Scandals could be dragged out for weeks, months, maybe even years. If the person in question was lucky, then maybe it could be over with a few news channels talking about it and that was it, but if they weren't, well, then the incident would all that the media talked about for a long time. Constant discussions, articles, magazines, a never-ending barrage of reminders of what happened. In the eyes of the media, the incident may as well be a permanent scar on the person's reputation, a ghost that came up, again and again and again to haunt the person in question. The rest of the celebrity's life in the spotlight would be spent trying to make up for their mistakes, trying to avoid making another huge, dramatic screw-up, trying to hide their past from a world that would never forget.
And their life outside the spotlight?
Well, friends didn't have quite the same memory that the media did. While they remembered humiliating accidents when they were joking around and reminiscing on the past, they didn't obsess over every little slip-up or mistake. Friends moved on. Friends forgave and friends forgot.
That was why, a week after the trial, even when the controversy of the CEOs of the Fujisouda company being involved in human experimentation was still making headlines, still inspiring story after story on the pair's crimes against humanity and the possibility of immortality, their group of friends had mostly forgotten about the incident. An offhand mention here, a joking comment there was all the acknowledgment the incident got.
That was why, a mere week after the trial, Ibuki, Hiyoko, and Mikan finally finding their new apartment was more pressing and discussion-worthy to the group than the events on the minds of philosophers and scientists pretty much everywhere.
"Mahiru, where does this box go?" Hiyoko asked, holding a cardboard box in her lap.
"Just hold it for now," Mahiru stated as she helped Mikan carry a heavy box into the kitchen.
"Since when was Mahiru the boss of your moving operation?" Hajime turned towards Ibuki, looking to her for answers. He only got a shrug in return.
"She's really, um... responsible...?" Ibuki offered hesitantly.
"You've got that right," Hajime nodded, pride in his eyes as he watched the pair work- trio. Hiyoko was doing the very, very, incredibly important job of holding a box in her hands.
"Can you two assholes actually fucking help?!" Hiyoko barked, almost as if she sensed Hajime forgetting her. Somehow. Maybe everyone was just psychic. But even though Hajime was the one who had slighted her, Hiyoko's fiery glare was turned towards Ibuki. "I'll seriously throw this at your head if you don't shut up!"
"We're on break, Hiyo-chan," Ibuki huffed with a pout. She flopped her arms about like soggy noodles, making an exaggerated frown. "My arms are too tired for thiiiiiiiiis! They'll end up falling off if I keep working!"
"You're just being a lazy bitch!" Hiyoko snapped.
"A-actually, Ibuki-san deserves her rest," Mikan called out from the kitchen. "She's been working really hard!"
"Yeah, see! Mikan is backing me up!" Ibuki grinned, winking at Hiyoko. The blonde grimaced, before sticking out her tongue as a show of her disgust.
"You wouldn't react like that if it were me or Mikan taking a break," Mahiru noted, letting out a sigh of relief as she and Mikan managed to set the box down on the floor with zero casualties.
"Because you two aren't Ibuki," Hiyoko shot back.
"Is it just me, or is Hiyoko meaner to you than anything else?" Hajime asked, turning his eyes towards Ibuki.
"It's because she's a grumpybutt," Ibuki answered simply, wearing a bright grin.
"Shut up before I make you bleed," Hiyoko growled, trying to look intimidating... though her expression was more 'slightly annoyed' than 'on the verge of homicide'. Which might have been due to her cute face. Or maybe she wasn't actually about to murder someone. Honestly, who knew? It was Saionji Hiyoko, the angriest tsundere to ever live.
As Hajime questioned the veracity of Hiyoko's threats, the soft sound of draconic roars came from Mikan's pocket. Mahiru gave the nurse a weird look as Mikan pulled out her phone.
"I-it's just the tone reserved for Fuyuhiko!" Mikan exclaimed defensively, cradling her phone to her chest.
"So..." Mahiru dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, leaning closer with an excited smile on her face. Mahiru was like an old wife when it came to love gossip; a total sucker for it. "You guys really are dating, huh?"
"We've been dating since the New Year," Mikan proclaimed, a hint of pride in her voice as she opened her phone, checking her messages for whatever her boyfriend had sent-
The next thing Mahiru knew, there was a harsh wind in her face, strong enough to nearly knock her over. When she had recovered enough to look up, Mikan wasn't there.
Mahiru paused, trying to process what just happened.
