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The Hope's Peak labs were located at the very edge of campus. Headmaster Naegi probably had a good reason he'd give if asked, but Miu thought it was stupid as hell. The pool was right beside the school and it was way less important than her inventions.
And, she supposed, all the other plebs' work. They weren't important, but if it got her lab closer she'd coo their praises all day.
Normally, the walk was irritating. Sometimes she had to rush if she went before class or an event. Other times it was just a pain in the ass to walk that far.
Today she got about four feet out the door and the sky opened up and pissed all over her.
"Fuck!" Miu rushed forward, arm in front of her face in an attempt to futility hold back the rain from her face.
The already chilly day absolutely tanked in temperature when the ice cold rain dumped itself all over her. The jacket Miu wore absolutely did nothing against the wet. It and her skirt clung thickly to her body.
Her hair wasn't much better. Half of it got plastered in her eyes and the rest became heavy as it became more wet. She growled and pushed it aside, knocking her damp goggles askew.
The grounds oozed into a gooey muddy mess and Miu couldn't even run, her shoes getting stuck in it. As she shuffled through the rain and closer to the dorm, her heel finally sank too far and she stumbled forward; landing on her hands and knees on the soaking, muddy ground.
Cursing again, Miu struggled to her feet. Wetness had spread everywhere and it wasn't even the good kind. Miu shivered and picked her way over to the dorm, cursing the way she felt like a drowned cat.
The soles of her feet were even wet, from where the water slid its way down her legs and into her socks. Each step squished unpleasantly.
Finally at the door, Miu swung it open and stormed into the dorm, scowling at Saihara who had just entered the foyer looking perfectly dry and clean.
"Out of my way," she growled, pushing past him and into the girl's section of the dorm. It was warmer once she was away from the doors and she took a moment to bask in it. A door opened and she turned.
"Miu!" Angie darted down the stairs. "Angie wondered if you got caught out in the storm."
"Obviously."
"Well, Angie thinks Miu should come up to her room!"
Miu wanted a shower and to pass out on her bed until the next day. She scowled, wringing some of her wet hair on the dorm's tile.
"Why? I need to get some of this shit off—"
"Because…Angie has a plan!" She tugged Miu up the stairs and to the inside her dorm room, laughing. Miu didn't bother to fight it, Angie could be overwhelming and often it was just easier to go along with her, especially when she felt like such crap.
"Okay, off, off." Angie tugged at Miu's boot laces.
"I got it, I got it. Ugh." She swatted away Angie's hands and ripped them off. Her socks were still unpleasantly wet, but at least nothing squished around anymore.
"To the bathroom!"
"Goddamn, I'm going."
She pulled off her socks on the way, tossing them near the door. She did the same with her goggles and the outer portions of her uniform.
"Miu, Miu, Miu," Angie sang. "You can use Angie's shower. Angie will get you something to wear." She swayed side to side as she spoke, disorientating Miu while passed by. Miu was glad for Angie being behind herself. She'd started flushing at the attention.
"Uh—thanks. Though, quit with the bobble head shit, my head hurts."
"Sure thing! Now go. Miu is dripping on Angie's floor."
Angie's bathroom looked the same as Miu's own. She'd also been in Angie's room and used her bathroom countless times. They'd been dating since the start of the second term. Angie just up and asked one day after Miu had been bragging about her inventions.
Miu had totally accepted smoothly and Angie swooned into her arms, showering her with effusive praise and kisses. (Actually, Miu stuttered and teared up and swore she was going to have a panic attack. Miu didn't think about that. It was some real embarrassing crap.)
Miu undressed and left her dirty clothes in Angie's hamper. She chanced a glance in the mirror and scowled. Somehow the mud from the fall smeared across her cheek and neck. Her hair was a complete mess. Miu huffed and stepped into the shower, turning the knob and scuttling back when the first stream came out. The water at Hope's Peak took forever to get warm.
Warm water finally fell from the shower head and Miu rushed underneath it, groaning as the first heated droplets hit her skin. Now this was what she needed. She shivered as the chill melted out of her skin.
Her hair took longer. Some mud had gotten on the ends and it grossed her out so much she went over the tips twice. But even then, her hair was soon freshly washed and only wet with shower water.
Edging out of Angie's shower she noticed something folded on the sink. Not her clothes, which would've been gross as shit, and not Angie's either, which wouldn't have fit. Miu unfolded it.
It was soft. And long.
