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It was a good day for Sayaka.
Good days didn’t happen very often anymore for her, especially since Hitomi and Kyosuke started dating. But if she was being honest with herself, good days hadn’t been common since she had become a magical girl. Her soul gem was proof enough.
But today, it was going to be a good day. She could feel it just as strongly as she could feel power thrumming constantly through her veins. Something was happening today, although she didn’t know what. Kyubey hadn’t approached her in weeks, so she doubted the strange sense was from him. Maybe another magical girl?
Whatever it was, the anticipation left Sayaka feeling giddy and energized. She felt well-rested for the first time in months, despite the fact that she hadn’t slept in who knows how long.
She dressed for school, tucking away anything she needed into her bag. Something good was going to happen today, and she couldn’t wait.
---
Hitomi woke up, as she usually did, with her braids undisturbed and her face buried in her pillow.
Then, once she was awake and aware of her own consciousness, she squealed and threw her comforter over her head.
Today was not a good day.
The night before, she had impulsively broken up with Kyosuke during a date that she had planned. She usually thought out important decisions like this, especially when someone else’s feelings or well-being were on the line. How horrible was it that she had broken up with him so abruptly? And so soon after they had agreed on being “official”!
But she just couldn’t continue another month to see how she felt. Kyosuke was a nice boy, and Hitomi had liked him well enough, but there was just… nothing between them. No interest, no real tension, nothing. Sure, they got along nicely and they enjoyed the rare free time they spent together when their busy schedules aligned, but nothing happened.
Dating Kyosuke was boring. Hitomi didn’t want anything stressful or scandalous (right?), but she wanted something. Was it so much to ask for emotional conversations and maybe a disagreement or two? Kyosuke was agreeable. Kyosuke was responsible. Kyosuke was perfect for a steady relationship.
Kyosuke wasn’t emotional. Kyosuke wasn’t attentive.
Hitomi did not like the distance he put between them.
And she tried to bridge the gap, to open up to him or have him open up to her. But he wasn’t ready for that.
Which was fine.
But not for Hitomi, as it turns out.
She wanted someone interesting. She wanted to be able to talk about whatever, whenever, and she wanted someone who would seek her out.
So, while internally sulking over her grievances while watching some rom-com with Kyosuke, she realized something.
Hitomi, as much as she liked the thought of Kyosuke, liked Sayaka more.
A lot more.
And she knew she had. Ever since she realized that Sayaka had a crush on Kyosuke, and felt a twinge of jealousy over the fact that Sayaka liked Kyosuke (because of course she did, she had known him forever), and over the fact that Sayaka liked Kyosuke (because hadn’t she known Hitomi for as long? Hadn’t she known her better? Sayaka told her she was perfect).
(….was she not perfect for her?).
Hitomi thought it was obvious by her freakout when she thought Sayaka and Madoka were dating… or at least, that they had experimented together. Sayaka and Madoka were close, of course they might try things out together!…. but as much as she loved them both (as friends, she thought), she hadn’t expected Madoka to be so much closer to Sayaka than her. It was a little hurtful, feeling like she’d finally realized that there was a couple in their trio, and she had been the unaware third wheel.
The relief she felt when she finally listened to their explanations overshadowed her embarrassment at such a reaction (but not her guilt. It wasn’t unlike her best friends to be affectionate with each other, so why did it bother her so much this once?). Hitomi’s relief didn’t last long. She knew that there would never be a chance for her and Sayaka to be as close as she would have liked.
Even worse to consider; was it cruel of her to still like Sayaka so much after asking out the only boy she had ever shown interest in? Hitomi had been upfront and honest about her intentions, giving Sayaka enough time to confess if she was serious about a relationship with Kyosuke. Still, it seemed like she would have to be a special sort of malicious to ask out the crush of the girl she liked just to keep her from being unavailable.
Which, of course, wasn’t what she did. She liked both of them, and Sayaka was her closest friend. That would be horrible of her. Hitomi was painfully aware of how quickly the girl jumped to conclusions when she was afraid, though.
All of Hitomi’s rumination culminated in a decision that she was already dreading:
Admitting her feelings to Sayaka.
Not necessarily in hopes of a relationship with her, not even to explain why she started being so jealous of her and Madoka’s friendship. She was doing this because Sayaka deserved honesty, and it would be wrong of her to harbor these feelings while still acting as intimate with her as she had throughout their friendship.
And, as much as it bothered Hitomi to think about, to let Sayaka know that she could confess to Kyosuke if her crush on him had persisted.
So Hitomi finally sat up in her bed, cementing her plan as she prepared herself for the day.
She could do this.
---
The entire walk to school, Hitomi was acting…weird.
That was what Sayaka noticed first.
