"Oh no! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late…" Kirika muttered under her breath as she ran towards the address Oriko gave her, panting all the while. It was 4:59, just a minute before the time she told Oriko she would be there. She really didn't want to be late. Was it too much to ask to not embarrass herself just once?
After another or minute or so of running, she looked up, and immediately gaped at the house before her. It was one of the biggest houses she had ever seen. There was a large iron gate surrounding the house and property, with the house itself being a Western-style mansion. When she looked a bit closer, however, there were some signs of neglect that took away from the house's impressiveness. The yard was slightly overgrown, and it looked like someone had tried to pry open one of the gate's bars at some point. Who could've done that? Kirika was a bit nervous to go in, but swallowing her discomfort, she walked through the open gate up to the doorbell, giving it a single strong press.
Almost immediately, the door opened, revealing Oriko in a long black dress, and Kirika had to stop herself from staring. She may have been put together last night, but the Oriko before her now was a hundred times more regal. "I wouldn't be surprised if I saw her on television in the Diet!" Kirika thought to herself. She pressed her lips together. "Is it really okay for me to be here?"
"Hello, Kure-san!" Oriko greeted her warmly. She was a bit tense, but it seemed to be directed towards the world in general, not at her specifically. "It's a pleasure to see you again. Please, come in." She motioned inside the house, and Kirika nodded slightly and followed her in. As they walked through the entrance, she glanced around the interior. It had the same kind of slightly unused feel as the outside of the house did. One of the dressers she saw had a thin layer of dust covering the top, and most of the lights in the house were off except for a few on the way they were walking. After a moment, they arrived in a small room with a table in the middle of it. "Please, sit down. I'll just go to make the tea." Oriko said, striding off into a side room.
A couple of minutes later, Oriko returned, holding a small tray with two cups of tea on it. She gave one to Kirika, and one to herself, sitting down with a satisfied smile on her face. "I hope you enjoy it." She said.
"Th-thank you!" Kirika squeaked, and took a small sip of her tea. It was pretty good, really, sweet with just a hint of lemon-like flavor. Her mind wasn't really on the tea, though "Just what am I supposed to say!?" She wondered frantically. "I'm not fit to speak with someone on her level. What was I thinking coming here?" But she had to try. If she just left in a panic, it would probably be an embarrassment for both her and Oriko.
"S-so, Oriko, how long have you been a magical girl for?" Kirika asked, voice quivering just a little bit. "You were amazing last night! I woulda been done for if you didn't save me." A genuine note of enthusiasm entered her voice at that. Reflecting on what had happened last night, even as scary as it was, it was still crazy cool to watch Oriko fight the Witch and her minions while still protecting her!
"Oh, I've only been a magical girl since last night." Oriko said, smiling, and took another sip of her tea. Kirika's jaw dropped.
"W-what!? For that short!?" She said, after a moment of struggling to pick her jaw up from off the floor. "But you were so amazing there before!"
"Ah, well…" Oriko's eyes unfocused slightly, and she let out a cough, as if to mask it, a small frown forming on her face. "I think my skills are particularly well-suited to navigating through a Witch's barrier. My strength as a magical girl isn't particularly strong. And the Witch herself was rather weak, or so Kyubey tells me."
"Oh, I see then…" Kirika said weakly. If this was what even the weakest of magical girls could do (although she doubted Oriko really was that weak), what would a normal girl like her be able to do to help? "S-still, you really were cool! And I'm sure you'll get way better as you practice more!" She added. "I mean, if that was you with no practice, just imagine how good you'll be once you practice fighting a few more!"
"Thank you very much." Oriko said, a hint of a smile returning to her face. "I… feel like you're thinking too highly of someone like me, but still, I appreciate the vote of confidence."
"Don't put yourself down!" Kirika was surprised at the vehemence in her own voice. But how could she let someone as amazing and kind as the girl before her say that? "You really are an amazing person! Forget about the magical girl stuff for a sec. That day in the convenience store… You decided to take the time out of your day to be kind to a girl like me. Even if you think you're trash, it's just not true. Every good deed you do has effects you can't see! Never forget that!" She let out a breath. Oh god what in the world had she just said? Oriko was going to throw her out and-
"...Thank you, Kure-san. I suppose I needed to hear that." A weak smile appeared on her face. "And I'm beginning to suspect that you need to hear the same thing as well. You should think more highly of yourself, you know."
Kirika felt a strong blush on her face as she took another sip of her tea. She couldn't exactly deny that she didn't like herself very much, but… "Well, I feel like you're way more important than me." She said back. "It's like… the way you hold yourself, the way you talk… I feel like you're someone that could change the world, y'know?" She paused. "And I know that there's something goin' on with you that you don't wanna tell me. Dunno what it is, but I keep seeing it on your face. But whatever else happens, you saved my life. I dunno how much help I could actually give you, but I'll always owe you for it, and if I could help you help others, then it's all worthwhile." Kirika cringed a little bit internally. Why did she think that she could actually give life advice to Oriko? She felt like an earthworm lecturing a butterfly.
