Quick pre-chapter disclaimer, to clear up any potential confusion that stemmed from chapter 4 - the long italic passages that exist at the start of chapters (Namely 2 and 4, so far) are flashbacks, and hark back to events months before the events in this story. You guessed it, they're the events that differentiate this universe from the canon one. I'll be using them throughout the story to explain details, and build up a little more backstory as I go. Thanks for reading this far, guys! And see you at the end of this chapter!
"So, Sayaka…" Mami began, a gentle smile on her face. We were finally alone; once again, no easy feat. Homura had generally vanished at the end of school, and probably wouldn't resurface until patrol now that Madoka was away. I often wonder where she actually lives, but even Kyouko and I couldn't track her when we decided to find out. Almost as if she knew she was being followed, she froze time and zipped off somewhere while we were watching. After that, it was pretty hard to find the sort of girl that blends in at the best of times in one of the most populous cities in the world, so we gave up. At any rate, with Nagisa still at school, it was only Kyouko that needed to be disposed of. These days, it's almost as if she spends the whole day glued to my side, so it was a real struggle to convince her to leave the two of us behind to talk. If she knew why… "How bad is the problem?"
"Well, it's not… Bad, you see, it's just… Persistent?" I suggested, trying not to sound too pathetic.
"Any strong emotion locked away in your heart is a problem if allowed to fester, Sayaka…" Mami said in her veteran's voice. "You hardly need convincing of that, yes?"
"Yeah, I know, I know…" I replied, still trying to make it sound like I wasn't in mortal danger. Mami was smart, and better at this than all of us, but it wasn't like that this time!
"And emotions in their purest sense are a Magical girl's power…" Mami continued, unable to resist lecturing me. "And we both know what happens if those emotions take a turn for the worst."
"Look, Mami, it's nothing like Kyousuke this time!" I cut in, looking around to make sure nobody was around. "It's just that-"
"Isn't it?" Mami asked, interrupting me. Her face was stern as she gazed into my eyes. "So far as I can see, you've opened your heart to Kyouko. You've fallen in love with her, and yet you're too scared of her answer to tell her the truth. The only difference that I can see from last time is that Kyouko's a girl." The older Magical girl stated to me, her expression and tone unflinching.
"W-well, yeah, but…" I mumbled, but I was defeated by Mami's logic. Sure, things didn't feel like they did with Kyousuke. For a start, I felt like I had a chance with Kyouko, and she was fun to be around, but I couldn't deny that everything Mami had said was totally true. I looked away, feeling a bit dejected.
I heard Mami sigh behind me, and I felt her shift a little closer as we walked. "Sayaka…" She began softly, placing her hand on my shoulder. "You know I'm not trying to be unkind, right?" The veteran's voice was gone, for now – this was pure Mami. "But I have to think of everyone here, and not just you two…"
"What do you mean?" I asked, wishing I didn't sound quite so sullen and unhelpful.
"Well, look. Nagisa is very fond of you both, as is Madoka. She's especially fond of you, in fact. Not to mention myself, I consider all of you almost as my sisters. If things were to go horribly wrong, what might happen to us? Madoka is strong, and a very enthusiastic Magical girl, but her heart is fragile, and losing you to grief might undo her, if we aren't around to keep her safe. Nagisa too, and she means too much for me to allow anything to happen to her." This went without saying, of course. Mami's adoration for her adopted younger sister was legendary. "Simply put, a problem of this kind and magnitude isn't just a problem for you and Kyouko, as much as I wish it was, but there are lives at stake that don't just involve you."
"O-only if things go wrong!" I replied indignantly, hand on hips. "It's almost like you don't expect it to work!"
Mami sighed. "You know that's not the case at all. You know I believe in you both, and I think that you'd make a wonderful couple, but…" She paused for breath, smiling worriedly at me, "I have to indulge the worst-case scenario. For the safety of all of us."
"Alright, fine." I replied, relaxing a little. "What would you like me to do, then?"
"What… What on earth do you mean?" Mami asked, regarding me with confusion.
