Work Text:
Honno City looked so different with the artificial island quietly sitting at the bottom of Tokyo Bay in a pile of rubble. Ryuko didn’t pay it any mind as she stood for a moment with her hip resting on an old guard rail, catching her breath before continuing to climb the steep hillside. At her first destination, a plateau in the climb, she waited for Mako. The area itself was a charming shopping district, although not a very popular one, with refined-looking brick buildings and modern storefronts lining both sides. The late spring air was refreshing but she couldn’t ignore the small biting chill the winds brought with them. Ryuko hiked her red scarf up her neck a bit further before checking her watch. Mako was late, but what else was new?
After a few minutes of shifting around on her feet, Ryuko heard the familiar and odd-paced bounding of feet approaching her. “Ryuko!” Mako exclaimed, pulling her in for a bone-crushing hug. “I’m super duper sorry for making you wait, are you ready to go?” Ryuko returned the hug with an awkward pat on Mako’s back and coughed lightly before peeling her off. “Yeah, ready.” It was nothing against Mako but despite all they had been through together, Ryuko was just simply not a physical contact kind of person. The climb continued as the two trekked upwards, idle chitchat accompanying them. What life had treated them to post-Honnoji Academy was mundane, but there was a beauty in that. Neither of them had ever really gotten to be normal teenage girls before so to be alive, well, and going shopping together was all but miraculous.
Mako was down to shop for whatever, she was a fan of good old quality time. Ryuko herself needed a new pair of sneakers. Her usual pair was at one point bright white but now sported many years of irreparable damage and staining. It wasn’t actually her idea to buy new shoes, but her older sister’s. Satsuki had recently reprimanded her, saying it was shameful to walk around in such beat-up scraps. She even offered to buy them herself if she was allowed to personally throw the old ones in the trash. An offer like that was hard to beat and Ryuko, not exactly the most fashionable girl, saw no harm in letting her fashionable friends take the lead on this occasion.
At the top of the hill, Satsuki stood waiting for the two of them. Punctual, like usual. Ryuko and Mako were floored at her new haircut, a short and fluffy bob. They flocked around her, rattling off oohs and aahs, much to Satsuki’s modest discomfort. Mako insisted on a few photos of the two sisters as well as the three of them and they were on their way towards a greater Tokyo shopping district. It was a wonderful day filled with sweets, fashion shows, and jokes. Ryuko had never felt more delighted to be normal. She surmised that there is a kind of magic in being a girl and vowed never to lose an opportunity to enjoy a day like this ever again. Out of the trio, Mako had gone overboard and bought way more than she could afford, much less carry. In a heavy crowd of people, her eye caught a child sitting on her father’s arm, cheerily pointing her arm and jabbering away.
Ryuko felt sick when she noticed why the girl and her father demanded her attention; her outfit reminded her of Senketsu. Her heart throbbed in her chest painfully. The loss of her friend was still fresh in her mind and it seemed like the pain would never truly leave her. Wounds don’t completely heal, after all, they just close up. Never seeing a loved one again is a painful, lonely feeling. With the death of her father, Senketsu was all she had left of him. With both of them gone, Ryuko was still struggling to move on. She was tough, she could take each day one step at a time, but she would always catch her heart skipping a beat when she thought she saw either of them in a crowd. As glad as she was to discover she had a sister, their relationship just wasn’t the same. Both were making a conscious effort to repair their rough start and genuinely try to get to know each other, but it’s hard to completely trust someone who tried to kill you.
Ryuko was jolted out of her thoughts by a shrill yelp. Her blood pounded as she raced to catch up to Mako and Satsuki, assuming there was danger and raring to defend them. However, the emotional whiplash she received from Gamagoori on one knee with a pink bouquet of flowers really threw her for a loop. He looked slightly sweaty, faint, and his hands shook as he held the flowers out to her. Ryuko noticed the rest of the Elite Four standing behind him, presumably for moral support. Gamagoori’s white tuxedo looked fit to burst, like they ran out of fabric while making it. She realized that the yelp was likely from Mako, who stood stunned in a funny pose while the man before her tried to enunciate his feelings. It took him a few tries, but he finally was able to squeeze something out. “M-Mankanshoku…it would be the highest honor if you would…accompany me…to dinner… tonight.” He said what he could and looked as if he might pass out. For such a big guy, he seemed to have a weak constitution when it came to Mako. The other Elite Four crew silently cheered him on, clutching their fists and pumping them around in celebration that he even got this far.
Ryuko and Satsuki looked towards their friend as she stood with a flushed face before accepting the bouquet. Her normally chatty persona was in arrest as she, too, struggled for words. Hiding her face with the bouquet, she simply nodded and the Elite Four cheered for their friend, clapping him on the back with congrats and good-jobs. Gamagoori may have actually fainted in relief if Sanageyama and Inumuta didn’t help him to his feet first. Ryuko and Sanageyama glanced at each other as the latter helped Gamagoori. It was only then that Ryuko noticed how he was dressed. A brown jacket worn over his shoulders, a dark gray v-neck, and matching gray slacks with black shoes. For such a country bumpkin, even he knew how to clean up nicely, she supposed. For a split moment, his eyes lingered too long on hers and Ryuko looked away, self-conscious especially in light of what just transpired.