Oriko's face seemed to have tightened a bit, but thankfully, she didn't seem to get immediately mad at Kirika. "I… Thank you for your forbearance, Kure-san. I greatly appreciate it." She said, lips slightly pursed, and let out a sigh. "It's just… It's a bit complicated, really."
"O-of course, there's no problem!" Kirika said quickly, waving her hands. "I'm sorry for prying, that was all my bad. I really shouldn't have done that." Her face was turning red. "God, does this really have to happen every time?" She thought bitterly to herself. "Maybe one day I'll be able to stop sticking my foot into my mouth every time I speak." In lieu of saying anything further, she took another sip of the tea, enjoying the flavor.
The pair fell into a somewhat uncomfortable silence. "S-so!" Kirika said, a bit louder than normal. "D-do you have any hobbies? I'm kinda curious about what kinda things you like to do…" It was a transparent attempt to turn the conversation away from the sensitive topics that they'd been discussing earlier, and Kirika was sure Oriko knew what she was doing, but thankfully, Oriko seemed willing to give her an out.
Oriko paused, putting a finger to her chin. "Well, I used to be in student government. In fact, I was the student council president for… a while." She sounded like she wanted to say something else, but this time, Kirika decided to leave well enough alone. Oriko had a grimace fixed on her face as she talked about it, as if it was something painful for her. It would probably be smart to not stick her foot in her mouth again.
"O-oh, that's cool! I've always really admired the student council. It's super cool that you guys are willing to take on more work for the sake of the school, y'know?" Kirika said. Really, was there anything else she could say? She had very clearly demonstrated to herself why she wasn't worthy of being anywhere even close to Oriko. She claimed that they were similar, but had Kirika done even a fraction of a percent of the good that Oriko had done?
They spoke a bit more about Oriko's student council, but Kirika's heart just wasn't in it. "A-alright." Kirika said after a few more minutes had gone by. "It's getting kinda late, my mom's gonna be worried if I'm not home soon. I'll see you some other time, I guess?"
"Of course." Oriko said, rising up as gracefully as ever. "Please, allow me to escort you out." Nodding, Kirika followed after her. God, she still wasn't sure what she was thinking when she had asked to be friends with Oriko? At least she would be out of Oriko's hair now.
"See ya!" Kirika said as she walked out the door, giving Oriko a slight wave. She walked off into the sunset.
—
Kirika walked down the road, a downcast look on her face. "I still have no idea what I was thinking. How much of a fool could I have been?" She muttered to herself, shaking her head. "I'm just glad she wasn't too mean to me when I asked her that…"
"Is there a problem, Kirika Kure?" Kyubey asked, suddenly appearing from out of the bushes.
"Ah!" Kirika jumped back, startled out of her thoughts. "Goddammit, would it kill you to stop jumping in my face like some kinda knockoff cat?! It ain't helping me here!"
"I did not jump in your face, Kirika." The creature corrected clinically. "I was merely attempting to get your attention."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, buddy." Kirika waved it away. "Just get to the point. The hell do you want?"
"Well, I would like to assist you with whatever your problem is by granting you a wish and making you into a magical girl!" Kyubey said, voice plaintive. "I thought that we had discussed my desires already."
"Yeah, we did. And didn't I tell you that I didn't wanna turn into a monster? And besides…" Kirika looked away, tears prickling in her eyes. "What I want ain't the kinda thing you could just wish for. It's just not possible."
"Like I told you before, Kirika, with the Potential that you possess, just about any desire you could possibly have would be fulfilled through your wish." It said, staring at Kirika as its tail swished from side to side. "Is there truly nothing you desire that is worth your soul?"
"I…" Kirika trailed off, her eyes leaking in earnest. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold the tears back. "I dunno. You promise me that the wish I make will be fulfilled?"
"Yes." The little creature confirmed. "Every wish that you are likely to make has been shown to be within your potential. I assure you, Kirika Kure, your wish will be fulfilled."
"Really? Then…" She breathed hard, wiping away some more of the tears streaming down her face. "Then I…"
"Tell me, Kirika Kure." Kyubey intoned, his bright red eyes shining brightly in the darkness left by the setting sun. "Tell me the wish that is worth your soul! Show us the magic that your wish will create!"
"I…" The girl's face showed a morass of indecision, but after a few seconds, it hardened. "Alright then, listen up, Kyubey! I wish I could keep changing until I'm finally able to help Oriko!"
—
Oriko gasped. "No! No, I cannot allow this!" She cried out. Kirika turned around, her confusion clear on her face. "Kirika, please come back here!"
Her eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded and walked back. "What happened, Mikuni-san? Is everything okay?"
"N-no. No, it's not. It is absolutely not okay." Oriko said, babbling a bit. "I- I- Kirika, I have to admit it to you already. I'm a seer of sorts. I am able to see possible versions of the future."