She didn't actually have to look far to find Mikan. The nurse was at the door, hurriedly pulling on her shoes in plain view of the other three.
"Mikan, what the fuck are you doing?!" Hiyoko screamed. "Are you seriously thinking of going outside?!"
"There's a blizzard outside!" Ibuki added, horror obvious in her wide eyes.
"It's a nurse's duty to help those in need!" Mikan shot back, before slamming the door open and running out.
Ibuki and Hiyoko gaped at the door, unable to comprehend what the hell just happened.
"She's going to fucking die!" Hiyoko shrieked.
"What do we do?!" Ibuki wailed. "We can't let Mikan-chan freeze to death!"
"I'll get her," Hajime sighed. "You guys keep working, we'll be back soon."
Hajime let out a sigh as he settled into the bus seat, pulling out his phone. He quickly tapped out a message, intent on finding an answer to the pressing question of 'why the goddamn fuck would Mikan run outside in her pyjamas?'
[natsumi, why would you do that]
The answer was immediate.
[Why the fuck are you assuming that it's me?!]
[the fact that you knew that there's something to blame you for.]
(Natsumi cursed under her breath, regretting answering at all. Hajime's reasoning was too damn sharp! Sharper than Peko's sword! Sharper than his lightning antenna!)
[Your kusamochi was just too delicious, okay?! It wasn't my fault that I couldn't stop eating after one bite!]
[YOU WHAT]
Hajime immediately reminded himself to take deep breaths. He might have liked kusamochi, but Mikan was way more important. She ran into a fucking blizzard for fuck's sake. Murdering Natsumi could wait until after he managed to find Mikan, find answers, and most importantly, get Mikan in warm clothes before she froze to death.
[i'll yell at you for that later. right now, i want to know why mikan just ran into a snowstorm to go fuck knows where.]
(Hajime had a feeling he knew exactly where Mikan was trying to go, though. All roads led to home, or something like that.)
[Wait, you think that's me?]
[yes]
[99 percent of the time something weird happens in this family, it's you pulling some sort of prank]
[Couldn't you have faith in that one percent?]
[It seriously wasn't me this time.]
[bullshit]
[I'm serious!]
[O fuck]
[what?]
[natsumi?]
[what happened?]
Hajime scowled as he pocketed his phone. There were only two things that could make Natsumi drop her autocorrect; pranks and life-threatening circumstances. And if it was the latter...
He had to hurry. If Mikan got to the Kuzuryuu house when it was being attacked...!
The Kuzuryuu household was not under attack. Actually, aside from the bickering in the hallways, it was pretty quiet. Once you tuned out the argument, the atmosphere was perfect for drinking some hot tea and relaxing.
Which was exactly why Peko had invited Nanami over that day. The pink-eyed gamer needed some time to calm down after, well, everything, and was there any better way to unwind than drinking tea and talking about your day?
Peko smiled as she took sips of her tea, listening to Nanami recount her visit to her parents' home.
"They were actually really... cry-y?" Nanami said uncertainly, waving her hands about to substitute a proper adjective. "Like, my mom hugged me and wouldn't let go for about twenty minutes. It was sort of weird."
"You have been legally dead for ten years," Peko reminded the other woman.
"I mean, yeah, but..." Nanami hesitated, trying to think of the best way to put her thoughts and feelings into words. "I just got used to it... I think. I actually might have forgot about it," She paused, humming to herself thoughtfully. "It was just... strange, you know?
Peko nodded, pouring another cup for herself as she listened to Nanami speak.
"It was strange to meet people who used to be such huge parts of your life and realize that you never really forgot them," Nanami sighed, before realizing that her words didn't really make a lot of sense. She hurriedly tried to tack an explanation onto the end, scrambling for the right words. "Like, there were times when I saw things and thought of them, but for the most part, I just lived normally? And it's weird to keep comparing them to my memories, because I'm not sure if they changed too much or if they haven't changed at all... at least, that's what I think."
"They changed too much and too little at the same time?" Peko repeated, trying to make sense of the given information.
"It's weird, isn't it?" Nanami didn't expect an answer, staring forlornly into the depths of her tea cup. She looked so small and tired, like she was crumpling in on herself in the pressuring situation.
It was starting to seem like, every time Peko saw the other woman, she was either stoic, furious, or... just exhausted. Like her life had taken such a huge toll on her that she couldn't even muster up the energy to be sad. Even the one smile Peko managed to see was marred by falling tears... That one small grin was more cracked and bittersweet than anything else.
