...
[Chapter 17: Of Fireworks and Promises]
...

(Present Day)

Kyoko was done. Her body was not able to deal with her exhaustion. After Mami's party ended, she had left with Nagisa and the blonde. Sayaka and Madoka went their own routes. Mami returned to her apartment with Nagisa, while Kyoko returned to hers. The blonde and the redhead did not live far apart. In fact, they lived in the same building, one floor away from each other. It was Mami who had managed to find a vacancy for Kyoko. The girl even offered to cover the living expenses, which Kyoko had no choice but to accept. Initially she thought it was a good deal to be freeloading. But her conscience eventually won, and she made plans to pay Mami back when she was more financially stable.

Kyoko washed her face, untied the ribbon in her hair and let it fall free. The ceiling fan was on, even on a winter day like this. Not that she would keep it on. It was just for a few minutes, till her body cooled down enough before sleeping. She sat on an edge of her bed, leaning her back against the wall.

The room was clean, simple, and had one bed. The difference between her place and Mami's was quite simple. It was empty. Not just due to the lack of furniture, but the lack of people. Sometimes, Kyoko curled up into a ball and cried alone in the cold, dark apartment. But that was a rarity, and it used to happen one or two years ago. Now, she was a lot more well-adjusted. Healthy meals, proper exercise, and good company made her bouts of depression go away.

Still, it was a much better place to live in, when compared to her make-shift tent under the bridge.

Kyoko took a look around the room, trying to think about future additions to the apartment.

There was only a TV, a small coffee table, a bed and a landline phone set, all four of which were already there. The TV was an old one, but it worked just fine. Aside from the bedsheets, the blankets, the clothes, and the hygiene products, she owned nothing. There were several issues of manga beside the coffee table. Those were borrowed from Sayaka.

Maybe she would buy an oven, she thought as she looked at the empty power sockets around the house. Yes, that would be a good purchase. That would enable her to eat leftovers. But then she would need a fridge so that the leftovers wouldn't get bad.

Her mind settled on not buying an oven for now.

She tried thinking about other things.

...Sayaka.

Yes, it had to be her. What else could she think of? She didn't really have much going for her anyway.

She closed her eyes and looked back at all the times they spent together.

Three years ago, she was just a sad girl who had run away from her house, only to live under a bridge. Alone. She did try stealing food from local fruit-vendors. It was a hit or miss. She never quite got skilled at it. The people nearby would ignore her, but sometimes the folk who lived by the river bed, shared their food with her.

Now, she just laughed whenever she thought of herself like that. So helpless and desperate.

Then came Sayaka.

A hurricane in the calm, event-less space of struggle Kyoko called home.

A girl who came to her for shelter from the rain, only to become her closest friend. Someone who stole her gaze, her focus, her thoughts, her mind, and her heart, and did not even know.

The redhead had already rested her head on the pillow, her back now laid flat on the bed. She didn't know when she had changed positions. She stared at the ceiling fan, which continued to spin. Her vision darkened as her body started to relax.

And in that last few moments before her slumber, she could not focus on anything except the fan that slowly faded to black.


(about 3 years ago)

It was the day before New Years. The local shrine had arranged a festival of sorts, for the final countdown. It was the annual tradition of the city. Kyoko and Sayaka had planned to attend, while Madoka and Mami said they would tag along. Sayaka had picked out two kimonos from her house, a sky-blue one that belonged to her, and a pink one with red accents that belonged to her mother. Kyoko was invited to come to the Miki-household, as the redhead's abode under the bridge would not be a suitable place to get changed.

It hurt Kyoko's pride to be wearing someone else's clothes and listen to someone else's demands. She did like being a free spirit after all. When she outright refused Sayaka's request to go to her house, she noticed her become disheartened. She did not feel comfortable with the idea of getting on Sayaka's bad side. So she found solace in the fact that she would only have to do this for one day.

And that brings us to this day. New Years eve.

