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The atmosphere of Empty Sekai was very calming to Mafuyu, though he knew that it would not last long as Mizuki was due to show up at any moment. She had told him to go to sekai for a meeting, she had to tell him something oh so very important. So there he was, sitting on the ground by one of the triangles waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Just as he was about to leave, Mizuki appeared and ran over to where he was sitting.
“Hey Mafufu!” Mizuki sat down next to him. “I would prefer it if you didn’t use a nickname on me.” “Aw~ But it’s so cute!” Mizuki pouted and gave him her best puppy-eyed face. He just stared at her, as unimpressed as always. “Can you just say what you called me here for? I was rather busy before this.”
“Oh come on, the only 'busy' you were was you cuddling with Kanade. You two are soo sappy.” Mizuki giggled, “But I don’t blame you. She really is adorable though. She let out a sigh, resting the back of her head against the triangle the two were sitting against. “But anyways, you always hang out with her, but never poor little me! Sooo~ I was thinking maybe we could go on a little fun outing!” She said, bringing back out the puppy-dog eyes.
Mafuyu stared at her before responding, “Okay when?” “hmm…” Mizuki thought for a bit, “How about today? It’s still before noon after all!!” “I would prefer not, as previously steed, I am rather busy. Does tomorrow at 11 am sound good?” “Hmm…fine, fine. But I do wonder what fascinating activities you and Kanade are up to if you won’t even spend three hours with me.” Mizuki said, leaning a bit more into Mafuyu’s personal space.
“What Kanade and I get up to is none of your concern. Just as what you and Ena get up to is none of my concern.” He got up from his spot on the floor of the Sekai. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Mafuyu clicked pause on the untitled file playing on his phone, getting transported back to where he was when he had clicked play.
November 21, 11 am. Outside the mall closest to Mizuki’s place, the mall that Nightcord frequented. Mafuyu sat on one of the benches outside. Mizuki was currently 15 minutes late, but in reality, Mafuyu was 15 minutes early. He was wearing a very simple outfit that consisted of a dark purple, almost black hoodies and black sweatpants. He was now free from his mother’s grasp and could pick out his own wardrobe. But it seems like he had picked up a dressing style from Kanade, rather than a more extravagant style from Ena or Mizuki. Speaking of Mizuki, there she was speed walking over to where Mafuyu was sitting. She was wearing a version of her usual white and blue top and overall skirt combo, but this one was white and pink with a couple more frills and bows than normal.
As Mizuki approached, Mfuyu stood up from the bench. “You are late.” “Huh? I’m 5 minutes early though!” She pouted a bit. “Well compared to me, you re late.” “That’s not fair! If I was Kanade wouldn’t be saying this.” “Well, if you were Kanade, we would’ve left the same house at the same time.”
Mizuki sighed “Now I see why Ena gets frustrated at you all the time. You are actually such a good ragebaiter!” Mizuki ended the sentence with a little giggle, meanwhile Mafuyu looked confused. With a tilt of his head he asked “What is a ‘ragebaiter?’” Mizuki grabbed his hand and practically dragged him inside the mall. “Now then, I think it’s finally date time!” As she took his hand, he gently tightened his grip on it, causing a small smile to grace her lips.
As they walked around for a bit, mainly window shopping, but hitting a few stores along the way. Mizuki needed to restock on her perfume and Mafuyu decided to pick something out for Kanade, Christmas was around the corner after all. The two eventually stopped out front a store. The aesthetic of the outside of the building was much different than something Mizuki would wear. “How about we look in here to try and find you some clothes that you actually like and that’ll look nice.” She once more practically dragged him into a store today.
Inside the store was a very large assortment of clothes. From clothes that could be considered to be goth or punk to the clothes Ena and Mizuki would wear, even a few things that Kanade would wear on a daily basis. As they perused the store Mizuki would point out things she thought he would looks good in. A black sweatshirt with dark blue strings laced up on one of the sleeves, some wallet chains, even a pair of black combat boots. Mafuyu, however, was indifferent to all of these.
Just as they were about to check out, as Mizuki had bought things for herself and other members of their unit, something caught Mafuyu’s eye. Hanging on a rack on the wall, barely out of his reach, was a white yet purple-tinged long-sleeved button-up with a dark purple ribbon under the collar, similar to what Mizuki had. Featured with the top was a black sleeveless vest. He stopped and pointed to it, directing Mizuki’s attention to it.
“This one…I like this one.” He quietly said. Mizuki looked to where he was pointing. “Oh? I think you’d look so nice in that!” She said as she pulled it down from the rack on the wall and handed it to him. “Last one, and it’s your size too! I think anyway, sizing can be weird here so why don’t you try it on just to make sure?” “Okay then” He said as he took the top from her and went to the back of the store where the fitting rooms were.
Mizuki stood outside the dressing rooms, while waiting, she got herself a dark purple hair ribbon that matched the one on the top he was (hopefully) going to get. They could be matching on their next date if he wears that top!
He eventually exited the dressing room wearing the top. “Oh! You look so handsome in that top Mafu!” She was practically oogling him. “Thank you. I do rather like this top, since you seem to agree, I think I will get it.” “Yay!!” She cheered, “Okay then, go change back and then we can check out!”
And so they did. After hitting a few more stores, Christmas shopping for the other members of the group, they decided to get a soft pretzel before they left. “It isn’t a successful mall trip without a mall pretzel.” Is what Mizuki said. As they approached the shop, they spotted two very familiar figures, both of them holding shopping bags, one had way more than the other.
