pairing(s): Manaka Mukaido/Miuna Shiodome, background Kaname Isaki/Tsumugu Kihara
warning(s): none
notes: I posted this to AO3 back in July but forgot about FFN. Sorry for the delay! You can find my full notes for this AU under /tagged/melon-soda-au on my tumblr. As usual, comments are appreciated.
Manaka sighed and checked her phone again.
"I guess Chisaki really can't make it after all," she thought gloomily, glancing over at the other occupants of the restaurant booth she was sitting at. Three guys from her English class were laughing and talking while they played around with the notes and books they were supposed to be studying from. She inched a little closer to the edge of the seat when one of them- was his name Sakishima?- jostled her with his elbow.
Cramming for the final while grabbing dinner with some of her classmates at the nearby family restaurant off campus had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that her one female friend in the class had canceled on her, Manaka wasn't sure she'd be able to get any studying done. She was fairly comfortable around the boys who'd gone with her, enough that she felt she'd be fine by herself without having to make excuses to leave early, but she wished that Chisaki had been able to come with her. The other girl was really loaded down with classes this semester though, thanks to her nursing major requirements. The texts she'd sent Manaka had been short and a little frazzled, so Manaka was more than willing to forgive her friend for not being able to make it.
The one guy making an attempt to study caught her eye and smiled ruefully. Kaname was one of the more serious students in their class, who always led the online discussions and had the current highest grade. She'd talked to him a few times outside of class and felt like they could be considered friends. Manaka grimaced at him in return and he hid a grin with his sleeve.
She reached over to get her book from her bag, along with the notepad she usually scribbled questions on and her favorite bright blue pen. The next few minutes she tried to start an outline of the chapter she was reading, but she didn't get any farther than writing a title before she got bored and started aimlessly flipping through the pages.
"Sorry for the wait," the waitress said as she hurried up to their table. "It's been really busy. Are you ready to order?"
Manaka glanced up from her book and over at the menu, which she hadn't given much thought to. She wasn't really hungry enough to need anything more than a snack, so she quickly scanned the appetizer section while the others ordered. She was only half-aware that the guys were flirting rather badly with the poor waitress. She tried to block them out so she could concentrate on the menu.
"Anything for you?" the waitress prompted, and Manaka finally looked up. She felt her face heat up as she got a good look at the woman standing in front of her. Her nametag read 'Miuna' and Manaka managed to look her in the eyes- stormy blue, like the ocean on a cold morning. Miuna had a faint smile on her face even as she tapped her pen against the pad of paper she was taking orders on.
"Um," Manaka stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. "Um, c-can I have a minute? To decide?" She covered her face with the menu, desperately aware that everyone at the table was now looking at her. She heard Kaname snicker at her embarrassment and screamed internally.
"Sure," Miuna said warmly, with just a hint of amusement in her voice. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your drinks, then." She left amidst the general chorus of affirmative noises and Manaka's faint "okay".
Manaka peeked shyly over the edge of the menu and watched Miuna walk away. As soon as the waitress was out of sight she put the menu down and sat back against the booth, sighing loudly. Her study partners were still looking at her. Kaname was the only one unable to hide his grin.
"What?" she asked defensively, sitting back up.
"She smiled at you, Mukaido," the guy diagonally across from her said accusingly. "She didn't even blink when I used my line on her-"
"That's because it's a shitty line, Sayama."
"She shot you down, too, Hikari, don't start with me-"
They fell to bickering and Manaka giggled nervously, relieved to have the spotlight off of herself. Kaname nudged her under the table with his foot and she looked at him. He was still grinning and she scowled at him.
"So," he said in a conversational tone, leaning forward over his laptop. "The waitress is pretty cute, don't you think?"
"Oh my god," Manaka groaned, "if I say yes will you promise not to bring it up again tonight?" She pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. She thought about the way Miuna had smiled at her, and how nice her legs had looked when she was walking, and- Manaka buried her face in her hands, admitting defeat with another whispered "Oh my god". Kaname reached over the table and patted her on the shoulder consolingly.
"If it helps, that's the exact same feeling I had when I first saw the TA for my marine bio class last semester," he told her. She heaved another sigh and sat upright once more.
