Nibutani sighed. Today had felt like it lasted a lifetime, and it hadn't been enjoyable in the slightest. She knew the moment she entered class and realized that she had forgotten her homework at home that this day would be a bad one. Her teacher had made her stand out in the hallway. Nibutani remembered the muffled giggles of her classmates during that moment and grimaced. She had always taken pride in her efficiency when it came to finishing her homework, so this slip up bothered her more than it probably should.
Nibutani partially blamed Mitsuki for the homework debacle, even though the first year had no direct involvement with the incident. Despite knowing that, Nibutani still felt annoyed whenever she thought about it. She had spent so much time worrying about Mitsuki that she found it hard to focus on the small things in life like putting her homework in her bag once she was finished.
The day had only gotten worse when it reached lunch time. She had sought out her girlfriend so she could relax and spend some time with her, something she really needed today as she was already worn out from the morning classes, but upon finding Dekomori, she had noticed that the twin tailed girl was not alone. Her purple haired companion had been clinging to Dekomori and had been talking excitedly about something Nibutani assumed was chuunibyou related.
Nibutani remembered asking if she could speak to Dekomori alone. Mitsuki had responded with, "Anything you have to say can be said to the both of us." Mitsuki had given her a sickeningly sweet smile, and it had made her skin crawl. Nibutani wasn't sure if that had been a joke or not, but it had been enough to send her reeling.
It was only through expert persuasion by Dekomori that Mitsuki finally relented and allowed the two to be alone. By that time, Nibutani's mood had deteriorated to the point where she doubted she had been very pleasant to be around. She had been quiet and only grumbled one word responses whenever the blonde girl spoke to her. Nibutani knew she would have to apologize later.
The fact that class was finally over gave her some relief, though she wasn't completely ready to spend the afternoon with people. She had opted to spend some time at the school's garden, which had become a thinking spot that she visited regularly. Being alone with the flowers never failed to set her at ease.
Nibutani's brow furrowed as she recalled Mitsuki's words for a second time. She felt anger rise up again, and she doubted that the flowers could sooth her for much longer. Mitsuki's lack of boundaries when it came to Dekomori irked her. It was twice as annoying now that she was in a relationship with the blonde girl.
Telling Dekomori about everything she knew would feel so good. For once, she might actually feel like she managed to get one step ahead. Regardless of her suspicions, there was no definitive evidence that the purple haired girl was aware that Nibutani knew anything. This was something that Nibutani could use to her advantage.
Her knowledge was only useful as long as she managed to relay the information to Dekomori without Mitsuki knowing. The sooner she could accomplish that, the better. Every moment she waited, she risked Mitsuki finding out.
Nibutani gathered her things and headed for the club room. She was already getting fired up, so now was as good a time as any to talk to Dekomori. Considering all that happened, the conversation would fit right in with the tone of the day. She planned to take Dekomori home and tell her on the way there. That way no one could interrupt them, and this time she would make sure she wouldn't get sidetracked by her girlfriend.
Nibutani hoped that she could catch Dekomori alone. Mitsuki was very reluctant to let Dekomori do anything without being right beside her. Though judging by the luck she's has so far, that outcome wasn't likely. As Nibutani walked towards the club room, she pondered over how to separate the two first years without creating a commotion.
When she reached her destination, she slid the door open and was greeted with the sight of Mitsuki sitting by herself near the window. The younger girl was staring down at the courtyard below and she looked deep in thought. Nibutani internally groaned. Mitsuki wasn't clinging to Dekomori, since the younger girl was currently absent, but being alone with her wasn't the desired outcome either.
"Where is everybody?" Nibutani asked. She thought it best to at least attempt civility. It would be incredibly awkward if they sat in the same room without speaking. Mitsuki turned her attention away from the courtyard.
"Dekomori went out to look for you," Mitsuki replied nonchalantly. "Rikka followed her so Yuuta went as well. Kumin left a few minutes ago. She said she had something to do this afternoon." Mitsuki gazed out the window again, seemingly uninterested in holding conversation.