Mizuki rushed over to the two figures. “Kanade! Enanan! What’re you two doing here?!” Ena turned around with fake annoyance. “Mizuki?! I knew you said you were taking Mafuyu on a date, but I thought you were taking him to a cafe” Mizuki tilted her head, confused “But I thought you were gonna take Kanade to a cafe? So I decided to take Mafuyu to the mall.” “No, I wanted to buy her this really cute dress I saw the last time I was here with Airi.” “Oh? A dress on Kanade? She’d be so cute!!” Mizuki squealed.
Kanade, who had just had the shopping bags she was holding confiscated by Mafuyu, slightly blushed and curled on herself a little. “It’s just a dress…nothing special.” Mafuyu gently grabbed her hand. “It is, especially when all you wear normally is sweats.” He said as he looked down at her. Making her blush a little more “Oh, I see.”
“Okay then, how about we get our pretzels and head over to Kanade’s?” Mizuki suggested. “That sounds good. We can see what we picked out for these two idiots.” Ena responded, getting back in line for the pretzel shop.
“I do not think I am an idiot?” Mafuyu questioned, stepping in line behind Ena, still holding Kanade’s hand. “I- you.” Ena whipped around to face him. “You are so lucky right now that we are in a public space, or I’d so punch you square in the face.” She said, balling up her free hand into a fist and slightly waving it at him.
“Ena, we all know you’d rather punch his face with yours rather than your fist~” Mizuki teased. “Oh, would you look at that, it’s our turn to order.” Ena said, averting the conversation, even if what Mizuki said was in fact true, and pulling poor Kanade with her to the cash register. Drawing a small huff from Mafuyu who was forced to let go of her hand.
The group of four ordered three pretzels. A plain one with cheese dip for Mizuki, a cinnamon sugar one with a cream cheese dip for obviously Ena, and a plain one with no dip for Kanade, Mafuyu would gladly eat any of her leftovers.
They found themselves sitting at one of the benches outside the mall. Ena and Mizuki were sitting side by side, chatting while eating like a normal couple would. Meanwhile, Kande was sitting so close to Mafuyu, she was almost sitting in his lap as she rested his head on her shoulder.
“Oi, do you two know nothing about PDA decency?” Ena slightly scolded, poking Mafuyu’s forehead. He lifted his head from where it rested on Kanade’s shoulder to look at her. “I don’t see how this is an issue?” “You. You are so getting it when we return.” Ena said, getting up from the bench, being the last one to finish her pretzel. The rest of the unit following suit.
They made their way back to Kanade’s, having to take a few stops along the way. It was a relatively warm day, and Kanade was not accustomed to warm sunny days. But they eventually did make it all in one piece.
Their shopping bags, mostly Ena’s, were set in the living room for now. The important thing, the new outfits for Kanade and Mafuyu were excavated from the bags so they could try them on.
Mizuki went to help Mafuyu style the top, picking out a nice pair of black slacks he had. She also insisted that he put on a very subtle layer of purple glitter eyeshadow on his eyelid from Mizuki’s on-the-go eye mini eyeshadow palette she brought everywhere, who said the handsome man couldn’t have a little glitter? Meanwhile, Ena helped Kanade in making sure she put on the dress properly. It was a fairly nice dress, and Kanade most likely would be unable to tie the ribbon on the back by herself.
Kanade was first to finish changing and exited her room, she was in a lovely white and sky blue sailor-styled sundress.
“Aww! She looks so cute!!” Mizuki squealed for the second time that day. “You really did well picking her out a dress. But I fear it’s not as good as what I got for Mafuyu.” “THat’s doubtful, especially since you said he picked it out himself, and he has almost no fashion sense whatsoever.” Ena scoffed a little.
As if on cue, Mafuyu exited his room, fully changed into his new outfit. “HUH?!” Ena’s jaw was practically on the floor at this point. “I- THIS ISN’T FAIR! What do you mean he was about to pick out this good of an outfit??” Kanade walked over to Mafuyu and grabbed his hand gently. “You look very handsome, Mafuyu.” She gave him a little smile. “Thank you, Kanade. You also look rather lovely” He said, recuperating her smile.
“See, I told you!!” Mizuki said, walking over to Mafuyu, hugging him. “Mwah!” She said, audibly giving him a little kiss on the cheek. “And don’t think I forgot about you!” She said going over to Kanade, hugging her, a little less tightly than Mafuyu, and giving her not one, but two kisses on her cheek. “Hey, what about me? I was the one who picked Kande out the dress.” Ena said, crossing her arms. “Oh, I would never forget Enanan~” Mizuki said teasingly, giving her a hug as well, coupled with a few kisses on the cheeks.
“Well then, I am going to change out of this now, as the top still smells like the mall.” Mafuyu said walking back to his room. “I think I’m gonna change back aswell” Kanade said, also walking back to her room.
Soon, both of them were changed back into what they were wearing earlier. “Now then. How about we go out for a slightly earlier dinner?” Mizuki suggested, noting the time, it was around 5:00 PM already. “Hmm, that’s fine by me. I know this really cute cafe that has dinner options.” Ena responded. “That’s fine by me! You two?” Mizuki turned to Kanade and Mafuyu. “I’m fine with anything.” “I have no objections.” The other two replied. “Okay then, let’s go, double date time!” Mizuki cheered. “You are too excited for this.” Ena scowled, “Why wouldn’t I be excited? A lovely dinner date with my three lovely partners!” Mizuki said with a big grin. “God, you are so hopeless.” Ena said.