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It’s been hours since Kronii and Mumei sat down in the library and began studying. Finals are creeping in and they both decided to do their respective work together despite their different majors. Kronii is taking up electrical engineering, currently tackling the worst mathematics that ever existed, calculus. While Mumei on the other hand is taking up literature and is trying her best not to sleep while reading the history of this random author. She’s been in the library longer than Kronii has and feels her eyelids getting heavier and heavier on each word she reads. She then directs her focus to Kronii, tiredly looks up on the blue haired who’s in front of her, who’s very much focused unlike the brunette. She had her eyebrows furrowed, and fast eyes glancing over her laptop screen and notebook. She looks like she's going to break her pencil any second now by the way she’s gripping it so hard. She looks really troubled with whatever she’s doing right now. Yet, Mumei decides it’s time to close the book and pack things up. She wants to desperately go home. She then sighs and closes her laptop.
Mumei softly speaks up. “Hey, Kronii.”
Her voice goes unnoticed by her friend who is burning holes to her notebook.
“Kroniiii….” Mumei now waves a hand in front of Kronii’s face, breaking her out of the trance and lets out a small gwak. She blinks up to Mumei.
“O-oh! Sorry. What’s up?” Kronii talks back softly as well and relaxes. She didn’t realize she was so tensed up just doing mathematical problems.
Mumei puts her hand down and smiles at her. “I wanna go home now. It's getting late and I'm a bit tired…”
Kronii eyes widens and asks, “Oh yeah, what time is it?”
The brunette opens up her phone and faces it to Kronii, showing the time at the lockscreen.
7:32 pm
7 pm?!
“Crap!” Kronii hurriedly stands up and packs her stuff, well, more like just shoving them in her bag. “I have to go home now! I’m supposed to be watching something with Amelia tonight!”
Mumei stands up as well and packs her stuff, but not in a rush unlike the other. The brunette asks, “Oh ok! Let’s get going then. You take the south train, right?”
“Yeah. But my stop’s at Time Town.” Kronii replies.
They both got their bags and headed out of the library. “Oh sweet! I’m like two stops before you. Wanna go together?”
With that question, Kronii mildly blushes at the thought of riding home together.
What the fuck!?? That’s not a big deal! You guys are just friends going home together, nothing more!!
——
Well, a little background check. Kronii might have harbored some more-than-platonic feelings for the brunette after surviving the first year of college together. They met through this freshmen orientation event that brings the upcoming freshmen together and do a bunch of activities in groups. They were in the same group in that event, and they surprisingly kept in touch after that despite their different courses.
It was mostly Mumei’s work. She did a lot of talking, and Kronii would just sometimes nod and smile. They’re schedules are also miraculously aligned. It feels like fate has brought and stuck them together (that’s Kroniis delusional mind speaking). They eventually warmed up to each other as the year went by. With Mumei being her first friend and the one that has been glued to her for about a year now, she… can’t stop thinking about the girl.
There was one time when Kronii was hanging out with her childhood friend and now college senior, Calliope Mori. She was talking about classes and first year frights, but the conversation took a turn and she started talking away about Mumei this and Mumei that. Kronii even happily recalled some of the hangouts they’ve done in their free time (which was a lot) to her friend and Calliope had something to say.
Bro... Do you have a crush on her?
Kronii panicked! Of course not! She does not have a crush on Mumei! …. But she couldn’t help but think and talk about her. Which was unlike her, Calliope pointed out. Kronii wasn’t one to just let people come into her life. She’s been a closed off person and only kept things to herself. She didn’t know what made her accept Mumei out of all people.
Probably because she left a good impression on me… or that she was pretty– What?!
She wouldn’t stop thinking of the little trinkets on her bag, her light brown hair that's held up in a ponytail with feathers. (Mumei thought it was silly, but Kronii said it was cute, not noticing the faint redness on the brunette's face after she said that), her outfits, her cute giggles, her voice, her eyes, nose… lips …. Wait.
Oh bro you deadass have a crush on her.
Oh… well fuck her life then! Of course, to further not make things awkward and complicated in their totally platonic relationship, Kronii puts those thoughts and feelings away. It’s nonsense. Despite the cute smile she sees whenever she closes her eyes, she does not have a crush on Mumei!
——
Back to where the conversation was, Kronii replied, “Sure! Two stops before me right? So… Council Court’s your stop?”
“Yup!” Mumei nods and smiles cutely at Kronii.
Gods save me.
They both exit the school building and walk to the train station. They sadly both have to commute to and from school due to the school having limited dorm buildings. Kronii lives in Time Town, 6 stops away from the school’s nearest station and Mumei in Council Court which is 4 stops away. Kronii lives farther due to her younger sister, Amelia, living with her. The school that the younger studies in is within Time Town, so Kronii took the sacrifice of living farther from her college and let Amelia walk to her own school. Mumei on the other hand, lives with her friend, Fauna, who also studies in the same college and also ran out of dorm rooms. The one they’re staying in is the cheapest one nearest to the college.
During Kronii and Mumei’s walk, they talked about what they did during their study session and how Kronii was having a hard time with calculus because of her professor and Mumei having so many backlogs due to the many things she has to read. They laugh at their struggles.
