The reflection stared back at her.
Translucent, like a shadow come to life. The rich violet of her dress appeared muted, blending into the dark scenery just behind the glass surface. Around the edges of her figure, the brightly lit auditorium behind her cast its light onto the door, transforming it into a vivid mirror of the night's lively celebration drawing to a close.
Tougou stepped closer. Her shadow of a reflection faded, leaving only a silhouette. Through it, she could see the courtyard beyond. Darkened shapes formed the backdrop, bereft of details save for the hints of flowers ready to blossom for the coming spring. The glass standing between her and the courtyard gave the scene a washed out, almost ethereal feeling. Somehow uncertain. Hopeful. A world just waiting for her to step into it.
A flurry of movement at the edge of her vision grabbed her attention. She watched the scene unfolding behind her in the reflection. Her dear friends, dressed in evening gowns much like she was, laughing and having a good time, celebrating Itsuki's graduation together. Fuu beaming with pride. Itsuki with an embarrassed smile. Karin gesturing broadly, no doubt telling Itsuki all the things she expected of her. And Yuuna leaping into Karin, pulling her into an embrace with an excited and loving smile.
The reflection's clarity and shine was as if she were looking at the real thing. A future she could be a part of. A future that part of her knew would not be complete.
Tougou grasped the door handle. The glass slid away, casting off the scene and her shadow.
The deep blues and greens of the darkened scenery greeted her as she stepped out into the courtyard. What were vague shapes when viewed through the glass became layers of foliage and stonework intermingled around the trunks of young trees lining the walkways.
Tougou felt a shiver run down her back. Coming from indoors made the chilly evening air feel all the more cold against her exposed shoulders.
"I'm going out to get some fresh air."
Tougou frowned. She heard again the words from just minutes ago. The expression on Sonoko's face – she hadn't said those words to the group. Having caught her attention with a light touch on her shoulder, Sonoko locked her gaze with her own and said it with an unreadable smile, her eyes never breaking away until she had fully turned to walk off. And even then, Tougou couldn't take her eyes off her friend's back until she disappeared behind the door to the courtyard.
Why had she gone off alone? Nothing seemed out of the ordinary during the party. She had spent much of her time by Sonoko's side, laughing and enjoying the present time they still had. She seemed happy in the quiet moments they had alone together through the evening. And yet, when their eyes met as they stood with their closest friends, something had tugged at her consciousness. What had been not out of the ordinary was now suddenly not quite right.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Walking along the winding stone path, her footsteps were absorbed into the gardens lining the walkway. The bushes and trees mingled to form lush walls enclosing her on all sides but two. One could lose and find themselves in this place, the winding paths through the gardens providing time for reflection in isolation despite being so near to others.
The path ahead was unlit. She paused and looked back; she couldn't see the door to the building anymore. The light flooding out from inside shone dim against a branch of a sakura tree at the edge of her vision, its blossoms beginning to fall away already. Still, its beauty was apparent even in the distant darkness.
Should she be looking for her?
Did she want to be alone?
Sonoko's eyes flashed across her mind. Tougou faced forward, to the unlit path ahead. The questions drifted away. Her feelings pushed her along.
The distance felt much longer, but after a few minutes of walking, the path she tread opened up to a clearing, a place for the many garden paths to connect. Before her, the moon casting its dim glow upon it, a wide stonework plaza laid out in a circular pattern, completely open, ringed by benches and statues. At the far end, a stone wall followed the edge of the plaza, overlooking the cliff below. A cloudless expanse stretched out above her, and in the distance, the starry night sky met the glistening waters of the sea.
A tiny movement drew Tougou's eyes off to the side, to a bench at the near end of the plaza. There, a single figure sat, shoulders exposed to the chill of the night just as hers were. A familiar ribbon and the flower ornament above it fluttered alongside the long blond hair they tied back, easily caught by the slightest of breezes.
Tougou stepped down the stairs to the plaza, slowly drawing closer, her view never shifting away from Sonoko relaxing on the bench, gazing out into the distance. She didn't seem to notice her approach. Nothing in her expression seemed different from her usual demeanor, but even with the tapping of her shoes against the stone surface, Sonoko remained still, silently watching the horizon.
