Chapter Text
"Yo Sodoko." Mako called, spooking the girl with her back to her.
"Don't call me Sodoko!" she exclaimed angrily. "My name is Midoriko Sono! Mi-do-ri-ko So-no!"
"Yeah yeah, 'Midoriko Sono'." Mako said, not seeming to care all that much. "You wanna go out with me after school?"
Sodoko was.. stunned by the request, to say the least. "W-What are you saying?" she stammered. "I've already erased all your tardies and absences, so if you're trying to bribe me, it's for nothing."
"No bribery." Mako said plainly. "So you wanna do it?"
"I... I guess so? Maybe?" I mean... sure." She wouldn't usually do this, but her interest had been piqued.
"Great." Mako was still speaking in that plain voice. The kind that sounded like she just wanted to cut to the chase. "Front gate, after school."
And with that, she wandered away, leaving her there still somewhat stunned.
****
"Glad you showed up." Mako casually waltzed towards her.
"Uh-huh." Sodoko responded cautiously. "So... any specific plans or anything?"
"There's a park near here. Some food stalls. We can just hang around there." she raised her head to look her in the eyes. "You're good with that, right?"
"No problems here."
"Great."
The two walked through the park, admiring the views and checking out the various food vendors set up there. Well, Sodoko checked them out. Mako seemed to be purchasing something from each one.
With Mako chowing down on her fourth crepe of the afternoon, Sodoko decided that she might as well just get one for herself. She placed her order and began fiddling around in her pockets for her wallet. But she had been too slow, and Mako had pulled out her own wallet for the god-knows-how-many-time that day, and slid the money to the vendor,
"I could have paid for that myself you know." she said, after they had walked away, sitting down on a bench on the side of the footpath.
"Isn't that the sort of thing what you do for someone on a date?"
“Wait, what do you mean a date?”
“This is a date. Did I forget to tell you?”
“You didn’t tell me before!”
“Hm. Guess I must have forgotten then.”
“YOU GUESS?”
“Yeah. Is that… a big deal or something?”
Her face went red. “I…I guess… I guess it’s… okay..?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I-I just…” she stammered nervously. “Just… why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you ask me out on a date of all things? I’ve erased all your tardies, I said that, so there’s no point in trying to gain my favor or anything.”
“Cuz I like you.”
She was given pause by the sudden statement. She hadn’t messed around with any fancy words or anything. She had just said it, plain and simple. Just as she said anything else.
“W-what?”
“You’re always trying to help me improve and get to school earlier. It doesn’t work, but you try. You’re cool, and nice, and cute. I wanted to go out with you.”
“…” she blushed at the confession from the near constantly tired girl. “I… thank you.”
“No problem.” She sat up from the bench. “I’m still hungry, wanna go get another crepe?”
“I’m full.” She patted her stomach. “You’ve had like five today, how are you able to take that much sugar anyways?”
“I have a condition. Hypotension. Low blood sugar.” She explained. “It’s why I’m so tired all the time.”
“That’s… That’s a medical condition?”
“Yeah.” Mako cocked her head to the side. “Why?”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN “WHY?”??” She asked, suddenly raising her voice. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have given you all those tardies! I would have tried to HELP you, not just…” she sighed. “Not just marked you off on the list as soon as I got to school because I knew you wouldn’t be there.” She rubbed her arm in embarrassment.
“It’s fine. Really.” She said nonchalantly. “I’m late, I’m not meant to be late, you mark me as late. That’s how it works, isn’t it?”
“I…” she was tearing up. “I just feel… guilty.”
“Don’t be.” She responded. “I really don’t care.”
Sodoko slowly walked in closer and wrapped her arms around Mako’s waist. “I like you too.” She mumbled, barely audible.
“Really?”
She nodded.
“Cool.” She stood there for a moment, contemplating her next sentence. “So… are we dating now?”
“I… guess so?”
“Cool.” She turned her head back towards the crepe stall. “Wanna go get another crepe with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I call you Sodoko now?”
“You’ll do it anyways won’t you.”
“Yeah.”
“Fine.”
“Thanks Sodoko.”