The day after Madoka's new revelation is...tense. Tense for Homura because she doesn't know what's wrong with Madoka. Madoka because she can't figure out how to proceed. Kyouko because she has to play cupid for those two. Sayaka because she doesn't know what the fuck is going on except that her friends are also tense. Same with Hitomi and whatever the guy's name is. Their aura emanates throughout the classroom and makes everyone else subconsciously uncomfortable except for the most oblivious of students.

Arriving at school, Madoka retrieves her usual love letter, now with a knowing wink at Kyouko as she smiles and reads it to herself, then keeps it from the others. Most of the pre-class period is spent in total silence as everyone contemplates what to do. Mostly Madoka and Kyouko: the former spending her time staring at Homura with an unusually satisfied smile, and the latter not napping for once and instead drawing up a list of ways she could talk Homura into making the first move. The other two, meanwhile, are just absentmindedly chatting about how strangely the first two are acting, not even caring that they're within earshot and unaware that their whispering is more like an indoor voice. Not that Madoka cares at all.

And poor Homura, with the eyes staring into the back of her head, can't focus at all on the reports of how many incubators were slain last night coming from the clara dolls through her ear cuff. Instead, all she can hear is her own thoughts screaming at her that this is unusual, slightly creepy, and therefore not good and something must be going on. Not that her minions would deign to tell her something actually important like that, the useless little balls of—

"Everyone!" Saotome suddenly slams the door shut behind her as she enters, preparing to launch into another tirade, and interrupting everyone's thought processes for just a moment before they promptly ignore whatever it is she's saying.

Except...she doesn't? Instead of ranting and looking mildly upset, she's just blissfully smiling and asks if everyone had a good weekend. The class is so wholly caught off-guard that nobody responds.

"Well, that won't do at all!" she proclaims. "Love is in the air, this month! It's totally out of season, but I can smell it! It doesn't matter that valentines and white day are over, I'm going to meet someone who will sweep me off my feet, and so will all you girls out there! If I can do it, so can you!"

Homura cannot help but feel as if the entire universe is beginning to conspire against her at this point. And everyone else? They can't believe their ears. Somehow, this encouraging message essentially telling everyone to get hitched is somehow even less appropriate than her usual nonsense. And to just go from that to regular homeroom without any protest...mouths are surely agape all around.

It isn't until P.E. that Kyouko decides to approach Homura, who's sitting on the sidelines and "covertly" watching everyone else do their thing, against the teacher's wishes. Her opening line is, to nobody's surprise, "What's up?"

"'Up' is relative."

Kyouko shakes her head sarcastically, "What's relatively up?"

"Not me."

She isn't sure she gets that one. Either way, she groans and rewords it, "You know what I mean; what's going on with you? How are you?"

Having seemingly finished snarking, she gives an honest response, "Since Saturday? Not much. In fact, I feel like I've been left out of something important."

Kyouko can probably guess, "...Does it have to do with—?"

"Yes, her."

"Oh. Well, about that..." Homura immediately perks up, and Kyouko notices. And decides to get back at her, "Oh, now you're interested. I see how it is."

Homura scoffs, "Just tell me already, damn!"

Kyouko grins, "Oh, getting stern, are we? Well luckily for you, I know a lot."

Homura glares at her.

Kyouko hurries and almost loses her composure, "Ah, er... Well, you know how you came out to me the other day?"

"Yes."

"Well... Madoka kind of figured out that you're the one sending her those letters she keeps getting."

"Wh..." Homura looks genuinely shocked "What!? No, I'm not..."

"Homura, you wrote them the exact same way you text. She told me how she found out last night."

"But..." Homura looks down in absolute defeat, resting her face in her palms and mumbling about something. Then, she remembers, "Wait, you didn't tell her that I'm...!?"

Kyouko interrupts her as she trails off, almost yelling, "Well when you crush on another girl it's kind of fuckin' obvious! I mean, even if I didn't outright say it, she'd still think you're at least bi! And she'd still know that you like her!"

Homura tries to settle her down, "Quiet, quiet! The entire school's going to hear you!"

They both sigh at each other, with Kyouko saying, "Nobody's gonna hear us during P.E., ya idiot."

"Whatever."

This isn't going nearly well as Kyouko intended. After a minute of silence, she speaks up again, "Oi, you need to tell her."

"Why?"

"You can't just stay hidden forever. I mean, I'm pretty sure she likes you back. If you don't do it, she will. And if you ask me, that's just kind of pitiful. Besides, you went through the trouble of doing the old fashioned letters, I just thought you might have some special way you want to go about it."

"And?"

Kyouko starts to get annoyed, "And it'll look pathetic for both you and me if you don't."

"How will it be pathetic for you?" Homura rightly asks.

"Because I told her I would tell YOU. To. Or something, I can't remember what I said exactly. You know what I mean."

Homura grumbles, "This...isn't how I wanted this to go."

"And how did you want it to go?"