"She really is pretty," Manaka said finally. "I wonder if she goes to Mihama?" She picked up the menu again and looked it over without really reading what was on it. "I don't think I've seen her around...maybe she's a freshman?"
"Why don't you ask her when she comes back around?"
"I can't do that!" Manaka insisted. She craned her head to check the floor for Miuna's whereabouts. "I don't want to bother her while she's working," she hissed, kicking Kaname under the table when he rolled his eyes pointedly at her.
"I don't think she'll be bothered if it's you," he replied, closing his laptop and stowing it away in the bag by his feet.
"Waitress at three o'clock," Hikari stage-whispered. Manaka squeaked and dove behind her menu again, frantically scanning it for something to actually order this time. She looked up right as the waitress reached their table, and tried to conceal her disappointment when she saw it wasn't Miuna. Manaka glared at Hikari and he laughed until she kicked him in the shin.
The waitress was another pretty woman, but she definitely wasn't Miuna. Her name tag read 'Sayu' and she hefted the tray of drinks like she was ready to dump it on someone at any given moment. She was quick about her work, passing glasses of iced tea, soda, and coffee out to each of the men at the table. The last glass on her tray was a soda float, green sparkling liquid topped with a scoop of ice-cream and a drizzle of syrup.
"Oh, um, I didn't- I didn't order this," Manaka started to say when Sayu set the float down in front of her. Sayu smirked as she straightened and slipped the empty tray under her arm.
"I know," she replied, still smiling like she was trying not to laugh. "It's on the house. Also, here, this is for you," Sayu fished around in the pockets of the apron tied around her waist for a bit until she pulled out a folded piece of notebook paper. She presented it to Manaka with a triumphant grin.
The rest of the table was dead silent as Manaka gingerly accepted the paper and held it carefully in her hand. She tilted her head questioningly at the waitress, who hadn't made a move to leave.
"It's nothing bad, promise," Sayu said earnestly. "She's on break right now and asked me to hand it to you. Now," she turned to Kaname and the others, "are you ready to order?"
Kaname was the first to respond, looking away from Manaka to give Sayu his food order. Manaka was still staring at the paper in her hand when Sayu asked for her order.
"Uh, just fries, thanks," she said nervously, putting the paper down and picking up the long spoon that had come with the soda float. She carefully stuck it in the drink, then took her phone out to snap a picture. Sayu gave her one last secretive smile before heading off to another table.
The first bite of the soda float was nice and cold, a sweet shock to her system that made Manaka blink and focus on her treat. Her heart was still beating a little fast from the anxiety the surprise had given her. Who was this 'she' Sayu referred to? Was it Miuna? It had to be, right? She took several more bites of ice cream before stirring it into the melon soda so she could drink it with a straw. Once she'd calmed down a little, Manaka picked the paper back up and opened it. She tuned out Hikari and Sayama's excited questions in order to give it her full attention.
It was a phone number. Written quickly, it looked like, in blue ink with a line of bold round writing under it. A dizzy sort of feeling swooped up and down her spine upon reading it.
"What does it say?" Kaname asked after a minute, giving her a curious glance. Manaka touched her face, felt how hot her cheeks were. "Are you alright?" She nodded.
"I'm fine," she said, a little dazed. "She gave me her cell phone number."
"Some girls have all the luck," Hikari groused, picking at the edge of a napkin. Manaka giggled nervously, gripping her phone tightly as she carefully added Miuna's number to her contacts. She folded the paper carefully into a square and slipped it into the pocket of her sweater. With a short sigh she caught Kaname's eye and gestured to her phone helplessly.
"What should I say to her?" she asked.
All three of them put their heads together to give her suggestions on what to write. They were still trying to decide on a message when their food arrived, delivered by a third waiter who didn't say anything to any of them while he passed out the food. He gave Manaka a somewhat angry look as he left, which confused her. She decided he was probably at the end of his shift and cranky about it, so she didn't take it personally.
While they ate, Manaka finally decided on a message. She went with her first idea, just a simple 'hello, this is Manaka, the girl from the restaurant', because all the other suggestions her classmates had given her were too embarrassing or cheesy for her to even think about sending. When she didn't get a reply, she supposed it was because Miuna's break was over. She put her phone back in her pocket and resolved not to check it until she got home.