Kyoko cleared her throat, tidied up the front of her hair strands, straightened the hem of her jacket as she rang the doorbell to Sayaka's house.

She did not know why she was feeling so nervous. Maybe the fact that she did not go inside another house ever since she had run away from her own had something to do with it. Or so she thought.

The one who opened the door was Sayaka's mother.

"Ah," a woman with long hair said, her head and torso peeking out of the door. The color of her hair was similar to Sayaka's if not a bit darker. "You must be Kyoko-chan! Come in. Come in."

The door was kept open for her to enter. Kyoko did not prepare to be met by Sayaka's mother at first. She did not know how to respond. So she nodded and went inside, trying to put her most polite self forward.

"Pardon the intrusion," she said, leaving her sandals as she went in.

"Sayaka's in her room so you go on ahead, dear. I'll be right with you in a moment," The older Miki said to the redhead, locking the door. She had a ladle in one hand, so Kyoko figured she had been cooking. "I swear, sometimes she is more like a son than a daughter. I'll have to help her with her kimono. Do you need a hand too, Kyoko-chan?"

Sayaka's mother looked frantic, as if she had to follow a schedule by the second, or she would detonate. Kyoko was surprised to see her urgency.

"Its gon' be okay," she said. "I can wear em properly. I can help her if ya want."

The woman grabbed Kyoko's hands with her own, the ladle making the grip a bit awkward.

"Oh, thank you," she looked as if she had a boulder lifted off her chest. "You are a Godsend, dear."

Kyoko chuckled a bit, before the woman hurried to the kitchen. Maybe she was cooking something that required intricate timing. Maybe that was why she was in such a hurry. The redhead could only wonder as she made her way up the staircase.

She knocked on Sayaka's door, which she knew was Sayaka's as some girly stickers with English words were stuck on it. If the English did not give it away, the glitter on the stickers most certainly would.

It was tacky. And knowing Sayaka, it was intentionally tacky. She hated glitter.

Sayaka wasted no time in opening the door, and as she did, she grabbed Kyoko's wrist and pulled her into the room without warning. The unsuspecting girl yelped, but it fell on deaf ears.

Kyoko was suddenly in Sayaka's space of unadulterated... well... Sayaka. Honestly, that is the only word she could use to explain it. The room was mostly covered in various posters, of music bands, anime and games she had never heard of. She could faintly remember some of them if she tried, but she didn't. There was a computer in one corner of the room, and on both sides of it, were a set of speakers she could think of as high-class. Moreover, the room's sides and corners also had small sized speakers, all of which were playing some song at a tolerable volume. The bass from the subwoofer made the floor vibrate occasionally with the beats, as the wails of the electric guitar in the song echoed through the room. There were t-shirts, shorts, books and manga laid across the room in a haphazard fashion. She found herself mesmerized by the lights as well, which were placed in a way that made the mess in her room look like modern art.

In short, there was no finer adjective than the word "Sayaka", to explain what the room looked like.

Kyoko was speechless. While Sayaka made sure she had locked the door properly, to ensure the sound didn't bleed out through the crack of the doors, Kyoko stood still behind her, her mouth agape and eyes wide.

"I thought you wouldn't come, Kyoko."

The girl looked oddly happy. Her hair was a mess, and was wearing a white t-shirt with the word "Coldplay" on it, with a picture of something she didn't know. Maybe it was abstract? She was wearing shorts, but the t-shirt was a bit oversized, making it seem like she wasn't.

Was this the same Miki Sayaka she had befriended?

Well, it was pointless to ask. Kyoko did know that the girl in front of her was a bag of surprises. By now, she was used to it all.

'Damn, at this point, if Sayaka started to fly and swing a sword around like an uncivilized pirate, I wouldn't be surprised', Kyoko thought. She did not know why those particular words sprung into her mind, but the mental image that came with them made her snort.

"Yeah... I figured 'what the hell could go wrong', and here I am."