Nanami had already been through enough, hadn't she? She deserved something to smile about. A genuinely joyful grin, one completely untouched by misery and pain.
Peko gulped, steeling herself for her self-imposed mission. Words weren't her strongest point. People weren't her strongest point. But, Peko was determined to overcome her shortcomings, even if only for a moment, because...
Well, she just wanted to see Nanami smile. Did things need to get more complicated than that?
A soft meow came from the door, and Peko's face brightened as an idea came to mind.
She beckoned the tiny, tiny cat towards her, grinning as Tangerine stepped towards her lazily. Her hand scratched under his chin a bit, before she lifted him into her arms.
"This is Tangerine," Peko declared, holding up the tiny, tiny cat for Nanami to see. The orange kitten looked around curiously, before meowing at Nanami. "He seems happy to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Tangerine," Nanami said simply, lifting up a hand to stroke Tangerine behind the ear.
Peko carefully watched Nanami's face for a change in expression, even a slight twitch of her lips... but, the most emotion Nanami showed was a slight furrow in her brow.
"I thought you had three cats," Nanami muttered, sounding a bit... disappointed?
Peko adjusted her grip, hugging Tangerine to her chest with one arm. With her other hand, she waved at the open door, where you could see Fuyuhiko and Natsumi bickering in the hallway. Nanami watched blankly as the pair yelled at each other, her hand continuing to pet Tangerine while Fuyuhiko yelled something about a phone thief.
"It wasn't me!" Natsumi shot back, trying to defend her honour.
"Who else would steal my phone just to send 'SOS' to someone?!" Fuyuhiko demanded, scrunching his face into a scowl.
Nanami Chiaki suddenly understood. The bristling back, the extended claws, the fangs... yup, those two were definitely angry cats.
"What is it with guys and thinking that I'm the root of all their problems?!" Natsumi screamed in frustration. "If I was the one who stole your phone, then trust me, 'SOS' isn't what I would send! That's nowhere near entertaining enough! If it were me, then all your contacts would be getting pick-up lines and memes!"
"For once, your sister isn't the one at fault," A woman's voice called out, amusement in her voice.
The twins whirled around, freezing at the sight of their mother. Even Peko seemed to tense up at her sudden appearance, despite being half a room away.
Chiaki ignored that in favour of petting Tangerine.
"U-um, Mom...?" Natsumi mumbled uncertainly.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it?" A smile stretched out across Kuzuryuu Amaterasu's face, one that could almost be mistaken for innocent and friendly... if not for the steel edges lining her words. "I'm looking forward to meeting Miss Medicine."
"Mom, there's no way she would actually come over just because of one text-"
"FUYUHIKO!"
Fuyuhiko was cut off by a flying nurse barreling towards him, grabbing his hands as she checked for injuries. She was babbling faster than a supersonic motorcycle, but there were a few phrases that Nanami could pick out, even when no one else understood. Stuff like 'I got your text, I got so worried since it wasn't in capitals or perfect spelling like you usually do', 'Are you hurt anywhere?! Please tell me you're okay!', 'I ran as fast as I could', and 'I hope you're okay.'
"Your hands are freezing!" Fuyuhiko yelped as he snatched his hands away, before his eye widened.
Mikan was wearing nothing but sneakers and a nightgown that went to her knees. Her entire body was dripping with water and her skin was chilled, and holy shit, was there frost in her hair?!
"What the fuck?! Why the hell are you soaking wet?!" Fuyuhiko gaped at Mikan, before hurriedly trying to shove her down the hallway. Mikan didn't resist, letting his warm, warm hands to guide her to... where were they going again?
(Did it really matter, when she was with him?)
"I sorta... ran..." Mikan confessed.
"Why?!" Fuyuhiko demanded in disbelief.
"I thought you were being attacked or kidnapped or something!" Mikan huffed defensively.
"So you ran through a blizzard to save me," Fuyuhiko reiterated.
"Er, yeah..."
"Mikan, you are fucking insane?!"
"I-is this a trick question?!"
"Why is that your first react- ARGH, who gives a damn?! Go take a bath before you die of hyperthermia!"
"Um, Fuyuhiko, do you mean hypothermia?"
"I don't care which one it is! Just don't fucking die!"
"Well, this ought to be interesting," Miss Kuzuryuu grinned deviously, watching the pair's retreating backs.