Still covering her face with the bouquet, Mako spoke once more. “I wanna go get ready…but I’m still shopping with Ryuko and Satsuki.” Immediately, the two jumped into the conversation. “Don’t worry about us!” Ryuko said, waving her hands in front of her. “Please, this is exciting, why don’t you go get ready, Mako?” Satsuki added, gently patting her shoulder. Mako looked back and forth between them, little tears welling up in her eyes. “Are you sure? You really don’t mind?” The sisters shook their heads in tandem, smiling. “May I…walk you home?” Gamagoori croaked beside them. All three girls looked towards him in surprise. “Umm, sure!” Mako said, kicking her feet a little bit. “I just bought a whole bunch of snacks, you can eat them while I get ready if you want,” she mumbled to herself. Gamagoori corrected his posture, unnaturally straight, as he offered his arm to Mako. “If you will have me,” he said, his voice a deep rumble of nerves. Mako took his arm and looked back at Ryuko and Satsuki. “Will you two get home okay?”
They didn’t live together so it was a walk in the opposite direction for both of them. Nonon and Inumuta stepped in between Mako and Satsuki, quickly taking Satsuki’s bags for her. “We’ll walk her home,” Nonon answered in her nasally, squeaky voice. “What about Ryuko?” Mako asked. A voice answered from behind them. “I’ll walk her home,” Sanageyama said, his hand raised. Ryuko shook her head, modesty creeping in. “You don’t have to worry about me, really, I’ll get home just fine.” Satsuki looked down at her younger sister, something wise flashing behind her eyes. “You should take his offer. Aren’t you exhausted from carrying your bags around all day?” It wasn’t that big of a chore, but she couldn’t deny that her fingers were starting to get that dull ache from having been curled up all afternoon. Satsuki didn’t wait for her reply. “Sanageyama, thank you. She’d be happy to have you escort her home.” Ryuko’s cheeks flushed lightly at the lack of choice. Satsuki was only one year older than her, but she wasted no time in making up for the many years lost bossing around her little sister.
The group dispersed and Ryuko waved goodbye to Mako and Satsuki, each flanked by their own posses. There was a clearing of the throat next to her as Sanageyama held his hand out, silently asking for her shopping bag. He didn’t look her in the eyes as he did it but Ryuko understood and transferred it over his fingers. The slight contact made her nervous and he didn’t look any less awkward than she did. “You ready to walk home?” he asked plainly. “Yeah,” she said, looking down at her feet. A new pair of shiny white sneakers looked back at her. “Okay, let’s go,” he said, “you lead the way.” Ryuko started in the opposite direction from the others and Sanageyama followed her. The walk was quiet, loud noise from the city drowning out any necessity for small talk, but it got tougher once they left the shopping district. On their way out of town and down the hill, it was almost too quiet. Neither of them brought up any topics for several minutes in this newfound quiet until her walking partner couldn’t take it anymore. “Matoi,” he began. It shocked her, but he had her attention now. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for…well, everything, I guess.” Ryuko frowned, looking at the ground ahead of her. “Don’t worry about it,” she mumbled.
“No, really, I mean it,” he said, bringing his free hand up to the back of his head and lightly scratching it. “I want to apologize properly, you deserve it. I don’t think I ever got the chance to thank you either for saving us all.” Ryuko wasn’t quite sure how to respond to him. No problem, anytime! Probably not, she would like to never have to go through something like what she experienced ever again if possible. She clutched the insides of her jacket pockets and hid her face as much as she could in her scarf. “Welcome,” was all she replied. Ryuko smacked herself mentally. So much for making conversation when Sanageyama was at least trying. He must have noticed her discomfort because he decided to drop it. They were silent as they walked a few paces more before he tried a different way of engaging her in small talk.
“Do you like your new place?” he asked. Her new apartment, generously paid for by remnants of the Kiryuin Conglomerate, was a modest residence. A single-bed, single-bath dwelling, but it was all she needed. It was, however, lonely. “It’s nice,” she responded, still averting her gaze from him. “Mako keeps telling me that she wants to help me decorate. She says my apartment is too sparse.” Sanageyama snorted at her comment. “I thought all women were supposed to have that designer’s touch.” Ryuko felt her cheeks warm. Like fashion, she also had little experience in interior design. “Yeah, well, I don’t,” she grumbled. “I was too busy kicking your sorry ass to learn how to pick out flower designs.” He seemed to bristle at this. “Any day of the week we can have another go, just you and me. How would you like that?” Ryuko finally laughed, her chin peeking out of her scarf as her head tilted back in good humor. “I’m glad to see you haven’t changed, Sanageyama.”
