Chapter Text
Isn't that nice? The cherry blossoms are in bloom. At least, a few of them are.
Well, that's what Mizuki thinks. That's what it looks like from the school rooftop. It's difficult to see what's down from so high up, but it's not like Mizuki had anything better to do.
Recently, all they've been doing is observing the small bunches of pink from above, aside from instead of observing the usual swarm of students. They hooked their right fingers through the barbed wire. They tentatively reached their left hand out, reaching for the sea of pink and white stretching so far below–
But Mizuki couldn't reach down for them, so she instead intertwined her left fingers into the wired fences. They looked down at the world that lay under their gaze. The world that was still functioning without their presence. The world that would always function without even a semblance of them.
It was strange not chatting to Rui like they usually did. After so long of spending every waking hour at this school rooftop, Mizuki slowly got used to not being alone. They sighed, clutching onto the wire tighter in annoyance.
Now that their only reason for even staying at school was gone, Mizuki had nothing else to do. Nobody else to talk to. Nobody wants to talk to them.
Mizuki took a deep inhale, letting the spring air fill their lungs. Then–
Footsteps. The unmistakable echoing of footsteps. Their body stiffened, fingers tightening around the wired fence. Mizuki sharply turned their head towards the sudden noise, holding their breath.
Suddenly, the sound of multiple loud crashes made Mizuki flinch. They leaned their body a bit to get a closer look at the open stairway. Instead of a sliver of anything that could explain what happened, Mizuki heard swearing.
"SHIT! SHIITTT!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS??"
The voice sounded familiar. It sounded like... well, Mizuki couldn't remember whose voice it was, but it still sounded familiar.
The girl's outburst was followed by a pair of lighter, more hastier footsteps, and the chirping of another girl.
"Don't you worry, Shinononome–senpai! I'll help you gather all your supplies!"
They really shouldn't care that much about the noise, it's not even any of Mizuki's business, right? Well... I mean, it's not like Mizuki would be doing something as shameless as eavesdropping, but, since Mizuki was here first, wouldn't be fine to listen in on the girls a bit?
Without even realising it, they found their feet moving towards the stairway. They wanted to see all the commotion too, you know! Careful not to let the girls see or near her, they quietly slid to the side of a wall near the set of stairs.
"Shut up! Go 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, Otori! Didn't I tell you not to follow me? And don't call me Shinononome, it's Shi‐no‐no-me!" The girl, Shinonome, snapped, her tone highlighted in annoyance and frustration. Her eyes watered as she struggled to prevent herself from crying.
Shinonome. That name sounded nice. Mizuki wondered how it would sound like if they said it out loud. Unable to resist themself, Mizuki slowly tilted their head sideways to take just one VERY TINY glance at the girls!
The first thing Mizuki saw was... something bright pink and fluffy. Squinting their eyes, they noticed a girl with pink hair. She looked rather young. Otori was wearing an apologetic smile on her face, while she was fidgeting with her hands.
Mizuki noticed the wispy strands of brown hair stuck onto a taller girl's head. Since her face was turned to meet Otori's, Mizuki couldn't quite see her expression.
"I'm sorry, Shi-no-no-me–senpai! I'll leave now– ooh!! Hello, I didn't know you were up here, we're both very veerryy sorry!"
Mizuki couldn't blame Shinonome for lashing out at that younger Otori girl, who was she even talking to? And why was she staring at Mizuki like that? Such a strange girl.
...
oh
𝘰𝘩.
Mizuki will never be able to get past this.
Shinonome spun on her heel, facing Mizuki with aggravation painted all over her face.
"You! Stay out of this! What are you doing here anyway?!" The brunette spat, her voice dripping with irritation.
"Oh... uh, I... I was just, um, going back down! But you and your friend here blocked my way." Stammered Mizuki.
Shinonome didn't even try to reason, she just stared at them in disbelief and slight disappointment.
Mizuki felt themself shrink under her deadly glare. If looks could kill, they would be dead a million times over.
"Whatever, stay up here however long you want, we're going back down." Said Shinonome, still slightly irritated.
Although she just announced her departure, Shinonome didn't even move an inch. All she did was push her belongings closer into her chest. Otori ran to Shinonome with an annoying grin before gently yet playfully tugging the sleeve of her shirt.