Nibutani walked over to the small table and sat down. All she could do was wait until Dekomori returned. It didn't seem wise to go out and look for her considering that the younger girl was probably running all over the place. Nibutani wasn't too fond of sitting in the room alone with Mitsuki. The other girl was practically a ticking time bomb, and Nibutani had no idea what would finally set her off.
That was partially the reason why she had been avoiding talking to Dekomori about her chat with Aya. According to what she heard, it didn't seem likely that Mitsuki would handle her secrets being spread around. Nibutani wanted to make sure she got the information out before Mitsuki became aware of the situation. It might catch her off guard.
"You don't handle jokes very well," Mitsuki spoke up suddenly. Nibutani looked over at the purple haired girl in confusion.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Nibutani asked. She reminded herself to tread lightly. She had no way of telling where this conversation would lead too, and things had gotten hostile between them before.
"Today at lunch I was joking around when I said that thing about talking to the both of us instead of just talking to Sanae alone. You looked like I had just punched you in the gut. It was a joke. You should probably work on lightening up. It's no wonder you seem so worked up all the time." Mitsuki absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair.
Nibutani bristled, "That day in the club room when Dekomori accepted my confession, that wasn't a joke. You should probably stop clinging to her. It's no wonder you seem so desperate all the time." Nibutani heard those words come out before she had time to think it through, and she immediately regretted it. Pissing Mitsuki off wouldn't help her at all.
To Nibutani's surprise, Mitsuki chuckled. "Well, aren't you a funny one? Clever, I'll give you that, though that's exactly what I'm talking about. You said it yourself, Dekomori accepted your confession, and if you weren't so uptight, you probably wouldn't even be worrying about me. It surely doesn't seem like you're secure in your relationship." Mitsuki looked over at Nibutani and smiled. Nibutani could tell she intended to get her riled up.
"Don't try to play that card with me. I know exactly what you're trying to do," Nibutani growled. She was trying her hardest to keep her temper under control, though she found it difficult knowing the other girl's intentions.
"Oh? What exactly do you think I'm trying to do?" Mitsuki asked, her smile never faltering.
"You're pissed that Dekomori rejected you, so you want to damage my relationship with her!" Nibutani accused.
"I don't know why you'd think that," Mitsuki said. "Sure, I'll admit that I felt disappointed that my feelings weren't reciprocated, and I may have been angry initially, but I have no ill intentions towards your relationship with her. I'm hurt that you think I do." Mitsuki looked at her as though she were actually hurt by the accusation.
Nibutani narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to believe a word the other girl said, but the way Mitsuki talked was very convincing, and Nibutani momentarily doubted her mistrust of Mitsuki. Was it possible that she was telling the truth? It seemed like a stretch.
"Plus, Sanae has been coming to me for relationship advice," Mitsuki continued, "I've been trying to help her find ways to make your relationship better, so you should thanking me." That snapped Nibutani back to her senses, and she immediately felt suspicious again.
The thought of Mitsuki having direct control over what Dekomori felt she should do in their relationship was absolutely terrifying. Mitsuki could easily plant any idea she wanted in the blonde girl's head. She was crafty enough to get away with it.
Nibutani had to remind herself to stay calm. If she let Mitsuki get under her skin, she might slip up and reveal something she wasn't ready to reveal. If she lost her element of surprise, she wasn't sure what she could do to remedy the situation. Nibutani knew she needed to pay close attention to everything Mitsuki said. She didn't want to let the conversation go the other girl's way.
"What have you been telling her?" Nibutani asked. The twin tailed girl still didn't know about anything that was going on, and Nibutani cursed herself for waiting so long to tell her. Any repercussions would be completely her fault.
"That's no fun, "Mitsuki smiled. "Why don't you just wait and find out for yourself?" Nibutani balled her fists and she fought the urge to lunge at the other girl. Mitsuki was trying to pull her strings, and nothing felt more infuriating. Nibutani took a deep breath before answering.