"Well, obviously, you have some sort of plan of action?" I asked incredulously. "You can't just give me this lecture about what might happen without giving me some kind of guidance so things don't go wrong!"
"Frankly, that's what I've spent most of the day trying to figure out." Mami admitted, shrugging. "But really, it's tough. I don't know Kyouko as well as I'd like, and her behaviour is often as confusing for me as it is for you. But she's fond of you! That much is plain to see. She lives with you, she spends most of her time with you, and she dedicated herself to saving your life, remember."
"I know that." I huffed, quietly. I thought about those dark times almost daily. "But I don't know why she did it."
"Neither do I, I'm afraid, as I told you before, but… I think it's worth trying." Mami said, as if the words were of tremendous gravity.
"What's worth trying?" I asked, feeling a little nervous.
"Well, I think… I think that…" Mami began, wincing as if he was having trouble with the words she was using. "I think you should try… Flirting, a little?"
"Flirting?" I repeated, aghast. "I can't do that!"
"Well, why not?" She replied, shrugging innocently. "That's what people do to catch the eyes of their loves, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, but- I mean, of course, but I can't… It's Kyouko, Mami! I couldn't even flirt with Kyousuke!" I don't know what kind of person she thought I was, but she was definitely wrong if she thought this was up my alley.
"Well, why not?" She repeated. "I'm not saying you should be incredibly overt about it. Just… Little things, here and there, to gauge her reaction."
"You're completely insane." I grumbled, folding my arms.
"What are your other options, Sayaka?" Mami asked, frowning at me. Apparently, she didn't appreciate my tone, but I didn't appreciate the insanity of her suggestion. "You could try some innocent flirting, now and again, or you could wait until judgement day for her to make the first move and end up like before. Or, conversely, you could put your heart on the line and be truly forward about it. And then, if you scare her, and she reacts negatively, what then?"
"Fine, fine. You want me to flirt, because if I don't, I'll probably die." I growled, bristling.
"Or worse." Mami added, looking a little more good-naturedly at me.
"Whatever. Still, I don't… How do you even flirt with people, anyway?" I asked, mostly rhetorically.
"Looks, it's... I don't know. You're familiar with the ways of the heart, aren't you?" Mami asked hopefully. I looked at her, my expression deadpan.
"You're seriously considering me as a romantic expert?" I asked incredulously. Surely she had lost her mind, this time. "You know how things go when I'm left to my own devices, Mami."
"Well, I know, but I hoped that-"
"What, that I'm full of useful information I just don't listen to?" I asked, exasperated.
"Alright, I see your point!" Mami replied, folding her arms. "I was just hoping you might have had a couple tricks you were too shy to pull."
"Unfortunately for both of us, I don't." I stated, looking over at her. "But you must have had some idea of what you meant, right? Give me an example!"
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly-" Mami began, her hands raised and her cheeks red.
"Oh, I'm sorry, how can I possibly ask you to pretend to do the exact same things to me that you'd expect me to do with Kyouko!" I cut in, pressing my point as fiercely as I could.
"Fine, fine! You win!" Mami cried, now blushing furiously. "I will proceed to subtly flirt with you, Sayaka!"
I couldn't help but laugh at Mami's reaction, my frustration forgotten for a moment.
"Personally, I just can't see why you're asking me to flirt with you, Sayaka. I thought it was Kyouko you were interested in?" Mami huffed in response to my laughter, to which I was left stammering.
"L-less of that!" I replied indignantly. "I'm just looking to my precious senpai for guidance!"
Mami just 'hmphed', and for a while, we walked in silence. In fact it must have been at least a couple minutes before Mami spoke again, and when she did, she was obviously just as calm and Mami-like as ever.
"Well, you already spend a lot of time together, so you're off to a good start." She commented thoughtfully.
"If that's the extent of effort you're expecting me to put into this, she's definitely not going to notice." I stated, looking over at her.
"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.
"If you make a list of things I already do and then say 'well, I think you're already flirting' I will have to ask someone else for advice."
"Oh, stop having so little faith in me. I was just thinking aloud." Mami replied, shaking her head. "Oh, do you leave each other kisses at the end of texts?"
