Miu sighed when she got back to find her dorm-room empty. She walked out the door and back down the crowded staircase to the breakfast room. She found Akane sat on one of the long tables, right where Miu had left her over two hours ago, after supper. Her books lay open and scattered around her on the table, bench, and even the floor.
Akane worked intently on the latest essay she'd requested from their French teacher. Miu watched as she wrote furiously for a while, dropping the pages onto the table to look something up in a textbook before continuing. Akane didn't notice Miu approaching her tiredly. Only when she sat down, dropping one of Akane's heavier Science textbooks on the table, did she move, jumping out of her skin at the loud and unexpected sound.
"Good, I'm glad something can still get through! I've been calling you for a while, you know. It's getting late Akane, you need to come to bed," Miu instructed with an air of authority, her face set in a stern expression.
"I have to finish this first," Akane answered distractedly, going back to her books. BANG! Another book was dropped unceremoniously onto the table.
Akane looked up at Miu indignantly but her frustration was doused by surprised to see an angry scowl on her friend's usually cheerful face. Miu stood, another book already in hand, breath heaving through her nose and glaring at her friend. A hand on her shoulder startled Miu out of her stare down with Akane, causing the book to slip from her fingers and tumble to the floor.
"Miu, Nakamura will come to bed after she's cleared away this mess. Now, come with me, I'll walk back with you," Kimiko coaxed her exasperated friend. Miu nodded dumbly at the even look on Kimiko's face, before looking back worriedly at Akane. The dark circles under her eyes, her rumpled clothing and her lank hair. She was a mess, and Miu got the feeling a boy wasn't the sole reason for her state.
"Won't you, Nakamura?" Kimiko left no room for argument with her forceful tone as she spoke over her shoulder, pulling Miu with her to the entrance of the breakfast room. She didn't need to turn to know Akane was gathering her things together and caching up to then at the stairs.
Miu had spoken with Kimiko about her concerns for their friend all week. The possible causes she was coming up with for Akane's behaviour had escalated, each one being more severe than the last. Noticing Miu talking with Aido and leaving the changeover early had been a sign that her friends were not equipped to resolve this problem by themselves, and intervened.
Despite her more hands-off approach to Akane and their friendship, she did care for her friend and couldn't just watch as Akane continued with such destructive behaviour. Either Miu was going to explode with worry and say something she'd regret, or Akane would work herself right into the hospital. Kimiko, being the level head in their dysfunctional trio, didn't tolerate such idiocies for long.
The three walked in silence with Kimiko taking the lead. Once they reached their dorm rooms Kimiko turned to the pair, one trailing more than the other.
"I expect to see you washed and rested, ready for class tomorrow, Nakamura. Miu, goodnight." Kimiko said then entered her room, leaving the two in the awkward silence. Miu opened the door and strode to her bed while Akane hovered near the entrance, eyes cast guiltily down, knowing she'd caused her friends to worry.
The last time she'd hidden away like this, Akane had already abandoned her friends. He'd been suffering and hadn't noticed her despondency or that she'd overwork herself. She'd take on more assignments, lock herself in her room where he felt she was safest. It made him feel more at ease, and the more at ease he was, the more like himself he seemed. Those times made it easier to smile when he'd ask her to. Whether he suspected her smiles were forced or not, she didn't know.
Now, however, there were people around that noticed whether Akane was happy, upset, or scared and worried when she hid it. She had let them in to see these emotions, and now she was forcibly shutting them out when they knew something was wrong. She was being unfair. Miu was an emotionally driven girl and invested a lot in her friendships. So, Akane understood, that watching her sink into herself, was a confusing and worrying sight for her roommate.
Akane sighed, putting away her workbooks and supplies then walked to sit beside Miu her on her bad.
"I'm sorry, I worried you," Akane began. "I didn't mean to. I'm just… just…"
"Just, what?" There wasn't an answer she could give. She couldn't tell Miu about him, about Aido and the Night Class or Vampires, she couldn't tell her anything, and it frustrated Miu.
"It doesn't matter," Akane said and held up a hand as Miu opened her mouth to object. "It doesn't matter, because it's in the past, and I'm thinking too much about things I can't change. I know I'm worrying you Miu, but I promise, I'll make it right. Please, trust me."
Miu looked over Akane's face for several minutes before a somewhat, relieved smile tugged at her lips.
"I trust you, but you need to trust us too. We're all your friends, right?" Her wide smile and honest response pulled at Akane's heart, still guilty that she wasn't able to tell her anything, but she was happy to have such a forgiving friend in Miu.
"Now, can I make a suggestion?" Miu piped up, her hand thrust into the air like she was poised to answer a question. Akane nodded. "A shower, and some clean clothes before you do anything else, and I mean anything!" Akane chuckled and nodded, standing up and heading into the bathroom. Miu bounced to the dresser to retrieve some clean nightclothes for her. Even though she hadn't gotten an explanation for what had upset Akane, she believed in her friend and knew Akane just needed more time before she felt comfortable telling her everything. So, for now, she let it go.
Miu valued trust and knew, if Akane was given enough time to realise she could count on her, she would. She understood boundaries were incredibly important to Akane and that she needed to keep them in place. Miu knew she had to earn the right to step over those boundaries but only when Akane was ready. So, unless it looked like things were getting out of hand again, Miu decided she wouldn't pester Akane further. There was still a lot to learn.
As the warm water ran over all the knotted muscles Akane hadn't known were so tense, her mind drifted to the blond Vampire. I need to fix things with him too, he's my only chance! As Akane washed the suds from her hair, her mind wandered to her last conversation with Aido. Replaying his words with her ire safely tucked away, she could see Aido words, although insensitive and purposefully antagonistic, had been honest. To a Vampire, she was a pet, something to feed on or to be used for entertainment. Except, he's not just another Vampire, and to him, I'm not just another Human. If answering a few questions to find out how to help him is all I need to do, then it's worth it… but what on Earth could Aido Hanabusa be looking for?