Chapter Text
It was August 15th, 12:15PM and Akiyama Mizuki and Yoisaki Kanade were waiting at a food court for Shinonome Ena and Asahina Mafuyu.
The food court was impossibly bright, the sunshine and intense light from the heat shining down on the two girls, to which Kanade looked less than pleased at the occurrence.
People bustled throughout the court, families, friends and students holding beverages within their hands while discussing loudly, shoes squeaking in increasing frequency against pristine floors, and the latest Japanese pop song streamed across the entire building with an increasing frequency minute by minute, where each tick of a clock seemed to expand the moment forever. It was a typical summer day— just another August 15th, like the usual weather it’d been for the past few days.
But something felt unnaturally bright through the way the light streamed through the food court, blistering and burning the two girls relentlessly as they continued to wait. Sweat beaded down Kanade’s forehead, and the poor girl looked to be overheating with the usual tracksuit jacket she always wore to conceal her shoulders.
Her fingers clutched her phone with a trembling grip, with nothing merely then a small bowl of ramen to consume and a half-lidded glass of water she’d already drank until she exhausted herself of fluids.
Mizuki sits next to her, french fries in front of her, with an unusual quietness and tension that is unlike her— but Kanade recognizes Mizuki is not upset, and merely filled with several emotions she cannot express. She knows the other girl well enough by now, with moments like these, she came to appreciate the little quirks and, in extension, Akiyama Mizuki herself.
She could easily admire while simultaneously appreciate the way her smile deepened when she was focused in thought, how talented the other girl truly was with music videos, her unwavering spirit to meditate petty fights between oftentimes Mafuyu and Ena, and the very way how beautiful Akiyama Mizuki really was, without needing to convey her thoughts into words.
Despite the nervous yet excited tension in the air, and the unusual quietness of Mizuki; the two girls were quite far from uncomfortable with each other, with no doubt— the two felt quite content in the company of each other’s presence.
Perhaps, they’d consider this a moment of solitude, just for their very own eyes to see themselves.
Kanade settles her eyes away from the food and with a keen eye, watches as Mizuki checks her phone again, opening Nightcord anxiously for the fifth time in twenty minutes.
Both of them knew Mafuyu and Ena would soon show up at the food court, but Kanade could sense that Mizuki still couldn’t help the considerable anxious urge to continuously check her notifications. Nightcord would never abandon each other, after the promise they made to never depart from the other, but still— Kanade could tell what Mizuki was thinking at this very moment: the fact that she always doubted her role within the group.
Taking the initiative while simultaneously understanding Mizuki often didn’t talk about what troubled her much, she leaned over and just as suddenly as she moved, she gently wrapped Mizuki’s hand around her own while cold yet sweaty over warm mixes together to gently squeeze their hands.
Kanade squeezes her hand twice, their symbol of silent reassurance without needing to say much twice more and her calloused knuckles from constant typing; from the use of a computer in specifics, come to caress Mizuki’s beautiful hand.
The other girl squeezes her hand back and Kanade can visibly see the tension begin to dissipate from her face all together through the action.
A small smile forms on her own face where she cannot help it.
Mizuki sees and shoots her usual teasing grin, usually followed with the energetic girl’s voice coming to excitedly ramble, but silence follows, while there’s something of true admiration and adoration reflected in both of their clear, crystal eyes. She couldn’t tell what the other girl was thinking, but she knew it was something positive.
There’s nothing short of a short pause, before Mizuki begins to speak, where Kanade just may believe she may be in love. “You know, Kanade..”
She pauses, her eyes tracing over Kanade’s and they look almost lovingly into her eyes. Her knuckles continue tracing over Mizuki’s hand, no pressure to immediately speak of what the troubles were, but instead gentle patience and understanding.
Time stops between the two of them with intensity where even the static moving figures in the mall are nothing to either but shadows and everything has gone silent.
She eagerly waits for her response despite her usual expression on her face, tainted with merely the look of love and the rush of blood within her body.
“I must confess, Kanade.. I…” and just as shortly as she thought of the answer, let out a nervous laugh as she looked closer into Kanade’s eyes.
The previous tension and the intensity of the moment is broken by the two of them into Kanade’s gentle smile and Mizuki’s wonderful, even dazzling face laughing.
After the laughter has finally dissipated, Kanade’s eyes return to Mizuki’s, and she pushes again, this time with more firm persistence, but never anything short of force. “Go on.”
Her eyes follow Mizuki’s, to which the other does the same.