"She doesn't have a mobile." I reminded her, frowning. "And besides, people do that all the time! Madoka puts kisses at the ends of texts to me."
"Yeah, mine too…" She replied thoughtfully. "Alright, scratch that. There's a few gestures and stuff you could do, I suppose."
"That's what I'm waiting for." I replied, smiling over at her.
"Alright, alright… Well, I don't know, you could…" She brushed her arm against mine as we walked, clearly closer to me than the norm. "Just… It doesn't have to be really obvious, you just need to be… close."
"Right…" I replied, feeling unnaturally nervous all of a sudden. Was I really that alien to flirting?
"And I'm sure you could try holding hands, if she doesn't mind being close?" She continued, taking my hand in hers.
"Y-yeah, I could…" I murmured thoughtfully, trying to sound entirely scientific about this.
"And then, when she looks your way…" She began, exactly as I looked her way, "you give her a little smile, and squeeze her hand." She finished, doing exactly that.
Well, make no mistake, that felt like it would work. I don't know what it was about a smile and a hand-squeeze, but the very idea of doing that to Kyouko gave me the most delightful warm swelling in my chest. In response to Mami, I just nodded and looked away.
"There, see? Easiest thing in the world." My senior said with a nod, letting me go.
"Wait, that's it?" I asked, frowning across at her. "All you did was stand close to me and then hold my hand!"
"Well, it's just general stuff, okay?" She replied defensively. "I don't really know what you expect out of me, I've never been in a relationship either!"
"Yeah, but you're my senior! You're more experienced than me!" I returned, desperate for more aid. This wasn't much of an arsenal to tackle Kyouko with.
"I think you're getting age confused with experience, Sayaka." Mami returned, her tone almost weary and dripping with the veteran voice that implied a lecture. "I know that I really liked you and Madoka to see me as your Senpai, especially when you were still learning from me, but this is rather outside my areas of expertise. Remember that back before you five, you were either a Magical girl, or you had a life. Not both." Mami has a way of making you feel really bad, even if you hadn't done anything wrong.
"Jeez, Mami… Sorry I asked you for help." I replied, sighing.
"N-no, look. Don't make it like that." Mami argued gently, frowning a little. "I'm honoured that you came to me and me alone for help, I really am, but I just don't think I can be as helpful as you think I can be."
"I know, I know, I just… Well, I don't have anyone else." I explained, as if she didn't already know. "I could talk to Madoka, but she couldn't keep a secret even if she had any information to give. And Homura wouldn't care enough to help. That really only leaves Kyouko and Nagisa, so…"
"Are you trying to make me feel bad here, Sayaka?" the musketeer asked me, one brow arched in my direction. "I may be the best of a bad lot, but it doesn't pay to be told that."
"Yeah, I know… Sorry, Mami." I replied with a smile, nudging my shoulder against her. "It's just hard work being in love, you know?"
"I can pretend to know." Mami quipped, giving me a sidelong smile. I just rolled my eyes in reply, and we walked on in silence for a while, under the shade of the trees that lined our path.
"But hey, if all that has worked, you'll have to know." My senior said suddenly, restarting her 'training session'. "From her reactions alone, I mean. If she gets all scared, or clams up, you should call it a day, at least until you feel a bit safer in doing it. But if she's okay with it, there's nothing wrong with getting closer…" And with that, of course, she started walking 'close', again. Even closer than before, it seemed.
"And then, if you're happy to keep playing to her intimate side, you could just… I dunno, sort of…" She snaked her arm awkwardly around my waist, holding me lightly by the hip. It was entirely chaste, but I couldn't help feeling incredibly weird.
"R-right…" I mumbled, sounding a bit pathetic.
"And if she's okay with that, you just kind of…" She continued, laying her head down on my shoulder.
"M-mami?" I squeaked stupidly, leaning away.
"Well, hopefully, she won't do that." Mami replied, lifting her head and frowning at me.
"Sorry, it just feels weird, alright?" I shot back, as she stopped leaning against me altogether. She didn't release me, however.
"Well, I'm sure if you do this with Kyouko-"
"S-Sayaka?" Asked a familiar, cultured voice behind me, and I almost swore.