(Nanami turned back towards Peko, her pink eyes full of confusion and what may have been fear as she simply said, "Your family of cats is weird."
Peko couldn't object to that.)
"Why aren't Hajime and Mikan-chan back yet!?" Mahiru huffed as she stabbed at an empty box with a box cutter. Irritation dripped from her voice, though there was a not-so-hidden edge of concern to her words...
"Maybe they got caught up in traffic," Hiyoko suggested, before shrugging. "Who knows?"
"Maybe I should go look for them..." Mahiru muttered to herself quietly... though, given that there were only two other people in the room, one with near-superhuman hearing, and neither of them doing anything noisy or obstructive, Mahiru's words were obviously overheard.
"But. Mahiru-chan, if you go out, you'll just get caught up in the storm!" Ibuki pointed out, though she kept her eyes trained on her work. Namely, the very important (and very difficult) task of assembling one of the bed frames. "Pretty please, just stay with us a little bit longer?"
"I can't just let those two go off and die of hypothermia...!" Mahiru exclaimed, before bringing the blade down on the box once again. And again. And again and again and again. The box was beginning to look less like a box and more like a pincushion. Or paper mache.
"Seriously, you're going to end up stabbing yourself sooner or later if you keep that up," Hiyoko noted apathetically. It wasn't that she couldn't understand why Mahiru would be worried and upset, but... why would you get so worked up if you couldn't do anything about it? It was just a waste of time and energy.
"You're too cruel, Hiyo-chan!" Ibuki called out with a scandalous grin on her face. "Don't you understand the pure feelings of a maiden's heart?! Show some empathy! I wanna hear your encouraging voice, saying stuff like 'everything will be alright'!"
"There's no way some cliche line like that will do anything!" Hiyoko shot back. "We can't do anything but wait around for-"
"Oh, it's a text from Hajime!" Mahiru's joy and relief was palpable as she dropped the box cutter, a smile on her face as she checked her phone-
[so, apparently, mikan is somehow meeting with fuyuhiko's parents]
[not sure how that works, but i thought you would appreciate the news]
"The fated first meeting with your lover's parents...!" Mahiru gasped dramatically, all her anger forgotten in an instant. There was nothing but excitement in her voice as she thought of each and every soap opera-like possibility. "Will they welcome her with open arms?! Or will they threaten her with death and try to keep her away from their only son, because he's emotionally fragile after the death of his first and only previous lover...?!"
"What the hell is she going on about?" Hiyoko asked with an exasperated sigh, turning to Ibuki for answers.
She only got a shrug in return.
One warm bubble bath later, Mikan found a change of clothes at the door of the bathroom. It felt a bit small on her, but it was better than parading around in a towel.
"Good luck," Fuyuhiko's sister whispered to her before opening the dining room door for her. That really wasn't a good sign.
Fuyuhiko sat on one side of the table, his parents sitting opposite him. The room was completely silent, the heavy pressure in the room nearly crushing Mikan as she went over to sit next to Fuyuhiko.
"It is very nice to meet you," Mrs. Kuzuryuu said slowly, even when her eyes were stabbing holes into Mikan's body and Mikan swore she saw a knife in her hands and-
Mikan gulped, her body suddenly stiffening. She felt like she was being screened at an airport with the way she tensed up, even when she knew she didn't do anything wrong. Her breathing slowed, trying to stay as quiet as possible to avoid angering the older woman. Or maybe Mikan was in one of Chiaki's horror games, trying to stay as still as possible to avoid being attacked by a vicious beast.
Then Fuyuhiko took her hand in his. Her eyes went towards the one-eyed man next to her, spotting the warm grin on his face. They exchanged small smiles and silent encouragement, and Mikan could breathe again. One breath, then another, then one huge sigh escaped from her lips.
The tension bled out of Mikan's shoulders as she looked up, staring Mrs. Kuzuryuu in the eye without flinching away.
She could do it.
Mikan... Mikan wasn't the same woman who trembled and panicked whenever Fuyuhiko was around anymore. She wasn't the same clumsy coward who fainted at the idea of her friend being a Yakuza. Mikan had changed and grew so much since then!
And it was all thanks to the man by her side.
She had grown, because he was with her. She had become someone stronger, someone braver, someone better, because Fuyuhiko was at her side, through the good and the bad. Mikan couldn't turn back to before she met Fuyuhiko, but then again, she didn't want to. Fuyuhiko... Mikan couldn't imagine life without him anymore. She didn't want to, either. Mikan wanted to stay with him, the man who accepted her, who loved her, who helped her become the person she was.