Homura looks down at the ground, somewhat murmuring, "I wanted to go slow. I wanted to start sending her those letters, every day. Not miss a single one. I wanted us to be just friends for a while. To just give out little hints every now and then, and enjoy the simple times. I wanted to wait until next valentine's day to invite her to the rooftop and confess there. And...I never really cared how that went. I just want her to be happy in the end."

Kyouko could barely hear her, but that explanation still disarms her completely. It takes a moment for her to form a response, "...Wow. That... I don't know..."

Homura looks up at her with stern expectance.

Eventually, Kyouko figures out a clever response, "...And what if she'll be happy with you?"

That stern look quickly warps into surprise and something a bit more difficult to both see and describe, as she whips her head away to hide it.

"I mean..." Kyouko continues "...what if you're her 'one'? What if you're the person who'll make her happy like that?"

Homura continues to look away for at least several more seconds before she argues, "No... No, I'll just end up hurting her."

Kyouko scoffs, "Oh, come on. Who doesn't hurt each other?"

Homura looks at her like she's crazy.

"No, really! Think about it! Even the best couple in the damn world will still have an argument every blue moon. I mean, you don't just stop being friends with someone because you accidentally insulted their parents, do you?"

Homura looks like she's genuinely pondering that.

Kyouko is disgusted by that idea, "No! No, you make up and just keep going. Look at me and Sayaka. How often do we fight?"

"134."

"What?"

"You have had 134 arguments since Madoka transferred in. That I know of."

Kyouko looks baffled, "You were...?" then shakes her head "A-Anyways! My point is that getting hurt is going to happen eventually. That doesn't mean it's not meant to be, it's just natural to disagree on things. And hey, weren't you the one who wanted my help? I'm telling you right now that it's going to work, you just need to try! Were you really going to just give up like that after we made that agreement?"

After thinking that tidal wave of information over, Homura just silently sighs, and in a rare bout of weakness, just curls up into fetal position all pitiful-like. Kyouko pats her on the back and says, "Is your self esteem that low? You need a damn therapist. That's our next goal."

"No therapist can help me." Homura catastrophizes, muffled by her legs.

Now Kyouko just looks disappointed, "Wow, really? That was almost edgier than your little cake comment. Remember that?" she grins at the lack of a response and playfully pinches her on the arm. "Remember? Remember?"

Homura swats her hand away, "Enough! Jeez, I'll do it! Just quit...that!"

Kyouko chuckles victoriously, "Alright! When are you gonna—?"

"Tomorrow." Homura states, standing up and stretching a little.

"Grea— Wait, what? Tomorrow!?" Kyouko suddenly stands up with her.

"Yes."

Kyouko's mouth hangs ajar, "Ah... Well, I guess I'll tell her I talked to you, then."

Homura tells her to keep it a secret as she walks off, approaching the track where everyone else is. Kyouko is left caught off-guard by the sudden lack of time they have to react. Tomorrow? Madoka will only have a single night to figure out exactly what she wants to say. But if it's her, she's probably been thinking about it. It's likely to be awkward as hell now, but at least it will be quick. She just hopes it doesn't backfire, or her chances of getting Homura's help to "seduce" Sayaka will be slim to none. Not that that's the only reason she's doing this, but it's a nice incentive. She thinks. Regardless, she runs off to tell the others.

Of course, that doesn't happen until the end of the day, when they're all about to head off to their usual restaurant. Madoka, still acting a bit strangely to the others, goes home by herself again. At that point, Kyouko runs off to catch up with her and talk in...relative privacy.

"Oh, Kyouko!" she calls to her, eyes wandering downwards, when she notices the footsteps and turns around. "Did you...?"

"Yup." Kyouko proudly states, ignoring the look.

"What happened?"

"Ah, well, I can't say. Told me to keep what she was gonna do a secret. But trust me, I packed the sense somewhere in there, even if I had to beat it in a little."

Madoka giggles, "That's good! I know she can be a bit...stubborn, at times, but I think she always ends up doing the right things. So, can you at least tell me if I should—?"

Kyouko interrupts bluntly, "Don't. I mean, she'll do it first. I can't tell you when or how, but..."

"Oh." Madoka looks vaguely surprised, then turns back around and continues walking home.

"But like, watch out for her."

"Watch out?" Madoka raises an eyebrow, half like she's upset at the implication and half out of confusion.

Kyouko nearly trips over her words trying to explain, "Not watch out like she's dangerous, but watch out like she shouldn't be left alone for too long. If you know what I mean."

Madoka goes back to a relieved smile, "Oh, I know. But thanks. And...you can go catch up to the others if you want. I'm just going straight home."

Kyouko smirks, "Don't you mean..."

Noticing what she's about to do, Madoka reaches out, "Kyouko, no—"

"Straight homo?" she finger-guns.

Madoka just turns around and walks away, "...I'm going home."

Kyouko only laughs at her own joke, "Heh... Aha... Okay. Seeya tomorrow." she turns around, mourning her failed landing, and takes a walk of shame down the road. She doesn't even meet up with the others. She just goes home as well.