Nibutani took a deep breath. She was standing in front of the door to the roof of the school. Mitsuki was waiting for her on the other side. Nibutani felt her chest tighten. She clenched and unclenched her fists, inhaling and exhaling in short, rapid bursts. Calm down, Shinka. You can do this. There's no need to feel nervous. It's just friendly conversation with a first year. Nibutani reached out and grasped the door handle, but her nerves prevented her from turning it right away. She wondered what Mitsuki was going to say to her. Apparently a lot of things had happened involving Dekomori when she was away. She had a feeling it was a direct result of the incident between them.
For a split second, Nibutani considered turning around and walking away, but Kumin had gone to the trouble of setting this meeting up, knowing that they wouldn't have done so themselves, so Nibutani knew that she needed to face the upcoming storm. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned the handle. As soon as she passed through the threshold, she spotted Mitsuki leaning against the railing a few yards away. The purple haired girl turned and looked at Nibutani. They held each other's gaze for a few moments before Nibutani walked over to Mitsuki and leaned on the railing next to her.
Neither of them seemed keen on being the first to initiate conversation. The air felt heavy and awkward. "I suppose you want to know what's been happening since your disappearance." Mitsuki finally said. "It's true, you've missed a lot." Nibutani nodded. She wasn't surprised. She had been gone for quite a while, and things always seemed to move at a breakneck pace with this particular group of people.
"What's happening with Dekomori?" Nibutani asked. That's all she really cared about at the moment. Anything else could wait until later.
"Well, she's been sulking non-stop since the incident in the hallway." Mitsuki replied. "She barely speaks to anyone." Nibutani sighed. This wasn't news to her. Kumin had told her the exact same thing when they talked in the garden. Is that really all that happened while she was away?
"I can tell by the look on your face that you aren't satisfied with the information I gave you." Mitsuki said. "You probably already knew what was going on, at least at the most basic level. However, there's more to it." Nibutani's ears perked up. So there is more to it, huh? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Dekomori is an insecure person after all, and I was a total jerk to her.
"Care to explain?" Nibutani asked. She wasn't in the mood to dance around the subject. She needed a straight answer. Unfortunately, Nibutani wasn't sure if that's what she was going to get.
Mitsuki laughed softly. "It's funny. A part of me doesn't think you deserve to know, but the stronger part of me knows that Dekomori would want me to tell you, so I'll do it for her." Nibutani could feel the familiar presence of jealousy. She did her best to push it away. Now wasn't the best time to get worked up. Nibutani couldn't risk losing control of her emotions at a crucial time like this.
Nibutani looked at Mitsuki expectantly, waiting for her to reveal what she knew. The other girl had fallen silent, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Nibutani felt annoyed. Come on… I don't have all day to just sit here and chat aimlessly. I need to resolve this… "You're lucky." Mitsuki's voice grabbed her attention again. "Sanae's loyalty towards you is unwavering. I was convinced that you had decided to leave for good, so I was surprised when Kumin came up to me and told me that you wanted to talk. But Sanae, she was different. She waited for you. Well, at least as long as she could bear it. I think she's given up at this point. You're lucky that someone is willing to do that for you. It's just too bad that it turned out like it did." Mitsuki paused. She looked like she was debating her next move.
Mitsuki took a deep breath and continued, "Sanae was the first person to show me kindness in a long time. I didn't have many friends in middle school. People were cruel to me, and it was only because I made a stupid foolish mistake. At the time, I didn't know any better. I never thought that people would lash out as maliciously as they did, and for so little. I suppose that's what happens when embarrassing things get spread to the masses." Nibutani pitied the younger girl. Whatever happened was obviously horrible. She could see pain written in Mitsuki's expression.
Nibutani's curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "What happened to you? What did you do that made those people think you deserved to be maltreated?"
Mitsuki's lips formed a sad smile. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you."
"Remember how I said that I didn't have many friends at my old school? Well that wasn't only a result of what happened. I was never able to fit in before the incident either. I'd always eat my lunch alone, and I never joined any clubs. It never bothered me much before I met Aya. She was this cute girl with long brown hair, kind of like yours, Nibutani. She liked to put flowers in her hair every day. It was very cute!" Mitsuki laughed softly, her story bringing back good memories. Nibutani wondered what happened to this Aya person.