Sayaka grinned, and she walked over to her bed, lowering the volume on her speaker with a remote as she did so. The bass was still notably present, but the vocals and riffs were slightly muffled. She pointed to two, neatly folded dresses in her bed. They were the two which Sayaka had told her about a few days earlier.

The pink one, owned by Sayaka's mother, was to be worn by Kyoko while the blue one, Sayaka.

"I suck at wearing these," She said, her hands now resting on her hips as she boasted. "Mom and I have this... thing. She teaches me every year how to wear one of these, and I make sure to forget it by the next."

Kyoko had never seen Sayaka act so proud over an inability to do something. She sighed, and decided to just not ask.

"Take your clothes off."

Kyoko's voice was dry, and nonchalant.

"Haha," Sayaka responded, humor in her voice. "Take me out to dinner first, mister."

Kyoko felt a bit irritated.

"Take yer damn clothes off. I'll help you wear em."

Sayaka murmured a faint "Oh" as she complied.

There was no shame or embarrassment between the two. Sayaka did blush initially, but it wore off quickly as she figured the both of them were girls anyway. Kyoko did not feel awkward, as she treated the process as the times she had to dress up her younger sister in a kimono.

Kyoko had planned to wear hers later, as it would not take up much time.

As the redhead wrapped the marine blue sash around Sayaka's waist, she thought of her own times as a child. Kyoko had learned about such a skill from her mother.

"Turn around," Kyoko said, as Sayaka listened. Kyoko and Sayaka were both standing, and the former made sure to fasten the sash in a way that was neither too tight, nor too loose. The trick was to get behind the person, wrap the sash around the waist, and use a finger's width of separation at first. Then to slowly tighten it until the wearer's back straightens by reflex.

To feel Sayaka's back straighten, no matter how subtle, Kyoko had to get close. Her arms were around Sayaka's stomach, and her chin inches away from the crook of her neck.

Sayaka was looking in front of her, at nothing in particular. But Kyoko on the other hand, was focused on feeling that subtle reflexive jolt.

And as soon as she did, she stopped tightening the sash. It was tied up neatly at the back, in the form of an elegant ribbon.

As she was about to tell Sayaka that she was done, however, she noticed that they were in a rather odd position. A few strands of hair were carefully tucked behind the girl's ears, so her eyes could be seen by the redhead. In the light of the room, the orbs shone with a strange glow. Her eyes were unfocused, and she had an innocent look on her face.

Kyoko's mind froze as she felt something peculiar.

Something she had never felt before.

Sakura Kyoko felt her heart skip a beat.

And with it, accompanied a sense of warmth that spread from her chest and the pit of her stomach. It was indeed a peculiar thing to feel.

Within moments, she knew what she was feeling. Or at least she strongly suspected it.

She had heard about this. This strange emotion.

'Love.'

But no way, right?

Absolutely no way.

Sayaka was a girl, not a guy. There was no sense in feeling this way.

'Yeah, maybe its 'cuz Sayaka might be lookin' like a guy in thi-NO FUCKIN' WAY SHE LOOKS LIKE A GUY. She's wearin a damn kimono!' Kyoko had exclaimed mentally, rebuking her own thoughts. 'Get yer act right, Kyoko. Now's not the time to be gettin' them weird thoughts.'

With that, Kyoko shakily put some space between her and Sayaka.

"There, its done," she said, clearing her throat of any nervousness. "I'll wear mine now."

Sayaka twirled around and admired her outfit. She exclaimed at how well Kyoko had set it up. But it fell on deaf ears. Kyoko was now in another situation.

Embarrassment.

Yes, a few minutes ago, she was completely fine with getting undressed in front of her friend, but this time, she felt as if she had a lot to lose if she did that. Sayaka was none the wiser about Kyoko's predicament.

The bashfulness which Kyoko had suddenly sprouted, drove home the idea that she might really be feeling some form of attraction towards Sayaka.