A bright smile appeared on Mikan's face as her mind drifted towards distant memories, remembering screaming and crying and fear. The woman she used to be would be horrified at the idea of being alone in a room with three high-ranking Yakuza members. But, as it was now, Mikan wasn't scared at all.
As long as Fuyuhiko was there with her, then...
Then Mikan would be able to do anything.
Kuzuryuu Atsushi looked nothing like the rest of his family. For one thing, he was actually pretty tall. He towered over Mikan, which, by extension, meant that he looked even bigger when compared to his son. And his daughter. And his wife. And Natsumi. Instead of silky blond locks, he had short black hair that was slowly turning grey. His green eyes felt as piercing as spears, ready to strike at any moment if Mikan did anything wrong. Either he hated her, or he just had a really angry resting face.
Mikan... really couldn't see how someone that intimidating was related to Fuyuhiko at all, at least until she looked over to his mom.
Kuzuryuu Amaterasu looked as youthful as her children with her cute face, flat chest, and (lack of) height. Only the grey streaking through her long golden hair hinted at her true age. On the back of her right hand was a spiraling dragon identical to the one on Fuyuhiko's eyepatch. Nails painted in reds and oranges and yellows like autumn leaves tapped against the wooden table in a hypnotizing rhythm.
You could almost see how it was supposed to go down. The threatening father would viciously interrogate Mikan, while his cute wife tried to calm him down and keep him from mauling the nurse. Mikan would be trembling in her seat, only remaining conscious thanks to the comforting aura of her boyfriend.
But, apparently, in the Kuzuryuu family, intimidation went hand-in-hand with cute faces and tiny bodies.
"Why are you interested in him?" Mrs. Kuzuryuu asked, her eyes as sharp as the knife in her hand as she leaned towards Mikan. Mikan stilled, carefully staring the older woman in the eyes with a neutral expression. Mikan couldn't show weakness, not in front of a snake who would strike at any vulnerability she saw...! "Money? Power? Fame?"
"None of the above, ma'am," Mikan answered simply. Fuyuhiko gave her hand a squeeze, letting her know that it was a good answer.
"So, you wouldn't leave him, even if I offered you five billion yen?" Mrs. Kuzuryuu reached underneath the table, propping a briefcase on top of the wood. She undid the latch, causing the lid to fall open, countless bundles of money spilling out onto the table.
"Are you seriously trying to bribe my girlfriend into breaking up with me?!" Fuyuhiko demanded incredulously, staring at his mother in disbelief.
"Yes."
Mr. Kuzuryuu cleared his throat, finally choosing to enter the discussion. He had an air of authority around him, one that gave his every action enough weight to silence the room. Whenever he spoke, you listened. Whatever he asked, you would do. He inspired unquestionable, unwavering, unthinking loyalty and obedience in others, simply by existing...
"Rasu, you know it won't count if you bribe her, right?"
...which only made it even more ridiculous when his words turned out to not be incredibly important. It only got worse when the cutesy nickname for his wife was thrown into the mix.
"Wait, what doesn't count?" Fuyuhiko hissed, trying to grab his parents' attention and get some damn answers.
"I won't accept it!" Mrs. Kuzuryuu shot back, scowling at her husband. "I refuse to accept it!"
"Um...?" Mikan turned to Fuyuhiko, hoping to get an explanation for... well, everything. Unfortunately, Fuyuhiko was just as lost as she was.
"It's only five hundred yen," Mr. Kuzuryuu offered, trying to placate his wife.
"No! It's probably a fake girlfriend to cover up his dates with his real boyfriend!" Mrs. Kuzuryuu insisted with a huff. "There's still a chance that I'm right and he's gay!"
"Were you betting on this?!" Fuyuhiko screamed, gaping at his parents.
"Yes," Mr. Kuzuryuu nodded.
"I am not a fake girlfriend!" Mikan pouted, offended by the idea.
"Oh, shut it, fakey!" Mrs. Kuzuryuu snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Mikan. "You're probably being paid a million a minute to keep up that act!"
"I am not bribing her!" Fuyuhiko proclaimed, right before Mikan leaned over, squeezing his hand.