"H-hitomi!" I cried nervously, whirling around. To my left, Mami practically leapt into orbit, covering her face in shame.
Of course, it was only when I turned around that I realised things were actually much worse than previously thought. Because, who else would be standing by Hitomi's side but Kyousuke! I felt just about ready to die, but at least Mami seemed to be faring worse than me.
"What on earth are you two doing?" Hitomi asked, looking incredibly confused. Kyousuke just looked faintly amused.
"U-uuhh…" I stammered uselessly, my mind stumbling to a halt as I tried to make up a convincing lie. "I-it's…"
"I mean, Mami was all over you…" Hitomi continued, starting to blush. I, however, had not just started to blush. I'd been blushing before Hitomi had even crashed back into my life, Kyousuke in tow, but now I felt like my face was on fire, and it was doubtlessly as dark as Kyouko's hair.
"I-I was just…" Mami said softly, uncharacteristically flustered by the intrusion. All the while my mind struggled with its own horror and confusion while trying to come up with any lie that wasn't totally ridiculous or transparent.
"You alright, Sayaka?" Asked Kyousuke at last, and my mind broke at last. I figured it'd simply be easier to tell the truth.
"W-well, basically, Mami was kind of… Teaching me to flirt…" I murmured, feeling totally stupid.
"She… What?" Hitomi asked, blinking.
Proud to have caught her off-guard, and more comfortable telling the truth, (As befitted a hero of justice) I continued with a little more vigour. "Well, yeah… It's… You know, I've never been too great with matters of the heart, and I just wanted to let someone know I was interested…" Not one word of a lie – I'm good at this!
"Oh my, Sayaka… You've found someone else?" Hitomi asked, suddenly transitioning from confusion to starry-eyed wonder.
I grimaced in response. "…Yeah." Meanwhile, Mami seemed to recover somewhat, and stopped hiding behind her fingers.
"That's wonderful!" The green-haired human before me gushed, almost leaping forward as she took my hand in both of hers. My only fervent hope was that she didn't ask me who it was.
Now, it's certainly worth mentioning that Hitomi isn't actually homophobic in any way (comments made to myself and Madoka notwithstanding) but she does have rather old-fashioned views when it comes to love, and mine isn't exactly conventional. Not to mention that if I happened to confess my love to a girl that had threatened her just a few hours before, she might feel a little offended. So, I just thought it might be best if I didn't identify my crush at all. At least, for the time being…
"W-well… I dunno if it's wonderful just yet…" I mumbled nervously as she held my hand in both of hers. I looked away, not quite willing to make eye-contact. At the edge of my vision, Kyousuke seemed to just hang by in the background, not really committing to the scene. I couldn't blame him.
"Well, I wish you luck!" Hitomi replied with incredible enthusiasm, squeezing my hand gently.
"Y-yeah, uhh… Thanks." I mumbled quietly, as she released me. It felt way too weird to be supported like this by my old rival.
Of course, I thought as Hitomi wished me luck once again and bid us good evening, that was exactly why she was so supportive. Yes, she was my friend, and one of the oldest I've had, but she proved this morning that the wounds were still as fresh in her mind as mine.
"Well, we'd best be off." Hitomi said with a smile, interrupting my train of thought. "Leave you two to your training…"
"Yeah, uhh… Sorry you had to see that… It's kind of embarrassing." I muttered sheepishly.
"Really, it's fine. Though I shouldn't imagine you'd need training for any of this?" Hitomi asked innocently. I couldn't tell if she was aiming for an obvious compliment or not.
"Yeah, yeah…" I laughed, dismissing her efforts. "We'll see."
"At any rate, see you soon." Kyousuke said with a kind smile and a nod to the pair of us. "It's nice to meet you, Mami."
"A pleasure, I assure you." Mami replied, composed again. The way she talked was like some kind of foreign dignitary. "It's only a disappointment that we met in such unusual circumstances."
"You're not wrong." He laughed, before turning to me. "And Sayaka. We really haven't seen much of each other, lately. You simply must come to a recital or two, sometime."
