VISITOR

Hiro was visibly chubby; anyone could see it. Though not many would call her outright "fat", unless it were for the sake of exaggerating in order to be cruel. So naturally, Yuno and Miyako often called Hiro fat behind her back, though only Miyako also called her Big Buns, Yuno personally finding the double-meaning nickname too silly.

Hiro straightaway tromped up to them and planted her earthenware pot down on Yuno's table. Right on top of all the sketches they had spread out on it.

"Nyumen," she said pleasantly, looking at each of them in turn. "I thought I'd try making some since it's a bit chilly out."

Hiro turned and thumped off to the kitchen, where she opened up the cabinets and took out one of Yuno's saucepans — without so much as asking Yuno first if she could use it — then pulled out a container of soup from her bag of food and set the soup warming on the stove. She then began washing a few vegetables.

Yuno and Miyako looked down speechlessly at the pot on top of their stuff. Typical Hiro. She probably hadn't noticed, or even cared, that they'd been in the middle of doing something. True, their venomous sketches of each other didn't warrant any proper respect, but for all Hiro knew, these sketches could have been school assignments.

"Boy, you two sure are quiet," said Hiro, busy at the sink. "You haven't said a word since I got here. Oh!" She stopped short. A sneaky look entered her eyes. "Maybe you were having a secret conversation?" She giggled knowingly at her own interpretation.

Already Yuno felt her nerves being raked by Hiro's presence. Hiro efficiently finished up her washing, then took one of Yuno's knives and began to chop. Miyako quickly found an excuse to leave.

"Welll, I'm out of drawing paper, Yuno," she announced loudly enough for Hiro to hear. "I'm gonna go get some more next door."

Yuno shot Don't-you-leave-me-alone-with-Hiro-san daggers at Miyako. However, Miyako didn't make it far.

"Wait, where are you going?" Hiro said, backing up from the kitchen counter and standing in Miyako's way.

"To get some more drawing paper from my room."

"But I just got here," Hiro whined.

"I'll be right back," Miyako lied.

Hiro went silent for a moment. Miyako saw Hiro's eyes crusting over with a hard look.

Crap. Here she goes.

"No, you won't. You're lying," Hiro said flatly.

Miyako tried playing defense. "Wha-? But I really am out of drawing paper!" She threw her voice behind her. "Right, Yuno? Aren't I out of drawing paper?"

Yuno pretended to be too focused on her sketching to hear Miyako. Better that Hiro's nettling was directed at Miyako than at herself.

"That's not what I mean." said Hiro. "I mean you're lying about coming back!"

"But I'm just going right next door, Hiro-san," Miyako said, trying to sound innocent.

Or at least, that had been her original plan — to go next door and hide out in her room, away from Hiro. Yet now that she said it, she could imagine Hiro coming over to check up on her, asking her if she was all right, and if she was all right then what was taking so long, and pestering her like an overbearing mother hen. She changed her plan on the spot to take a long walk instead. It didn't matter where to — BerryMart, DaDaMart, random street-wandering...anywhere just to get away from Hiro for a while.

Hiro, however, kept pressing Miyako. "And why'd you say, 'But I really am out of paper'? Why are you trying so hard to convince me?"

"But what's that got—"

"Even trying to get Yuno-san to back you up! It's not really about the drawing paper, is it? You're just trying to leave!"

Miyako sagged. She wasn't going to win this one. Not that she ever won against Hiro when Hiro got this snippy.

"Why is it you're always trying to get away from me?" complained Hiro. "Do I really bother you that badly? And here I am trying to do something nice for you guys! Honestly, it's dinnertime, you know? Aren't you hungry? Don't you wanna at least try this food I made?"

"Actually, me and Yuno have been snacking all afternoon, so I'm kinda full already," Miyako said, giving Hiro a half-hearted smile and patting her belly.

"That's another lie. You're always hungry," Hiro snapped back.

"Okay, you got me on that one."

"And what kind of snacks were you eating? Junk food, I'll bet."

"Eehh..."

"Thought so. Honestly, you can't just eat junk food all afternoon! It's not good for you. You need some decent food in your body. Now go sit back down."

"But I—"

"No buts. Dinner'll be ready in just a few more minutes."

Miyako trudged off back to the table and flopped down on a floor pillow. Hiro returned to her chopping.

"Back so soon?" said Yuno.

"Hiro-san's gonna give us lots of extra nutrition for our bodies today. Hope your body is ready."

Hiro's knife came down unnecessarily hard on the next chop. "Do you have to make fun of everything I say? Honestly, I feel like an unwelcome guest here! Neither one of you have even so much as said 'hello' to me, you know!"

"Hello, Hiro-saaan," Yuno and Miyako chimed together.

"It's too late now," she fussed, turning back to her work.

Yuno and Miyako exchanged looks and shrugged, as if sharing a silent 'yare yare' together. They both knew Hiro would say something like that.

Miyako watched Yuno clear the sketches out from underneath Hiro's pot. "Lend me some paper?" she asked Yuno hopefully.

Yuno stuck out her hand. "100 yen a page."

Miyako sighed. She suddenly grabbed Yuno's 2H and sank her teeth into it. Yuno promptly threw an eraser at her face, pegging her just below the eye.

"Ow! Dammit!"

Miyako recovered the eraser and whipped it back at Yuno. Yuno deflected it with her sketchpad. Hiro gave them both a long, cold look.

"Honestly, you two just need to grow up already," she said.