He clicked his tongue, a dusting of red appearing on his ears as he looked away. “Speaking of that…” he trailed off. “Speaking of what?” she asked. “No, it’s nothing. Never mind,” he said with finality. Ryuko sighed, exasperated. “You sound like a chick, it’s so annoying.” Sanageyama whirled his head back around, his cheeks flushed with what was presumably anger. “Says the girl who can’t even pick out her own shoes!” It was Ryuko’s turn to blush as she sputtered in disbelief. “How did you know about that?” she asked. Sanageyama crossed his arms smugly, smirking down at her. She found herself wishing that he wasn’t so much taller than her in that moment. “Lady Satsuki told me what you would be doing today. She said she was looking forward to throwing those old shoes you had away herself. Judging by your new kicks, it looks like she succeeded.”
Ryuko huffed, turning away from him. “Quit calling her Lady Satsuki, it pisses me off. You’re not in school anymore and she wasn’t even your upperclassman.”
“As expected, I wouldn’t even begin to think that you could understand what she meant to all of us in the Elite Four.”
“It’s not like I haven’t heard it already, I’m just saying that it’s time to let it go. She’s just Satsuki now. A normal girl with a normal name.”
Sanageyama clutched the shopping bag tighter, knocking his knuckles against his thigh as he frowned, squinting his eyes. He drew in a breath. “What the hell. Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Ryuko looked back up at him, quirking one of her eyebrows. “Talk to me about what?” He pursed his lips together, almost seeming like he was losing the nerve for a second time now. “I wanted to ask if we could maybe…start over. You know, like friends? Not that I really care about your answer or anything, I just want Lady Satsuki to know that we’re getting along. You’re her precious little sister now, after all.” Ryuko was shocked at his true intent. Friends? It seemed so out of the blue. Sanageyama wasn’t able to look her in the eyes when he asked and she found it oddly endearing. “Sure, I don’t mind.” He glanced back at her, keeping his chin pointed away. “Really?” Ryuko sighed, “Really.” He smiled a little, looking at the ground before the two continued walking. “You said Mankanshoku wanted to help you decorate your place, but I also know a thing or two about home decor actually.” Ryuko smirked. “That so? How could that possibly be?”
He shrugged, twirling the shopping bag around on his fingers. “My parents own a konnyaku store back home and my mom expected me to help keep the place pretty. It was part of my chores. Might be a bit old-fashioned for your tastes but then again, I don’t even know what your tastes are.” Ryuko hummed in thought at this. She didn’t even really know what her tastes were either. “I guess I could let you give it a shot. Any experience is better than no experience at all.” Sanageyama chuckled proudly, puffing his chest. “You know it. Before long, you’ll have a place you’ll be proud to call home.” She smiled up at him, which caught him off guard. “Thank you, Sanageyama.” He flushed again, using his free hand to roll a strand of hair between his fingers. “Uzu,” he said, looking out towards the water. “What?” she asked, dumbfounded. “I want you to call me Uzu. We’re friends now, remember? Idiot.” Any passerby would have seen two young adults struggling to look at each other, completely red. Thankfully, there was no one, but it didn’t change the fact that Ryuko could only look at her shoes. Her eyes were wide open, her slate-blue eyes bumbling around in their sockets as she tried to think of what to say.
“That means…I want to call you by your first name too,” he said. “Can I do that?” His question was simple but the reality was so complex. Could he? She might not survive. Ryuko held her hands to her face and could all but feel the steam rising out of her ears. “Okay,” she mumbled against her palms. There was silence for a few more moments before she heard his voice call her name. “Ryuko,” he said. She let out a noise that was more akin to an “eep” than anything else. Carefully, she looked up at him once more through the protection of her slender fingers. Sanageyama was looking down at her with nervous determination, though his face was probably just as red as her own, maybe worse. “Your turn,” he said. His voice shook slightly when he spoke. “Eh? No way, impossible. Forget it,” she said through her hands. “You can’t just let me do all the work with this friendship thing! Now hurry up, out with it!” he exclaimed, humiliation saturating his tone.
“...’zu.”
“What?”
“Uzu…”
The steam was rolling off both of their heads now. “Enough, I can’t take it,” he said and collapsed on a nearby bench. He dropped the bag next to him and threw his arms over the back, looking into the sky. “Friendship is so hard,” he muttered. “It was your idea in the first place, you dumbass!” she yelled, balling her hands into fists. “Let’s just get this over with,” she grumbled, continuing to stomp down the hill. Before long, she could hear Sanageyama trailing behind her, keeping his distance. The walk back to her apartment only took about twenty more minutes, but it felt like ages with the silence between them. At her apartment complex, he walked her to her door and gave the shopping bag back to her once she rummaged through her pockets for her keys. On her way in, she closed the door halfway once inside. Her eyes fixed on his, she steeled herself for what she was about to do. “Thank you for walking me home…Uzu.” She must have caught him off guard because he certainly didn’t look like he was expecting it. He brought his lower lip into his mouth, wetting it before responding. “You’re welcome, Ryuko.”