"Like hell I will," Nibutani growled. "I know what you're trying to do. You think you can manipulate this situation to suit your desires. Don't think for a second that that will work." Nibutani saw something flash in Mitsuki's eyes.
"What are you going on about? What makes you think that's my intention? Maybe I'm just trying to help out a friend." Mitsuki asked. The purple haired girl placed her hands on her hips. Nibutani was positive that that wasn't true.
"It's something you would do," Nibutani answered. Mitsuki gave her an exasperated look.
"What proof do you have of that?" Mitsuki asked. Nibutani didn't know how to properly answer that. The only proof she had was what Aya had told her. Nibutani looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet. She need to come up with something convincing.
"So you don't have anything," Mitsuki continued. "Figures. You're just like everyone else, trying to pick on me in any way possible. Will people ever finally relent and leave me alone?" Nibutani clenched her fists. Mitsuki was playing the victim once again. It was annoying, and Nibutani suddenly desired to throw Mitsuki's secrets right back in her face. Nibutani looked at Mitsuki, who watched her with curiosity.
"Judging by the way you're looking at me, it seems like you might have something after all," Mitsuki said. "You might as well tell me. Trying to avoid answering won't help you at all. It'll only annoy me, and you don't want to see me when I've lost my patience." Nibutani clenched her jaw. Mitsuki was challenging her.
"I have proof. I know what you've done," Nibutani whispered. She could see Mitsuki's smile finally falter. Nibutani felt her heart thump faster, and anxiety settled in the pit of her stomach. She didn't say directly where she got her information from, but she had a feeling that Mitsuki figured it out.
Mitsuki let out a loud sigh. "I figured you might have known something you weren't supposed to know, but now I have confirmation. How annoying..." Mitsuki rested her arm on the windowsill and leaned on her elbow.
Nibutani waited a few moments to see if the purple haired girl would say anything, but she didn't utter another word. The longer the silence continued, the more uncomfortable Nibutani felt. She couldn't tell what the first year was thinking, and it was extremely unnerving.
"This is what I can't stand about people. They can't seem to keep their mouths shut. They're always willing to talking about things that are better left unsaid. Maybe I need to pay a visit to that old friend of mine..." Mitsuki grumbled.
Nibutani's heart sunk. Mitsuki had definitely figured it out. The younger girl was smarter than Nibutani gave her credit for, and she silently cursed herself for failing to take that into account.
Mitsuki got up, walked over to Nibutani and looked at her straight in the eye. The girl's voice turned monotone. "It's truly unfortunate that you ran into Aya. I never expected something like that to happen. I thought she had disappeared for good once I taught her a lesson. It's a shame that she resurfaced in such an annoying manner."
Nibutani instinctively took a step back. The girl's demeanor had changed once again, and Nibutani wasn't sure what to expect from her.
"I can tell you're afraid," Mitsuki continued. "I think your fear is misplaced. I won't do anything to you. Sanae wouldn't like that. I'm sure she would rather see us get along. Maybe we could even be friends." Mitsuki showed no emotion. Nibutani almost preferred the false friendliness.
"I don't believe you," Nibutani muttered. "You said you would be friends with Aya, but you stabbed her in the back instead. You'll just do the same to me." There was no way she was going to fall for that. Now that she'd been warned, it was easy to spot her attempts at manipulation.
"You seem to have forgotten what Aya did to me," Mitsuki sighed. "I never did anything that was as bad as what she did. Anything she said to you was probably overly exaggerated. She used it as a tactic to deceive you. She wanted to throw you off course by making me the enemy."
Nibutani's head spun. Everything Mitsuki said was confusing. There was no logical reason why Aya would lie to her, but Mitsuki seemed so convinced that her words were correct. Nibutani ran a hand through her hair. It felt like she was playing a game. She needed to predict Mitsuki's moves, but how could she predict the moves of someone who was, in general, incredibly unpredictable?
"You certainly seem like the enemy to me," Nibutani said carefully. "You've already been outright hostile when you've interacted with me. Everything Aya said makes sense. Everything you've said does not."