"Come on, Shinononome–senpai, let's go back down, I promise I'll help you study as an apology!"
"Huh?... oh, sorry. Fine, let's leave."
"Okie dokie! Bye–bye, pinky hair!" Otori exclaimed, aggressively waving bye to Mizuki.
Awkwardness hung in the air. Still, nobody moved.
"I'm going to stay up here. You may go back down now, Otori. And 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 calling me Shinononome!" Declared Shinonome, pointing her index finger at Otori.
"But whyy? I want to stay here too, you know! I have nobody else to talk to!" Otori whined, grabbing Shinonome's wrist with both hands.
"No, you'll annoy me and... uh... this one here. Now go down!–"
"She can stay, Shinonome–san. She doesn't bother me much and she won't bother you if she keeps me company." Interrupted Mizuki, crossing their arms.
Upon hearing this, tears of joy started whelling in Otori's bright pink eyes.
"Waaahh!! You're sososososo kind, Pinky–sama!! Bestest ruler of the world, you have my louuuvee!!" Emu wailed, hands pressed over her heart.
"Huh?..."
"You're so nicceee! Everyone at this school is so mean... except, there's this girl with really cute star hairclips! What's her name? She was also pretty nice! But her friend looked at me weird... am I really that weird?"
The last five words felt like a personal attack on Mizuki. They remembered hearing this question before. That same question, asked in a trembling voice–
"Onee–Chan... am I really that weird?"
Mizuki almost felt Yuki's warm hands on their shaking shoulders.
"Otori... you aren't weird at all."
"Really?! You think so?! Wow, we should totally be best friends! Pinky promise?" Chirped Otori, holding out her pinky finger.
"Err... sure."
They hooked their fingers together, Otori squeezing rather tightly before pulling away and grinning at Mizuki.
"Whatever, you two can do whatever you want as long as both of you are far away from me." Huffed Shinonome, whipping her hair while striding towards the bench nearest to her.
Or, well, she was about to stride towards the bench nearest to her. But Otori had other plans. She playfully grabbed and tugged at Shinonome's collar, with a cheeky smile painted all over her face, causing Shinonome to drop all her belongings.
"Come on, Shinononome–senpai! Why are you always alone? Mayor of frowntown, aren't you!" Whined Otori, pulling harder on Shinonome's collar.
"Shut up, go away!"
"Wouldn't it be fun to hang out with us? Pretty please?"
"Well, You two can't even hang out with or without me, I'm sure the bell is going to ring soon."
"If that's the case, walk me to class!"
"I'm not walking you to class, I'm going to my class by myself!"
Whipping her hair, Shinonome spun on her heel and strode towards the staircase, Otori practically bouncing behind her. Just as Shinonome was about to push the door open, she turned to look at Mizuki.
"You're... not going to your class?" She asked, her eyebrows slightly raised in curiosity.
Mizuki leaned against the wall, eyes glazed "No, I'll probably skip again."
Something about their casual tone intrigued Shinonome. The way they simply slouched against the brick wall with such a carefree grace almost made her want to stay with them. She wasn't exactly planning on skipping, but there isn't anything important in class after all, so maybe?...
Just as Shinonome opened her mouth, the loud trill of a bell interrupted her thoughts.
"Eeek! I'm gonna be late!! Okay, bye–bye, Shinononome–senpai! Bye–bye, Pinky–sama!!" Otori called out, pushing Shinonome out of the way before running down the stairs.
She stared down the staircase before glancing back at Mizuki, who hadn't moved an inch from the brick wall.
"You're... not going to your class?" They asked, their tone slightly suspicious.
She fidgeted with the coil of her notebook "Uhh... I've decided I'll... I'll probably skip."
"But... you just said you're going down to class?"
A long, awkward pause followed Mizuki's words.
Shinonome puffed out her chest, trying to seem confident and sure of herself "Well, I've decided to stay. I have nothing too important back at class."
Mizuki watched Shinonome strut rather awkwardly to a nearby bench, tripping on her feet and nearly falling flat on her face as she walked.
She threw herself onto the bench, her face slightly red with embarrassment. Shinonome, very carefully, opened her notebook and started to gently flip through the pristine, creamy pages.
