"My advice, huh? Hmm... Don't be afraid to speak your mind if something's bothering you." Saten-san declared confidently as she dipped tempura into the deep fryer filled with oil. "A key ingredient to a healthy relationship is communication!
"I see..." Mikoto said as she watched ardently from the sidelines, mentally taking notes. Later, it would be Mikoto's turn to do the same.
All was silent in the kitchen but for the sizzling tempura and the cheerful tune Saten-san was humming as she stood in front of the stove.
Though younger than Mikoto, Saten-san was capable of so many things that Mikoto herself fumbled with. Without a doubt, Saten-san was certainly the better cook! And over the years, Saten-san's friendship and perspective in matters always offered a level of insight that Mikoto had come to value. Mikoto had little doubt that she was better at handling relationships too...
The problem here was that Mikoto had already taken that piece of advice on her own. Or at least she had tried to. Mikoto just couldn't go though with it. Just last week she had spent two hours of her class-free Tuesday in front of the bathroom mirror rehearsing what to say to Kuroko in an ideal scenario where she was not a blubbering human disaster.
It had started with Mikoto so embarrassed with herself she had to have her back turned to the mirror just to stutter the words out. It had ended with Mikoto so frustrated with herself she slammed her fists onto the counter-top, in the process discharging a voltage high enough to shatter all the toilet lights (again) and also trip the power of their entire apartment complex...
How many times had she visited the nearby lighting shop now? The sales clerk was starting to think that Mikoto had a crush!
Mikoto sighed to herself (she was doing that a lot lately) then looked at Saten-san's profile from the side. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun and she was wearing a cute apron. The look suited her well. Mikoto was a little jealous to be honest. Despite her playful tendencies, Saten-san always exuded an air of maturity that made her seem reliable and approachable. In contrast, Mikoto found herself falling short on many fronts.
"Is there something on my face?" Saten-san asked sheepishly.
Not your face... Mikoto thought in embarrassment.
...Blushing slightly, Mikoto cleared her throat and purposefully refused to look at Saten-san's chest, choosing instead to continue stirring her own bowl of tempura batter.
"It's nothing." Mikoto mumbled.
When Saten-san was done, she turned her full attention back to Mikoto. Mikoto gulped nervously. She had learned over the years that seeking Saten-san's advice came with the cost of having to be the subject of her playful teasing and inquisitive nature.
Grinning wrly at her, Saten-san leaned forward with her hands clasped behind her back as she playfully skirted the boundaries of Mikoto's personal space. "What's up? Is Shirai-san going overboard again? I can ask Uiharu to make her tone it down if you want."
In response, Mikoto held up the bowl of tempura batter she was still mixing in-between them, desperate for some space. In that instant, the familiar, cosy nook of the kitchen space had turned oppressive. Everywhere her eyes darted, Mikoto saw walls and furnishings hemming her in.
"Ah! No, no. T-there's no need for that! It's not Kuroko's fault." Mikoto stammered as she averted her eyes from Saten-san, scared of how much she could glean given her perceptiveness. Already, Mikoto was scanning the perimeter for escape routes. Would it be too much to jump out the open window?
(Surely, the car below would break her fall...)
Mikoto weighed the merits of concealing and revealing, and opted for a step in between the two when she saw the earnest concern in Saten-san's bright-eyed, serious gaze.
Mikoto took a deep breath before she began speaking, and when she finally did, it felt as if a weight had lifted off her chest. "It's me. I just... I don't know how to go about telling her... something that has been bothering me lately."
"Hmm... I see, I see." Saten-san said as she glided back to the deep-fryer and thankfully, further away from Mikoto. She scooped the tempura up from the deep fryer with a sieve, and left them to cool atop a metal tray lined with kitchen towelettes, deep in thought all the while. Turning off the fryer, she leaned back against the counter-top, pinching her chin with her fingers in consideration.
All through this, Mikoto had her attention turned towards the batter, which she started mixing with renewed ardour. What was going on in Saten-san's mind? Mikoto thought, mildly panicking. And what would she do then?!
Mikoto stopped her frantic stirring when a hand came to rest around the side of Mikoto's bowl. "You don't have to mix so much. It's okay if it's a little lumpy!"
"I really do think that communication is important in relationships, you know?" Saten-san said. Mikoto looked up from her bowl to see Saten-san's reassuring, sidelong grin. "But that doesn't mean you have to say it outright if you're uncomfortable. There is more than one way to communicate!"
Mikoto laughed slightly, a little more at ease now. Trust Saten-san to come up with such a candid, yet plausible solution. Still, things like that were always easier said than done.
"I wish I was as smooth as you sometimes." Mikoto admitted, a little envious, a little fond, then clicked her tongue.
"Ah? No-no-no. You give me too much credit." Saten-san laughed, suddenly abashed at the unexpected praise.
"You give yourself too little credit." Mikoto said, smiling sincerely. "I know you'll do something extraordinary one day. In a way, you already have over the years."
"Hah! Maybe it's been my secret power all along?" Saten-san joked, playfully nudging Mikoto's elbow.
Mikoto hummed affirmatively as she cast Saten-san a sidelong, considering glance. Maybe it WAS her secret power. Mikoto had certainly encountered stranger things. Mikoto started to fiddle with the ends of her apron as her thoughts drifted to more recent and personal (embarrassing) developments.
"So... You and Uiharu-san have been dating for years now. How do you uh "keep the magic alive"? Mikoto made air-quotation marks with her fingers as she had seen the term being used on daytime variety shows. Yes... She was that desperate for advice.
"Oh! Surprise her! Who doesn't like grand romantic gestures every now and then?" Saten-san said and flashed an easygoing grin. "It doesn't hurt to get her in a good mood before discussing anything important either."
Saten-san nodded affirmatively to Mikoto as she crossed her arms, smiling with her eyes closed.
"I remember when I brought Uiharu flowers for her birthday last year. It made her so happy!"
Mikoto watched, openly amused as Saten-san sighed wistfully and leaned back against the kitchen counter, lost in a memory. She always had a way of making everyone feel so at ease.
"Was that why you two were making out at Uiharu-san's desk when we brought the cake in?" Mikoto asked teasingly.
"Uh! Um! No comment!" Saten-san held her arms up to her chest in the sign of an 'X', and had the decency to look bashful for a change.
Saten-san opened one eye and cast a glance up at the owl-shaped clock on the wall then clapped her hands together. "Alright! You're up. We have a meal to make before the others arrive!"
Cheeks still pink, Saten-san clasped Mikoto's shoulders and started to guide her to the deep-fryer. "I have faith in you, Misaka-san!"
Mikoto couldn't help but get swept along with her enthusiasm.
Still, a weedy little voice in the back of Mikoto's mind said, with less venom than pessimism: famous last words.
Happy New Year, all! Made any new year's resolutions?
Next time:
Today will be the most romantic day ever! Mikoto had told herself that morning as she faced her reflection in the bathroom mirror and tried to psyche herself up. She smacked her cheeks with the palms of her hands and relished the slight sting. Today she would rock Kuroko's world, and tell her! Tell her... Um... That maybe now would be a great time to... Do... Stuff... couple-like stuff, like make-out and maybe... Other stuff.
