She awakens not to the sound of an alarm, but to birds chirping and bright light seeping through the curtains. The sheets press cool against bare skin and tangled legs. Blinking the grog of sleep out of her eyes, a rustling noise catches her ear—doesn't she live alone?—and she turns to the source. She's still sort of foggy, so when her eyes meet the other person's, standing a few feet away, she finds she has a million things to say and yet none will form into actual words.

"Oh, Mizuki-san. Or should I say, Mizuki?" There's a certain hint of playfulness in her voice that makes her face burn. Since when were they on those terms? She sits up, while the other adjusts her skirt, still in the midst of changing, and she notices belatedly that she still isn't wearing a shirt. "You're finally up. I never thought you'd be such a heavy sleeper."

"What..." she starts, but Ran doesn't seem to hear her. What is she doing here, in her bedroom? What has happened for things to progress to this point? And finally, what is going on? She feels suddenly very exposed, both literally and figuratively, covering herself with her quilt. Her now short hair is sticking up at odd angles. Not even Ichigo ever saw her like this.

She pulls on a shirt over her head, smoothing out her hair afterward, and Mizuki finally lets herself breathe, not knowing she'd been holding her breath in the first place. "I've gotta get back, but… Oh, I made coffee. It should still be hot."

"Ah… Thank you."

Lifting her back onto her shoulder, she begins toward the door. "Then, I guess I'll get going. Ah, but..." She looks back at her, eyes glinting bright purple. "You're pretty cute when you sleep."

"Eh?"

"Y'know, you kinda… Murmur things? You fell asleep pretty early on too, I don't think I could've woken you." She gives a short laugh.

Heat rises in her face at the implication, and she fumbles for words. But there's no need, because Ran is soon gone, leaving her alone with the consequences of her actions.

Peeling off the quilt and sitting on the edge, her bare feet meet the soft texture of a rug. and she pulls on a robe for modesty. The air is cool, and she shivers as she stands, leaving behind the comfortable warmth of her bed. Hot coffee is sounding fairly appealing at the moment. With light, smooth steps, she pads past the bedroom, through the hall, and to the kitchen. The floor is chilly and she already misses the rug in her room.

She takes a mug from the cabinet and pours herself halfway, adding some milk and sugar as needed. She's never tasted her coffee before, of course—why would she have?—and she isn't quite sure what to expect. Nonetheless, she raises it to her lips and takes a sip, to find…

Cough. It's really strong. It's sort of fitting though, with Ran's personality. Of course she would make hers strong, it only makes sense, and Mizuki fights back a small laugh.

Ah… Ran.

She takes a longer sip to clear her head. She'd better finish up and get ready; there's something she really needs to do today.

This meeting, though not unplanned, hadn't exactly been at the top of her list. She'd put it off time and time again due to business conflicts, or because she was otherwise preoccupied. Most of all, she hadn't wanted to get caught up in her past again. But it's time, she thinks. And so, each step seeming as heavy as lead, she walks through the gate of Starlight School.

Her excuse is simple: she's a designer, so the headmistress invited her. Though she wonders if she even needs one, considering she's one of the many statues in the hall, stood up alongside Masquerade, the pair she'd admired from the time she'd just learned to tie her shoelaces. It's very funny, when she thinks about it. They'd moved on with their lives, and so had she, and so would the next legend, and the next. Idolhood, after all, is temporary.

When she reaches the door, tall and wooden just as she remembered it, she gives it a good knock and waits for a response. It's a strange feeling. She hasn't been here, in this spot, since she attended the school decades ago. And yet, it's still the same. Nothing has changed. When she hears her voice, she opens the door and walks in, closing it behind her with a snap.

Orihime looks at her, surprised. She looks much the same, if somewhat older. She's dressed in cream and blue and her hair is in its usual ringlets. She stands. It's obvious that she wouldn't come here, after all this time, for no reason. "Mizuki," she says, "what's the matter?"

"I have something I needed to talk to you about." And only her. It's something she can't tell just anyone, and that, she thinks, is evident in her tone. She has faith that Orihime, of all people, will understand. Somehow.

"Then come, sit." And they do, on the comfortable chairs in her office. "It's been so long… You cut your hair."

"Yes, it's much easier to deal with now." A pause, as she gathers her words. There's no way around it; she has to come out and say it. "You know, I've been working hard at my career. And I thought I didn't need anything else. But..."

"You met someone."

Her eyes, which had been lowered, glance up at once. How did she know? "Yes. Except, it wasn't for the first time, and that person..." She pauses again, inhaling. Her heart is beating slightly fast. It's now or never. "...isn't a man."

Her eyes do not widen, she doesn't shrink back, she simply looks at her with the same familiarity and fondness of a former teacher. "Mizuki," she begins, "have I ever told you about my relationship with Miya?"

She, however, expresses some degree of surprise. Her voice lifts. "Miya? But isn't she…?"

"Married? Yes. But before then, we were together, and she was my first love. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you and Ichigo..."

This is a sensitive topic, and she bites back the feelings that come just from hearing her name, her ears now unaccustomed to it. She thinks her reaction probably says it all, with how well the other knows her. "I thought that it would all just go away, that I could move on like she did. But I'm the same as I was then."

"Those feelings never go away, you know. Not for people like us. I struggled for a long time as well, but you've found someone. So don't let her go." She smiles at her, and somehow, her anxiety has begun to fade. "Remember, you regret what you don't do, not what you do."

She stands, after a moment spent. "Thank you. I'm sorry for visiting on such short notice."

"No need. You're always welcome here."

It was a good idea to come here. She knows that now, feeling somehow strengthened by the conversation. She starts toward the door, bag in arm, heels making dull clicks on flooring, when Orihime calls out to her, with a smile. It's just three words, but she feels the weight of them.

"Go get her."