Work Text:
Kanade eased the changing room door quietly before slipping inside. She saw a purple-haired girl sitting on one of the benches inside, holding a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other. She didn't immediately look at Kanade, brows still furrowed in deep concentration, absorbed in whatever was in that notebook.
Kanade leaned on the wooden door, her arms crossed. She was utterly fascinated by the girl before her. She decided not to interrupt and to witness her in silence.
"You look tense." Kanade finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"...Do I?" Mafuyu lifted her gaze from her notebook to look at Kanade, who was slowly approaching.
"Mmhm." She hummed and sat beside her.
Mafuyu drifted her gaze back to the notebook in her hands, pen tapped on it, making a quick repetitive beat. Kanade noticed that and was determined to ease that nervousness. She reached out and began to caress her back in a soothing motion.
"I'm worried... Every exam that I take in this semester will determine my report card."
"You always put so much pressure on yourself. Just breathe a little and believe in yourself."
"I just... Don't wanna let my mum down. She expected a lot from me."
Kanade offered a quiet nod of understanding. She knew how deeply rooted Mafuyu was in pleasing others. Her ambitions and goals were rarely her own, but rather from other people's expectations, especially her mum.
The school bell rang loudly it echoed throughout the hallway, signaling the end of lunchtime and the beginning of another class.
"...We should get going," Kanade said softly.
Mafuyu gave a small nod and a forced smile. "Yeah."
They both rose from the bench and were about to leave the changing room. The hallway beyond them was filled with students who were making their way back to class. But after only a few steps, Mafuyu stopped.
"...Kanade."
Kanade turned at the sound of her name getting called. "What's wrong?"
There was a brief pause before Mafuyu spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Can I hold you?"
Kanade just blinked, her request took her aback, since she wasn't expecting it. But then a gentle smile was slowly formed on her lips.
"You don't have to ask," She replied before closing the distance between them to wrap her arms around Mafuyu without hesitation. Mafuyu hugged her back in response, nestling her face into the curve of Kanade's neck, seeking the quiet comfort only she could offer.
Mafuyu's body was stiff in tension at first. Kanade could feel the rapid thumping of her heartbeat against her own chest. Yet with every passing second, its frantic rhythm began to settle, and she managed to relax into the embrace.
Kanade couldn't help but smile to herself. She almost laughed out of her quiet relief as Mafuyu's heartbeat gradually slowed beneath the comfort of her embrace.
Neither of them spoke, the noise of the crowded hallway began to fade into the background.
Mafuyu loosened her grip hesitantly, and Kanade followed, letting her hands fall from around her while she studied her reactions. Then, as if acting on instinct, Kanade leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her soft cheeks.
"For good luck," She murmured, then teasingly nuzzling her nose against Mafuyu's.
A faint warmth bloomed across her cheeks, slowly tinting her pale complexion a delicate rosy pink tint. Her eyes widened slightly before she quickly looked away and stepped back, lifting a hand to cover her flushed face.
"Thank you..." Mafuyu murmured. She was unable to hide her embarrassment any longer and hurried out of the changing room before running towards her classroom to take her chemistry exam.
Kanade couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Mafuyu disappear down the hallway. Somehow, seeing her so flustered was both adorable and endearing.
With a small smile still lingering on her lips, Kanade turned and made her way to her own classroom, quietly hoping that the small "good luck" charm would work.
The rest of the school day passed quieter than Kanade had expected.
Although she tried to focus on her lessons, her thoughts kept drifting back to lunchtime. Every now and then, she found herself recalling Mafuyu's flustered expression before she had hurried away, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips each time.
Before long, the final bell echoed throughout the school, signaling the end of the day.
After gathering her belongings, Kanade slung her bag over her shoulder and left the classroom. She looked forward to seeing Mafuyu again. As always, they had agreed to meet in front of the school library after school before heading home together.
Without realizing it, Kanade quickened her pace. The thought of seeing Mafuyu again filled her with a quiet excitement. She rounded the corner toward their usual meeting spot.
"Mafuyu..."
The smile on Kanade's face disappeared in an instant.
Mafuyu stood alone in front of the library, her head lowered and both hands covering her eyes. Yet her trembling shoulders betrayed her, making it painfully obvious that she was crying.
Kanade hurried after her, her pace quickening into a near run. As soon as she closed the distance between them, she pulled Mafuyu into a gentle embrace.
One arm wrapped securely around Mafuyu's waist while the other rested at the nape of her neck, carefully guiding her head to Kanade's shoulder.
"You can cry," Kanade whispered near her ear, trying to soothe her.
Then without another word, Kanade held her there, letting Mafuyu cry as much as she needed.