Curious, yet not wanting to appear strange, Mizuki slowly went and sat at the bench directly across from the girl, while still silently observing her. Soon, the sound of a pencil scratching reached their ears, as Shinonome looked up to glance at Mizuki. Noticing the eye contact they were making, she hastily looked back down at her notebook, trying to avoid staring at them.
Mizuki sighed. Maybe they should go back to looking outside, there wasn't much to say to this girl. How disappointing.
Occasionally, Mizuki caught Shinonome glancing at them for a bit before looking back down at her paper. At first, Mizuki simply ignored it. There was less of a reason for the girl to stare at them like this, considering she was already occupied with something, but there wasn't much to it. People stare, all the time, whether out of curiosity or simply just pure boredom.
But Shinonome kept stealing swift looks at Mizuki, before busying herself with her notebook again. Her eyes would flick up for a split second, and then they'd dart back to her paper, where her pencil would scratch on the paper a few times before she repeated the whole process.
Mizuki narrowed their eyes. There was only one conclusion they could think of–
"Are you... drawing me?"
Shinonome froze and hastily looked down, hoping they somehow wouldn't notice the red creeping up her face.
Shinonome tightly clutched her notebook to her chest as Mizuki watched red creep up her face. She looked down, refusing to meet their gaze.
"Um... I'll get rid of it! Just, uhh, don't make fun of me for it!" Mizuki was surprised a voice, though shaky, came out of her mouth at all. They tilted their head in slight confusion. They were more curious than smug.
"Can I see it?"
Mizuki wondered if Shinonome forgot to breathe. She tensed up, her expression being one full of embarrassment, and maybe a bit of frustration. Mizuki began to feel slightly concerned, considering that they weren't trying to put Shinonome in an uncomfortable situation.
"No, you'll make fun of me. I–I'll just throw it out!" She spluttered, avoiding even a split second of eye contact.
"I promise I won't laugh." They said quietly. Maybe they shouldn't have been so inquiring?
Shinonome, still refusing to meet their gaze, gripped her notebook tighter, dragging her nails through the plastic coil of it.
"You will, you're just making fun of me." Shinonome snapped. Mizuki lowered their eyes, mumbling a quiet "okay" in response.
Still slightly flustered, Shinomome pressed her lips into a thin line before loosening her grip.
"Come here and see it for yourself." She muttered. It seemed like she was trying to sound reluctant, but Mizuki's eyes still lit up for a small moment as their lips parted.
Mizuki eagerly shot up from their seat, awkwardly adjusting their poor posture before taking slow, slightly hesitant steps.
As if just fully realising what she had said, Shinonome stiffened. Within a fraction of a second, she practically slammed her notebook shut, craning her neck to see Mizuki already sitting at the edge of her bench, looking confused.
"Wait– no, never mind, you don't have to– umm... what?" She blurted out.
"Relax, I'll consider this as a favour and pay you back someday. So, can I?..." They trailed off, waiting for Shinonome to respond.
She stared at them, and then at the fingers gripping her notebook before she scrunched her nose. Mizuki sat there, unsure of whether or not they should simply leave or stay for the small chance of actually seeing what Shinonome drew.
She sighed, pressing her lips together. Cautiously, Shinonome slowly lowered her notebook, her knuckles white against the plastic coil. Mizuki shifted their position and leaned in to get a better look at the small sketch. Their lips parted, as they raised their finger to touch the slightly smudged paper.
"It's... really good." They mumbled.
Shinonome looked almost shocked. "You really think so?" She asked, a hint of suspicion in her tone.
"Well, yeah, um... I like the way you drew my hair and the way it sticks out a bit. I look a bit gloomy, though."
"Well, that's because you 𝘥𝘰 looked gloomy."
"Still, you drew my eyelashes pretty well, I'm surprised you noticed that detail."
Shinonome huffed, trying not to sound flattered. "Whatever, it was just a small sketch anyway."
Though she flipped her notebook shut and looked away, Mizuki still didn't leave the bench. They awkwardly stayed put, unsure of what to do next. Silence uncomfortably hung in the air.
"I... I like your lashes, they fit your hair well."
"You like... wait, what?"
