First of all: Happy birthday, Ran!

Here we are with a BlueFlora (Mitake Ran x Aoba Moca) fanfic. How will this go? I have no idea, either. But let's find out, shall we?

Cover image is unidolized initial Moca 3*.

Disclaimer: I do not own BanG Dream!, nor do I, in any way, shape or form, intend to pretend that I do.

The day had finally come.

After countless of hours of practice, the pride of Haneoka Girls' High School found herself doing the final sound testing to make sure that all the instruments were in working order. Strumming a few chords in preparation, the vocalist had to hide a smile as the sound reverberated cleanly through the area. The sound system was even better than they had been promised, and this only meant good news for them.

Taking a deep breath, Ran stood up and locked her eyes with the tall drummer in front of her. She was already seated and in position to play, and merely nodded with a small smile in response. Despite hiding it well and managing to hide it from everybody else, Ran knew her childhood friend well enough to see the nervousness that she was hiding.

Glancing to her left, Ran saw how the keyboardist was fumbling around with the vast multitude of buttons on the instrument. To anyone who didn't know her, she would have seemed like she was just doing things randomly, but Ran knew better. The brunette was the keyboardist for a reason, and neither Ran nor anybody else in the group doubted her skills in the slightest.

The next person to lock eyes with her was the bassist on her left who, despite her anxious fumbling from earlier, appeared rather calm right now. She gave Ran a quick smile when she noticed that she was being watched before getting in position on the right.

"You didn't tie it correctly," a teasing yet gentle voice shook Ran back to her senses, but the vocalist relaxed when she processed who had said those words to her, "Here, let me help you."

Looking to her right, Ran saw the focused look on the guitarist's face as she loosened the scarf around her right arm before retying it again. Making sure to tie it tightly but not too tight, the guitarist nodded in satisfaction when she finally let go of Ran's arm.

"Thanks, Moca," Ran muttered, soft enough to prevent the other three from hearing her but clear enough for the retreating guitarist to do so. Picking up her own guitar, Ran turned to all four of her waiting friends with a determined look, "All right, it's time. Let's go!"

Ran frowned as she looked at the illuminated phone's screen for the tenth time that day. No matter how many times she took it out, she knew that the message on it wouldn't change.

Himari was planning a reunion after all these years.

Ran sighed, taking a sip of her coffee while considering her options. It wasn't that she didn't want to meet her childhood friend again, but that it was the memory of her last live that was still weighing down on her mind. So instead, Ran decided to look out the window beside her to try and clear her thoughts a little.

It was a nice day, and a lot of the citizens decided that it would be a waste to spend it indoors. Ran found the corners of her lips tug up as she watched a family of three walk past her. Despite the sun shining brightly, it was still cold for that time of year and the brunette was thankful that she was inside the café with a warm cup of coffee.

The serene peace was shattered when Ran's phone buzzed. Scrambling to get it, almost knocking over her cup in the process, she looked at the screen. Almost hesitant, she picked it up a second later.

"What is it, Himari?"

"Aw, that's no way to greet an old friend, right?"

That was definitely Himari, all right. Ran silently groaned, but managed to keep her tone flat when she talked again, "That aside, why did you call me?"

"Isn't a friend allowed to call a friend?" Ran had to give her credit: Himari had always been known to put everybody else before herself. Before she knew it, Ran found herself smiling at the image of the pink-haired girl going out of her way to make sure that she of all people was feeling well, "But in all seriousness, I was wondering what you are doing. I sent you that message about our reunion, right? Do you think you can make it?"

"… Sorry, I'm busy," Ran replied, even before she was fully aware that she had already given her answer.

"Busy? Busy with what?"

"You know… the usual," Ran mumbled as she picked up her cup again and stared at the swirling liquid with a distant look in her eyes.

"Such as drinking coffee in the Ruru Café?"

That got Ran's attention. Jerking up and looking around to spot her friend, Ran almost shouted, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on now, Ran. How many black haired women with a red streak in their hair on the left and who wear a black jacket that is red on the inside with a white shirt and black pants out there?"

"What—?"

"I'm outside the Ruru Café, Ran."

Turning her head slowly, almost as if afraid to confirm what she already knew was there, Ran looked out the window beside her.

And true enough, there she was. An ecstatically waving Himari just outside the café.