Mitsuki shrugged, "I don't remember being hostile with you. You must be imagining things." Nibutani groaned in frustration. How long was she going to try to feign innocence? Nibutani knew her secret. She had seen the way Mitsuki behaved when she didn't get her way. There was no use hiding it.
"You were pretty hostile when you confronted me in the hotel room and in front of the school," Nibutani pointed out. There was no way she could deny those things happening.
"I may have been a bit miffed, but I hardly think it was hostile. You're overreacting, as per usual," Mitsuki snorted. Nibutani felt her blood boil.
"I'm not overreacting!" Nibutani shouted. "You keep trying to hide behind pretty words and a fake smile so people won't see how you really feel about them. If your facade doesn't work out your way, you get angry. When you're confronted, you resort to thinly veiled insults and accusations!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mitsuki huffed. "What you're saying is absolute nonsense. You're just like everyone else. You're trying to antagonize me so you can hurt me. This is why I do what I do. I have to protect myself from menaces like you." Mitsuki crossed her arms and looked away.
Nibutani clenched her jaw and grabbed her head with both hands. Now I'm the bad guy? I feel like I'm going crazy. What is going on here? I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with her. This is way over my head. She counters everything I say. It almost feels like what I'm saying is wrong. If I was right, would she really be able to counter me so easily?
Nibutani closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. She need to remain calm. If she didn't do something to stop Mitsuki from acting out in whichever way she pleased, then her relationship with Dekomori would surely suffer. Mitsuki wanted to weasel her way into a position of control, and Nibutani had every intention to stop her.
She recalled Aya's words of warning. Aya had told her that Mitsuki would probably target her. Nibutani knew that if she stood in Mitsuki's way, that would probably become a reality. At this point, Nibutani didn't care. She couldn't shy away from her anymore. She needed to fight fire with fire.
"I'll tell her," Nibutani said. She stared at Mitsuki, challenging the other girl with her gaze. Dekomori was important to Mitsuki, and Nibutani was sure that the purple haired girl didn't want this kind of information to reach the twin tailed girl's ears. She hoped this threat would keep Mitsuki at bay.
Mitsuki eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, it looked like she truly feared that outcome. Nibutani felt her confidence. It seemed like she finally managed to catch Mitsuki off guard. It wasn't in the way that she initially expected, but it was good enough for her.
The corners of Mitsuki's mouth turned slightly upward, and she let out a quiet giggle. Nibutani looked at her in surprise. She moved closer to Nibutani, who was too dumbstruck to stop her. Mitsuki leaned in close until her mouth was right beside Nibutani's right ear.
"She won't believe you," Mitsuki whispered. The first year moved away. She threw one last smile at Nibutani and walked back over to the window. Mitsuki resumed watching the people down in the courtyard, a huge smile on her face.
Nibutani stood in her place, her arms hanging limply. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was afraid her knees would buckle. The speed that Mitsuki had recovered was enough to shock Nibutani in a stunned silence. When she opened her mouth, no words came out.
Nibutani heard the door to the club room slide open. She looked over and saw Dekomori standing in the doorway, staring at her with a worried expression on her face. Mitsuki sprung from her seat at the window and ran over to the blonde girl.
"Master, you returned! It's a shame that you ran around the school for nothing, but at least you've finally found your girlfriend!" Mitsuki clung onto Dekomori's arm and beamed at her. The bubbly display made Nibutani feel nauseous.
Dekomori chuckled nervously, "Attempting to locate her did turn out to be futile, but it was a good way to test my tracking skills. Though from what I can see, it seems like she's been hit by some debilitating spell. It might be best if I escort her back to her home."
"I'll come with you," Mitsuki suggested. Dekomori shook her head, seemingly sensing the tension in the room between the other two occupants.
"I think it would be best if I did this by myself," Dekomori said. "Fake Mori Summer is very prideful, so I'm sure she hates having anyone see her in such a state. It would be merciful to allow her some time to recover." Nibutani felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
Mitsuki pouted, "Fine. I guess I'll stick around for a little while longer." Dekomori gave a quick thanks. She walked over to Nibutani, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the club room.