She was stumbling over her words every time Sayaka brought her into the conversation, avoiding her gaze, and messing with the strap of her bag.
It wasn’t like her to be so nervous. Madoka tried to ask her about it, but Hitomi just waved her off and claimed that she’d had trouble sleeping the night before.
Then, Sayaka took note of her appearance.
Somehow she looked even nicer than usual. Her hair was styled in soft curls that sat gracefully on her shoulders and rolled down her back. She had on some brown mascara that emphasized her wide eyes and a light dusting of blush over the apples of her cheeks (although it was getting hard to see with the natural flush growing in her skin).
Maybe she was going on a date with Kyosuke tonight? Envy curled tightly in Sayaka’s stomach, but she found that some of the ugly feeling was quelled by the sight of her shy smile. Sayaka’s face heated up, and she could guess their faces were probably matching shades of pink.
Madoka glanced between the two of them for a moment that they all fell silent, looking like she was both confused and delighted at their expressions, though Sayaka didn’t know why in the moment.
Suddenly, Madoka gasped as she checked her phone, “Oh!” Hitomi and Sayaka both whipped around to look at her, happy to have a distraction, though Madoka shrank back at their combined attention.
“We’re… we’re going to be late to class if we don’t hurry,” she explained, twisting her hands together as she smiled placatingly. “I’m going to run ahead. You two can finish whatever this…is?”
She didn’t stay to watch their reactions long, picking up speed and running towards the school, leaving the two girls to themselves.
Sayaka nodded, turning away from Hitomi swiftly. “Ah, yeah. I should probably go with her,” she spoke awkwardly. Just as she started to walk again, Hitomi felt something in her chest lurch and she reached out after Sayaka.
Her hand clasped gently around her friend’s wrist, causing Sayaka to stiffen. She was never so hesitant around Hitomi and Madoka, but today, it seemed like whatever Hitomi was keeping had gotten to her, too.
“Actually, I wanted to speak to you about something,” Hitomi said softly, barely moving as she stared at the back of Sayaka’s head.
Sayaka’s blood ran cold. The last time Hitomi had opened with that…
Slowly, Sayaka turned to look at the girl that she had known forever; the girl who had gotten to Kyosuke first (and deserved him more, a voice in her head whispered), and she waited.
The few seconds before she spoke were agonizing.
“Me and Kyosuke broke up,” she announced, making a great effort to stay composed. Sayaka didn’t even have the time to be surprised before she continued. “Or, well, I broke up with him. Last night.” She took in a deep breath. “And if you still like him, I want you to ask him out, because I know it would make you happy.”
Sayaka stared at Hitomi, stunned, as the other girl steadied herself. It had only been a few weeks, and she was sure they were happy together. Hitomi laced both of her hands with Sayaka’s, gently squeezing them.
“But I need to be honest with you, the reason I broke up with him is because I like you. And if that makes you uncomfortable, tell me now.”
The delivery of it all was so calm in comparison to the way that Hitomi’s words pushed the air out of Sayaka’s lungs. And her brain, if the complete lack of reaction could say anything.
“You… wait what? You like me? Me? Since when?” She finally spluttered, looking at Hitomi in bewilderment.
Hitomi bit her lip anxiously, and the sight made Sayaka blush bright red. While her friend was somewhat panicking, Sayaka’s brain kept looping those words until her heart was practically fluttering out of her chest
“I’m sorry to push this on you so suddenly. It must be… it must be upsetting, and shocking, especially considering Kyos-”
“I’m not upset!”
“-suke—what?”
Sayaka pulled Hitomi’s hands close to her chest, smiling despite the harsh beating of her heart. Hitomi’s hands shook slightly in her grasp.
“…you’re not upset?” the girl repeated slowly, her eyes tentatively meeting her best friend’s.
“No, not really. I mean, I wish you had told me sooner. That way, I wouldn’t have been so jealous of you and Kyosuke,”
And Sayaka just kept smiling, which made it very hard for Hitomi to process a response. For once, she wasn’t the one keeping a level head. This wasn’t a response she expected at all.
The girl standing across from her laughed, a chiming, familiar sound, and all the same it rendered Hitomi thoughtless.
“You wouldn’t have been jealous… because…?”
“Well, I think I would have had a much easier time asking you out than I did with him.”
Oh.
It was that easy!?
Hitomi tried to regain her composure, saying with a small tremor, “Considering how you have acted, I think I would still be the one to ask you first.”
Sayaka leaned in closer, grinning.
“Is that what you’re doing right now, then?”
“No.”
Sayaka paused at the firm tone, deflating a little. Hitomi reletened, “Later, I will. We need to get to class, and this… is just my confession.”
They both smiled, then. They were definitely late for class, but it was worth it.
…to Sayaka, at least. Because her day couldn’t get any better than this.