Shinonome's eyes widened as if she didn't mean to compliment Mizuki out loud. Her face grew red, as she muttered apologies in embarrassment. Mizuki pinched their inner thigh, avoiding eye contact like their life depended on it.
"It's... f-fine." They managed to choke out, their voice unusually high.
"Are you... Okay?"
Mizuki was nearly shaking, trying to suppress their laughter. When they opened their mouth to respond, they erupted in giggles.
"What, wait, why are you laughing?! Just shut up!" Shinonome whined, slapping Mizuki on their arm
"Ouch, that hurt!"
"Hah, you... shouldn't have laughed at me!"
Shimonome joined in the laughter, pressing her hand against her lips and silently snickering with Mizuki.
"But, umm... seriously, I do think your lashes are nice." She said, still stifling her gentle laughter.
"You do? I don't... get that often." Mizuki said, slightly raising their eyebrows.
Shinonome slumped on the bench a bit, almost as if she was getting comfortable. "I think I've heard your name around a bit, was it Mizuna or something?"
"Umm... no, Mizuki. Mizuki Akiyama."
"Well, I'm Ena Shinonome, not Shinononome, remember that!"
"Ena... I like saying that. You have a nice name, Ena–San"
"Well, you can stop repeating it, I get that you like my name."
Though her tone sounded somewhat annoyed, it was obvious to Mizuki that Ena was trying to suppress a little smile. Mizuki, deciding the small physical distance was awkward, inched a little closer.
"Do you think I can see your other artwork? I liked the little sketch you drew of me." Mizuki asked, tilting their head.
"Hm, fine. But only if you won't point out every tiny mistake, or whatever's a mistake in your eyes." She gently flipped open her notebook, as if it was made of fragile glass. On the first page, there were a few small doodles of different girls assumed to be Ena's classmates, along with a few tiny math problems on the sides. However, one small drawing particularly stuck out to Mizuki.
"Huh... um, Shinonome–san, isn't that from that shoujo manga? My Stupid Heart Yearns for you?"
The doodle was a rather elegant, tall girl with long, teal hair, wearing a good-natured expression. She was standing beside a short, decidedly flustered girl, with her pink hair half–up. Mizuki glided their finger towards the drawing.
"Well... yeah, Saki–Chan asked me to draw it, not like I know anything about it!" Ena's eyes met Mizuki's for a second, "And by the way, just call me Ena, being called 'Shinonome' like I'm a senior feels weird." She finished, her voice clearly showing more confidence.
Mizuki very slowly flipped to the next page, almost waiting for Ena to throw her hand away. Ena remained silent, permitting Mizuki to see the next pages. A few more portraits, some chemical formulas, and a landscape of a beautiful scene. Mizuki brought a finger to the lake practically drowning in pink petals.
"You know, have you ever thought of doing art seriously? Like, a professional or something?"
Ena scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And you're being serious? No way. It's just a hobby."
"Really? You seem pretty passionate about it, so, why not?"
Ena sighed, tapping the pages of her notebook. "Well, I don't really know, I never really got anywhere with this dumb hobby, so I doubt I can, like, be a professional or whatever." Her voice sounded standoffish, but her expression seemed almost disappointed.
"I mean, it's a dumb hobby you really seem to care about."
"Even so, everyone's always on my ass about every little detail. Always complaining about my weird anatomy or the way my paint strokes are. I remember I used to want to take it super seriously, but I think I just stopped thinking about it for a while." Her voice lowered near the end of her statement as if she was thinking out loud instead of talking to Mizuki.
Ena looked up at the sky, her eyes glazed. She brought her fingers to her mouth, biting her nails.
"Isn't it boring skipping by yourself?" She asked, nibbling the end of her nails.
"Well, I used to skip with a friend, but he's in high school now. It'll be awkward if I show up to class now, so I just stay here."
A pause followed Mizuki's words. Ena awkwardly fidgeted in her place, still with the tips of her fingers on her lips.
"Well... can I consider you a friend?..."
Mizuki's lips parted as their eyes widened a little. The thought of anyone else at Kamiyama interested in becoming their friend never even crossed their mind. Mizuki, forgetting to breathe, took a deep inhale before responding.
"I–umm... if it's fine by you, I guess..." They trailed off, realising how stupid they sounded.