Ran couldn't do anything in response to this other than lower her phone in defeat and pressing the button to end the call. Resting her head on the edge of the table, she waited patiently for what was about to come.

When she heard footsteps approach her, Ran didn't even need to look up to know who had just joined her at the table.

"So, Ran," Himari cheered not even a second after plopping down on the couch across from her childhood friend. Apparently, she was impressed as she looked down with a beaming smile, "Oh, wow, these are so comfy!"

"Himari…" Ran sighed, not wanting to urge her childhood friend on but knowing full well what the alternative would be, "Why are you here again?"

"Oh, right!" Himari chuckled as she dug in her pockets for something before fishing out an envelope. Grinning, she placed it on the table and slid it towards Ran, "Here, I'm sure that you would want this."

"And if I don't?" Ran asked slowly, not wanting to sound rude but trusting the person sitting opposite from her to understand what she was really saying.

"Ran, it's been four years," Himari said with a downcast glance, her tone softening to reveal the sadness that the speaker was feeling. That she had probably been carrying ever since that day. And that made Ran feel even worse than before.

Ran remained silent, trying to figure out what she truly wanted. Her train of thoughts was broken when she heard the footsteps moving away from her.

Looking up, Ran saw that Himari was standing by the table with a soft smile and looking ready to leave at any moment.

"None of us are making you do anything that you wouldn't want to do yourself, Ran," Himari started as she grabbed her purse, "But if any of us meant anything to you, then please open that and be there. You'll understand, I promise. Just don't do anything that you'll regret later, okay?"

And without saying another word or even allowing Ran to utter a response, Himari left the café in a much more solemn and serious way than she had entered earlier.

This left Ran alone with her thoughts, her coffee, and the envelope that Himari had left her.

Ran reached out for the envelope, but something stopped her. A flash of images appeared in front of her mind's eye and she groaned. The pain that she felt on that day came rushing back, and she hesitated.

"That Himari…" Ran muttered with a sigh once she regained her composure. She grabbed the offending object before taking one last sip of her coffee and grimacing.

Cold.

Three hours had passed since Ran had her short chat with Himari, and she was now finding herself in her apartment going through her stack of clothes. With the envelope open on her bed's sheets, Ran took a sideways glance at the contents of it. She bit her lower lip, flinching slightly at the sudden jolt of pain, when she saw it again.

Himari didn't lie. It really did make Ran want to go.

The only problem was trying to find a decent outfit to go out there again. Ran had convinced herself that she needed to wear a good set of clothes, but that was almost two hours ago.

"I've wasted enough time as it is already," Ran grumbled to herself, annoyed after having seen the time displayed on the clock, before going with her usual outfit, "As usual… huh?"

Picking up her black jacket from the coat hanger again and putting it on as she walked down the stairs, Ran checked her phone again to make sure that she had read the address correctly.

She did, and she didn't know if she had preferred it over the alternative.

Regardless of this, Ran made her way down the familiar road and started to zone out as memories started to come flooding back in.

It was the same road that she went through when she was still in junior high school. Even though it has been almost a decade since then, Ran could still vividly remember the minute detail around her.

"I'm glad that it is still here," Ran muttered with a smile as her eyes landed on the playground on the other side of the road. While she herself didn't play there a lot in the past, it was comforting to know that something of her past still remained to this day.

A light breeze picked up and reminded Ran that she still had to get somewhere. Picking up her pace a little after zipping her jacket up, she continued to walk for another ten minutes in silence when something else struck her.

What was she even going to say when she would see her friends again after so long?

Ran frowned, mentally berating herself for forgetting such an important aspect but forced herself to think about it while walking. Not only didn't she spend any time with any of her friends in the past four years, she barely spoke with any of them either.

This only made Ran more anxious.

Unconsciously, she slowed down again as she started to think of ways to start a conversation with her childhood friends. Ran knew that she wasn't the best at this, but she also knew that she had the responsibility to do at least this much after everything that has happened.

Ran came back to her reality when she collided with something. Or, when she looked up, with someone.

"I'm sorry, I—?" Ran began, but her voice died out in her throat when she saw who she had just run into. She didn't know what to say or do in the situation that she found herself in, only able to stare at the other person. But Ran was sure of one thing.

She wasn't ready for this.

She wasn't ready for this at all.

And that wraps up the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review on your way, and I will see you next time! Take care!