Her hands, however, gripped her skirt tight between her fingers.
"Sonocchi?"
Sonoko's eyes widened. She turned to face the girl standing to her side, yet when Tougou's eyes caught Sonoko's, they fell upon her as though not quite believing. The surprise quickly faded from her expression, replaced with her familiar smile.
"Hey, Wasshi~," she said, her tone light. Her fingers visibly relaxed as she spoke. "You surprised me. I thought you would still be inside with everyone."
Tougou opened her mouth to speak. No words came out. What did she even want to say?
Looking into Sonoko's expectant eyes for an answer, something tugged at her thoughts again. Her lips curled up into a smile. Taking her place beside her friend, she sat with just a small gap between them. A small shift in Sonoko's posture seemed to close the distance even further. She took a deep breath and turned. Their smiles met.
"What are you saying, Sonocchi? Of course I would come to keep you company."
Whatever Sonoko's worries were, Tougou knew she would come to her when she was ready to talk. So Tougou expected Sonoko to giggle, as she always did, and say something about being a good friend coming to see her. Expected her to get a glimmer in her eye as she relayed to her some new idea she had, as she did so many times before.
Somewhere in the back of her mind, she didn't want that.
Sonoko nodded and turned back to the open view ahead of them. Silence. Her fingers found their way back between the folds in her skirt and traced aimlessly as Tougou watched, out of sight but for the rippling of the fabric. She shut her eyes. Her body shifted slightly. Her chest rose and fell with each slow and controlled breath. Like she was imagining something important to her. That was the kind of posture she held, one Tougou had become familiar with over the years they had spent together.
"We're finally here, aren't we."
Sonoko's words floated in the crisp evening air. They weren't asking for confirmation, just stating a fact. A fact, or perhaps more than just one?
"Yeah," Tougou replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked to the horizon that pulled Sonoko's eyes away from her. Here. They were here. After everything that happened, they still made it here, to their group's final graduation, to the next steps in their lives. And…
And what? The thought struck Tougou much like the feeling from earlier, how she needed to come here, to find Sonoko. What else had they finally reached? Sonoko's words rang so true to her, so true that she replied so easily, but for what reason?
'Here'. The word lingered in Tougou's consciousness. The future wasn't here yet. But it was coming. She knew. Sonoko knew. But what the future held…
Her eyes drifted back over to her friend. Leaning over slightly, her head cocked to one side, Sonoko was watching her with a warm, thoughtful smile. Tougou's heart lightly thumped in her chest. Deep inside, she felt warm. Right. She put her hand to her chest. She wanted to hold on to this feeling for just a moment longer, before—
Sonoko giggled. Had she heard her heart just then? She slid in closer to Tougou and, still watching her, leaned back to match her posture; their shoulders were barely separated, and Tougou felt the warmth of Sonoko's exposed skin on her own across that tiny gap.
"Wasshi is pretty in her dress~." She reached out and ran a finger along the edge of the ribbon tied at the small of Tougou's back, its pattern a match for the ribbon Sonoko wore in her hair.
A dusting of pink touched Tougou's cheeks. "Ah, Sonocchi, I… Thank you." The compliment caught her off guard, and her thoughts immediately turned to the one next to her. "It's all thanks to you. You chose this dress for me, after all."
Their dresses' designs matched in nearly every way, almost like mirror images cast in their own lights, differing only in the small details. The blue of Sonoko's dress was somewhat unusual for her; normally she would choose a shade of violet for herself. But Tougou couldn't deny it suited her. So much so, she couldn't pull her eyes away, for reasons she couldn't quite place. She had been watching Sonoko through the night and still she was struck by her beauty every time. Before she knew it, the words that came to mind had already left her lips.
"Sonocchi is even more beautiful," she said, her voice airy. "Breathtaking."
"Hehe~. I'm being praised by Wasshi~." Sonoko's legs kicked out and swung a few times excitedly. Tougou saw a slight red tint against her skin.
After a moment, she settled back down and gazed out across the plaza. Her features took on a wistful look, her voice becoming soft.