"I met her one day in January. I had gone to the library to study, and she was helping out the librarians. They were understaffed, so she had volunteered to help shelve books. Aya was always kind to everyone she met, and her generosity was something that could rival Sanae's. I remember watching her as she did her job. It was a tedious task, shelving books, but Aya did it with a smile on her face. It was unlike anything I had seen. She must have noticed me watching her because she walked over to the table I was sitting at and sat down next to me. She introduced herself and asked me about what I was studying. I was so used to being alone that I didn't know how to respond. Any other person would have gotten up and left, but she stayed and waited for me to answer. Her smile never left her face." Nibutani listened intently. This girl did have a few similarities to Dekomori. Nibutani kept that thought in the back of her mind. It was bound to be brought up later.
"Aya made an effort to talk to me every day after that. She wasn't even in the same class as I was, but she still came to visit me during breaks. I had apparently underestimated her popularity because once people saw her spending time with me, they started to talk to me as well. I was never as open with them as I was Aya, but it was still nice to be able to communicate with people every day. Our friendship bloomed as time went on and one day she invited me to eat lunch with her and her friends. That's when I really started feeling like I could fit it. It was nice for a while, but eventually, I made one fatal error that ended it all." Mitsuki sighed and closed her eyes. It must be hard to have to bring up old memories. I don't think she would do it unless she absolutely had to. It seemed like Mitsuki was lowering her defenses and showing her weak side, but Nibutani felt like there was more to this story than Mitsuki was letting on.
"I eventually developed feelings for Aya. It wasn't something I could change. Feelings just happen naturally, you know? The problem was that I didn't know how to properly express them. Without prior socialization, all I had to go on was what I read in magazines and saw on tv." Nibutani grimaced, remembering that she used to get most of her love advice from manga. She was glad she had knocked that habit.
"I remember writing her a note that detailed my feelings for her. Normally people would put these in their crush's shoe locker to keep it secretive, but I was not aware of that custom at the time. Instead, I walked up to her in front of her whole class and handed her the note. I had used pink stationery and put heart stickers all over the envelope it was in, so it was obvious that it was a love note. I don't think I've ever seen a person that embarrassed before. I remember hearing her classmates snicker behind their hands. She didn't say anything at first, but then she whispered the word 'thanks'. I'm pretty sure I was the only one who heard it. She had smiled at me afterwards, but now that I think about it, the smile was definitely forced. I had walked out of her classroom, feeling more confident than I had ever been before. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I had experienced." Mitsuki's voice cracked at the end. She paused to recollect herself. Nibutani could have sworn that she saw tears in the corners of her eyes.
"After that, Aya started avoiding me. When I went to the normal lunch spot, the group wasn't there. I had actually spent most of the lunch period looking for my friends. I never found them. Aya didn't visit me the next day in class either. I noticed that people were whispering to their friends whenever I was around. I'm sure it was about me. I remember faking a cold to get permission to go to the nurse's office. I never ended up there, of course. What I really intended to do was wait outside her classroom and catch her when she was leaving for lunch. That plan was successful, but it didn't turn out like I thought it would. She looked like she had seen a ghost when she saw that I had waited for her. She wouldn't even look me in the eye. She just stared at her feet while her friend talked to me. Well apparently, she had a crush on guy who had witnessed me giving her the love note. Her crush and his friends started making fun of her. She was humiliated. Aya's friends gave me direct orders to stay away from her or they would take my love note and show it to the entire grade. At the time, I didn't fully understand what was happening. I thought it was one big sick joke. So of course I tried to communicate with her. After all, she was my closest friend…" Mitsuki stopped again. Her body started trembling.
"Well, unsurprisingly, her friends followed through with their threat and showed off the contents of my letter. It was a love letter, so I had poured my heart out while writing it. I remember I had written about how happy I was to have met her and how she made me feel less alone. I wrote about the butterflies I got in my stomach whenever I saw her smile and how it made me want to kiss her. It was very personal, and now the whole grade was aware of exactly how I felt. The taunts quickly turned from Aya to me. I was mocked by nearly everyone. I couldn't go a second without someone laughing or throwing things at me. It was awful. The bullying got so bad that there was no other option but to leave school."