Kirika still looked rather concerned, but upon hearing that, her mouth widened into a perfect O. "That's amazing! But… Did something bad happen?" She tilted her head. Now that she had a better idea of what was going on from her visions, Oriko could connect the dots. Kirika was standing back from her the entire time during their discussion, too scared of insulting her or hurting her, acting as if Oriko was some kind of perfect angel.
"Kirika, I…" She began to feel her tears poking their way through her eyes, cracking her already fragile composure. "Kirika, I wasn't lying before! I don't know why you dislike yourself so much, but you're a kind person, a good person!" She realized she was shouting, and tried to modulate her tone a bit more. "You think I'm so much greater than you, but it- it's just not true!"
"I- Mikuni-san…" Kirika seemed to be at a loss for words. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out.
Oriko looked at her with teary eyes. "Kirika, you don't understand… I keep seeing visions of you, and I just got another one now. That vision I had, I saw you make your wish… A wish to become able to help me. She hiccuped. "But you really just don't get it… You're already helping me!" She waved her hand, motioning to the property around her. "Look around you. How many people do you think come here normally? If you thought one, you're correct. You're the first person besides me to even come into my house in weeks!" A broken giggle escaped her lips. "You think that you would be a bad friend to me? You would be my only friend!"
"That just ain't true, Mikuni-san!" Kirika said, voice agitated. "You- you're amazing! I told you already, you saved my life!" She stared at Oriko, mouth pressed in a thin line.
"You truly think I'm amazing?" Giggled Oriko, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm 'amazing', alright. The amazing girl who drove her father to suicide and went from being the top girl in her class to being the lowest of the low. That's the kind of 'amazing' I am." Her tears began to come out stronger, and she fell to the ground, sobs wreaking her body.
"Mikuni-san…" Kirika said softly, approaching her slowly. "Mikuni-san, is it okay if I give you a hug? I get the feeling you need one right now." Oriko gave her a curt nod, so she walked up to Oriko, and wrapped her arms around her. She was soft, Oriko noted, and while she may have been tiny compared to Oriko, she still wasn't weak, arms able to wrap tightly around Oriko. It felt nice, she supposed. "Mikuni-san… What you said just makes you even more amazing. I dunno what happened exactly, but you saved me even after something like that happened to ya!? I mean, hell, I already don't have any friends, and I didn't need anything to happen to me for that! So if I'm good… I guess that means you're good too!" She gave her a wide grin, and Oriko smiled back tremulously.
"...I see." Oriko said, after trying to think of what to say for a moment. If Kirika was willing to accept that, then she might as well go all in and see what she would think of her afterwards. "Well, I suppose that I should tell you everything then…" At Kirika's prompting nod, she continued. "Have you heard about the recent scandal of this district's representative, the one who embezzled hundreds of millions of yen, then killed himself? He… He was my father, Hisaomi Mikuni." Kirika's mouth widened, but Oriko went on, a bitter smile on her tear-tracked face. "That's me, Oriko Mikuni, the daughter of a thief. And he left me a note after he committed suicide, where he explained how I'm the one who drove him to suicide. I'm nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing." She closed her eyes tightly as more tears continued to roll out.
"Listen to me, Mikuni-san." Kirika's voice was hard, and Oriko looked at her with wide eyes. She pulled Oriko into another tight hug. "Your dad is an embarrassment. He doesn't even deserve to be called that. A piece of garbage like him is gonna rot in hell for years and years and years. Maybe you can't really see it now, but remember this, Mikuni-san- you're not your dad." She released Oriko from the hug and gave her a brief smile.
"You can call me Oriko at this point." Oriko said, letting out a short laugh. "I would imagine that I've monologued enough to you at this point for you to earn it."
"O-okay… Oriko." Kirika said, blushing quite a bit. "But… just remember what I told ya, alright? I dunno what you see in me, but I do know what I see in you. You're amazing, and I won't let you deny it."
Now it was Oriko's turn to blush. "Well, I suppose I shall just have to accept that for now" Her smile turned wry. "It doesn't look like I'll be able to change your mind for now, anyways."
"Nope, you won't!" Most of the time Oriko had spent with Kirika, she had never shown more than even a small smile, but now it was wide and sunny.
Oriko's expression turned serious. "Just… Please, I beg of you. Don't contract. I don't want you to change yourself for me." She said. "Promise me?"
"...I promise." Kirika said, frowning slightly. "Or at least, I won't change myself through my wish, if I could avoid it. Is that good enough for you?"
"Yes, that's fine, I suppose. I can't really ask for more." Oriko sighed. It wasn't fine, but she didn't think that she would be able to convince Kirika here. "...One last hug before you go?"
"Sure!" Smiled Kirika, and leaned in for the hug. After a few seconds, they both let go, smiling at each other.
"Alright, I'll see you next time, Kirika." Oriko said. "Keep in touch, okay?"
In response, Kirika gave a wave, and began walking back outside. Oriko waited for another vision to strike her, another portent of disaster… but it didn't come. A smile spread across her face, and after she watched Kirika walk away, she retreated back into the house, satisfied.