After Sayaka hurried out of the room, and down the stairs, presumably to show her outfit off to her mother, Kyoko sighed in relief, finding the privacy of an empty room to be a blessing. She hurried and got undressed, and wore her own pink kimono as fast as she could, taking her time and care with only the fitting of the sash. She was able to do hers with practiced ease. And as soon as she did, she took a deep breath, folded her own clothes, put them on the bed, and walked downstairs to where Sayaka was.

"Wow, you did a splendid job," Sayaka's mother said, eyeing her daugher's dress. She was clearly impressed with the handiwork. "Even I'm not this good, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko rubbed the back of her head, and chuckled awkwardly.

Sayaka, in the meantime, had her chest puffed up, and her hands in fists on her waist with her chin up. She looked undoubtedly proud and boastful. Kyoko grinned at Sayaka's display of childishness, which set her mind at ease.

...Absolutely no way.


By the time Sayaka's mother had gotten ready, it was almost dusk. The woman dressed herself in casual clothing, as she only had to escort the girls to the shrine. The three of them set off towards the shrine, which wasn't more than a five minute walk away.

Madoka and Mami soon joined them, both of them wearing kimonos of their own.

"I'll head home early, Sayaka," the older Miki said when they were all at the entrance. "So you girls have fun. Don't listen to strangers, and remember to yell 'Fire' as loud as you can if some pervert tries his luck, all right?"

"Mom!", Sayaka blushed and shrieked out. "Don't make it embarrassing."

The mother smirked and waved goodbye to everyone before she walked home.

"So," Mami said to the three girls in front of her. "How about we start?"


Mami and the girls walked from stall to stall, enjoying various foods. Madoka made sure to sample the taste, and compare notes with Mami, while Sayaka and Kyoko were just there to experience a fun time filling up their stomachs with tasty treats.

After that, they went to the stalls that featured games and offered prizes as rewards.

First they went to a place where one had to shoot down the prize they wanted, with the provided toy rifle. Among the various trinkets, most of which were children's toys, there was a large teddy bear. It had glistening eyes and a red, velvet bow on its neck. It wasn't your average stuffed animal, as it had 'fur' so fluffy that you could die peacefully if you accidentally cuddled it too much.

So, as all sane people would do, the girls had their eyes pinned to that bear. They had an unspoken agreement to let whoever won, keep the prize.

Madoka, Kyoko and Sayaka couldn't shoot down the large, brown teddy bear off the shelf. The bear would budge, but it wouldn't fall. It was an amazing prize, as the three of them thought. But a toy gun could only do so much.

Then came Mami, who walked to the stall with maiden grace, her luxurious kimono elevating the display. Paying 50 yen, she received the gun from the stall owner with both her arms and nodded. Then, in a swift motion, she used the fingers of her right hand to twirl the gun. The light toy rifle looked like something else in the blonde's hand, as if it were a staff in the hands of a juggler.

Suddenly, the twirling stopped and Mami held the gun with one hand, as if she were holding a fencing sword. With her left hand at rest, she aimed at the forehead of the huge bear, and pulled the trigger.

Thrice.

She used up all her turns in one go, and she used it to aim at the same exact spot.

As if to pay testament to the blonde's spectacular display of gun wielding, the bear fell backwards, on its back.

The girls and the stall owner were both in awe. They could feel the goosebumps creep up their necks as they laid witness.

The stall owner, with his mouth still agape, walked to where the bear was, picked it up, and handed it to the blonde. Mami twirled the gun once to make sure the stock of the gun was facing him. The stall owner received the toy rifle, and handed her the bear. In his hands, the rifle looked like a toy again, demotes to its prior inferior status. For the duration of the festival, he didn't talk with anyone.

The blonde was the owner of the stuffed animal, a mere trophy, as per the unspoken agreement between the girls. Nobody dared question the girl about her display of gunmanship.

Except Kyoko.

"So ya like guns huh?"

It was a casual question, shrouded with a certain kind of amazement. The blonde merely smiled.

"I used to try hunting with father when we went camping. After the first few times, I tried mixing it up with some of the things I had learned in the acrobatics classes."