Wow, I had no idea it was that bad…I'm surprised she decided to tell me. I feel like we've gotten a little closer. Maybe we really can be friends... I feel guilty about being suspicious of her. This girl has gotten the short end of the stick more times than she deserves… Nibutani put her hand on Mitsuki's shoulder. She could feel the younger girl shaking. Mitsuki looked over at her and smiled, thankful for the small gesture of support.
Mitsuki continued, "I ended up being home schooled for the rest of middle school. During that time, I became determined to change. I couldn't be the shy girl that no one talked to. I couldn't go through it again, so I did my best to make a good impression on the people around me. I tried to smile at everyone like Aya did. I laughed loudly at people's jokes. I hugged people and put my arm around their shoulders. I tried to become an outgoing person that everyone would love. Eventually, my parents presented me with the choice to stay home schooled for high school or go back to public school. The idea of going back to school was scary, so initially I decided to stay at home. I changed my mind, however, when I realized how well I was doing with socializing. I felt like I could finally go and be around classmates again without messing up. That's why I transferred into Sanae's class in the middle of the year."
Nibutani could barely believe what she had heard. This girl in front of her managed to change her whole personality after being mercilessly beaten down. Nibutani was impressed.
Mitsuki smiled. "Meeting Sanae on the first day was quite a shock. When the teacher asked for a volunteer to show me around, her hand shot up immediately. The other students smiled, as if they had expected that kind of behavior from her. I could see how much they all adored her. At that very moment, I saw Aya in her. I'll admit that I was a bit shell shocked when I first realized that. It brought up bad memories, so I became apprehensive about being in her company. While she was showing me around, all I could think about was how this could end up the same as it did before. I wanted to get away. I wanted to find someone who didn't seem like a carbon copy of the very person who had destroyed the little confidence I had in myself. That changed when I learned about her chuunibyou. Suddenly, she wasn't Aya anymore. She was Sanae Dekomori, the Mjolnir Hammer."
"She's kind, generous, and her entire grade loves her, but her chuunibyou makes her so much more than that. She doesn't care how her classmates perceive her. She's happy just being who she is. That's how I know that she's nothing like Aya. Sanae would never be as cruel as Aya was. I don't think she's capable of it. Kissing her was one final way to test that. I took a risk. I knew that it was possible that she would react badly. What surprised me was how happy I felt when I kissed her, and she didn't react badly at all. She was surprised, yes, but she didn't lash out. All she asked of me was to not surprise her like that again, and she even let me join in on her chuunibyou adventures. That's all that really mattered to her in the end. That chuunibyou you're so quick to demonize is what helped me understand that Sanae is the friend I've needed for so long. She treats me better than anyone has before, and I owe her the world for that." Mitsuki sighed and rested her head in her hands. The conversation had taken a lot out of her.
Nibutani wasn't sure what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Hearing Mitsuki mention how she demonized chuunibyou felt like a jab in the gut, though she couldn't completely deny the truth behind it. After a few moments of silence, Nibutani decided to speak up.
"Why did you tell me this?" she asked quietly. Mitsuki lifted her head. She looked exhausted but there was still fire in her eyes. She turned and looked at Nibutani, her expression hardened. Nibutani gulped, suddenly feeling anxious. This girl had transformed right before her eyes. She no longer seemed like the outgoing girl she had met before, and she certainly didn't seem like the shy girl from the story. Mitsuki had an air of ferocity around her.
"Sanae has become someone I hold very dear to my heart," Mitsuki replied, "Seeing her in pain these past few days has been excruciating for me. It reminded me of how I felt when someone I trusted let me down. I'm trying to be there for her, but all she can focus on is you. Words cannot begin to describe how frustrated I've been. Sanae is like I was middle school, wasting her energy on someone who isn't there for her." Nibutani gaped.
