Second Time's The Charm
by Rittie
Once again, Makoto was gone.
Once again, he was out hanging with Aigis. It was mid-November, shortly after their school trip to Kyoto where Mitsuru finally came clean about her feelings, and Yukari Takeba decided that she was tired of waiting. If he wanted to be with an android that badly, she won't bother him anymore.
"Yukari-san..."
The brunette looked up to see Ryoji Mochizuki, grinning at her with that gentle, sweet smile... hold on, why was she thinking like that?
"Ryoji-kun? How can I help you?" she asked, trying to be civil.
"It seemed like you were feeling lonely, so I was wondering if you would like to go and sing some karaoke with me? Junpei-san showed me just yesteday where it was and it very fun!"
"Karaoke huh?" painfully aware of the empty seats behind her, the acher managed to smile. "Well, I was told when I was little that I had a good voice - god knows what it's like now - so sure... let's go."
"Amazing! Well... shall we go? This is our last period, after all."
Feeling like this could be her chance to feel better and finally forget, she nodded and grinned at him.
"Yes, we shall."
And so, getting up and ignoring Junpei's gaping face, the duo left the classroom, chatting and laughing all the way to Paulownia Mall.
- x -
"Welcome back, Yukari-chan." Fuuka sounded from behind her laptop on the couch. "Leader-san said that we are going to Tartarus tonight..."
"Alright.." with that unshakeable smile still on her face, the brunette settled down beside a confused yet bemused Mitsuru, who was reading some new book, as Makoto and Aigis walked downstairs, seemingly talking strategy before the blonde noticed her.
"Yukari-san? Where were you out so late?"
"Out singing karaoke with Ryoji-kun." Yukari replied, while privately thinking it's none of your business what I do or don't do and with whom I do it.
"Ryoji is dangerous." Aigis' eyes narrowed as the rest of the SEES members sweatdropped, already being used to the android stating that same old sentence ever since Ryoji transfered to their school. Yet this time, the archer had enough and snapped back.
"Well, so are you yet we still keep you around. Goes to show that it doesn't really matter, does it?"
"Yukari-chan!" Fuuka gasped but the brunette, feeling happy and delighted from her afternoon with Ryoji (one of the few people that didn't treat her like trash or a ticking time bomb), simply ignored everyone and walked up to her room to get ready for Tartarus, if the ever so-silent Makoto even wanted to her with him tonight. For the first time since April, she didn't really care.
If he didn't, Yukari would just fantasize about her and Ryoji's outing next Sunday whilst waiting for the Dark Hour to end that night.
AN: So Yukari is a bit OOC, chanelling me basically as I steadily got tired of Aigis repeating that same old sentence over and over again throughout November and early December. As though she never hurt SEES or isn't dangerous herself.
Anyways, stay tuned! :)