Mikan's eyes were firmly fixed on Mrs. Kuzuryuu's face as she lifted her and Fuyuhiko's intertwined fingers for the older woman to see. She let their hands fall on top of the table, her right arm wrapping around Fuyuhiko's bicep.
Mrs. Kuzuryuu's eye began twitching as Mikan rested her chin on Fuyuhiko's shoulder.
Mikan grinned innocently in response, right before untangling their fingers, turning her attention towards Fuyuhiko.
It was almost like Mikan was taunting Mrs. Kuzuryuu as she gently raised her right hand to Fuyuhiko's rapidly-reddening cheek. Her every move was slow and deliberate, making sure that Fuyuhiko's parents knew what she was doing.
"Mikan, what are you doing?" Fuyuhiko hissed quietly, trying to look intimidating. Even when his girlfriend was tracing hearts on his cheeks and staring at him adoringly. Yeah, it didn't work much.
"Proving my love for you, or something like that," Mikan said simply, before kissing his forehead. She gave him a bright smile, and, unlike the one she gave his parents, it was actually genuine. "Why, do you not like it?"
"I-I didn't say that!" Fuyuhiko snapped, bright red.
Mikan giggled, before beaming at Fuyuhiko. "That's good. Stay still, okay?"
Fuyuhiko fell silent, letting Mikan place her hands on his face without protest. She held his head in place as she continued pressing kisses to his bright red face, her eyes always checking for a reaction from his parents.
Painted nails were clawing at the wooden table, while Mrs. Kuzuryuu's other hand twitched around the grip of her knife.
Mr. Kuzuryuu simply nodded in approval, which Mikan took as a sign to keep going.
"Fuyuhiko, I love you more than anything," Mikan smiled, pressing another kiss to his forehead. "You're so precious to me," His eyelashes fluttered a bit when Mikan kissed his remaining eye.
Mrs. Kuzuryuu was yanking at her hair roughly, scowling furiously at Mikan's brazen display. Her lips were trembling from the effort required to keep herself from screeching profanities at Mikan. She looked like she was on the verge of stabbing someone or having a villainous breakdown. Or both.
Mikan giggled a bit to herself, knowing that she was totally winning.
'It's time for the final blow!' Mikan thought to herself, trying to psych herself up.
"I-" Kiss.
"Love-" Kiss.
"You-" Kiss.
"So-" Kiss.
"Much!" Mikan wrapped her arms around Fuyuhiko's shoulders, pulling him as close as possible before pressing their lips together.
Mrs. Kuzuryuu screamed, stabbing her blade into the table. Her husband patted her on the shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.
It didn't work much.
"That's probably enough work for today..." Ibuki groaned tiredly, shoving the one-fourth-assembled bed frame away from her.
"You barely did anything," Hiyoko stated.
"I don't want to hear that from you, Miss 'my job is to hold this box for forty minutes'!" Ibuki huffed in response.
"Oh shut the hell up, you asshole bitch daughter of a demon singer!"
"What does that even mean?!" Ibuki wailed in a mix of shock and confusion.
"It means that you should shut up and-"
"I should probably be getting back to my place," Mahiru declared, trying to break up the argument without actually butting in. Or maybe she was just trying to escape. She stood, dusting off her legs before facing the other two women. "Remember, I'm just down the hall if you need help."
"Got it," Hiyoko nodded, right before Mahiru shut the door behind her.
"I can't believe you fucking did that," Fuyuhiko whispered scandalously, his face redder than a bundle of tomatoes.
"Well, I had to get your mom to believe us somehow, right?" Mikan offered with a dorky grin.
"She could have stabbed you for pissing her off."
Mikan hesitated, before remembering that yes, Mrs. Kuzuryuu had been holding a knife, and yes, Mikan may or may not have been putting herself in danger with that stunt. Somehow, Mikan didn't really care much about that last fact.
Was that confidence or just stupidity? Why wouldn't she care about the fact that her life was in danger? What could have p-
Mikan suddenly remembered, the realization hitting her like a bucket of ice water to the head.
She... she was just so angry at the implications of Mrs. Kuzuryuu's words. Mikan hated the idea that her love could be bought, that her feelings for Fuyuhiko were fake, that she would be lying if she said she was in love with Fuyuhiko...
"I know she could have hurt me," Mikan answered calmly, giving Fuyuhiko a serene smile. "Maybe even kill me. But... that's not important."
"What the fuck," Fuyuhiko said flatly, before scowling at Mikan. "Put more value in your fucking life, Mikan!"