"The party was always going to be inside. But I thought, maybe this dress should be worn while out here, under the sky, for the final partner dance of the night…" She smiled gently. "Romantic, right~?"
Tougou giggled. "Another idea for one of your stories, Sonocchi?"
"Maybe~."
Her usual singsong voice felt subdued. Almost forced.
"I wanted this day to be special. Ittsun's graduation. One last time, just being the Hero Club all together again." Sonoko gazed down at her hands laying in her lap.
The words brought a small frown to Tougou's lips. Everyone was thinking about the future. The Hero Club wouldn't be able to stay with each other forever. Their hearts would forever be connected, but everyone had something they wanted or needed to do in life. And that meant new paths into a future where their time together would be limited. They all had done what they could to stay with each other up until now, but some responsibilities simply couldn't be put off endlessly.
Especially for the distinguished daughter of the Nogi family.
"But… But more than that, I wanted…" Sonoko trailed off. A moment passed. Tougou waited patiently; seeing her not sure how to continue was so unusual. At the edges of her consciousness, she felt a tension building. An expectation. She couldn't interrupt and risk breaking it. If there was a time for… for what, exactly? The question floated in her head, waiting for an answer to surface.
"… Wasshi is special to me, you know?" Sonoko finally said, looking back to her. A hint of nervousness crept into her eyes.
Tougou tilted her head, partly to hide her surprise at the sudden thumping in her chest. Memories of the festival they attended together years ago. The fireworks display. Sonoko had opened up to her back then, too. Standing side by side, their fingers touched, their hands found each other under those dazzling lights in the sky. They were as close as friends could be back then, just children affirming their friendship together. Not long before they were torn apart.
A pang of fear gripped Tougou. What might lay ahead for Sonoko, for them…
"That's…" She gazed deep into her friend's eyes. They sparkled, but not with their usual glimmer of ideas. Their radiance this time was deeper. Calling out to her. "You've been my precious friend for a long time, Sonocchi."
No, that wasn't quite right, was it? Sonoko wasn't simply a precious friend. That night so long ago, feelings bubbled to the surface she could then only describe as their deepening friendship. A feeling she long believed they shared, that she would come to share with all her closest friends. But even with everything she had been through with the Hero Club, she never quite recaptured that same feeling with anyone else. They were all very close, but somehow it was different with Sonoko. What she felt when she was together with Sonoko, what she felt for her—
"Sonocchi is…"
Something deep inside urged her on. She reached over and gently touched Sonoko's clasped hands. Tougou felt her tremble at the touch. Surprise? Hesitation? A wave of warmth, and with it, confusion, washed over her. She wanted to touch her. She wanted to hold her. She almost felt hurt that there was maybe any hesitation at all from Sonoko. Why? It was only natural for them to share such a moment, wasn't it?
Wasn't it?
Tougou didn't pull her eyes away from Sonoko's. She couldn't. She could feel the answer, tantalizingly close, yet still out of reach. She stroked the top of her hands with her thumb, the thin fabric of their gloves doing little to mask the warmth of her skin. She wanted to take her hand into her own and never let go. To reassure her friend. To not let her leave her side. If she could—
"No fair, Wasshi…" Sonoko whispered, barely audible. "I'm supposed to…" Her shaking voice disappeared into the night. Her breathing shuddered. A nervous laugh followed as she struggled to keep still. And then, silence. Her hands trembled in Tougou's palm. Each second that passed, her cheeks grew more flushed. She broke eye contact and looked down to her lap, and then away, off to the side. Her gaze fixed itself to a spot on the ground out of Tougou's sight.
Long seconds passed.
Tougou felt the trembling of her friend ease and stop.
Slowly, Sonoko stood from the bench. The connection of warmth they had shared between them was whisked away into the night, leaving Tougou with a sudden feeling of isolation.
Her gaze dipped down. Something caught her attention; a tiny flower, not yet bloomed, growing at the base of the bench. A tiny sliver of an opening marked the bud. It would open soon, but in the dark of the night it was too small to know the colors that lay within.
