Hanayo needs love too.
#2
Nico22: Maki-chan will join us for lunch~
Elichika: Eh? Maki?
Nozomiko: …told you so, Elicchi. My cards never lie.
Nico22: Yeah.
Nico22: Well, I don't really know what happened.
Nico22: But I'm counting on both of you to cheer her up.
Elichika: Cheer her… eh…
Nozomiko: Why don't you do it yourself, Nicocchi?
Nico22: Eh~?
Nico22: But Nico doesn't really get complicated stuff like that~
Nico22: Nico can only smile and being her usual cute self nico~
Elichika has signed off
Nozomiko has signed off
Nico22: Hey! Don't suddenly log out like that! ;A;)/=3
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There's sound of ringing when they steps-in, along with welcoming greets from the attendant. Nico, as soon as she entered, quickly looks around, searching for two familiar faces in this crowded place. Restaurant at the peak time is always busy.
"Nicocchi! Over here!"
Nico turns her head to the source of voice, eyes move instantly to Nozomi and Eli position. They wave at the two newcomers, smiling. She makes her way to their table, with Maki follows behind.
"Hi, Nozomi, Eli," the smaller girl greets them shortly before slumped to one of the empty seats, beside Eli, still wearing her coat and scarf.
"Hi, Nicocchi," Nozomi replies, while Eli helps her take off her coat. "Maki-chan too, please, sits down." The purple head pats the seat beside her, smirking a tad mischievously.
"Ah… Uh… yeah," the younger girl sits obediently after undone her outer garment and puts them on the back of her chair. "Um… long time no see, Eli, Nozomi."
"Yeah, it's been two years, eh," Eli comments, smiles reassuringly to the girl. "Before we talk what the two of you want to order?"
"The usual," Nico says, without checking the menu. She leans her body to the back of her chair, looking tired.
"Coffee again?" Eli asks, raising her eyebrows. "You're addicted, Nico."
"Leave me alone," she sighs. "I need some caffeine to wake me."
"It's weird to see Nicocchi who have sweet-tooth to be a coffee-drinker," Nozomi says to the red head. "Right, Maki-chan?"
"Umm… I… well… true," she remembers last night Nico had serve coffee for them. And if she's not mistaken, the older girl had drink one this morning too. "Though it was rather sweet." She's unconsciously comments out loud.
"Hm? What did you say?" Eli gives her confused look, but Nozomi only grins wider at her statement.
"It's certainly sweet," she agrees. "Nicocchi's still like a kid, after all. She couldn't drink it without enough sugar and milk."
"You're so noisy," Nico eyes her in annoyance. "Just order something."
"Okay, okay," Nozomi grins, giving Maki the menu.
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"So… how do you do, Maki?" Eli opens the conversation after the waiter done taking their order and left. "I was surprised, you know, when Nico told us you would come."
"Ah… well… like usual," the red head replies rather awkwardly. "Umm."
"My~ It seems Maki-chan has changed back to her timid troublesome self," Nozomi teases the girl beside her. "Don't be shy, Maki-chan~ Do you want me to do rub-rub so you can relax?"
"I'm not!" she retorts, instantly creating space between her and the senior. "I just don't know what answer I'm supposed to give!"
"Well… anything is fine," Eli takes a glance at her friend warningly. Nozomi grins and raises her hands in surrenders. "It's been a long while since we last saw each other. You could tell us about… school? Rin and Hanayo?"
"Ahh… they're fine," Maki twirls her hair in habit. "Rin has been studying hard lately. She wants to enter the same college as Hanayo, and her usual score couldn't exactly make it."
"Hmm…"
"She's begging me to help her in English every day," she adds.
"That's so like Rin," Eli chuckles. "Ah… time flies fast. To think our youngest juniors back then have been preparing for exam like we did long ago."
"Two years ago," Nozomi chimes in. "Don't make it sounds that far, Elicchi."
"Two years are long, though," the blonde replies back. "Two years and babies could already walk."
"My~ Does Elicchi want a kid?" the purple head asks in mock surprise. "Even though you're still single…"
"The same can be said for you, Nozomi."
"Shrine maiden has to look pure, Elicchi."
"Look? Are you implying something?"
The two continue their banter in relaxing manner. Maki looks at them strangely. Their interaction, though different, somehow reminds her of her relationship with… someone before.
She glances forward. Nico looks like she would have fallen asleep right here and there. The girl nods off a few times, it's a wonder she doesn't fall from her chair already. She frowns.
"Nico-chan?" she calls softly, waking the other girl.
"Ah? What? Maki-chan?" the raven haired girl replies groggily. "Do you need something?"