"I'd love to." I replied honestly, smiling as they turned to go. All in all, a strange encounter, but not entirely unpleasant. First time I'd seen Kyousuke other than in passing for more than a month. They bid us their farewells and took their leave, walking past the pair of us and further down the path.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'found someone else'?" I heard Kyousuke ask just before they drifted out of earshot, and I couldn't help but snigger. I wonder what Hitomi would say to that? Even if she told him the truth, (An idea that made my blood run cold, I might add) at least he might notice how much I did for him back when he was in hospital. Then he might buy me chocolates or something.
"Well, that was… Eventful." Mami said softly, and I returned to consciousness.
"Pretty good first impression you left, huh?" I replied, turning to face her.
"Oh, hush." My senior pouted, setting off in the direction of Nagisa's school. "Let's just go, shall we?"
"Aww, no more lessons?" I asked, hurrying after her.
"Not until I've lived this one down." She answered, and I laughed. Life was good when you could just laugh things off. I envied people who were better at it than I. Kyouko, for instance. She was great at it. She never really let anything get her down too much. And when I ask her why, she just says it's because she's too happy to bother 'sweating the little stuff'. I guess, when you've come from where she has, anything's a step up. I can't really envy her for that.
Anyway, we hurried our way down to Nagisa's school after that. We didn't have any more 'lessons' about flirting after that, but I had enough fuel to be laughing at her for weeks after she lost her composure that badly. Of course, I had to do it in private, because her blackmail material against me was titanic.
Things were much the same as usual, when we came upon Nagisa's school. Same kids, same fun-loving freedom, same playful messing around that I missed so sorely… But it never felt old. Everything is fresh and wonderful and new, no matter how repetitive it is, when you're a magical girl. I know they say that every day is a gift, but unless you're risking your life nearly every day, you don't truly notice it.
Speaking of noticing things, Nagisa was definitely less enthusiastic than she was yesterday. I mean, it wasn't a big change, or anything – she didn't trudge out of the schoolyard with tears in her eyes, but Nagisa is a sweet little bundle of enthusiastic energy, most of the time. She's happier than nearly anyone I've ever seen, and most of that is thanks to Mami. So of course, she still ran over to us and threw her arms around her without a second thought, but it was just that little bit slower than normal, and her smile was just that little bit smaller than ordinary… I couldn't quite place it. She wasn't normally like this. Mami noticed too – when Nagisa wasn't looking, we shared a look, mine confused, hers concerned. But we didn't mention it to her while I was around, and she didn't seem keen to dwell on it.
She also didn't seem desperate to see everyone again, unlike yesterday. Ultimately, I guess it could just be tiredness, but I've never seen her this way, even after a night of hunting.
We didn't talk much, after we picked up Nagisa. And before long, we came to the parting point in our journeys home, and said our farewells without a great deal of passion. Whatever was up with Nagisa was clearly eating at Mami, as I knew it would. Mami cared more about the sweet little child more than she did about all the other people in the world combined, including us. And I couldn't blame her for it – Nagisa was a sweetheart, adorable and kind, and closer than a sibling to my senior. I sighed to myself, shifting the strap of my bag higher up onto my shoulder and ramming my hands into my pockets. I felt lonely, walking home by myself. I wished Kyouko was there.
After that, the walk back home after that was sombre, to say the least. With Kyouko absent, Nagisa seemingly under the weather and my mother coming home soon, I didn't have much to be cheerful about, even if I didn't actually have anything to be necessarily unhappy about. Neither of my parents had been back home in about two weeks, and I'd gotten used to the walk home with Kyouko. Because she didn't have a lot to do back before she enrolled, she'd always meet up with us just outside school after it ended, and we'd walk back home together. It was a lot like the Witch hunts, really. We always just chat, and fight, and she'll be eating something… I mean, it's not terribly exciting or particularly varied, but it's our routine and we share it alone. Also, at this time of year, we get to see the sunset as it breaks over the city skyline, which is a thing of beauty. Not that Kyouko ever notices.