Eventually, Mafuyu's breathing steadied. Although tears still lingered in her eyes, her trembling had lessened.
Kanade continued to hold her for a few moments longer before loosening her embrace and gently brushing a few strands of hair away from Mafuyu's hair so that she could look at her pretty face.
"...Do you want to tell me what happened?" She asked softly.
Mafuyu lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her uniform sleeve.
"...It happened during the chemistry class exam." She paused for a moment before continuing.
"The teacher had us take the test two by two, while everyone else was told to wait outside. I went in first. One of my friends was given the exact same hand-drawn molecular structure to identify. We only had one question to solve, and I answered mine correctly... but she got it wrong."
Her voice stayed calm, despite a momentary wobble.
"When the teacher asked me to explain my answer, I was about to... but she suddenly cut me off. She started talking over me, trying to justify their own mistake. Because of that, the teacher never actually heard my explanation."
Mafuyu swallowed hard, her fingers trembling.
"Suddenly my teacher decided to discard that problem and made us take a completely different question. I knew the answer to that one, too. I really did..." She lowered her head further, the memory clearly weighing heavily on her.
"But right while I was trying to take the test, she started insulting me. She kept talking, calling me scatterbrained and spacey. She said I couldn't explain myself properly because I wasn't paying attention, and muttered that I should have easily known something so simple."
A tear slipped down her cheek. "With her saying all those things, I couldn't focus anymore. I was so shaken... and because of that, I made a single mistake."
She paused, her voice barely audible. "My friend, who got the first question wrong, still received a perfect score..."
"...And I almost got a seventy-five."
Her shoulders trembled as she stared at the ground. "I... begged the teacher to reconsider."
"In the end..."
"I only got an eighty."
Kanade's heart ached as she listened to Mafuyu's confession. Without a moment of hesitation, she pulled Mafuyu back into her arms, wrapping her in a warm and tight embrace.
She held her close, slowly patting Mafuyu's back as the girl finally let out the tears she'd been holding back. The trembling in Mafuyu's shoulder seemed to ease just from the steady rhythm of Kanade's touch.
"I'm so sorry they treated you that way," Kanade whispered, carrying the warmth and gentleness in her voice. "But it's okay, Mafuyu. Sometimes fortune is just not on our side, no matter how hard we try."
Kanade continued to pat Mafuyu's back gently. This time, she rested her own head lightly against Mafuyu's shoulder. "...You answered the first question correctly," she said softly. "And you knew the second one too."
Her hand rubbed slow, comforting circles across Mafuyu's back.
"What happened wasn't your fault."
"You were interrupted... and your teacher kept pressuring you. Anyone would have struggled to think clearly."
Kanade's voice remained calm and gentle. "One unfair grade doesn't erase all the effort you've put in. It doesn't change who you are."
She stayed with Mafuyu, continuing to comfort her and letting her cry for as long as she needed. Yet instead of calming down, Mafuyu's breathing grew more uneven. Her chest tightened as anxiety slowly swallowed her whole.
"No... You don't understand, Kanade." Mafuyu shook her head.
"My mom... she expects so much from me."
"If I make mistakes like that... If I can't keep my grades perfect..." Her voice cracked. "I'm scared I'll disappoint her."
"She's given me everything I could ever need... and I only have one job."
"...To get perfect grades." A sob escaped her lips.
"And I couldn't even do that..."
Seeing the panic completely take over, Kanade reached up and gently wiped the fresh tears from Mafuyu's cheeks. And before the panic could consume her completely, she leaned in and pressed her lips against Mafuyu’s.
The sudden warmth caught Mafuyu entirely off guard. The anxious thoughts that had been threatening to drown her instantly vanished, replaced by the soft, quiet reality of Kanade's touch.
Kanade kept the kiss tender and reassuring, holding Mafuyu close until the sharp tension in the girl's shoulders finally dissolved.
As they parted, Mafuyu looked up at Kanade with tear-filled eyes, her breathing still uneven.
"...Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to worry you."
Kanade gently cupped Mafuyu's cheek, brushing away the tears that still lingered there with her thumb.
"You don't have to apologize," she murmured. "I'm here with you."
She offered Mafuyu a small, reassuring smile.
"And no matter what happens... I'll always be by your side."
Mafuyu gave a small nod.
"...Thank you, Kanade."
Kanade returned a gentle smile and reached for Mafuyu's hand. Mafuyu hesitated for only a moment before intertwining their fingers.
Without another word, they began the walk home together.
The evening sky was painted in soft shades of orange and gold. Neither of them spoke much, but this time, the silence wasn't heavy.
Mafuyu still carried the weight of the day, but she no longer had to carry it alone.