounds in the world.
"Hello?"
"Ena!" Mizuki yelled, "I'm here!"
"Already?"
"What do you mean already? That's not a very nice thing to say!"
They heard Ena sigh on the other line, "You're exhausting, you know that?"
Mizuki laughed, "Good! Come pick me up! I don't know where I am. You don't want me to freeze to death out here, do you?"
"What's near you?" Ena sighed again.
Mizuki squinted their eyes, "Let's see...the Center for Economics and Finance."
Nothing for a few seconds, and then came the third sigh.
"Give me a minute, that's on the other side of campus."
*****
Thirty minutes later, Mizuki stood in the elevator of Ena's dorm. The thermostat in the lobby claimed it was warmer here than it had been outside, but Mizuki was having a hard time believing it.
Despite borderline attacking Ena when Mizuki first saw her, they couldn't help but notice the sentiment wasn't returned. Mizuki always had plenty of energy for the two of them, even during one of Ena's temper flare-ups, but they still expected a bit more of a reaction than simply standing there. She offered to take one of their bags which was nice, but hadn't said much during their walk over, other than muttering some warnings when going up a crumbling staircase. Mizuki didn't take it personally though, this was about what they expected.
It had been three months since they'd last spoken to Ena, arguably longer taking into account how she scarcely made more than small talk in the month leading up to her starting college. They understood this, to some degree at least. Mizuki hadn't gone through the experience yet, but starting college seemed like a big deal, especially if you were going to school ten hours away. Still, Mafuyu and Rui spoke to them regularly before they left, which was more than they could say about Ena.
They stole a look at the shorter girl, trying to be sneaky about it. Her hair wasn't as well kept as they remembered it, and the bags under her eyes were a bit more pronounced than usual, but there was no mistaking it. Ena standing in front of them. The same Ena they'd talked to daily for over two years. The same Ena they collaborated with to save Mafuyu. The same Ena who pulled them out of the depths of despair.
The same Ena they-
"...because I only have a single," Ena said, breaking Mizuki out of their trance.
"Oh! The horror! We'll have to huddle together for warmth!" Mizuki said, pretending to faint.
Ena glared at them, "No, I just said I have a futon. Were you even listening?"
"Right, of course, I heard you," Mizuki lied, "was just making a joke."
"Mm."
Mizuki turned back to their post, looking at the elevator door. They kept telling themselves that this was to be expected. Something had changed Ena, they were there to get to the bottom of it and ensure that she'd be a part of their life again by the end of the week. But they couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. After all, Ena invited Mizuki to come visit her, not the other way around. If it were anyone else besides Ena, the rather lackluster reaction would have been unimaginable.
But that's Ena for you, always the therapist, never the patient.
They sigh, reflecting on their own issues for a moment. Throughout it all, from the very beginning, Ena was always the one supporting them. She'd caught on from the start, the second they'd let their guard down while on that group-building tour over two years ago. Sure, An and Rui technically knew before her, but the support they gave Mizuki was different. It was welcome, for sure, but it was different. Ena had been the one to give them as much space as they needed, the one to actively encourage them to accept their identity, the one to almost fight that poor 1st year who was trying to act macho in front of his friends. Mizuki tried to stiffen their smile thinking about his terrified face.
"Oi, what are you smiling at?" Ena asked.
"Nothing," Mizuki smiled at her, "just reminiscing about the old times."
"Yeah," Ena said, her face remaining flat as she turned to the opening elevator, "the old times."
She stepped through the doors without a word. Mizuki picked up their bag and followed suit, nipping at her heels.
You can't stay like this forever, they thought, I will break through. Just like you did for me.
****
It takes a bit for them to get settled. They "only" brought three bags, but it was three bags of a prospective fashion student. Ena realized that the futon covering was dusty from non-use and went to throw it in the wash in the basement. Mizuki wanted to go with her, and perhaps use their proximity to the exit as an excuse to do something fun, but Ena declined.
"Unpack your stuff and relax," she said, "I'm sure you've had a long day."
Okay, maybe that was true, but how could anyone expect Mizuki to sit still right now? They had finally been reunited with Ena after god knows how long, and now they were supposed to twiddle their thumbs alone in her room? No, that wouldn't do.