Mitakihara is a gorgeous city, especially during the day. Twenty, thirty years ago, there was hardly a spot like this in any urban area on the planet. Cities, by and large, are dense, choking places of pollution, where ugly buildings pierce up toward the skies with no sense of aesthetic appreciation. But Mitakihara is different. Most of the city has been almost entirely regenerated in the last two decades, set up around a new, clean drive that is starting to take the world by storm. Greenery is everywhere here in Mitakihara, really pretty areas of woodland and parks all over the place. Even though the city has a really dense population, you hardly notice because it's so well planned for efficiency. Of course, there are still parts of the 'old city' in the outskirts, downtown and literally underneath some places, which is where the six of us make our business at night. Most people don't even realise that so much still exists down there.
But I've lost the point I'm trying to make. Walking home with Kyouko at sunset is just gorgeous. The sky turns to a blend of amethyst and fire, and the excitable little blockhead is shrouded in the golden light. We walk, and we talk about nothing of any real importance. I might make a dig at her or something, or she might pick on me, I don't know. What we say and do isn't really that important. What's important is that we do it together, and it's the atmosphere we have.
None of that today, of course. Just me, my schoolbag, and the 'delight' of knowing that, at some point tonight, my mother would be getting home.
Now, I know I might have looked as if I dislike my parents at times, and that I think they dislike me too. But I don't really, and I'm confident they don't either. I just get a little… Resentful when I'm angry at other things, and it often comes back around to them. They love me a lot, I'm sure, otherwise they might not come back at all, but things do feel a little… Strained, at times. My parents work for two different companies, in sales or something. I never really cared to ask. Big stuff that involves them flying out all over the world and not taking me with them. Of course, it'd be childish to expect that of them, but I hardly see them as a result. The last time my mum was at home was three weeks ago, and it's been almost two months since I've seen my dad. Though he did skype me the other day, which was pretty nice. Or it would have been, had Kyouko not been there. Given how hard it would have been to introduce the abrasive redhead and explain why she was at home at ten in the evening, and clearly eating our food, I kind of forced her to hide, and stay out of shot.
Am I ashamed of Kyouko? I asked myself, stopping in my tracks. I was still heading through the park, the low orange sunlight streaming through the branches. That was a faintly odd thought. And one of many I was starting to have lately, striking me out of the blue. I wanted to say no, of course. For a start, it wasn't my place to be ashamed of her in the first place. She didn't belong to me, and had made it very, very clear on a number of occasions that she was absolutely her own individual, and nothing could be done to change that. If there were two words that perfectly summed up Kyouko, they were 'wild and free'. She had that special spark to her that just embodied… Something. I don't know, I'm not a writer. Nevertheless, for all her wild beauty, she was grubby, and abrasive, and aggressive, and wasn't very well-educated, or well spoken, and was possessing of an insatiable appetite for almost any food under the sun. In short, as limitlessly friendly and enthusiastic as she is, she's more than a little… Uncouth. It's not that I blame her for it or anything, but I just get the feeling that she might give the wrong impression to my parents. Hell, she gave me the wrong impression for half a month. I mean sure, she's a lot softer around the edges than she used to be, but she did once recommend that I should cripple Kyousuke until he was forced to depend on me, and that's not the kind of thing nice girls say. I guess I'm just scared my parents wouldn't approve. If they don't particularly like me having her as a friend, I'd probably cause some kind of incident if I was to start dating her.
Luckily for me, they come home so infrequently that I'll have ample time to prepare and train Kyouko for any kind of meeting that might need to take place. My only worry is that she'd be herself in front of my parents. If past experience is anything to go by, she's horrible at first impressions.
My thought train was cut short when I suddenly found myself before the apartment building where the two of us had almost been living together. Sad to be making the trip alone once more, I went inside, heading straight for the lift home. I pressed the familiar button up to our floor, waiting patiently. I made my way down to my apartment with almost automatic familiarity. In fact, it was only when I made to unlock the door that I realised something was different – the door was already open.
My mother was already home.
I sighed quietly, and hoping that I didn't look too tired, or shabby, or underfed, or pale, I turned the door handle and stepped inside.
"I'm home!" I called out, trying to sound cheerful.