"W-Wait, it isn't like you think!" Nibutani insisted. "It wasn't like I wanted to be away from her! I just… I had repressed so much and it was all brought back up when you kissed her. It was overwhelming, and I didn't know how to deal with it, so I ran. I thought it would solve my problems, but it didn't. It only made them worse, and I only realized that recently. It was never my intention to hurt Dekomori." Nibutani felt a sudden burst of fear. Mitsuki's words had shaken her. After hearing a story like that, she was afraid of the effect her actions might have had on Dekomori. Nibutani felt the urge to leave as quickly as possible to find the twin tailed girl.
Mitsuki spoke before Nibutani could decide on her next action, "You say you don't intend to hurt her, but your past actions prove otherwise. From what I've heard, you constantly berate chuunibyou. You must know that it's Sanae's chuunibyou that makes her really happy. Do you even consider her feelings at all?"
Nibutani felt frustration rise, "Don't act like you understand what that's about! You haven't been here long enough to understand anything! I've known Dekomori for a lot longer than you have, and I can tell you right now that she doesn't care what I think about her or anyone else's chuunibyou. Like you said, she doesn't care about how people perceive her. You're right, she truly is happy just being who she is." Nibutani clenched her fists. This girl had a lot of nerve for someone who had just entered their lives a few weeks ago.
Mitsuki laughed softly, "You still fail to understand the most obvious thing. It's true that she's blind to the opinions of outsiders, but there's one person whose opinion is important, and she trusts this person above all others. The fact that you don't understand that at all, makes me worry. Sanae is pouring her trust into someone who's just plain clueless." Nibutani stood there in shock. It can't be… She can't be talking about me. There's no way I can be the person that idiot trusts the most… Right? Nibutani felt her heart race. Could it be possible that Dekomori returned her feelings?
Mitsuki's annoyed voice pulled Nibutani back to reality, "Sanae trusts you, yet in the end, you chose to act selfishly, and she got hurt... That proves to me that you don't have her best interests in mind. You're not good for her." Mitsuki's criticism struck a nerve in Nibutani. She felt anger bubble inside her.
"Who are you to decide that?" Nibutani shot back, "You're standing here putting words her mouth! You said it yourself, Dekomori hasn't been speaking to anyone, so how could you possibly know how she's feeling? I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't telling me everything either." Nibutani saw something flicker in Mitsuki's eyes, though she couldn't quite figure out what it was. Nibutani frowned, the previous pity she had felt for the younger girl had faded away.
"You're right." Mitsuki answered. "Why don't you go ask her? She's been waiting for you anyway. She should still be in the club room." Nibutani was about to turn and walk away when she heard Mitsuki speak one last time, "Keep in mind, I will continue to remain by Sanae's side no matter what. Even if you return to the club and even if she forgives you, it won't change my opinion on the matter. I still think she deserves better than you, and I will make sure I'm there when she realizes it."
Nibutani balled her fists. She would love nothing more than to scream every insult she knew at the girl, but she held her tongue. The two girls glared at each other for a few moments before Nibutani decided to make her way to the club room. She crossed her fingers, hoping that Dekomori would still be there.
Nibutani ran down the stairs that led to the roof, skipping a step with each stride. When she reached the crowded hallway of the second floor, she slowed her pace to a walk, not wanting to get caught running by a teacher. She pushed past a group of students who were blocking the way, and the first thing she saw was the door to a familiar room. A surge of determination rising within her, she marched to the door and flung it open.
Nibutani was greeted by the sight of Yuuta, Rikka, and Kumin sitting around the table. There was no sign that Dekomori was in the room. The two second years looked surprised at Nibutani's sudden appearance, but Kumin smiled, knowing fully well what was going on. "Where's Dekomori?" Nibutani asked. If she wasn't at school, Nibutani would go straight to her house. She needed closure now.
Yuuta answered, "Dekomori has holed herself up in here every day after class, so we thought we'd send her out for some fresh air. We asked her to go talk to the teachers about letting us put some new things in the club room. She should be back soon." Nibutani nodded. She walked to the other end of the room and leaned against the window. Nibutani pondered how she should deal with this. On her frantic trip from the roof to the clubroom, she had completely forgotten to think about it. She wasn't sure what to say to the younger girl.