Kaname was the one who steered their conversation towards the book they'd been assigned in class, claiming that they had to at least pretend to do some sort of studying, since that's why they'd all come here in the first place. Hikari and Sayama had groaned but managed to contribute a few opinions when Kaname and Manaka were discussing what they'd read. They'd passed the time nicely until Hikari had checked his phone and realized his night class started in half an hour, which effectively ended their study session.
Kaname, as the appointed adult, was finalizing the bill with Sayu at the front desk. As Manaka shuffled out into the lobby she glanced over at the other employee helping Sayu. It was Miuna, and when she saw Manaka looking, she smiled and waved at her. Manaka returned the smile shyly, tucking strands of hair back behind her ear as she followed Hikari and Sayama out to the sidewalk.
Manaka stood in the middle of their half-circle as she waited for Kaname to exit the restaurant, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. Hikari was already sitting in the passenger seat of Sayama's beat-up blue truck. Sayama was crouched at the edge of the curb looking at his phone, but he stood up when Kaname finally joined them.
"Anyone else need a ride back to campus?" Sayama asked, jingling his keys in one hand. Both Manaka and Kaname shook their heads no.
"My boyfriend's already here," Kaname said with a nod towards the parking lot. He waved at a dark-haired man standing near a dark sports car. The man waved back and pocketed his phone before making his way over to the sidewalk where they were all still standing.
"I was just gonna take the bus home," Manaka told Sayama apologetically. "Thanks for offering, though."
"'S no problem," Sayama replied cheerily. Over in the truck Hikari beeped the horn impatiently. "Alright, hold on!" Sayama yelled towards his waiting friend. "I'll see you both on Friday, then. Bye!"
Manaka and Kaname both waved goodbye as Sayama got into his truck. The sound of his scolding Hikari was drowned out by the engine rumble and a blast of j-pop that followed them out of the parking lot. Manaka smiled and turned back to where Kaname was talking quietly with his boyfriend.
"Want us to walk you to the bus stop?" he asked her.
"Sure," she replied. "It's a little over that way, past the rest of the shopping center, if you don't mind?"
"Yeah, it's fine. I'd feel better if I knew you got onto the bus safely," Kaname admitted.
They fell into step with each other as Manaka led them on the short walk to the bus stop. The bus stop was lit up in bright fluorescent white from the street lamp overhead when they arrived. A couple other people were already waiting and they looked over Manaka briefly before returning to what they were doing.
There was just enough time for Kaname to formally introduce his boyfriend, Tsumugu, to Manaka before her bus arrived. She exchanged a quick goodbye hug with Kaname before getting in the line to pay her fare. While she waited her turn, she watched them head back to the parking lot- Tsumugu with an arm around Kaname's shoulders, and Kaname leaning into him- they just looked awfully sweet together. It made her smile.
Manaka zoned out the entire bus ride home, lulled into sleepiness by the rhythmic rumble of the bus and the warmth of the heater behind her. She blinked awake when it reached her stop, stumbled sleepily out of the warm vehicle and started the walk back to her apartment. Stars were already dotting the darkened sky when she looked up, breath puffing out before her in soft white clouds.
Her phone bumped against her legs when she adjusted her sweater and with a jolt she remembered how Miuna had smiled sweetly at her when she'd passed the front desk on her way out of the restaurant. Manaka felt her face heat up and she stuck a hand into her pocket to touch her phone reassuringly. Once she made it inside her apartment, she barely remembered to lock the door before she threw herself onto the lumpy couch in her living room/kitchen, phone in hand.
There were a couple messages from Chisaki, which Manaka looked at briefly with the intent to reply later. She was more interested in the one unread message from Miuna in her inbox, which she looked at apprehensively for a minute before taking a deep breath and opening it. As she read the text in front of her, her smile grew bigger and bigger. She briefly buried her face in a couch cushion to stifle an excited shriek of laughter before she started typing her response.
Manaka spent three blissful hours texting Miuna, and by the end of their conversation they had a date arranged for the following weekend. Happiness bubbled up in her at the thought of it. When she fell asleep it was within seconds of pulling her blankets up to her chin, a small yet blissful smile tucked in the corners of her mouth.