She can see the light returning to Mizuki’s eyes, while waiting for her answer with the same gentle patience as before. Another pause is needed, with a deeper breath then before as she finally begins to speak. “I think, I—“
The tenderness of the moment is cut off by the sudden change in the environment— and no doubt, it’s because Mafuyu and Ena have finally arrived.
The two of them turn to the other, and instinctively let go of hands despite how comfortable the others felt in the other.
It’s not like it should be a bad thing for either of them but something precious about that moment felt that only the two of them deserved to see such sights.
They’ve actually shown up and Ena’s already begun loudly arguing with Mafuyu, stoic-faced as ever, before they even sat down at the table—lucky for Kanade and Mizuki as they fail to notice the tender moment between the two. Ena and Mafuyu sit down next to each other, their initial argument cooling down.
It’s quiet for about ten seconds. About would be an understatement.
With her mischievous grin and her face subtly shifting to begin ragebaiting Ena, she begins to speak. “Ena-chan~ you’re such a loud mouth! I can hear you from across the mall, y’know..” She whines, covering her ears to make it seem like Ena was being that loud. It wasn’t.
“Mizuki!” Ena easily riles up at that. “I am not a loud mouth!” She lets out a huff of annoyance at the other’s bickering, to which the two, just as quickly but more intensely from Ena’s initial argument with Mafuyu, begin bickering at the table, leaving Kanade and Mafuyu sitting in silence while watching the two.
There’s not much to communicate. “The weather’s nice.” Mafuyu emotionlessly comments. There’s an underline of her tone bordering on slight disdain for the weather. Kanade nods, agreeing with her sentiment and begins speaking.
“Annoyingly hot, I see.” Her eyes meet Mafuyu’s, who simply gives her the equivalent of a shrug with her eyes. “Don’t you think it feels too hot though..? It's been practically the same weather for three days straight but today feels much hotter.” She pauses. “It made composing feel even more like a drag.”
She doesn’t even notice how sweaty she truly feels in the jacket until Mafuyu points at Kanade, where sweat has begun seeping through the jacket in a gross heat fashion. “Are you sure wearing the jacket is fine for this kind of weather?”
“..Oh.” Kanade grows somewhat embarrassed at the realization of how hot it truly must be outside.
She takes the jacket off, gently tying it around her waistband of the shorts.
She looks ridiculous, perhaps even stupider than she originally looked beforehand, but it looks and feels better than her walking around in a jacket covered in sweat in this unbearable heat. Her need for her usual comfort within the jacket is deprived.
“Right, Mafuyu..” She pauses when she sees the eerie turn of Mafuyu’s head but pays little mind to her usual behavior, as her tone turns more sympathetic and compassionate. “I sent you a demo of the new composition I’m working on. I’d like to see your thoughts on the song and what lyrics might fit it when we get back home later tonight.”
Her eyes fill with the slightest interest despite the still emotionless glance. “..Of course.” She answers, confirming she’d check the lyrics when she got time later that day.
“See you there, Mafuyu.” She stops, before continuing her thought, to which her tone switches to something more precious and familiar, and her eyes glance past Mizuki and Ena, now bickering about the fact Ena chose to wear a tight top that showed off her cleavage for today, and back to Mafuyu. “At 25:00.. always.”
“Always, Kanade.” She says, and a small trace of warmth fills through her voice. Kanade puts her phone within her pocket as she senses Mafuyu about to speak.
“Mizuki.” Her presence commands authority, where Mizuki sheepishly turns around with a wide, cheeky grin on her face with a dash of fear from the others’ insistent yet blank expression, to where even Ena goes silent. “You’ve spent the whole time arguing with Ena and still haven’t figured out the plan for the day.” She bluntly informs her.
Her face immediately drops to an exaggerated expression of sympathy and she begins rapidly speaking as loud as she possibly could. “Mafuyu-chan~! Pleaseee, forgive me!” Mizuki whines, purposefully dragging out the please part, to which Mafuyu slowly blinks at the girl's antics.
She waits for Mizuki to fall into silence before speaking over her. “Mizuki, all I said was to focus. But,” she pauses for a split second, before adding on. “I’ll forgive you.” That response generated even louder apologies with Mizuki “promising to not do such a thing again”.
That response got met with Mafuyu telling Mizuki to shut up.
Now, the environment between the four girls has grown quiet, and from what Kanade observed she could tell they all planned to do something.