Just as Ena opened her mouth, the loud trill of a school bell interrupted her. She abruptly stood up, dusting off her skirt and clearing her throat.
"Well, I'm going to class now, An–San said there'll be an exam." She stretched her back before taking her notebook with both of her hands. She glanced at Mizuki, "Aren't you coming to class, too?"
"No, I don't have any exams or whatever today." They replied, shrugging.
"Whatever, I'm leaving now. Would you mind if I came up here again tomorrow?" Ena said. Her eyes widened, almost as if she didn't mean to ask that. She spun on her heel and strutted to the door, muttering "Never mind" under her breath. Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, Mizuki responded.
"I guess, you can just come here whenever. Am I seeing you tomorrow, Ena?"
She paused, seemingly considering what to say next.
"Maybe..." Ena mumbled, turning the doorknob and walking down the stairs.
Mizuki sighed in relief, craning their head to continue peering down from the rooftop. 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, they thought. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥.
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Swarms of students buzzed around Scramble Crossing, an array of giggling and a few fake dramatic gasps. Mizuki desperately attempted to avoid the groups of middle schoolers, mumbling apologies to those they accidentally bumped into. They checked the time on their phone; 3:27 PM, nearly 15 minutes after school. 𝘏𝘮𝘮, 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺.
Mizuki looked around the entire street, sneaking glances at the displayed dresses adorned with lace and ribbons. Their eyes wandered to a small yet classy cafe, stacks of bread and muffins shown through the glass. Above the brown and green striped awning, the words, "SWEET HOUSE" were painted in bold, cream–coloured letters. The fresh smell of steaming coffee was slowly creeping from an open window, making Mizuki's nose wrinkle.
They stood there, peering through a window, when they noticed a familiar face. Ena was scooping more and more cheesecake, practically shoving it into her mouth so quickly Mizuki was afraid she would choke. She stopped for a moment to sip her coffee when she noticed Mizuki staring.
Before they knew it, Mizuki had themselves walking towards the little cafe, a bell indicating their arrival. When they opened the door, a chirp of "Welcome to the Sweet House!" Accompanied by the rich smell of chocolate and coffee. A few small, wicker tables were tucked neatly into the far left of the cafe, with wooden chairs perfectly complimenting them.
They looked around the small place before finding Ena sitting in a corner, picking at her food with her head lowered, flakes of slightly red skin peeking out through her hair. They strolled over to meet Ena.
Mizuki slowly drew the chair in front of Ena, causing her to look up, and clearly started. She narrowed her eyes, resting her hand in her hands, "Oh, it's you."
They awkwardly stood there, almost waiting for Ena to say, "You can sit down," but neither of them made a sound.
"Can I, um... sit with you?" They asked, running their hand through the wooden frame of the chair.
"Hmph, sure, whatever."
They sat down directly across from Ena, separated by about half a meter. A plate with a rather large half-eaten cheesecake laid on the table, beside a foamy latte emitting smoke. Ena awkwardly took the cup and took a sip.
"So... do you come here often?" Mizuki inquired, trying to break the tension.
Ena's body deflated like a balloon, seemingly dreading the small talk, "Yes... the cheesecake here is good and fairly cheap."
"Really? Can I try a bit?" Asked Mizuki, slightly leaning forward in curiosity.
Ena scoffed, "Fine, but use a different spoon. And only eat on the end I didn't touch yet!"
After unwrapping the packaging of a plastic spoon, Mizuki scooped into the creamy filling, digging into the crust before taking a bite. Their eyes slightly widened as they savoured the rich and creamy taste.
"Whoa... mmf– sho goood..."
The corners of Ena's mouth crept into a smile, almost amused by Mizuki's childish actions. However, her smile quickly faded when Mizuki took another bite.
"Hey, I only said you could take one bite! Stop that!" She exclaimed, quickly sliding the plate towards herself.
"Ich rilly yammy," Mizuki finished chewing and swallowed their food, "I think you have good taste."
Ena's face twitched before she took a deep breath and replied, "Well, don't eat the rest of it."
Mizuki nodded, drumming their fingers on the table. They, looked up to meet Ena's gaze, "Do you order this cheesecake every day?"
"Ugh... not really, I've been trying to eat everything on this menu, but this cake is my favourite, so I mostly eat it."