The girls exchanged looks of bewilderment between them. They didn't know which part to question first. The fact that Mami used to hunt, or the much more interesting "acrobatics class". They decided not to ask, as Mami would feel left out and that is not what they wanted her to feel.

So they all ended the discussion with a brief "Oh."

But they were disappointed. All of them wanted a kimono wearing Mami to do a backflip, deep within their hearts.

Like that, they let it go, and carried on walking.

After several minutes, something interesting happened. Sayaka and Kyoko were engrossed in a game of goldfish scooping, and they had become quite competitive. Kyoko was not feeling too self-aware about Sayaka anymore, and she lost herself in the spirit of the festival. Suddenly, the blue haired girl said something that worried the redhead.

"Where did they go?"

Kyoko looked around, scoop and bowl in her hand. She couldn't spot Mami, Madoka, or Nagisa. She set down the things in her hand, stood up, and scanned the crowds again and again, but couldn't find any of them.

This was odd.

They were not supposed to be separated so easily.

Kyoko looked at Sayaka and shook her head.

"Can't see 'em anywhere. Better go to our meetin' spot and give 'em a call."

Sayaka looked up and tried to remember something.

"…did we agree on a meeting spot?"

Kyoko shook her head, her mouth slightly agape. She could sense Sayaka's face evolve into a sense of slight panic.

"Hey, don't worry. We got this, ain't we? Just gotta... umm… go to a high place and spot 'em?"

"But Kyoko," Sayaka frowned. "We are IN the high place. There's no higher ground nearby."

Sayaka took a deep breath and tried to relax. This was supposed to be a time of destressing. And besides, she was practically a grown-up now, or so she told herself. She can't let something like this worry her.

"C'mon," Sayaka grinned, grabbing Kyoko's hand. "Lets do something crazy."

The poor Sakura didn't find solace in that grin. But she did feel her heartbeat get faster. And she knew something bad was bound to happen.

But for the life of her, Sayaka's had was soft and warm and felt so pleasant. She couldn't speak her mind, as it had already been thrown into a state of disarray.

The two walked swiftly, between stalls, and in between the strolls, Sayaka raised her chin and scanned the surroundings, presumably for something interesting.

"Aha!" The blue haired one said. "I think I found something.

Kyoko looked towards where Sayaka's object of interest and frowned. It was a barrel. Well, several barrels. And the person in charge of them was sound asleep in his seat. He had been in an awkward position, with his head drooping towards the side, implying he was sleeping on his job.

"Sayaka, what're ya plannin'?"

"Nothing I'd normally do." Sayaka's grin became wider. Kyoko knew what the barrels were full of, and thus grew worried. Both of them were underage, and Sayaka wasn't supposed to act so rashly, much less drink alcohol. It seemed as if their roles got reversed.

Kyoko watched as Sayaka went behind the man's back sneakily, and poured some of the alcoholic beverage from the tap attached to the barrel, into a cup that was placed nearby.

"Bottom's up!"

Kyoko could only watch as the usually by-the-book Sayaka acted in the manner of a delinquent.

Perhaps she needed to let off some steam? Or maybe something was bothering her, and this was her way of distracting herself.

No. To be honest, Kyoko didn't know. She was dumbfounded, looking at Sayaka let out a cough after drinking one cup.

"Umm, maybe ya shouldn't have more than that." Kyoko said, as she tried to pry away the small container from her hands. "Your mum will get angry."

Sayaka was already gone into a spell. Her composure changed slightly, as her manner of speech.

"Well, damn if I care right now!"

Sayaka ended her outburst with a hiccup, a indication that she couldn't handle her liquor.

Kyoko, from the corner of her eye, saw the shopkeeper move from his place in the seat, with a yawn. The sight drove panic into the redhead's mind, making her grab the cup forcefully, tossing it onto the table.

"We gotta run. Fast." Kyoko whispered loudly, grabbing Sayaka's arm and leaving the vicinity in a haste. Sayaka gasped as she was suddenly jerked away, but started to giggle as she got dragged off by her friend.