I should just flat out apologize to her… But would she really accept my apology? No, I should do it anyway. She's probably still upset about what happened. I should also try to explain to her why I did what I did. Now that's the hard part… I don't know if I'm ready to reveal my feelings for her. Her thoughts snapped back to her conversation with Mitsuki. The purple haired girl had warned her that she would remain by Dekomori's side. Nibutani feared that if she waited too long, Mitsuki would win Dekomori over. I don't know if I can do it today, but the sooner the better. I just need to work up the courage to tell her. But what's important right now is that I patch things up with her. I can figure out the rest later.
Nibutani tapped her foot impatiently. She was getting jittery. Just when she was about to leave the club room and search for the small girl herself, she heard the door slide open. Dekomori walked in, her shoulders slumped forward. She looked tired.
"The teachers said we couldn't put anymore things in here. We already hav-" Dekomori trailed off when she looked up and noticed Nibutani standing at the far end of the room. Her eyes widened. She was dumbstruck.
Nibutani panicked. The moment had come and she was lost on what to say. Nibutani blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Mjolnir Hammer, I challenge you! I want to test your skill in battle!" Nibutani mentally hit herself. Was that really what she had just said?
Dekomori's face scrunched up. Nibutani couldn't tell if that meant she was angry or not. Suddenly, Dekomori burst from her position and ran towards Nibutani. The younger girl crashed into Nibutani and wrapped her arms around the second year's torso. Dekomori let out a wail, and her body shook as she sobbed. Nibutani felt the other girl's tears soak through her uniform, but she allowed Dekomori to continue crying into her. This wasn't the first time this had happened, so it was a familiar feeling. Nibutani pet the top of the blonde girl's head to calm her down, as she usually would.
After a few minutes, Dekomori's sobs reduced to quiet sniffling until she stopped altogether. The girl looked up at Nibutani. Her eyes were red and puffy and she had tears and snot caked to her face. "Geez, you never stop crying, do you?" Nibutani spoke softly. She grabbed a handkerchief out of her bag and dabbed at Dekomori's face, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upward.
Dekomori pouted, and she removed herself from Nibutani's torso. She grabbed one of the bags at the end of her pigtails and threw it towards Nibutani, successfully hitting the older girl in the face. "That's what you get for keeping me waiting…" Dekomori mumbled. She crossed her arms and looked at the ground.
Nibutani sighed, "I suppose I deserved that. I'm sorry I yelled at you, and I'm sorry that I disappeared. I had a lot I needed to deal with." Nibutani rubbed the back of her neck. It was hard for her to say exactly what she wanted.
Dekomori huffed, "You're such a fake… To make it up to me, you're gonna walk me back to my fortress. I have questions I want answered." Nibutani nodded. That was to be expected.
The door slid open and they heard someone clear their throat, reminding the two girls that they weren't alone in the room. They looked up and saw Mitsuki enter. Nibutani instantly felt the tension rise. The talk on the roof was still fresh in both their minds. Mitsuki's eyes narrowed when she noticed Dekomori standing near Nibutani, her eyes still red and swollen from crying. "I see you've finally reunited." Mitsuki said, her voice low.
Dekomori put her hands on her hips and grinned, "Indeed! I knew Fake Summer wouldn't be able to stay away." The others in the room sighed. They had all been privy to Dekomori's depression during the past few days.
"Oh? Why's your face so red? You look like you've been crying." Mitsuki noted. Dekomori quickly wiped at her face and replied, "It's just the after effects of a spell that fake Mori Summer tried to cast on me! Don't worry, I've managed to survive the sneak attack." Nibutani noticed that Dekomori's eyes didn't match the smile on her face. They gave away the exhaustion the girl felt. Nibutani was impressed that Dekomori managed to pull off that energy.
It seemed like Nibutani wasn't the only one who noticed. She saw disbelief flash in Mitsuki's eyes for a brief second before she said, "I see. Well, I'm happy for you! I'm glad things are back to normal!" Mitsuki giggled. Nibutani's jaw dropped. She was surprised that Mitsuki was able to put her bubbly front back up so quickly. Nibutani felt slightly threatened by that ability.