A soft tapping of heels against stone brought Tougou's attention back to Sonoko. One step. Two. Three. Her friend paused, standing with the entirety of the empty stone plaza before her. A breeze pushed aside her long hair, leaving Tougou with a clear view of the ribbon on the small of her back, its colors distinct against the blue of her dress.
Tougou's fingers drifted to the matching ribbon in her own hair.
In her mind, a clear image of the ribbon adorning her own violet dress at the small of her back. In her eyes, the fluttering ribbon Sonoko now wore in her hair.
Her chest tightened, the wave of realization sweeping through her.
Sonoko's shoulders lifted with her taking a deep breath. She let it out slowly, softly.
In one smooth, elegant motion, Sonoko spun around to face Tougou directly. She stood straight, with purpose, her eyes unwavering from the girl still sitting before her. She raised her arm and reached out with her right hand, palm down, cupped ever so slightly with her thumb tucked slightly underneath.
Offering her hand, like a lady to her courtier.
Tougou couldn't help but notice the anxious, pleading expression Sonoko tried to hide behind her refined poise. Hope and uncertainty melded together into a moonlit smile that pulled Tougou to her feet.
She wouldn't hesitate. She didn't need to. Everything she needed stood in front of her, waiting for her to answer. Waiting for her to put into motion the future they wanted.
Conviction in her step, she closed the distance between them. Her hand slipped under Sonoko's. Their fingers brushed against each other's palms as Tougou gently pressed Sonoko's hand into hers. Joining them.
Sonoko slowly led Tougou into the center of the plaza. Their bodies drew closer with each step, each of them pulling in the other. Closer. Closer. Sonoko stopped, her dress fluttering at its edges. Tougou laid her hand against Sonoko's chest. Her partner's arm wrapped around her waist. The distance between them disappeared.
Looking into each other's eyes, feeling each other's warmth, an eternity passed.
With the murmurs of the waves rolling onto the distant beach below serving as their rhythm, the two began their dance. They glided across the plaza, gracefully swaying with each step, to and fro. Their heels tapped against the stone to the music their hearts sang silently under the moon.
A peaceful smile and cheeks tinted in red filled Tougou's vision. She saw nothing else.
Tougou's heart thumped in her chest again, harder than ever. She put her hand over her heart. This newly unveiled affection, she wanted to hold this feeling surging inside. Her hand drifted down to Sonoko's arm. Fingertips glided along her exposed skin, up to her shoulder. She laid her palm against the girl's heart as she had her own and felt the pulse of emotion underneath.
Strong and unyielding.
A sense of assured comfort settled into her. Sonoko smiled, watching as the feeling washed over Tougou. Her fingers drifted upward, to the face of her partner. She brushed aside the fallen strands of hair and cupped Tougou's cheek in her palm.
Warmth flooded into Tougou's cheeks. She welcomed the proof of her feelings for the girl she held so dear. She brought her own hand up just as Sonoko had and caressed her cheek underneath her fingers. Sonoko lovingly pressed herself into her hand, turning her eyes upward with a tiny whimper.
"Wasshi…"
Tougou leaned in and touched her forehead to Sonoko's. She dove into her glistening eyes, letting them envelop her.
"I won't leave your side, Sonocchi." She poured her conviction into the words. "I promise."
A tiny sigh escaped Sonoko's lips. Her arm around Tougou's waist pulled her in tighter.
Together, two hearts danced beneath the starry sky.
Author's Notes
Tougou and Sonoko share a special kind of bond, I feel. Their shared experiences and losses, and the hardships they faced in the years after their first run as Heroes, deeply connect them together with feelings etched into their hearts. I wanted to capture that bond, even just a tiny bit, in a story just for them. I'm glad that I found the inspiration for it in the form that I did. The writing process for this was months-long, bits and pieces coming together slowly as I further discovered my own feelings about them in the process. I hope the end result of my journey with this story has been enjoyable to you.
This story is inspired by a wonderful drawing by 海藻 ( kAiS_OnO) found in the twitter link below. Their pixiv profile is also linked, where you can find this and many other pieces of beautiful artwork they have done. If you enjoyed this story, please take a look and show them some appreciation!
twitter dot com/kAiS_OnO/status/1175397933652381696
pixiv dot net/en/users/10359086