Both of them walked in the train station. They scanned their card and now wait for the train. They continue on with their conversation.
Mumei spoke up first. “So, movie night with Ame again?” She asked as she looked up to Kronii once again.
She's so tall… I’m still not used to it. Mumei thought to herself.
Kronii softly chuckles. “Yeah. She can’t stop watching movies since she’s on a school break. She watches all kinds of things that I can’t keep up anymore.” She reminisces about the different movies that they both have watched during the week. Some action, some comedy, some cartoons. She’s shocked that her little sister is so open to different genres.
“What are you watching today?” Mumei asks again.
Kronii wondered but shrugged nonetheless. “Not sure. She usually just tells me what movie we’re gonna watch right before we play it.”
“Well I bet it’s gonna be a comedy now! Didn’t you guys watch Batman last time?”
Kronii looks at her with her eyebrows up, shocked that Mumei remembered that was in a conversation around two weeks ago.
“Y-yeah! It’s probably a cartoon now.” Kronii stutters and ignores the pitter-patter of her heart.
Few seconds later, the incoming train’s lights were seen and its horn blew off, indicating to the awaiting passengers that it’s arriving. It slows down and comes to a stop. The doors open and fortunately, not a lot are riding and a handful of seats are free. They both found a seat beside the doors and sat down. It usually takes around 25 minutes to Time Town, so most likely around 20 minutes, they’ll be in Council Court. A few seconds later, the doors close and the train starts moving.
Kronii opened her phone and scrolled social media for a few minutes, until she felt a weight on her shoulder and a few strands of hair on her cheek. She tenses up and looks to her left to where Mumei was sitting, and there she finds the brunette asleep and head lying on her shoulder.
She feels her cheeks heating up and heartbeat drumming fast.
…… FUCK!!!
Kronii keeps her composure and tries not to move too much, scared that she’ll disturb the sleeping girl. She probably stayed up too long and read too much today.
Ok just try not to wake her up. It's fine, it's gonna be chill.
Kronii can’t think properly. Despite Mumei leaning on her, the brunette doesn’t feel that heavy and it almost felt nice to be a rest for the pretty girl.
The train arrives at the second stop. Kronii didn’t even notice that they passed the first one already. The announcer in the train makes Mumei stir up a little bit and makes her snuggle against Kronii even more by loosely wrapping her arm around the others, somewhat mildly cuddling Kronii’s arm.
Kronii flushed red and sucked in a breath then closed her eyes.
Don’t panic your gay ass now she needs to rest!!
So, she sits really still and calms her breathing down to let her heartbeat steady.
Two gruesome minutes later, they arrive at the third stop.
I should wake her up already… Her stop is next. Kronii thinks as she looks at the girl snuggled up to her. She looks at her long eyelashes, her round cheeks, and her… soft lips— No! That's a breach of privacy! She can’t think of her friend like that! Kronii immediately looks away before those thoughts corrupt her mind.
The doors close once again and the train starts moving. After a few seconds of mentally debating if she should wake up Mumei or not, she does.
Kronii slowly reaches to Mumei’s shoulder and gently shakes her. “H-Hey Mumei.. Wake up.. Your stop’s n-next…” She stutters out softly, not being too disruptive or aggressive.
Mumei groans and snuggles even closer to Kronii that it looks like she's cuddling her arm already. She surprisingly speaks up in a soft voice, “Mhm.. Not yet…”
Kronii freezes and blinks to the sleeping? girl beside her. She blushes even further before continuing to shake the brunette's shoulder. “Cmon Mumei, you’re gonna miss your stop..”
Mumei slowly opens her eyes and looks up to Kronii’s own lapis eyes. Mumei looks so.. angel-like when she stares at KroniI like that.. She looks like a lost puppy waiting to get picked up by her. Those amber eyes truly have an effect on the blue girl, in a way it’s hypnotizing her. Kronii can't help but let her jaw slightly drop and cheeks heat up again due to the sight in front of her.. of the girl she might— no, surely has a crush on.
“Same time next week?” Mumei softly asks her while maintaining eye contact. Kronii just slowly nods without hesitation. “S-study?”, she asked in a soft voice.
Kronii saw the split second where Mumei glanced down at her lips and back up to her eyes. Kronii didn’t realize how close their faces were until Mumei shrugs, then pulls away from the other, completely breaking the trance that Kronii was in.
Before she knew it, they arrived at Council Court. She looked away from the brunette and looks at the window to see the station coming up. A few seconds later, she feels a soft push on her cheeks and hears a smooch. She gasps and immediately turns around to see Mumei getting up from her seat. She looks down at Kronii, whose face is beat red and heartbeat too fast for her health. Mumei giggles, winks and waves goodbye while exiting the train cart.
“Bye Kronii!!”, she said, and yet all Kronii could do was simply gawk at the brunette’s back, processing what just happened. Did Mumei…. !?
——
The TV playing Kung Fu Panda shines brightly in the dark living room.
Amelia rolls her eyes and throws popcorn at her sister who’s clearly not focused on the movie.
“Watch the movie loser! You’re gonna miss the good part!”
“Ame we already watched this?!”