"Thanks for getting me out of there." Nibutani and Dekomori walked down the street, Nibutani's house being their destination. Dekomori grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.
"I need to tell what exactly happened back there," Nibutani went on. "Actually I need to tell you everything that's been happening in the past few weeks." Nibutani had finally managed to recover from the shock she got from the incident in the club room, and she was completely determined to continue on with her initial plan.
"I have a feeling I know what's happening," Dekomori said. Nibutani's eyes widened. Did Dekomori really know about Mitsuki and her secrets? It didn't seem likely unless she had run into Aya on her own, and Nibutani couldn't recall a time when Dekomori said she would be heading back to that cafe.
"You do?" Nibutani asked. Dekomori nodded but didn't say anything further. The twin tailed girl stared at the ground in front of her. It looked like she was deep in thought, and for a moment, Nibutani was worried that the younger girl might be upset. Before she could ask if she was okay, Dekomori spoke up again.
"I'll talk to Mitsuki, so you don't need to worry about anything anymore. I'll clear everything up." Dekomori looked up and Nibutani and smiled.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Nibutani worried that Mitsuki would try her little mind games on Dekomori as well. She was uncertain that Dekomori would be able to spot them as easily as she could. Mitsuki was warm and friendly towards the blonde girl, and as far as Nibutani knew, Dekomori had yet to see Mitsuki's more aggressive side.
"She won't do anything bad," Dekomori said. "We're friends, so you don't need to worry. She won't do anything to harm our friendship." That caught Nibutani's attention. There was no reason for Dekomori to suspect that Mitsuki might do something bad, so hearing the younger girl try to reassure her made Nibutani even more curious about how much Dekomori really knew.
The younger girl wasn't wrong. Nibutani knew that if anyone had a chance to talk Mitsuki down, it was the blonde first year. Nibutani took a deep breath. She really needed to stop worrying. Mitsuki held Dekomori in extremely high regard, so the likelihood of her trying anything sneaky with the twin tailed girl seemed rather low.
Okay," Nibutani agreed. "I trust you. I suppose this is a good chance for you to show your skills as the Mjolnir Hammer." Nibutani squeezed Dekomori's hand and smiled down at her.
"Huh?" Dekomori blinked. She stared at Nibutani in confusion until realization finally came over her. She nodded vigorously in response. Nibutani took note of Dekomori's sudden confusion. It seemed odd that she didn't respond to being called the Mjolnir Hammer, but then again, it was possible that Dekomori just wasn't used to being addressed like that by her. Nibutani decided not to worry about it too much.
"The Mjolnir Hammer is capable of many feats. I will not fail." Dekomori's voice was hushed. It surprised Nibutani since Dekomori tended to like to shout these things loud enough for everyone to hear.
Nibutani took a brief moment to study Dekomori's facial expression. She had that same thoughtful look as she had before. Whatever was going through the twin tailed girl's mind, it was certainly heavy. Dekomori rarely ever showed anything other than her usual excited demeanor. It made Nibutani worried, which was exactly what the other girl told her not to do.
As uncomfortable as she was with this situation, now was a good time for her to sit back and watch Dekomori act. She had been dealing with Mitsuki by herself for far too long, and part of her was relieved that Dekomori had finally gotten involved. Mitsuki's manipulative nature would continue to worry her, and that was something she doubted she could stop.
It seemed like she had gotten her information across without even stating it directly. Nibutani actually preferred it this way since she had been dreading having to tell Dekomori about Mitsuki's awful behavior towards Aya. Nibutani's task had been completed, albeit in a different way than she expected, and now she needed to place her trust in her girlfriend and let the first year do things her way.
If everything started to go awry, Nibutani would be at her side immediately. For now, she would watch and wait. Hopefully Dekomori would have more luck than she's been having.
A/N: I apologize for the delay.