Yes, yes, hold your horses, here's your new chapter! I know, it took a while, but I write by a 7-9 day rule, so of course, I am going to make all of you wait. And, believe it or not, but I am currently forming this story into a love triangle! Some of you are cheering while some of you are groaning, I know, but it's something I decided a while ago, so no changies! Yes, so please enjoy this new chapter of The Same Differences!
"So how are we gonna do it?" Lavi asked, each of his knuckles clasped around a colorful lollipop. "Find out who Mitsuko's been seeing, I mean."
"We could follow her around." Allen suggested, trying to keep Timcanpy away from Lavi's candies.
"Allen, that is one of the most cliché ideas ever! If Mitsuko is trying to hide a new boyfriend, then of course she'll know someone's following her! And of course, her innocence would tell her if she were being tailed. Any more ideas?" Lenalee asked the others who were all crowded around a small, round table in the science laboratory.
"We could just go up and ask her…" Krory suggested, although he didn't seem too enthusiastic.
"Hey…maybe we could! Well, I could, because that's just something we girls do; share boy secrets! Alright then, it's settled. I'll ask her sometime this afternoon." Lenalee concluded, getting supportive smiles from her friends. It was such a crafty thing they were doing, but it was the only way to find out who she was seeing.
As their group dispersed, Lenalee happened upon Suman organizing some papers. He looked particularly somber today, and even a little bored. He had always hated being in the science division, because he'd much rather be out destroying Akuma. He knew he wasn't as good as he used to be because of the 'fallen' accident, but they had salvaged most of him by the time it was over. They had even collected his innocence, and bonded it to his arm again. It was a little more than half of its previous power, but it could still do away with pesky demons.
He looked startled for a moment as Lenalee approached his desk, but he was thankful for a distraction, nevertheless. "Good morning, Miss Lee. How are you?" He greeted her, his formality radiating from him like a bright light.
"I'm fine, Suman, and you can stop with the formalities. It makes me uneasy." Lenalee said, smiling her usual smile. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Oh, yes, of course." Suman responded, so quick that Lenalee guessed he was expecting a question. She felt sad for a moment, knowing he was so desperate to get away from his science that he'd scrub toilets, or some other gross chore.
"I was wondering how well you're getting along with Mitsuko." Lenalee asked. What if it really is Suman? That would be nice, considering he likes her and all.
"Mitsuko? Well…we had lunch the other day…" he answered, a little sadly. Even Lenalee knew that Mitsuko wasn't interested in Suman. She guessed that Suman was just finding this out for himself now. "We're…friends."
"Oh, well that's nice. Well, Suman, you see…I've come to believe she's been seeing someone." Lenalee explained, bracing herself for a very, very sad Suman. What she got was…a little different.
"What? Seeing someone? Who is it?" Suman bellowed, his papers scattering everywhere. Lenalee thought it to be natural that he was angry, but he seemed a little bossy. Lenalee knew that Mitsuko hated bossy people, Komui being an example.
"Well, that's it. We don't know, but we're working on it. She's a lot happier lately, so we really think it's a guy." Lenalee reported, wondering why she was talking to Suman so much. Wasn't she on her way to Mitsuko? Oh well, a conversation with Suman wouldn't hurt.
"I want in on this! I wanna know who this guy is!" Suman demanded, bending over to collect his disturbed papers off of the ground. "The only Exorcist guys in the Dark Order are me, Allen, Lavi, Cross, Krory, and Bookman. I know she'd want an Exorcist." Suman thought, as a sudden dark cloud passed over his face. "You don't think…it's CROSS?"
"NO, NO, I'm sure she wouldn't want that drunken jerk…" Lenalee consoled, surprised as to how expressive Suman was today. He was always depressed, and hunched over his desk like a kicked puppy. Everyone tried to avoid him, in fear of making him more depressed.
"Well, just hurry up and find out who it is! I can't rest when I know she could be getting mistreated by some wack job she picked up off the street!" He fumed, going back to his work. Nodding in approval, Lenalee quickly hurried off to the cafeteria, promising herself she wouldn't go near Suman for the rest of the day. He sure got worked up over matters concerning Mitsuko. It was sweet, but a little scary at the same time.
Scurrying into the cafeteria, Lenalee scanned the room for Mitsuko to find her sipping on some soup, several butterflies clinging to her hair.
"Oh, hey, Mitsuko!" Lenalee called, running to the table. She sat down next to her, trying to keep her hair from disturbing any of the butterflies. "How have you been?"
"Oh, you know." Mitsuko responded, crushing up crackers and dropping them into the broth of her soup. Her butterflies danced across the wooden table, picking up the crumbs and lapping up the spilt broth. They were like little kittens, doting over their master and serving their every qualm. Little did Mitsuko know, but the black butterfly that Tykki gave her had slipped out, and was crawling along her head, trying to get a better view of the surroundings.
"Hey, that one's different." Lenalee speculated, pointing at the odd, black butterfly over all of the pristine, white ones.
"Ah, yes, it's…a different level…of my innocence." Mitsuko answered, grabbing the butterfly by the wings and cramming it into her palms. "I only made one, because, uh…they're tough to make. Yes, that's it." The butterfly stirred agitatedly in her palm, unable to be sealed in by the foreign innocence.
"Oh…cool. SO, I wanted to ask you something!" Lenalee exclaimed, abandoning the subject of strange butterflies.
"…alright…?" Mitsuko responded, wondering what in the world Lenalee would want with such a bland Exorcist.
"Oh, Mitsuko. We've all noticed it. Me, Allen, even Lavi who wouldn't notice his feet being on fire. Well, how can I put this…you're…happy." Lenalee explained, dragging out the sentence like a TV show host trying to act suspenseful.
"Yes, it's a common thing amongst people these days." Mitsuko answered sarcastically, stirring her now chilly soup disappointedly. The butterfly was still trying to rip itself from her palms, so she finally just let it out so it could eat the crumbs from her meal just like all the other mindless drones.
"Yes, yes it is. But what's concerning me is that you're happier than usual. I bet I can tell you why you're so happy." Lenalee teased in a sing-songy voice, poking the other girl in the shoulder, the butterflies parting to let her finger through.
"Alright then, Lenalee darling, why is it I am so happy?" Mitsuko asked, boredom painting her face into a plain, falsely excited expression.
"You've got a boooyfrieeeend!" Lenalee sang, stroking her fingers along the petal-soft surface of one of Mitsuko's butterflies.
"And what do you mean by that?" Mitsuko asked, wondering how much the Exorcist knew about her affairs. She had never had a boyfriend before, let alone a friend who was a boy, so she desperately hoped this girl wouldn't ruin it all for her.
"Who is it? Who is it, Mitsuko, tell me!" Lenalee squealed, almost crushing one of the butterflies under her fist. The poor insect skittered away, bustling past all of its friends and into Mitsuko's palm.
"What do you mean, 'who is it'?" Mitsuko hissed, trying to keep Lenalee's voice down.
"You keep saying that! 'What do you mean?' You know exactly what I mean!" She shrieked, startling some of the poor Finders who were trying to enjoy an afternoon meal. "Tell me who your secret boyfriend is!"
"I don't HAVE a secret boyfriend." Mitsuko scowled, trying to keep the color out of her cheeks.
"I knew it! YOU DO HAVE A SECRET BOYFRIEND! I promise, I will find out who it is, and then expose your secret little shenanigan to the outside world! Everyone will know!" Lenalee squealed, scurrying off to the rest of her group to report her findings.
"Jeez, what is with that girl?" Mitsuko wondered, plucking her butterflies from the now clean table and sucking them into her palm.