Chapter Text
Kotone’s breaths lingered in the air, the winter frost reddening her cheeks. She checked the time on her phone–8:13 pm. It was getting late. With the year coming to a close it had been getting darker earlier, and it looked like it was midnight already.
“Well, not quite midnight.” She thought to herself, looking up at the pale – and distinctly not transmogrified – moon.
She had walked here in a daze, her legs moving on their own whilst she thought. Before long, she’d ended up in the middle of the Moonlight Bridge. She often found her way here when she’d go out without any specific direction.
Cars passed Kotone as she leaned on the railing of the bridge. She turned around, looking out towards the water. The moonlight mirrored across the water in a rather beautiful way, if not melancholic, and the noise of the city echoed in the distance. She looked down to the sea, invisible in the cold night except for the reflections. She wondered how it’d feel to plunge into the abyss-like depths.
How the cold would feel. Surrounding her, gripping her. How the numbness would take over. She wondered how easily she could scale the railing. All the exercise she’d gotten in Tartarus had made her easily agile.
She gripped the railing tighter. She wondered—
Kotone felt a soft grip on her shoulder and a voice come from behind her.
“Hey, leader, funny seeing you here. Cold out, isn’t it?” Yukari said, smiling. Kotone’s expression kept its vacant look, out of character for her.
“Hey… are you alright?” She asked, putting her hand on top of Kotone’s on the railing.
“You didn’t put on gloves, your hands are freezing.”
Kotone glanced down to the hand Yukari held. She hadn’t even realised she hadn’t. Yukari’s hand felt nice.
Taking a second to compose herself, Kotone put on her usual smile, “Oh, haha, never noticed.” She shallowly giggled out, looking back out towards the water. Her smile slowly faded.
“Kotone-“
“Have you ever thought about killing yourself?”
Yukari was stunned silent by the blunt question, turning to look with Kotone. She stayed quiet, not really knowing how to respond.
“…yeah.”
Her hand shifted, holding it more completely to warm it.
“One year, near my dad’s birthday… My mom was out with her boyfriend, so I was alone in the house.”
She started to stroke Kotone’s hand in hers as she spoke.
“I was in a rough patch. I nearly did, but I imagined what my dad would’ve thought…”
She turns to Kotone, realising she was suddenly right in her face. Kotone stared into Yukari’s eyes, Yukari staring back. Kotone could see the city lights and the stars reflecting in the other’s eyes. Yukari saw a dull lifelessness she never noticed before. It made her heart hurt, for some reason.
“Your eyes are beautiful.” Kotone said, before turning again to the road behind them, leaving Yukari confused.
“How well do you remember 10 years ago?” She asked Yukari, who stayed looking out to the water.
Yukari thought for a moment before replying. “Not well, I remember my dad usually came back home late from work… but then he was later than usual. I was sad, because usually he’d put me to sleep, but mom told me he was on the verge of a breakthrough, and that he’d get to spend loads of time with us after…”
“Then the next day I woke up and mom was crying, talking with some people. I think they were from the Kirijo Group. And… dad was gone,” she turned to Kotone again, dryly chuckling, “though, I doubt I can really complain to you, huh.”
Kotone poked at Yukari to follow her sight, before pointing to the middle of the bridge.
“Right there,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Yukari asked, befuddled to what she was pointing at.
“That’s where the car skidded and crashed.”
Yukari stood silent, not sure how to respond except to continue holding her hand softly.
“I don’t remember much… flames, mostly. My mother… she said something to me before I fell unconscious again.”
“What was it?” Yukari asked.
“The funniest thing is… I couldn’t remember. I just remembered her mouth moving.”
“I’m… I’m sorr-“
“Live.”
Yukari turned to Kotone, who stayed looking at the road.
“I just remembered it there, when you were talking about your dad. She told me to live.”
Kotone shifted so that they were holding each other’s hands, looking at each other.
“Thanks… Yukari.”
She kissed her on the cheek.
Smiling softly (and internally screaming) she tried to observe how Yukari took it.
Yukari was going through a full crisis, her mind racing at a mile a second. Before, she never realised how rosy Kotone’s cheeks were or how soft her skin was or how exciting that kiss was or how beautiful her eyes were when they were full of life or that mole on her right hand or this and that except she had always noticed them because
“Oh my god, I like you.”
“You do? That’s a relief.” Kotone giggled out, much more lively now.
“T-THATWASNTMEANTTOBEOUTLOUDIDONTLIKEGIRLS NOTTHATTHERESANYTHINGWRONGWITHTHAT IMEANIDONTREALLYLIKEMEN EITHERANDAND” Yukari shouted out in a definitely-gay panic, leaving Kotone to laugh hysterically holding her sides.