When they were a fair distance away from it all, Kyoko stopped. She looked around, noticing that there was a lower density of people in the area. She was quick to realize that the place they were in, was in a clearing near the entrance. Kyoko took a moment to observe Sayaka. The blue haired girl was looking at the redhead with her eyelids partway open.

"Why'd you s-stop?"

Kyoko frowned. She felt somewhat angry and frustrated.

"The fuck were ya thinkin'?" she gripped Sayaka's shoulders and yelled. "That was stupid an' reckless, even for me! What if your mom finds out? What if you'd have gotten caught?"

Sayaka just stared, her eyes forming a slight frown as she didn't have anything to say in return.

Kyoko's eyes started to well up, and her grip on the girl's shoulders tightened.

"Seriously... what came over you today?"

Kyoko looked, as tears started to form in Sayaka's eyes.

Suddenly, everything went silent. No more were the faint murmurs of the distant crowds. It was as if the world around them fell apart, and the only things that could be heard were eachother's voices.

At that moment of unadulterated clarity, the blue haired girl said something in her irregular drunken voice. Something that would change Kyoko's life forever.

"I'm going to die alone... aren't I?"

Kyoko wasn't sure why those words made her stare into those glowing orbs with wide eyes. She was stuck in her place. Before she could respond, a sudden loud explosion of light and sparks went off in the sky.

Fireworks.

It did go off in the distance, but its brilliant light caused Sayaka's eyes to shine even brighter, and her tears to glisten.

Kyoko stared into her eyes, and noticed that Sayaka was smiling, as tears ran down her face. It was wrong. It was warped. It was bitter.

The redhead's chest felt constricted, as she felt a sharp pain inside. She realized that her grip was still on Sayaka's shoulders.

It was a surreal moment for the redhead, as her thoughts began to make no sense. It was as if she was thinking in another language. The booming sounds coming from the fireworks, as well as the occasional bright flashes of light that came from above, drove her closer and closer into what would be a life changing decision for the redhead.

In an instant, everything started to make sense for the young Sakura. She felt a wave of serenity pass through her being, and a calm train of thought occupy her mind. The sounds didn't seem as loud, and her eyes were full of genuine faith.

With that, Kyoko pulled Sayaka into an embrace, with her chin resting in the crook of Sayaka's neck.

She closed her eyes and made sure that Sayaka heard the words she was about to say.

"No you are not dyin' alone," Kyoko said, her voice a loud, warm whisper. "I'm not lettin' you die alone, Miki."

Sayaka started to sob, very quietly, as her arms wrapped around the redhead's back.

Kyoko felt like she wasn't done. So she pulled her in even closer, and spoke more sincerely.

"Someday, someone will fall madly in love with you." Kyoko opened her eyes, and looked up at the sky, at the fireworks going off at the distance. "And that person will be able to give you all that you need. Someone who'll be there during the tough times, and will celebrate all the good things with you. Someone who'll make you forget all the pain and sufferin', and someone who you can rely on. Its gonna be someone amazin', Miki. If I have to, I'll... drag that person from wherever they are hidin', and bring em to you."

The last statement could have been a joke if said in any other circumstance, but the way Kyoko said it, it didn't sound like something to laugh at. Sayaka didn't say anything at first. She just stopped her quiet sobbing, and sniffed, her chin still on the crook of Kyoko's neck.

After a few moments, she spoke.

"D-do you really mean that?"

"More than anything in the world. Cross my heart an' hope to die."

Sayaka didn't say anything this time. She grabbed onto Kyoko a bit tighter, and Kyoko felt the girl's erratic breathing smoothen gradually.

It felt a bit nostalgic to Kyoko, as the two of them stayed like that. It felt like yesterday, when the blue haired girl had found her under the bridge and cried her heart out in the rain.

Kyoko put her hand in Sayaka's hair and gently ran her fingers across the strands. She continued to do so, until the girl calmed down fully, and peeled herself off the embrace.