"T-that's not what I meant!" Mikan declared. She floundered a bit as she tried to put her feelings into words. "I just... wanted to prove that I really did love you. To you and to her."
Fuyuhiko froze, staring at Mikan with a wide eye. His cheeks darkened as he averted his gaze from Mikan's face.
"You don't have anything to prove to me," Fuyuhiko mumbled. "I already know that you love me."
"I know that you love me too, but..." A bashful smile appeared on Mikan's face as she turned a bit red. "It's nice to be reminded of that, right?"
"You're too damn embarrassing sometimes..." Fuyuhiko whispered under his breath.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Mikan asked carefully, staring at Fuyuhiko curiously.
Fuyuhiko paused, before grinning slightly at Mikan. "Definitely a good thing. After all, it's you."
Mikan gaped at Fuyuhiko, her jaw dropping from shock. Fuyuhiko tensed up, his face turning an even darker red.
"S-shut up!" Fuyuhiko snapped before Mikan could say anything. "It just slipped out, okay?!"
Mikan frowned thoughtfully, before beginning to make strange shapes with her hands. She was completely silent the entire time.
Fuyuhiko watched as Mikan pointed both her fingers towards her bright smile, then make a series of complicated hand signs that ended with her pushing her palms towards him, though she didn't make contact. Realization hit him upside the head like a baseball bat.
"Why are you playing charades?!" Fuyuhiko demanded incredulously.
Mikan pointed at him, then, with her other hand, pinched at the edge of her lips, making a quick zipping motion over her mouth.
"I wasn't serious when I told you to shut up!" Fuyuhiko retorted, easily understanding what Mikan was trying to convey.
Mikan just shrugged in return, before adding more weird, incomprehensible gestures.
"Seriously, what are you even trying to say?!"
Mikan paused in thought. She pointed her finger at herself, then made a heart shape with both her hands. There was a beaming smile on her face as she held her hands out to him, the message completely obvious.
"Oh my god..." Fuyuhiko covered his bright red face with his hands, unable to say anything in response.
"Hey, Hiyo-chaaaaaaaaan!" Ibuki skipped towards the blonde, leaning over Hiyoko's face. Hiyoko jumped away from the sudden movement, though Ibuki didn't notice. She was too busy pouting. "Are you mad at me or something?
"Why the hell would you think that?" Hiyoko huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not mad."
"Yup, you're totally mad," Ibuki sighed despondently, her pout growing even more exaggerated. "Your attitude is even worse than usual! Did I do something wrong, Hiyo-chan?"
"I'm not fucking mad!" Hiyoko snapped. Her glare was so intimidating that Ibuki would have withered away from fright... if she weren't completely unaffected by it. "Seriously, shut up! Your voice is annoying me!"
"It's as clear as the water in a fairy fountain!" Ibuki declared with a triumphant grin. "You're furious, enraged, completely infuriated!"
"Congrats on knowing how to use a thesaurus," Hiyoko rolled her eyes, unimpressed by Ibuki's vocabulary. "What kind of loser adds references to their favourite games in everyday conversations anyways?"
"What kind of nerd pretends not to like stuff they love to look cool?" Ibuki shot back cheerfully. Her words, her bright smile, and her cheerful tone didn't match up at all.
"Look cool?!" Hiyoko repeated, staring at Ibuki in disbelief. "In front of you?! What would be the point?!"
"Yeah!" Ibuki nodded. "I'm so cool that I'm impossible to impress that way!"
"No! Never! Impossible!"
"You can't deny my coolness, Hiyo-chan!" Ibuki sang.
"I'm denying it!" Hiyoko screamed. "I'll deny it to my grave! I'll deny it until the end of fucking time!"
"But if you're in denial, then you're refusing to accept reality!" Ibuki laughed joyfully. "I'm the cool one! I win! Check and mate, Hiyo-chan!"
"Oh shut up," Hiyoko groaned, even when her cheeks were slowly turning red. "You're too annoying sometimes..."
"You're only saying that because I won and you didn't!" Ibuki exclaimed, puffing out her chest with pride. Another huge, beaming grin was plastered all over her face, one that made Hiyoko smile too.
It... it was really weird. Whenever Ibuki smiled, everyone else in the room did too. Whenever she laughed, everyone would just start feeling happy. Ibuki had such a huge effect on other people. She was like the shining sun, radiating warmth and joy everywhere she went.