They got to work, unpacking the various activities they brought with them. Back in Tokyo, they procured an extensive collection of make-up they were sure Ena would like. Additionally, they packed some interesting fabrics capable of making some basic yet cute accessories. And how could they forget board games? Everyone liked board games! While unpacking, Mizuki scanned the room, smiling as their eyes fell upon a simple microwave oven tucked under Ena's bed. That meant the two of them could make the popcorn Mizuki brought. Ena loved popcorn, as evident by how much she would hog it whenever they went to the movies together.
Once they finished unpacking the larger suitcases, Mizuki turned to the small carry-on bag. This one was super important, they hoped it had been kept upright during transit. Holding their breath, Mizuki opened the cardboard box within, revealing an almost pristine-looking cheesecake from Ena's favorite bakery. Mizuki was the one to recommend it to her, actually, but that didn't give them any special treatment with the bakers. They'd arrived at 6 AM and still weren't the first person in line!
Mizuki smiled as they closed the box. They found the small fridge under Ena's desk and opened it to make space for the cheesecake. While debating what to move around, their eyes fell on several plain-looking cans. They frowned upon recognizing the label. Beer, and quite a bit of it. What were these doing here? Ena didn't drink.
"Oi," a voice rang from the doorway, "what are you doing in there?"
Mizuki managed to keep themselves from jumping and placed the cheesecake box in the fridge, doing their best to block it. It was supposed to be a surprise.
"I was thirsty! Do you have any water?"
"There's a fountain in the hallway, I don't keep any in there. Here, you can use my water bottle."
Mizuki smiled, walking into the hallway and pretending to get some water. When they came back, Ena was looking in her fridge. Their heart sank, the diversion had been for nothing.
"What's this?" Ena asked, pointing at the box.
"You can't look!" Mizuki laughed, rushing over. She nudged Ena away, much to the latter's annoyance.
"Can you not do that please." her voice boomed.
Mizuki flinched, startled by the forcefulness in her tone. Ena was always a bit touchy, but that was strong, even for her. Mizuki expected a playful punch, or a bop on the forehead, not an intense, cross-armed glare.
"Sorry," they recovered, "I'm just excited! I missed you!"
They decide to push their luck with a hug, which also let them try to gauge where Ena's emotions were at. If she was going to flip out at them, better to get it over with now. Despite tensing up at first, Ena actually returned the hug. Somewhat. "Hug" might have been too strong a word, Ena was acting more like a tree than a person reunited with their best friend. It was a far cry from when she used to literally cling to Mizuki whenever a dog walked by. At least it was progress.
"I...missed you too," Ena formulated after some time.
Mizuki pulled away, feeling rejuvenated. Cracks were already forming in Ena's defenses, it was up to them to take advantage of them, something they considered to be one of their specialties.
"So I was thinking we could do something low-key tonight," Mizuki started, "I brought some board games. Ooo! Or maybe I can show you this new eyeliner I found! Or if you're not up for that we can-"
"Mizuki," Ena put up a hand, "not tonight. It's getting late. I'm tired."
"Oh," Mizuki said, that creeping feeling of dread beginning to seep in again, "I just thought that we could hang out like we used to. You know, like old times..."
Mizuki could have sworn they saw Ena wince as they spoke, but she quickly recomposed herself. She sighed, before looking back up at them, the faintest hint of a smile on her face.
"Don't worry, we have time," she whispered, "just not tonight, okay?"
Mizuki studied their former best friend in front of them. They once again couldn't keep their mind from running through their past experiences with the woman. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have considered going to bed before 3 AM. Now it was barely 10 PM. How times changed. How Ena had changed. Mizuki might have their work cut out for them.
"Okay," they said, not trying to mask the disappointment present in their tone, "can we at least catch up a bit before bed? We haven't talked in forever."
"Ugh, you're as persistent as ever, you know that?"
"Nope!" Mizuki beamed, "It's fun to get on your nerves."
"Whatever." Ena rolled her eyes but her shoulders relaxed a bit, "fine. I'll start. Are your grades better this year?"
"Ah, HaHa~"