The redhead didn't say anything afterwards. Sayaka looked down, her eyes a bit red and puffy, with signs of tears on her cheeks. Kyoko used the sleeve of her dress to wipe away the remnant streaks, and her thumbs for the stray tears at the corner of her eyes.

The two of them started to walk, with Kyoko holding Sayaka's hand and leading both of them. Sayaka didn't look up, and blindly followed the redhead. Her other hand fiddled with the fabric of her kimono.

Soon, they did manage to find Mami and Madoka. They were relieved to see Kyoko and Sayaka, and explained that they were searching everywhere for them. Kyoko apologized for being carried away, and made up an excuse about how they wanted to look for a better view of the fireworks and lost the group as a result of being a bit careless. Mami and Madoka seemed to have believed that. But when the two of them tried to ask about Sayaka, Kyoko quickly intervened.

"She isn't feelin' too well. She was worried about us being lost, and wore herself out. Its fine. I can take her home."

Mami and Madoka both knew that this was not true, as they knew Sayaka. But seeing that Sayaka gripped Kyoko's hand a bit more firmly after the conversation, the two of them knew to not pry. Something had clearly happened.

The two girls' looks made Kyoko realize that they knew Kyoko was not being upfront about it.

"Just let me take her home. Its goin' to be fine."

Madoka gave Kyoko a stern look.

"You sure you two don't want us to come with?"

Kyoko was a bit taken aback by Madoka's precision. It was as if she read between several lines. That was a bit scary.

"Yeah. I can handle it. Trust me."

With that, Mami and Madoka reluctantly let the two of them go. Mami insisted that they should all leave together, but Madoka said that it was necessary. Kyoko didn't stay long enough to hear the rest of Mami and Madoka's conversation. But it wasn't important. What was important, was taking Sayaka home.

Kyoko walked down a flight of stairs, and away from the site of the festival, while holding Sayaka's hand, who followed. It was odd for the blue haired teen to not talk for so long. The streets were quiet, and the lamps were on, the only sound they could hear were their own footsteps.

"If your mom sees that you're drunk, the first thing she'll do is blame the homeless delinquent."

Kyoko's tone was laced with humor, and she said that to lighten the mood. She didn't want Sayaka's mother to have a bad impression of her, but at the same time, she didn't want any other opinion get in the way of her current task.

Sayaka didn't laugh. She didn't speak. She just looked down, with a drowsy look. 'Maybe she's just tired,' Kyoko thought.

"Don't worry," Kyoko continued, her eyes ahead, as the two grew closer to Sayaka's house. "I'll tell your mother that I dared you or somethin'. I don't mind. I don't want you getting into trouble."

Sayaka didn't speak this time either.

When the two got to the Miki household, Kyoko straightened the hair on Sayaka's head and wiped away any trace of tears on her face.

"Just take some time off, okay? And if you have a headache, drink lots'a water."

Sayaka took Kyoko's hand in hers, and rested her cheek on her palm. Her eyes were glassy, and her voice was uncharacteristically defenseless.

"Your hands are warm."

Kyoko's heart was beating erratically. A warmth spread around her body, accumulating at her chest and her stomach. She could feel her face and ears become warm as well.

The position they were in did nothing to help Kyoko's mindset.

Kyoko had to forcefully take her hand off Sayaka's, and ring the doorbell.

When Sayaka's mother opened the door, she was a bit surprised.

"You two are home early." Her eyes darted towards Sayaka and frowned. "Sweetie?"

"...I had some alcohol without thinking, and I don't feel so good." Sayaka grabbed the fabric of her kimono with both hands, and stared directly into her mother's eyes. "Kyoko *hicc* warned me not to, but I didn't listen, a-and I made her come with me... Don't get mad at her, mom."

Kyoko stared wide eyed at Sayaka, but her gaze softened as she realized that this was the Sayaka she was used to. Honest, and straightforward. Even if that honesty came with drunken slurred speech...