"…no," she averts her eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Mmhh… yeah, just sleepy. Don't mind me," the smaller girl rubs her eyes. "Ah… I'll go wash my face for a bit." She informs them while stands up.
Maki watch her walking sluggishly toward the restroom in concern. She knows Nico didn't get much sleep last night. Because Maki's intrusion and her assignment.
Maybe she is a bother?
"Maki-chan, Maki-chan," she turns her head to the side, seeing Nozomi gives her warm reassuring smile. "Don't worry. She'll be fine."
"N-no, I'm not worried," she shifts her eyes. "Just wondering… Nico-chan rarely stayed up late before. Said she needed her beauty sleep, it's healthy this way; and..." She shrugs.
"Yeah… she suddenly became like that after entering the college," Eli says while nodding to the waiter who bring them their orders. The conversation halted for a moment. He bows slightly before leave their table. "…Maybe because of class? Is design really that busy?"
"Kotori-chan doesn't look like that, though."
Nozomi sips at her drink.
"Well... yes…," the blonde smiles wryly, running her hand through her hair. "It's normal for us to see Nico like that. But if you compared it to the past, she's changed, huh."
"Come to think of it, Nicocchi rarely does her nico nico nii gesture now."
"And her cutesy act," Eli adds.
Maki nods, trying to piece her impression of Nico from the last night. She discarded the thought because of the circumstance before. But Nico is definitely a bit too serious compared to her past self. She wonders what the cause. Or maybe is just natural development because of time?
In other word, she's matured?
She doesn't know why she's feeling lonely about this.
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"Why nobody began eating?"
They jerk in surprise. The devil has come. Nico stares at them through her half-lidded eyes suspiciously. Eli laughs, a little forced.
"We were too immersed in our chat," she says. "You know… because it's been a while."
"Hmm…," she doesn't seem to buy it, but let it pass nonetheless. "Is that so."
"By the way, Nicocchi," Nozomi changes the topic quickly. "Are you busy this week?"
"Maybe, maybe not," she shrugs. "I still need to finish one sketch for class. And if the Drama Club could decide quickly what play they would do, I have to plan the props they gonna use fast."
"Then you'd busy?" Eli asks. "Even though I wanted to ask your help for the decoration…,"she continues, disappointed. "The gate you made last year was wonderful."
"Well… Nico was the one who made it after all," the raven haired girl pushes up her chest in proud manner.
"You still don't have breast even though you almost twenty," Nozomi stares rudely. "Want me to massage them so they can grow big?"
"S-shut up," Nico covers her chest in reflex. She turns her head to the blonde after that. "I could introduce you to some people who are good at something like that."
"Ah… it would help me a lot," Eli smiles. "Well… we can discuss the detail later."
Nico nods, in agreement. She resumes eating without paying any attention to the questioning glance Maki gave them.
"Hey, don't leave her in the dark," Nozomi puts her hand on Maki's shoulder, glaring at them. "The poor thing's confused."
Nico doesn't say anything, her behavior seems want to say, 'I couldn't care less', while Eli chuckles apologetically. "Sorry, Maki. We just discussed some work for campus event this spring."
"What is that?"
"Entrance Ceremony and Club Exhibition," she explains simply. "You know… event for attracting new students. It's a bit hard to organize because of the amount of clubs we have. And almost every year, there's always illegal club trying to recruit people. Scam too."
"And Elicchi here is the president in Student Committee," Nozomi adds. Her finger points toward her friend.
"Ah… I see," Maki says in amazement. "Eli as the president is no wonder."
"I'm not really," the blonde denies, waving both her hands in front of her. "But I will do my best."
"Aww… Elicchi is so modest, very different from a certain someone," Nozomi says teasingly. Nico gives her annoyance glare in return, pouting. The purple head's chuckling softly, seems amused enough.
"Yeah, you should take some pages from Eli, Nico-chan," Maki adds without thinking.
The smaller girl only shrugs her shoulder apathetically. "Is that so."
…
The red head blinks. That's not the reaction she expected. If it was in the past, Nico would definitely throw tantrum exaggeratedly, or at the very least stick out her tongue childishly.
So… why…
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"Nicocchi, can I borrow Maki-chan for a bit?"
The raven haired girl raises her eyebrows slightly. They just finished their meal, and exit the restaurant, when Nozomi says it. Maki, the one in question, looks confused too.
"It's fine, but…"
"Then, please wait a minute! Elicchi too," she winks, dragging the bewildered red head along. "C'mon, Maki-chan!" They walk to the parking lot beside restaurant, with two pair of eyes following them. Unfortunately, the two left behind can't see them anymore after they turn the corner.