After taking a moment to ramble away her tongue, Yukari stood silently embarrassed, red with blush and out of breath, before looking at Kotone again. Being overwhelmed with how everything she looked, she stumbled backwards, dashing away as she stammered noise, leaving Kotone to stand there, smiling. She slowly started following in her direction.
Kotone pushed open the doors to Iwatodai dorm, walking in. The warmth of the building, heating on full-blast, embraced her as she closed the door and moved into the lounge. Sitting there was Junpei & Ken, watching Neo Featherman on the TV.
“Oh, yo dude,” Junpei says to her, waving her welcome, “just watching this with Amada, pretty cool, huh?”
“Isn’t that a kids show?” Kotone replies, to which Ken perks up, “Y-Yeah! That’s what I said! I’m not into this at all...”
Despite his talk, Kotone could see Ken’s embarrassment under his hiding, as well as how his eyes flickered back to the screen every few seconds to not miss anything. Choosing not to embarrass him further, she changes the subject, “I would, but I’m looking for Yukari, you seen her?”
“Oh yeah, she came in a bit before you and rushed upstairs. Don’t know what was going on with her. You have something to do with it?”
“Haha, maybe,” she said, taking off her scarf and going upstairs.
Yukari paced in her room, chattering to herself. A million thoughts raced through her head as she replayed what happened on the bridge about half an hour earlier. Did it really happen? Maybe it was just a dream, or maybe she misread the situation. Friends kiss each other sometimes, right? But what was that she said about it being a relief… But she probably misunderstood, or maybe-
KNOCK KNOCK
Yukari squealed as the door made a noise, before a voice came through it.
“Hey, it’s me, you in there?” Kotone asked non-challantly, acting as if they hadn’t just kissed.
Yukari wasn’t sure what to say, electing to inch towards the door and open it barely a crack, peering out. Despite the whole process taking, maybe, 2 minutes of complete silence, Kotone was still there.
Noticing the door move ever so slightly, she looked to the crack where Yukari looked out. She turned her head and gave a smile, her eyes closed.
“Mind if I come in?” she said before Yukari fully opened the door without a word. Kotone entered the room and Yukari closed the door behind her, gathering her composure.
“S-So,” she started, what little confidence she mustered already leaving her, “what was… that?”
“The bridge?” Kotone replied, hands behind her back.
“...Yeah.”
“Well, I finally decided to speak my mind. I… like you. Y’know. Like you-”
“I know what you mean!” Yukari blurted out, throwing the closest soft pillow to hand at Kotone. Trying to catch it, she stepped back, tripping onto Yukari’s bed.
“Eep!” Yukari exclaimed, not meaning to hit her that hard. She rushed to her side, accidentally tripping next to her.
“A-are you alright-“ she started, before realising they were both laying on her bed, face to face, scarily close. She froze in embarrassment.
Taking the opportunity, Kotone continued, “I’ve known since the Yakushima trip… Well, I’ve had a crush on you since we first met, but that’s when I fully realised it.”
She played with the hem of her skirt, not sure what to say, when Yukari spoke.
“I’ve… I hadn’t thought about it before now, but…”
“I think… I like you too.”
She tentatively went to hold Kotone’s hand again and moved it between them. Both thought the others’ skin was soft.
Kotone, deciding to take another leap of faith, scooted closer and placed her head over Yukari’s shoulder, holding her side. The air around them was still, not a word spoken as Yukari returned the act, the two now cuddling. The only sound in the room was their synced breathing.
The two stayed like that until late, the time passing briskly.
“Oh, I didn’t realise the time, I should probably get back to my own room.” Kotone said looking at the alarm clock next to Yukari’s bed.
She moved to get up, but Yukari gripped her jumper to stop her.
“Just… tonight?” The question was half missing, but they both could understand it.
Kotone sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at Yukari laying down, looking up at her.
“…I’ll go get changed.” Kotone replied, smiling softly yet again.
She left, going back to her room to do her usual before-bed routine and change into her usual sleepwear, she put on slippers and went back to Yukari’s door, knocking again.
“C-come in,” she nervously responded. When Kotone entered she saw Yukari sitting on the bed.
“Well… come over, I s-suppose.”
“I’m just taking in how you look.”
Kotone loved how Yukari turned red from the comment, before she went over to sit next to her again. Yukari went to pull her down, but Kotone stopped her for a second. Gathering her words, Kotone put her hand over Yukari’s again.
“So… we never got to, well… properly…”
Yukari was puzzled by her words before Kotone moved slowly to her lips. She paused before Yukari closed the gap and they shared their first proper kiss.
They stayed like that as they moved into bed, neither wanting to break the spell. Though they eventually settled into Kotone spooning Yukari under the covers.
…
“I love you.”
That was the last thing Kotone heard before she drifted off to sleep.