So, why did that idea make Hiyoko's stomach twist and turn and tie itself into knots? She was obviously okay with just... being with Ibuki. Hiyoko actually sort of liked spending time with the rock star. But why did she feel so irritated before then? When did Hiyoko start smiling and giggling at Ibuki's antics? When did her heart's jealous twisting become fluttery-
Wait. Jealous?
"Hiyoko-chan, you okay there?" Ibuki waved her hand in front of Hiyoko's face, startling the blonde.
"Shut up," Hiyoko snapped automatically, gritting her teeth together.
Hiyoko didn't have a reason to be jealous. She wasn't jealous. No, there was no way!
Her mind chose the absolute worst time to bring up the incident from a week ago, when Hiyko didn't just mentally scream at that Kuzuryuu bitch, but she also tried to punch Ibuki's brother because she thought he was a stalker. But that wasn't proof that she was jealous. No, Hiyoko was just being protective of Ibuki! She was being a good friend! Actually, she was an exceptional friend! Saionji Hiyoko was the most incredible friend to walk the face of the earth!
(She was not in denial. Shut up.)
"You're still looking super grumpy," Ibuki noted. Hiyoko flinched. Wasn't Ibuki supposed to be blind to her inner turmoil or something like that?!
Ibuki just giggled a bit, before giving the ex-dancer a bright grin. "Come on! Let's do something fun and erase that frowny-face!"
"You sound like a fucking kid," Hiyoko retorted, using annoyance to cover up the bubbly feelings in her stomach.
Ibuki was like the sun. Every smile, every laugh, every cheerful word made Hiyoko's face grow warm and her heart stammer.
Hiyoko hated it.
Bonus
'Is it really that easy to trick Miss Medicine?' Natsumi wondered, staring at Fuyuhiko's phone. She typed out a message, snickering to herself before sending it.
[Want to see what I look like under this suit? ;)]
The reply was immediate.
[Yͬͭ̅͗͆O͌̓͑U̅̑̃̆́̇͒ ͊́A̿ŔÉ͛͠ ͤ̚N̢̉̑̅̄̇͂̈Oͫͧͧ͘Tͬ̍̏͌͏ ̔̇͐̽̃̐҉FUͦ͛͒̍͂Ÿ́ͥ̀͐̀ͭU͡H̏̔͒̉͠Iͮ̿͗̓Kͥ̐̋̂͡O̔͑]
[W̕H̀̕O̷̸ ͜͠͞A͟͞҉͝R̴̀͠È͢ ͞͏̵̢Y̕͟͢͝Ǫ̀͘͝U̵͡]
Natsumi dropped the phone, staring at it in horror. She could sense the malevolence and bloodlust behind those words! How the hell did Miss Medicine do that?!
[A̛N̸͏̶҉͠S̶͘͢W͏̵̶E͏̡̛͡R̨̛̛͞ ̷̧͘M͞E҉̷̡,͢͢ ͠I̵̡̕͜M̀͏͜͠P̷͢͞O̷̸̢͝҉S̡̛͢͡T͏̀͢E̸̡҉̸̡R̷͠͡]
Natsumi hesitantly grabbed the phone off the floor, her fingers cautiously tapping at the letters.
[I'm Natsumi! It was just a prank!]
[Oh.]
[You really should return Fuyuhiko's phone. I was almost tricked for a second!]
[You were?]
The blonde grinned to herself. If she was so good at impersonating Fuyuhiko that his girlfriend was almost fooled, then a whole new world of possibilities opened up! She could flirt with everyone under Fuyuhiko's name convincingly! She could-
[Yeah, except for the part where I've already seen Fuyuhiko shirtless, so there's no reason for him to send that as a pick-up line. And he normally doesn't use smiley faces. And even if he did, he would never use a winking face, since blinking and winking are sort of the same thing for him. Plus, that's his right eye closed in the face, and he doesn't even HAVE a right eye to close anymore.]
'...doesn't that just mean I suck at impersonating Fuyuhiko?!' Natsumi gaped at the phone like she had just been slapped by a wet fish.
Thank you all for reading this chapter! I hope that everyone has a great day!
Oh, by the way! Someone by the name of weissschnee made a Kuzumiki fanmix on 8tracks! It's so beautiful and incredible! Please check it out at 8trackscom/weissschnee/smile-for-a-smile
Just add a dot between the name of the site and the com and you'll be fine!