Nico and Eli look at each other in the eyes, before stare back to the direction their friends went.
"What's that…?" she wonders.
"Well… it's Nozomi…," Eli replies in the same tone.
Nico hums softly. "…as long as she doesn't meddle too much."
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"What do you want?" the red head hisses, pulling her arm from Nozomi's grasp. "And you don't need to ask for Nico-chan's permission to talk to me."
Nozomi grins lightly at that statement. "Me know."
Her expression turned serious after that. "You looked lost, Maki-chan."
"What?" the junior stares at her dubiously. Nozomi smiles plainly as return.
"You remember… what we discussed before Nicocchi back?" she asks, ignoring Maki's question.
"What are you talking about?" Maki frowns. Her discontentment's clearly shown.
"Nicocchi's changed," the purple head replies. "She pushes herself too much, becomes more stubborn, and tries to do everything by herself. It makes me remember how she was before µ's."
Maki opens her mouth to speak. But she pauses before anything come out. What should she say anyway?
"Nicocchi likes to jokes around before, right? And she likes idol," Nozomi continues. "She was the kind of person who can differentiate her likes and dislikes very clearly. Not like me, who usually stands in the neutral position. If she hates it, she would say it, and would not do it. If she likes it, she would say it, and do it often."
She knows that. Of course, she knows that. She was the one who…
Maki clenches her fist tightly.
"…can you get to the point, already?"
"She becomes indifferent now," Nozomi looks up to the sky faraway. "And her pretending is becoming more convincing."
The red head gazes at the ground, unmoving. "But last night… when I saw her did her assignment. She looked truly happy."
"Yeah," the older one only nods at that, without giving objection, while at the same time not providing enough agreement. She then closes her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. She stares at the girl in front of her. "Maki-chan, I wouldn't ask what happened between you two years ago."
She tenses up.
"But… could you two reconciled properly and not avoid the problem?"
That's the last straw.
"Mind your own business," she replies in cold voice.
Nozomi smiles sadly, but she doesn't pursue it any further. Maybe she really has crosses the line.
"…Sorry, Maki-chan."
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"Ne, Nico," Eli calls the shorter girl a bit hesitantly. "When did you start contact each other again?"
Nico leans her body backward against the wall. It's tiring standing around doing nothing. "Last night. She jumped out from nowhere to the front of my apartment."
"You said we should cheer her up," Eli follows Nico's example, and crossing her arms. These two sure take their sweet time. "Why?"
"…the same problem as before," the girl shrugs her shoulder lazily. "And now she's running away from home."
"That's why she didn't go to school, eh," the blonde comments. "Have you called her parents?"
"I have, after she slept."
"What did they say?"
"Her mum said, its fine for the time being," Nico replies plainly. "And ask me if she could stay at my place for a while. I don't know what she's thinking. But… well, I couldn't exactly say no."
Eli glances at her friend. "Wow. You got her parents' approval already."
"Her mum," Nico says, without thinking. Then her eyebrows furrowed in realization. "No, that's not what I mean to say. Geez, Eli, you're with Nozomi too long," she huffs.
"What could I do?" Eli smirks slightly. "She's my roommate."
"I'm beginning to doubt that status actually," Nico points out, preparing her counterattack. "Are you hiding something from us?"
Eli doesn't take the bait; she moves her head to the direction their friends disappeared. "They back."
The smaller girl turns around automatically; senses the heavy feeling the two have brought. She sighs. As expected, it seems. While Nico thinks that, Eli looks at Nozomi and raises her eyebrows. The one being stared at just shakes her head without saying anything.
"Well… I think it's time for us to part," Eli says after the two had walked closer. "I have class after this, and Nozomi has to work on her report. Plus… Nico looks like she could get some sleep."
"Yeah." "Yep." "Okay."
They agree without further discussion. After saying their good byes, they walk to the two different directions. Eli with Nozomi and Nico with Maki. No one say anything about the talk Nozomi and Maki had.
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She knows they haven't properly discussed it.
Although she contacted Nico because of the same reason they fought in the past, she understands they never touch that topic directly. She already apologizes, and Nico has accepted it. But they still never talked about it.
Nico avoids it.
…is what she wants to say.
However, she knows she hasn't really trying to open the conversation to it.
She has enough with her own problems for now.
…is what she wants to say.
But maybe she just doesn't know how to set her priorities right.
Maki hates her indecisive self like that. Although she pretends to be strong and aloof, she's too dependent to the people around her more than she likes. And she knows that she's shamelessly bothering Nico without explaining anything clearly. Without knowing her senior's situation properly.
Even though it's been two years since they last met, she hopes they could go back to what they were before without doing anything.
