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Kanemura Miku pushed open the waiting room door, feeling a little proud of herself for arriving so early. Usually, she would come just on time (or sometimes late). But today, she had managed to wake up earlier than usual and decided to come to work ahead of schedule.
However, the moment she stepped into the room, one familiar figure was already there, sitting in the middle of the room, silently minding her own business.
It was Kosaka Nao.
After a second of hesitation, Kanemura cleared her throat and started a greet “Good moring, Nao-chan!”
Kosaka glanced up a bit, showing no surprise “Good morning, Kanemura.” she said before turning her attention back to her book.
Kanemura hesitated in the doorway. She had expected the room to be empty, but now, with Kosaka here, the quietness felt strangely heavier. Still, she didn’t want to just leave. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside and sat down on a chair opposite Kosaka.
The waiting room was silent, SO silent that the only sound was the faint rustle of Kosaka flipping through her book. Kanemura felt super awkward, she wanted to talk to Kosaka but at the same time, she didn’t want to bother her.
Why is this so awkward? She’s my genmate. Why do I have to feel nervous around her? Kanemura thought to herself, glancing down at her phone and pretending to scroll through it. Occasionally, she secretly dropped a glare on the girl who she had always admired, sitting in front of her
Kanemura sighed softly. To distract herself from the heavy atmosphere, she took a quick scan around the room. The room was decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments, with a small tree glittering in the corner. The decorations looked nice, and the whole space felt cozy, but the silence between her and Kosaka made her chest tighten.
Kosaka turned a page, her expression unreadable. After a few minutes of sitting there, glancing at Kosaka, then at her phone, then back at Kosaka again, Kanemura finally stood up.
“I’m, uh… going to get some water.”
Kosaka hummed in acknowledgment without looking up.
Kanemura walked over to the water dispenser near the wall, picking up one of the paper cups from the stack. She poured herself some water and stared at it for a moment, trying to come up with something normal to say. Just as she turned to walk back, she noticed Kosaka approaching the water dispenser too, holding her own cup.
“Oh,” Kanemura said, stepping aside. “You, uh… thirsty too?”
Kosaka gave her a quiet nod.
Kanemura gulped. Okay Miku, this is your chance.
“So, uh… the room looks nice, don’t you think?” Kanemura started the conversation.
Kosaka filled her cup with water, her expression unchanged. “Yeah, very Christmas-like.”
“Right? Ahaha…” Kanemura laughed nervously. Her eyes drifted to the small mistletoe hanging above the dispenser. She pointed at it. “But, like… the mistletoe is kinda funny, don’t you think? Why would someone put it here?”
Kosaka glanced up at it briefly, then sipped her water. “It’s just a decoration.”
“Yeah, but…” Kanemura chuckled nervously. “You know… like, if two people just happen to stand under it…”
As she spoke, she stepped back to give Kosaka more space. Her foot caught on the strap of her bag, which she had carelessly dropped near the dispenser.
“Ah- !”
Kanemura stumbled forward, trying to regain her balance, but ended up bumping into Kosaka instead. Kosaka instinctively reached out to steady her, but the momentum pulled them both off balance. Kanemura fell forward, knocking Kosaka down onto the cold floor. Kanemura landed directly on top of Kosaka.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
“…Are you okay?” Kosaka asked, her voice calm despite the situation.
Kanemura’s face turned bright red as she quickly pushed herself up. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to- ! D-did you get hurt?!”
Kosaka sat up slowly, brushing herself off. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. How about you?”
Remembering how close their faces had just been, Kanemura didn’t dare to look directly at Kosaka anymore, so she turned her face in another direction, hiding her blushed cheeks.
“I-I’m okay! I-I’m so sorry for what just happened!” Kanemura said quickly, though her voice cracked.
“You don’t have to always say sorry like that, Kanemura…” Kosaka sighed softly and stood up, stepping closer and leaning slightly toward Kanemura. “What were you saying earlier?”
“W-Wha-?”
Kanemura was caught off guard by the question. She instinctively turned her head back toward Kosaka. A soft feeling transferred to her brain as her lips brushed against Kosaka’s.
!!!
Both of them froze.
The room once again fell completely silent.
Kanemura’s eyes widened, and she immediately jumped back. “I-I-!”
The sound of the door opening broke the moment.
“Oh,” Sasaki Kumi said as she stepped into the room, followed by a few other members. “What’s going on?”
Kosaka stepped back immediately, her face calm, but her ears noticeably pink. “Nothing,” she said quickly as she rushed back to the table, grabbing her book. “I’ll be back later.” She walked past the members without looking at anyone and left the room, leaving Kanemura standing frozen near the water dispenser, her face as red as the ornaments on the Christmas tree.
The captain tilted her head. “Uh… Miku? You okay?”
Kawata stepped forward, looking concerned. “Why’s your face so red? Are you sick?”
Kanemura flustered. “N-No! It’s not- nothing happened! I’m fine!”
She quickly grabbed her phone and sat down, burying her face in her hands.
Outside the room, Kosaka leaned against the wall, her book tucked under her arm. Her fingers reached up and touched her lips briefly, a faint whisper escaping her lips.
“So… the mistletoe thing is actually real…”
She glanced down the hall with a slight smile, hoping Kanemura wouldn’t realize the real reason she had come early today was to hang the mistletoe in the first place.