Miu put the robe on. She wondered where the hell Angie got it, because it wasn't her size. The fabric was really luxurious, the kind someone might get at the real fancy-ass hotels.
She noticed the matching slippers when she rounded the edge of the sink.
"Oh! You're done!"
"You scared the shit outta me!"
"Sorry, Miu! Don't brush your hair though."
"What?"
But Angie was already gone from the door. Miu frowned at the mirror and shrugged, using Angie's moisturizer. She hadn't said not to use that.
Coming out of the bathroom, Miu noticed Angie had shuffled some of the furniture around. The television now had a stool and chair in front of it, the table scooted out of the way.
"Sit." Angie pointed at the stool. "Also! I have cartoons."
"Cartoons?" The stool wasn't the most comfortable thing, but Miu trusted Angie more than anyone at Hope's Peak.
"Hamtaro, I think? There are hamsters in it, anyway."
"Oh, the good shit then."
"Yep, yep. Angie tried to remember what Miu said about her favorites."
Miu flushed again. "I-it ain't a big deal…"
"Mm, well!" Angie's hands were suddenly in Miu's hair. "Angie would like to do Miu's hair, if that's okay?"
"Why? Not that I mind, just isn't that weird as hell? Whaddya get out of this, anyway? And where'd you get the robe and shit?"
Angie hummed, releasing Miu's hair. "I got those for Miu's birthday, but now is a better time! It's been a hard day, no? Angie got to sit inside and paint in her room. So Angie doesn't mind doing some pampering! It's fun for Angie, too. Miu has nice hair."
"W-well of course I do. It's gorgeous just like me…"
"Angie agrees!"
Miu sputtered and Angie turned on the television. Indeed, Hamtaro played and Miu relaxed.
The brush pulling through her hair wasn't uncomfortable, but it was weird. Miu never had anyone do her hair past the age of, like, five. After that, she was the one who had to brush it and as she got older she'd invented a machine that could do it when she didn't want to.
Not her best idea, though it still had potential. All of Miu's ideas did.
"Angie likes days like this. Maybe we should do more relaxing things? Angie doesn't mind a bit of excitement, but Hope's Peak is a little too exciting sometimes…"
Last week someone had been tossed through the art studio's window. It probably was the reason why Angie had painted in her room today rather than going to the room with better lighting. She must've been going stir crazy. Miu knew she would've if someone trashed her lab.
Angie started to work something through Miu's hair.
"No…I agree. The old farts here don't know how to rein in the rest of these losers. We oughta go to the beach or some shit."
"Oh, Angie hasn't had a chance to see many beaches here."
"You miss the beaches on your island?"
"Mhm, Angie misses her island a lot. Her favorite beach was one around an hour from her house."
Miu's stomach twisted. She hadn't thought about the future much. Angie might want to go back to her island after graduation. Do art there, or something. Miu didn't know what she was going to do. She'd sold enough patents and inventions to make her rich as hell, but then what? Miu wasn't gonna stop inventing. Angie's island was pretty remote too. Miu grimaced.
Angie started working something else in Miu's hair. How many hair products was she gonna use?
"But," Angie continued. "Angie likes it here too, with Miu. So Angie wants to visit a lot of things with Miu. And maybe Miu can come see Angie's island later?"
"That sounds…nice? But do you wanna stay there? Forever? I—"
Angie giggled. "Angie doesn't know! God hasn't told Angie anything, so Angie is going with the flow. Plans are fine, but so is playing it by ear! Is Miu worried?"
Miu pouted, frustration licking at her spine. She wanted to know now, suddenly. If Angie was going to leave her in a year, if Angie had any plans, if Angie—
"People are buying up Angie's art! Praise God," she laughed. "So Angie has plenty of money, don't worry. Angie can do what she wants for a while. Angie does know she wants to stay by Miu, though."
"D-don't say stuff like t-that."
"Angie says what Angie means."
She moved Miu's hair around, doing some sort of style, before she bounced back up and came back with a mirror.
"Ta-dah! Miu's hair!"
Angie had braided it back into two plaits that met at the end. The result was surprisingly pretty. Angie's arms went around her in a tight hug.
"Miu shouldn't worry, Angie is here."
"Y-yeah. Yeah."
She kissed the crown of her head and then shoved her off the stool.
"What the fu—"
"Couch time! Angie can't cuddle Miu when she's on the stool!"
"You little—"
Angie giggled, rushing toward her bed. Miu followed, grinning.