"Now that everything is sorting itself out, I have a proposition." Yuuta announced. "These past several days have been stressful for everyone, and we could all use a break. I heard that there's some kind of big festival this weekend. It's a few hours outside of town though, so we'd probably need to stay overnight. I thought that it would be a good activity we could do as a club. A hotel room might be expensive though..."
Dekomori beamed, "Leave it to me! I have ways of attaining money. I can't reveal how, but I shall make sure we have what we need!" She winked and gave a thumbs up.
Nibutani sighed, "You're just going to ask your parents to pay for the hotel, aren't you?"
"O-Of course not! The Mjolnir Hammer doesn't stoop to such conventional means!" Dekomori spluttered. A blush of embarrassment spread across her face.
"It's only conventional to you because you're filthy rich!" Nibutani retorted.
"Geheheh, you know nothing, Fake Summer." Dekomori snickered. Nibutani growled. She sprang at the younger girl, who managed to dodge out of the way, and chased her around the room. They stopped, however, when Kumin burst into a fit of giggles. Nibutani's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?" she asked.
Kumin smiled and replied, "I'm just happy to see you two returning to normal. It's been a while." Nibutani shuffled her feet and blushed slightly. "I also seem to remember Deko asking you to take her home," Kumin continued, "You should probably get going. It's going to get dark soon, and I'm sure you have a lot to talk about." The third year winked at Nibutani, whose face turned bright red in response.
Nibutani cleared her throat. "R-Right. Let's go, first year." Nibutani grabbed her things and headed for the door, beckoning for Dekomori to follow her. The twin tailed girl nodded and scrambled after her.
Dekomori lived further away from school than Nibutani did, so they ended up having to take the train. It was too much of a distance to walk. They sat side by side on the train, looking at anything but each other. Luckily, there weren't many people in their car, so they were able to converse without people overhearing them. But neither of them knew how to start, so they ended up sitting in awkward silence for longer than desired.
What do I say? Should I tell her now? I know Kumin is expecting that of me, but I'm so nervous. I don't know if I have enough courage to pull it off yet. I wish that first year would just ask me about what she wants to know so I can get it over with. Nibutani fidgeted in her seat. She considered just bringing it up herself. Sitting here without saying anything was just counterproductive. If she didn't use this chance to talk to her, she risked opening a rift between them.
Nibutani opened her mouth to speak, but Dekomori spoke first, "Why?" It was a simple question that Nibutani saw coming, but for some reason, she found it nearly impossible to answer. She couldn't tell Dekomori why she disappeared without mentioning her feelings for the tiny girl. After all that happened, it just didn't feel like an appropriate time. She needed fix the strain she had put on their friendship first.
"I don't have a proper answer for you right now." Nibutani replied. Dekomori looked disappointed. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but I don't think it's something I should talk about right away. I need to get something else off my chest first." Nibutani took a deep breath before she continued, "I want to apologize again for how I treated you. I shouldn't have screamed at you like I did. I had a lot of pent up emotions, and unfortunately, you got the brunt of it. I should have had better control over my emotions. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm not sure what happened when I was gone, but I'll try to fix it." Nibutani closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She waited for Dekomori's response.
"I forgive you." Dekomori replied. Nibutani sighed in relief. That's all she needed to hear. "But I'm not going to tell you everything until you do. When you tell me what was going on in your fake mind that made you leave , that's when I'll tell you what was happening with me." Nibutani nodded. It was fair enough.
They sat in silence until they reached their stop. As they were walking out of the station, Dekomori said, "I wonder if my parents will be willing to pay for a hotel room for all of us." Nibutani laughed. "So you really were going to ask your parents. I figured that was your big secret plan." Nibutani smirked and shoved Dekomori lightly with her shoulder.
"Quiet, Fake Summer! People cannot know of the assets that I have! They may try to use them against me to take me down for good. The Mjolnir Hammer refuses to fall on her own blade!" Dekomori shouted back. "And don't push me!" The first year pushed Nibutani with both her hands, and as Nibutani fell, she ran off ahead.
"You little troll…" Nibutani hissed. "Get back here!" she charged after Dekomori, a relieved grin on her face. Their shouts echoed across the entire neighborhood.