"Sayaka!" My mother's voice called back from the kitchen. Her tone was pretty weary, but she sounded pleased to see me.
Cracking a genuine smile that surprised myself, I headed over to the kitchen, slinging my bag down on the ground. Meanwhile, my mother appeared from the kitchen with tired eyes but a warm smile, swinging her arms around me where we met. I hugged her back, enjoying for that brief moment the hug that could only be shared by a mother and a child.
"Hey, mum…" I said with a smile, releasing her. "Nice to see you again."
"Oh, I've missed you!" My mother replied, giving me a squeeze just before releasing me. "How have you been?"
"Oh, fine… Nothing out of the ordinary." I lied, smiling. She couldn't understand my position, anyway.
"Oh, really?" She asked with a wry smile. "You're not the sort to lead a quiet life."
"Haha, well…" I began, laughing nervously. "I can only seek out adventure when it's there."
"True, true…" She laughed, heading for the kitchen. "So, how are Hitomi and Madoka? Still the same as ever?"
"Oh, yeah… Oh! Actually, I forgot to say at the time… Hitomi's dating Kyousuke, now!" I said quickly, deciding at least to reveal one lie if just to keep the blanket of lies I was sewing myself as small as I could. I had neglected to tell her at the time, mostly just because it hurt to bring it up, but now it's been a couple months, I'm only gonna mess up if I don't admit it now.
"Really? Hitomi? I never knew she was interested in him!" My mother exclaimed, looking back at me.
"Yeah, weird, huh? Just seemed to spring up out of nowhere when he got better." I dismissed with a laugh, scratching the back of my head. I hope I didn't look too suspicious.
"It is… Hold on though… Didn't you have a crush on him, Sayaka?" She asked, frowning with concern. Of course she'd remember. She was my mother, after all, even if I had never told her about it.
"W-well, I used to… But it's okay now! I'm over him, and I want things to work out for them." I informed her with a proud smile.
"My my! Sayaka, how very mature of you! I'm rather impressed by how magnanimous you're being about that sort of thing. I wouldn't have been able to, at your age." Mrs Miki replied with a wide smile. "Or have you simply moved on to someone else?"
Just the mention of there being a 'someone else' got my heart thumping. Images of Kyouko's sweet little smile flooded into my mind, and fire started to creep its way across my cheeks.
"I… Might have." I replied in a strangled voice, too far gone to deny it.
"Oh, really?" My mum replied, her smile becoming rather more teasing. "I'll have to meet them, soon!"
"Y-yeah…!" I laughed, trying to dismiss the subject as best I could. The longer I could put off introducing Kyouko to my family, the more time I had to make sure she didn't screw up.
"So, come on, come on… Can I know anything at all?" She asked, her eyes lighting up. "A name, age, blood type… Anything at all?"
"Nuh-uh!" I answered firmly, pretending to just be stubborn. I slipped by her into the kitchen, having a look to see if she was preparing anything. To my delight, she was! Nothing special, but anything's good when you don't have to work for it.
"So cruel, Sayaka!" My mother replied, following me back into the kitchen. "You can't leave me like that! At least tell me if you're together, yet?"
"N-no! I mean… Not yet, okay?" I stammered, trying not to sound quite so defensive. Why was I so stressed about all this? It's not like my mum knew anything!
"Okay, okay… I won't pry. But can I just ask… What were you doing that had you out so late? You're normally back earlier than this."
"Oh, well, I was just out with Mami, 'cos she was down picking Nagisa up from school." I responded lightly. At least that was easy to answer.
"Mami? Nagisa?" She replied blankly.
I swore internally, as I realised that I had somehow kept the existence of three of my closest friends (And Homura) from my mother for months.
"Aha, yeah, friends of mine. Didn't I mention them before?" I asked innocently, trying not to sweat with fear.
"Hmm… No, I don't think so." She shook her head.
"Weird…" I shrugged, pretending it was coincidence. "Mami's been a friend of mine for ages, now! Me and Madoka spend a lot of time with her. Nagisa's her younger sister, and she's really sweet too."
"My, new friends, and you never told me?" She asked, crossing her arms with an amused smile.
