Notes: Idek what this is? I have too much fun making these two suffer a little through their early friendship, and of course, this is the beginning of my actual BROT3 as I see it. I'm just gonna upload this before I keep making changes... and that's all I can say. Enjoy! :)

Impressions

"So, Ken-kun, do you want to come over tomorrow?"

Ken had been careless. So careless.

Bitterness had been his first mistake. Miyako had turned to Daisuke with that big grin of hers, bragging about getting the latest Dynasty Warriors game as a gift for her thirteenth birthday. For all she taunted Daisuke, she'd finally invited him to play, to no one's surprise. Now, Ken didn't expect to be invited. That was between Miyako and Daisuke, as it had always been. Besides, the whole group had been there, and no one else seemed to care. Why should he care? Why did he care?

His second mistake had been confiding in Daisuke later, without telling him to keep things private. It wasn't so much a confidence, but a throwaway thought, something along the lines of 'it sounds like fun.' Nothing too telling, and yet, Daisuke would not stay quiet. He should've known.

But the worst, last mistake, had been answering the phone. It wasn't a mistake, really, since no one was home so it couldn't be helped. Ken didn't answer the phone if he could help it. But Miyako was at the other end of the line, having heard...

He swallowed.

"Motomiya shouldn't have told you anything. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad he did. I want to invite you over. Just keep in mind, my controllers are pretty much broken. My brother's friends... anyway. Bring your own. Or ask Daisuke to-"

"I'm sorry. I don't think I should go."

"You don't need to be polite."

"I'm serious."

"Don't be stupid."

"Miyako-san, I'm-"

"No. Don't you start with that. You tell Daisuke you want to come over, but when I invite you over, you refuse my invitation. And all this time, you didn't think of asking me directly. Is there something I'm missing? Because I feel like I'm going insane."

Ken had no air in his lungs to answer; no matter how deep he breathed, words wouldn't come out. The truth, the one truth, wouldn't suffice - but it had to be said.

"I don't mean to impose."

"What makes you think you're imposing?" Miyako was using that little tone of hers, the one she apologized with, the one she expressed her worries in. "Have I ever given you any reason...?"

Ken shook his head. What had she done, really?

Well, Miyako had done everything in her power to make him feel appreciated. There was that. And there was the fact that he'd failed to return the effort. But was it an effort, really, to become a bit more honest? Hadn't he wished, time and time again, that he could be that way? Honesty was the trait he admired the most in Miyako, yet he was dismissing her words as if they were nothing but lies. No wonder she was annoyed. If he thought of her as a friend, it was time to treat her as such.

"No," Ken answered after a short pause. "You haven't given me any reason to doubt you."

"Then stop it and just..." Her voice broke. "Just be here tomorrow. If you want to."

What could he say? There was no lying to himself, and quite frankly, there was no lying to her either.

"I'll be there."

"Great. And bring food. I won't let you in without food."

Miyako could switch between emotions with incredible ease, and the worst part was that she was taking him along for the ride. No, scratch that - the worst part, was that Ken didn't quite mind.

"What can I bring that you can't get from your family's store?"

"I'm not picky. I trust you."

Ken had nothing to say to that. His heart was beating faster than normal.

"Miyako-san, I want to know something."

"Ask away."

"What did Motomiya tell you, exactly?"

"Oh, he said..." When she spoke again, she sounded nearly like Daisuke, sending Ken into laugher. "Oi, Miyako, it was rude of you to invite me in front of everyone and not invite Ichijouji. You know he wanted you to invite him, right?"

"I didn't... expect you to."

"I'm sure you didn't. You're classier than Daisuke makes you look like. I'd be mad if I were you. What I do want to know, is what you told him, that got him so annoyed."

"I just said that playing videogames is a nice plan. I didn't mean anything by it." Ken was glad he could clarify that, at least. "Although that reaction is very... Daisuke. That was a good impression of him."

"I know. I've got many talents." He grinned at how pleased with herself Miyako sounded. "My oldest sister is into drama, and she's been getting me to read things with her since I was little."

"You do sound work for her as well, right?"

"Bingo! I didn't know I'd told you. She sent an audition video a few days ago, for university. She's so good, you wouldn't believe it. She'll definitely get in, and I think I did pretty alright... basic video editing isn't that hard. She could do it herself, if she cared to."

"I wish I could share your opinion on that."

"You have extraordinary skills, and you still complain that there's this one little thing you cannot do?" Her voice betrayed a smile. Was she making fun of him?

Oh well.

"What can I say," Ken said with his Kaiser voice. "I want it all."

There were a few endless seconds of silence from her end of the line.

That was too much.

Such jokes were second nature when he talked to Daisuke, who would roll his eyes and tell him to stop pretending to be cooler than he actually was. But Miyako... there was no telling how she'd take it, and yet... she'd made it so simple for him to forget he had to watch his behavior.

He was about to apologize, when Miyako burst out in laughter.

"Miyako-san..." he started, when it was evident she wasn't going to stop laughing anytime soon. It was contagious; his grin had only grown wider as he pictured her, throwing her head back, forgetting that the world existed as she usually did. But she would never know.

"Want to know something weird?" She asked once she could get an actual word out, though hints of laughter still hung in the air. "My first thought was, wow, Ken-kun can do really good impressions too."

It took him a moment to realize what she meant.

"I do a great impression of myself, I've been told."

"Oh, I know it's wrong, but you're such a good person, I sometimes... forget."

Ken had no answer to that - instead, he had a number of questions.

How could Miyako forget? How could she look at him with her doe eyes, and overlook the gray cloud of the past hovering above him? How could she laugh at it, rendering insignificant against the glow of his present life? It was wishful thinking, a stupid hope, to pretend he would ever see things that way. But somehow, Miyako did - that was more than enough. Among all the things Ken had to live with, that was something he could definitely use and it filled him with a sort of burn, a restless tingle, that he didn't quite know how to describe.

But how, just how, could she look at him, someone who couldn't treat her the way she deserved, and see someone good?

"Anyway..." Miyako sighed. Ken had been silent for too long. "My sister's been giving me a death glare ever since I got on the phone. See you tomorrow, then?"

"Sure. I'll be there."

Phone conversations were odd like that. There was always a small void when hanging up, as if the person at the other end of the line just vanished into thin air with a click. Never had Ken felt it more strongly than he did just then. And never had such a sensation been so unwelcome.

I should've said so many things... He should've apologized; he should've been grateful. He should've shown more interest in the things Miyako said...

He shook his head with resolve. All things considered, it had gone well. He didn't know what he'd been expecting when he picked up the phone - but it certainly wasn't that. Then again, he'd been wrong to show so little faith in someone he admired so much, someone who placed so much faith in him...

I can't let myself think like that. What's done is done. What's important now is that I'm spending tomorrow with them both...

Ken smiled. The word 'tomorrow' had never been so promising.