Chapter Text
The summer heat fell down on Japan like a blanket. The sakura blossoms, sunny days, and shorter nights covered the city and everyone inside it in warmth and sunshine, with the occasional rain to cool things off.
It was during one of those rains when it started.
Mizuki was running for cover, alongside the people who, like her, had been strolling through a pop-up market in the park when the sudden downpour had sent them all seeking for cover. Now, just a few meters away, Mizuki wrung out her dripping wet hair as she stood under the awning of a ramen shop. An old lady stood next to her, trying to prevent what appeared to be her granddaughter from going back out into the rain, and to her left, a couple of middle school aged kids laughed together while they compared how wet their bags had gotten.
She smiled to herself, pulling her cardigan closer to her body while she pulled out her phone. Ena's house was just a few blocks away from where she was, and the rain showed no sign of stopping, so going all the way back to her own home would mean getting wet again and having to board the metro that way. This meant that Ena's house was a much more appealing place to hide from the rain, and besides, the brunette had been whining about them not hanging out 'in ages' (her own words) during their Nightcord calls. It was the perfect opportunity.
Ena~
Enanan !! i got stuck in the rain while at the park, is there any way i could maybe, hopefully, hang out at yours for a bit? just while it stops? ;)
Just a few seconds later her phone dinged with a notification, a single thumbs up emoji from Ena to let her know it was okay. Based on the short reaction, Mizuki immediately pictured her hyper focusing on a drawing, probably too distracted with her work to give a proper answer. She smiled to herself and after taking a couple of seconds to prepare herself for the cold rain again, she ran back out into the street, rushing to the brunette's house.
Mizuki was only a block away, and the rain had subsided enough to a soft drizzle, when she heard two distinct voices that immediately made her heart drop to her stomach. Two of her old classmates where walking in the opposite direction, talking and laughing with eachother. She tried to lower her face, hoping her wet bangs would shield her from view, but it was useless.
"Yo, isn't that...?" One of the boys said, leaning into the other. A smirk appeared across his face.
"It totally is! Dude, they really weren't lying, you can barely tell from this distance."
"Pft, talk for yourself! A freak is a freak, I know a real girl when I see one."
Both boys broke into laughter, doing absolutely zero effort to hide their snarky comments. Mizuki turned away her view, trying to pick up her pace; she didn't feel like sticking around for the rest of the conversation.
Just as she brushed past them, one of the boys swayed to her side suddenly, making her crash against the fence of a house.
"Oops! Didn't realise you'd be so easy to push!" He yelled out right before running away and laughing with his friend.
Mizuki sighed, steadying herself up. However, the damage was done; her left sleeve had torn open, and a crimson slash stained her arm. Luckily it wasn't a deep cut, but the cold drops of rain made it sting quite a bit.
She clenched her jaw and kept on walking, trying to ignore the growing knot in the back of her throat. She hadn't seen those two boys in years, not since they were her main bullies back at her old school. And while she knew they lived in the city, she certainly wasn't expecting to see them again anytime soon.
No matter, she thought, just as she reached the Shinonome household. She wasn't particularly excited for the visit anymore, but she had already walked this far... besides, making up an excuse for ditching Ena would be harder.
A minute after ringing the doorbell, the brunette opened up the door, looking disheveled and agitated.
"Sorry! I was super focused on an illustration and you caught me right as I was fixing the last details. Come in, come in." She stepped aside, letting Mizuki inside. "Oh my, you're soaking wet! Do you want a towel? Wait here."
Before she could even answer, Ena was gone, reappearing mere seconds afterwards with a fluffy, clean towel that smelled like her perfume. Mizuki took in her hands as if it were pure gold.
"Here, dry off your..." Her eyes drifted down to the torn fabric in her arm, and by instinct, Mizuki put up her hand above it, flinching away. "What happened to your sweater?"
"N-Nothing! I bumped against a sharp edge, but I'm fine..."
"What? Are you okay?" She took a step closer, which sent Mizuki a step back.
"Yeah, yeah, I just..."
"Oh my god Mizuki, you're bleeding! What did you bump against, a knife?! Wait here."
"Ena, seriously, I'm okay." She said, letting out an awkward laugh to try and alleviate the mood and ease down any suspicion.
"Come here." She sighed, sitting down on a chair while Ena sat across her with a first aid kit. "You need to be more careful, Akiyama. You ruined your sweater, too..."
"I know, I know..." She winced upon the touch of the alcohol on her skin, which made her remember the pain of getting the cut done in the first place, which reminded her of her bully's words, which made her feel...
"Hey, are you sure okay? You look... upset. Did something else happen?" Mizuki turned back at Ena, who was looking at her with big, concerned eyes. She had already put the first aid kit away, which meant she had been zoning out starting at space this whole time.
"Haha, no, nothing at all! I'm just a little tired, I stayed up late editing last night. Sorry for making you worried."
"Really? Because you know that you can tell me anything, if something happens to you..."
"Aw, is sweet little Ena worried about me? Soo cute! I didn't think it was possible of you~"
"Ugh forget it, you're impossible!" She shot up from her chair, a flush across her face. Mizuki laughed at her characteristic pout, the one she would always make after being teased by her. Situation successfully dodged after all. "I'm going back to drawing, feel free to stay, or leave, or whatever. Not my problem."
"Hahaha, c'mon Enanan, can't take a joke?"
"I'm leaving now!" She yelled as she closed the door to her room. Mizuki laughed to herself; teasing Ena was always fun thanks to her big, dramatic reactions. And yet, despite the apparent disdain, she had taken the time to patch up her wounds and offer her a place to dry off. Through all the teasing and bickering, Ena still proved herself a great friend every time the opportunity arose.
With the adrenaline of the situation coming down, a wave of tiredness washed over her. She took a deep breath in, leaning her head on the table.
"If you knew the real me... would you still be so kind?" She whispered to herself, a heavy weight setting in her chest.
It was getting harder and harder to keep her secret hidden. It seemed that every other day she got closer to being caught due to someone else's doing. If only she had the strength to be honest...