Mizuki nodded again, craning their head to look out the window, "The cherry blossoms are pretty."
Enna stared at them, puzzled, "What do you mean? They haven't even bloomed yet."
"On each tree, a few of them have. You just need to take a closer look."
"I guess it's weird I didn't notice them, I always focus mostly on the smaller things." She gazed outside. "This reminds me a bit of the novel Saki–Chan adores, nearly worships, 𝘔𝘺 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘠𝘰𝘶. At first, the cherry blossoms are unbloomed. But when Shizu and Aria find their feelings, the cherry blossoms bloom. It's a nice detail, and it also looks really gorgeous. Saki–Chan lent me a copy. I think I have it here in my bag..."
Ena pushed her food towards towards Mizuki to make space for her school bag. Mizuki, noticing the grand opportunity, snuck more bites of the creamy cheesecake as Ena looked through her bag. An array of items were discarded, including, but not limited to, multiple spare yet intensely chewed pencils, a very tiny bottle of neon pink glitter, and a large, blue, rusted key made of rather rough wood. Ena's face grew more frustrated as she looked for the little book. Her eyes lit up as she triumphantly pulled out the novel from her cluttered backpack.
"Here, this one!" Ena exclaimed, nearly shoving the cover of the book in Mizuki's face. It depicted two girls, assumed to be Shizu and Aria, face–to–face in a beautiful field with pink petals practically raining down on them. Their expressions looked sincere and open, perfectly capturing the "look of love."
"Look here, the bloomed cherry blossoms are supposed to symbolise love and new beginnings, since Aria just confessed to Shizu and her feelings are shared. Well... I mean, that's just what Saki–Chan, told me, I just wanted to use the cover for a reference!"
Mizuki tilted their head, "Really? It sounds like you read it... pretty intensely."
Ena held up a hand, physically denying their assumptions. "Nope, Saki–Chan reads it pretty intensely. She talks about it with me all the time, obviously, I'd pick up something."
"Well, whatever you say, Ena–san..."
"H-hey! I'm being serious here! I didn't read it!"
"Not even a little bit?"
"Well– I mean, I flipped through it a bit, but doesn't everyone do that?"
Mizuki, giggling a bit, put a hand up to their mouth.
"Hmph, whatever, I'll just finish this food– wait... where's my cheesecake?!"
Mizuki burst into laughter, hugging their chest, "I-I'm sorry, Ena–san! I'll pay you back someday!"
"You better!" Ena growled, her voice murderous.
"Well, can I have your number? So I can, you know, buy you another cake?"
Ena rolled her eyes, snatched a pen from her school bag, and furiously wrote her number down on an unused napkin, before shoving it into Mizuki's face.
"Here, take it, and don't forget to buy me another cake!"
Mizuki grinned, "I won't, Ena–san. Anyways, I'm gonna go now. Will I see you tomorrow?"
Ena sighed, crossing her arms, "I guess you will. See you tomorrow, Mizuki–san."
Mizuki got up and walked out the door, this time, the bell indicating their departure. They continued walking down the street, a little bounce in their step. Mizuki felt so light it wouldn't be a surprise if they started floating.
As they continued to stroll rather cheerfully, something airy and delicate drifted onto their head. They raised their arms to remove it, only to be met with a single cherry blossom petal.
"The bloomed cherry blossoms are supposed to symbolise love and new beginnings."
Mizuki gently held the pink petal in their hand, lost in thought.
Love and new beginnings.
Love
and
New beginnings.
Mizuki held the petal to their chest, unable to suppress their smile.
A soft trill interrupted their thoughts. They reached into their backpack's side pocket, grasping for their phone. The screen lit up with the contact 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘢 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳 calling them. Mizuki pressed accept and brought the phone up to their ear.
"Mizuki, are you okay? We haven't heard from you yet."
"Don't worry, Mom. I just stayed out a bit and forgot to call you."
"Sorry, sweetie, I was just worried."
"Okay, thanks. Bye Mom, love you, I'll see you soon."
Mizuki shoved their phone into the side pocket of their bag. They looked up, inhaling the fresh, Spring air.
Mizuki closed their eyes, letting the gentle breeze carry their thoughts away.