As if she thought the broken glass could revert to its flawless shape perfectly by itself.
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It's not the silence that makes her uncomfortable. But the creases on Maki's forehead; and the grim look on her face. Even though she knows, she's not the one on the received side; that's not making it any better. Nico sighs inwardly.
"Maki-chan?"
The younger girl doesn't immediately reply. A brief moment, she's then only grumbling, "Mm…?" as her answer. Not like Nico expected much from her. At least she knows she has her junior's attention for now.
"Want to take detour to the park?" she raises her scarf, covering her mouth and cheeks. It feels a bit too cold. Now she doubts her earlier statement about spring would come soon. "There's a crepe stand nearby…"
"It tastes great," she adds as an afterthought.
The red head stops at her track. Gazing at the back of her senior who continues walking, she opens her mouth slightly. But there's no voice come out from it. Not until the older girl turns around and asks her again, impatiently. "So?"
Maki lets out a breath, and walks forward. Catching her position beside the older girl, she then nods. "Hm… okay." She says in soft voice. Her tone sounds dejected and happy at the same time.
Nico raises her eyebrows, doesn't really know what to make of it. But she lets it be. If Maki wants to talk, then she would. For now, she's just glad her junior's expression has softened a bit.
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She wonders if they shouldn't have come to the park, after all.
"Maki-chan! Kayo-chin! That's Maki-chan nyaa! And Nico-chan too!"
She didn't expect Rin and Hanayo to be there, especially at this time of the day. Weren't they supposedly to be at school? Maki thinks, rather double standard, since she wasn't there either. Nico, besides her, just waves her hand unexcitedly as greeting.
"Hi, Rin, Hanayo," Maki says in the end. "What are you doing here?"
"Refreesshing nyaa! Studying for exam is hard nyaa!" Rin replies enthusiastically. "Maki-chan too, what are you doing here nyaa? You didn't come to school! And did you and Ni-"
"R-rin-chan…," Hanayo tugs her friend's elbow, frowning a bit.
"It's not compulsory to go for third-years," Maki, grateful with Hanayo's interruption, answers quickly, avoiding the last question.
"But you promised to teach me English, Maki-nyan…" the cat-like girl whines.
"Ahh… umm… I'm sorry… I've other arrangements," the red head says, curling her finger around the end of her hair. She averts her eyes to the side, seeing Nico yawns sleepily. She bits her lip. "And… well… see you later, I guess."
Her tone sounds dismissing even to her ears. And while she's not worried Rin would take it the wrong way, Hanayo is different. Maki looks at the girl in the eyes, apologizes silently.
"Maki-chan so cooooldd!" Rin says in mock hurt. "Ah, bye bye, Maki-chan! Nico-chan!" she waves her hand while Hanayo just nods her head and smiles rather embarrassedly.
"You don't want to talk with them longer?" Nico asks while they wait their turn to buy the crepe.
Maki shakes her head, frowning when she hears her phone ringing once. She looks at the message; and sighs softly, smiling. "No… It's fine. Did you want to, Nico-chan?"
The older doesn't respond, she only yawns again, holding her hand to her mouth. But that's enough answer for Maki, who crosses her arm, trying to warm her body. "It's cold. Let's hurry home after we buy this."
Nico agrees silently.
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From: Hanayo
Subject: Sorry A
Don't worry about Rin-chan. I can teach her, although maybe not as good as Maki-chan.
And… well.
I wish you the best. (/A)/
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From: Rin
Subject: ('w')/
Nico-chan looked tired. Is there something wrong nya? 'w')a
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They silently go inside after Nico open the door. Put their coat on to the hanger, slip off their shoes, and turn the heater on. Nico doesn't waste any time stumbling on the bed as soon as she steps into the room. The smaller girl couldn't even careless to change her outdoor clothes and go sleeps just like that. Not a minute later, she has gone to the dreamland.
Maki, a bit stunned, stands on the doorway, watching her senior quick movements. She then enters the room quietly, careful to not make any unnecessary sounds. Staring at the peaceful face of the other girl for a moment, she proceeds to cover her senior with the blanket she had successfully pulls from under the girl without waking her.
"Have a nice dream."
She murmurs, and gently brushes Nico's cheek with her fingers. She then turns her body around, and sits with her back against the bed. Gazing at the ceiling, she closes her eyes and lets her mind rest for a while. She will think again after they both have wake up properly.
A/N: ...urgh. Too long. I need to pick up the pace if I want to finish this.
And sorry if the characters seem OOC... I want to write humor/comedy/SoL, but it ends up like this. Sigh.
Anyway, happy holidays, everyone.