"I… guess it never came up?" I shrugged, trying to sound more relaxed than I felt. I was starting to get the hang of this 'lying' business.
"Anyone else you've neglected to mention?" She continued, interrogating me in that 'innocently curious' way that only parents can.
"Ah, well… There's Homura, who's really more Madoka's friend than mine. She's really quiet, and a bit moody, but Madoka spends loads of time with her for some reason." I frowned thoughtfully. Now was a good time to come clean, I suppose. Or rather, as clean as a Magical Girl can be. "She's in our class, unlike Mami, who's a year older. And then there's Kyouko." I stopped for a moment, scanning my mind for the correct words. It was important to get it right this time, if for no other reason than because I was fed up of blurting out the stupidest possible things whenever Kyouko was involved.
"Kyouko?" She prompted me, tilting her head to one side.
"W-well, she's… A total pain. Loves to pick on me, and drag me along with her, and she's a total blockhead, and we're always arguing or getting into fights… But she's a lot of fun to be around, and she's nice really…" I blurted, the words just spilling endlessly out of my stupid face, strongly against my will. I'm just glad that I didn't start talking about how beautiful she was, and how much I loved her.
"You've got a lot to say about Kyouko, there…" My mother noted, raising an eyebrow at me.
"W-well, there's a lot of her to talk about…" I replied, trying not to sound as defensive as I felt. I think it came out alright. "And I spend more time with her than the others…"
"What, you're deserting Madoka, after all this time?" She continued, clearly trying to goad me.
"Hey, now, don't make it like that!" I returned, falling for the bait even before I could stop myself. "Madoka got all chummy with Homura way before me and Kyouko got friendly. If anything, she left me."
"Woah, sorry. Did I hit a nerve, dear?" Mum asked, frowning with genuine concern.
"No, no, it's fine." I replied, though I didn't quite feel like it was. I was worried about deserting Madoka in a way, even though I still see her at school every day. I mean, it's hardly unfair to say that we don't see too much of each other outside of school anymore, but it's not like I wanted things that way! Kyouko's just labour intensive, and Homura's a little… Well, she's herself, and that's enough. And while I'm not quite childish enough to blame the time traveller for the slight separation between me and my best friend, it is probably her fault. A little bit. "I'm just strongly against change, you know?"
"Well, nobody's desperately keen on change like that, dear," She replied, oblivious to my internal monologue. "But sadly, it seems to happen anyway, more often than not. At least you're still fairly close, right?"
"Oh yeah, of course! I still see her all the time!" I replied, neglecting to mention that I hardly ever see my other 'best friend' Hitomi at all now (Today notwithstanding).
"Well, that's fine then! I'm sure it's not as bad as you think, these things never are. Oh, that reminds me – How's Junko doing? Still drinking like a fish?"
"Mum!" I scolded, frowning at her.
"What? I'm only joking! We're all just as bad." She replied, laughing to herself.
"At drinking, or at being rude?" I returned bravely.
"Both. And less of that attitude, you." My mother replied with an aloof 'huffing' noise, returning to the oven. Meanwhile, I fell into step behind her, watching with a careful eye. After all, as an 'excellent' chef, (Kyouko approved) I'm sure I'd be an invaluable asset for her.
"So, how's the training going?" She asked, whipping a steaming tray out of the oven as she talked. Apparently I was too late to help out. "Still keeping up the exercise? Did you apply to the baseball team, in the end?"
And yet, as she uttered those words, something wonderful came into my mind. A blinding flash of brilliance, something almost alien to me in its sheer rarity – a good idea. And not just a standard one, either. No, it would solve all of my problems!
"Hold on, Mum… I think you've just given me the best idea…" I replied, unable to prevent a grin from spreading its way across my face.
And of course, thanks for reading this far, too! Now, I have finally finished the 'trilogy' (Chapters 3, 4 and 5) which was what I originally had planned just for chapter 3! Guess I get ahead of myself...
At any rate, I look forward to any reviews of pms you give me, and hope you liked it! Chapter 6... Well, I hope it'll come sooner than 5 did.