Sayaka's mother sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath with her eyes closed, before she spoke.

"Sayaka, go to your room, get changed, drink a glass of water and get some rest."

Sayaka didn't hesitate. She kept her gaze down and walked her way into the house. She gave one last look at Kyoko and murmured a silent 'thank you' with her eyes half open. Then she went upstairs slowly. Kyoko blushed a bit at that gesture.

When Sayaka was out of earshot, Kyoko felt nervous.

"Sometimes, I think I don't know her at all," the mother said, looking at Kyoko. "Its okay, Kyoko-chan. I don't blame you for anything. I know she can get a bit reckless at times. Maybe its just a phase... Thank you for bringing her with you."

Kyoko was unprepared to have Sayaka's mother smile at her. She thought she was getting blamed, so this was a rather surprising turn of events.

"I-its no problem, ma-am," Kyoko said, awkwardly. She paused to regain her composure. She took a deep breath, and bowed down as much as she could, much to Mrs. Miki's surprise. "Please don't be too hard on her. She's going through some tough times at... school, and acted all strange. She isn't like this normally, and she's actually a good person. So please don't get too angry on her..."

Mrs. Miki looked at the bowed down Kyoko, with wide eyed, and after a moment of pause, she finished processing Kyoko's words, and started to giggle.

"You're a strange one, aren't you?" She said in between fits of laughter. "She's my little girl. I know how she is like. Don't worry, I won't be too harsh on her. She's a teenager, and teenagers are stupid. I'm just happy that she was with her friends, and all her friends were level headed." Kyoko got up from her bow, and looked bewildered. "Especially you. I must say, I never expected anyone to go this far for a friend."

Kyoko blushed bright red, and felt uneasy. She was partially happy about the fact that 'Sayaka wouldn't get her ass whopped', but she was embarrassed at how Sayaka's mother was toying with her.

Mrs. Miki felt giddy at how adorable Kyoko was being, out of embarrassment. It made her want to tease her more. But she didn't do so, as Sayaka would have had a fit if she knew.

Kyoko recovered somewhat from her state of bashfulness, and spoke again.

"I forgot to ask her, but if its okay, can I please come check on her tomorrow? I can return the kimono too"

"Not at all dear. I am sure she would be happy to see you. I'll be delighted as well. Oh, and please keep the kimono. This one fits you beautifully, Kyoko-chan."

Kyoko tried to insist that she was going to give it back the next day, but the woman was adamant. She said things like it fit her hair and eyes.

Kyoko knew it was not possible to win, so she accepted defeat, and said her goodbyes before walking away.

As the redhead in a pink kimono walked down the road towards a bridge, she didn't see any human being in her way. She heard nothing either, with the exception of just the static discharge of the street-side lamps and her own footsteps.

With every step she took, a thought solidified in her mind.

'A promise is a promise, Miki. I hope you'll be okay with someone like me.'

She felt all sorts of thoughts climb their way into her mind as she walked to her home under the bridge. And she had all the time in the world to go through the thoughts, and sort out how she felt. And in all ways possible, she could confirm it.

Sakura Kyoko had fallen for Miki Sayaka.

And it was just the beginning.


(Present day)

Kyoko opened her eyes, to the sight of the same ceiling fan she had dozed off to. It was still spinning. Kyoko ran through the day's routine once in her head, and tried to focus. It was a big day ahead. And the redhead had to start early. She tried to remember what she dreamed about. But the memory was fleeting, only leaving her with the sensation she felt last.

Determination.

-(End of Chapter 17)-


Hello everyone. I have been out for a while, because I started college. And a LOT has happened. I believe the last few months have been a rollercoaster. I'm sort of in love with someone, and there's that. Its been a wild ride, believe me. I wouldn't bore you with the details, but I can say that I have time to upload now. Sorry about the absence, but I didn't leave yet.

This chapter may seem unpolished, because it is. I didn't have time to proofread it much.
.

Take Care
DSH99