What they all wanted to do, however, was a mystery. She assumed the usual activities they ended up doing when they met up in the summer to hang out— eating, talking in the park…
Mafuyu turns to the rest of them, breaking Kanade’s train of thought once she begins speaking. “We were late because Ena forgot her phone so we had to go back to her house and grab it.” Mafuyu informs, gesturing to the phone in Ena’s hand that she immediately puts down at the sudden callout.
Kanade takes that into account, hoping that would give Mizuki the slightest reassurance later. “Ah, thank you Mafuyu.” Kanade responds, giving a nod.
She could definitely see that occurring within the two girls and knowing Mafuyu’s patience to Ena’s emotions, would’ve definitely taken the time to go back to grab it.
Hearing the news, Mizuki turns to Ena instinctively, to which she gives Mizuki a look. “What?”
“Ooo~ I bet you and Ena weren't late just because of that…” The mischievous grin on Mizuki’s face returned once again and Ena’s face immediately dropped into annoyance and something that couldn’t be deciphered.
Ena immediately speaks, her face hardening with quite a suspicious amount of annoyance. “Mizuki! No we weren’t, gods, you’re so annoying!” She responds defensively, but Ena’s face has heated up to a slight degree, a few degrees beyond just the normal summer heat outside. “Did you seriously think we were kissing or something!?”
Her face turns into a cat-like expression. “Now, now, Ena, now’s not the time to bring such things up~ I totally wasn’t implying that!” She shoots Kanade a glance, to where the other girl has to stifle a small, quiet laughter at the moment. “I think you are implying that it says something, Ena-chan…”
“No— just! No!” She replied, her face progressively getting more reddish from Mizuki’s constant teasing.
Mizuki actively de-escalates the situation before she sees Ena actually explode for real. “Okay, okay! Relax~ besides, I’m just having fun.” She sighs and then the table falls into full silence. It’s comfortable, to be honest, and it makes everyone stay quiet within this moment.
After a moment, Ena finally speaks and her tone turns into something more intense but still in a playful manner towards Mizuki. “So what were you implying then when you said that?” She asks her.
“Nothing.”
Ena frowns and crosses her arms. “Are you serious?” She asks and to which Mizuki responds to her with a definite yes.
Kanade finally speaks up to interrupt their conversation. “Mizuki, Ena, we might want to get planning what we want to do and not just arguing for the whole time we have together.” She gently speaks and the two of them— especially Ena, immediately nod, speaking out agreements to do so and Mizuki’s complaint about how boring planning things can really get.
“How about we all go out to eat somewhere?” Mizuki suggests, and that suggestion is met with a chorus of maybe between the other three girls, until Mafuyu finally points to the fact there’s already food right in front of Mizuki, and she sheepishly rubs her head.
Kanade shakes her head in regards to an apology for the mixed responses for Mizuki’s question.
“Well.. I’m hungry, but I don’t want to skip eating.” Ena says and then she gets an idea. “How about me and Mafuyu get food, but Kanade and Mizuki go out to the park so we can meet up with them later?”
That idea is met with a bunch of nods and agreements, with Kanade considering Mafuyu and Ena needing to eat. Mizuki could talk to her about what they were talking about later before the two of them came into the equation and offset the moment.
Swinging on the swings together in a park on such a hot day would’ve been a perfect idea for the two of them and Mizuki could get her energy out.
This would’ve been a perfect plan for the two.
She nods twice to show interest. “That seems like a plan.” Kanade gently agrees, and without thinking about it, takes Mizuki’s hand within her own. “We’ll text you on Nightcord when you meet us if you guys want to spend some time together before meeting back up. Does that sound like a plan?” She turns to Ena and Mafuyu, who nod.
Mizuki waves to them. “Goodbye Mafuyu and Ena, see you guys later.” She speaks.
Kanade smiles warmly once Mizuki is finished speaking, and says a goodbye of her own. “Well, see you guys later, then. We mean it.” She waves at them as Kanade and Mizuki stand up, grabbing their personal belongings together, and the other two wave their goodbyes and promise to keep in contact for later.
The two begin to make their way out of the food court, moving past people that walked by. “Don’t you think it’s weird how hot it is?” Kanade suggests to Mizuki, seeing if she agrees.
“Yeah. It is.. actually weird.” She thinks about it for a moment longer, and then shrugs, adding on something else as an after thought. “Man, it probably just feels humid outside. It’s not like anything bad is gonna happen from the heat.”
She ponders that thought.
“Yeah, you’re right. Nothing’s going to happen.”