An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako; Complete)

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Mirage_GSM
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Called it :-)
Misha stopped as she claimed a spot in line for she and Hanako
for herself and Hanako
“Umm… m-maybe, the loser has to do something, s-something really embarrassing!” Hanako suggested.
Who is this girl, and what has she done to Hanako? (I could have made that comment at several points...)
“I’ll get you next time, Hana-chan! Just take your prize for now.
She gets a prize for hitting just six out of ten?
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by sloth4 »

I wonder how this will affect Misha and Hanako, if they'll feel guilty for keeping the roof meetings secret and not doing more to enforce the roof ban. Not that they'd really be at fault, but guilt is insidious like that.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Hanako Fancopter »

Mirage_GSM wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 8:53 am Called it :-)
Yep! I went back and meticulously re-played Act 1 as I was writing these chapters to make sure I set it up right.
Who is this girl, and what has she done to Hanako? (I could have made that comment at several points...)
As I said in an earlier post, I'm purposely writing Hanako as less of a potato than she is in the game. As one of my main characters, I want her to participate in the story on an equal footing with the others, and I don't want to spend the whole story just waiting for her to be able to do it. Ironically, one way to address this would be to have a big time skip between Act 1 and 2 in which I specify that Hanako is hanging out with the other girls more regularly...
She gets a prize for hitting just six out of ten?
I guess? >.> Went back and edited something in for this.
I wonder how this will affect Misha and Hanako, if they'll feel guilty for keeping the roof meetings secret and not doing more to enforce the roof ban. Not that they'd really be at fault, but guilt is insidious like that.
It will certainly have its ramifications. One reason I went ahead and threw two roof scenes into Act 2 is that there probably won't be any more from here on out <.<

Alright, start of Act 3, here we go. This is where I'm gonna start really taking some risks, so fingers crossed that you guys don't totally cringe at them >.<

---

Chapter 20: Aftermath

Misha wasn’t sure what she was supposed to feel today. She was trying to just not feel anything and it scared her a bit how well that was working. They still had to clean up the festival’s mess, one way or the other. Between that and what had happened, classes had been cancelled for today. There had been a big meeting in the morning explaining the situation to the whole student body, with a speech by some important-looking person going on about the tragedy of it and telling everyone that this was a reminder to cherish life, things like that. Misha hadn’t really been listening.

Hanako hadn’t been there.

Everyone could go in to the counseling center to talk about it sometime this week, if they wanted to, but Misha didn’t think she was going to do that. As sick as she had felt last night, her own feelings came second to her concern for someone else. Hanako hadn’t stopped crying all night, even after Misha had gotten her back into her room. She had felt so helpless sitting there on the bed, holding Hanako while she cried, with absolutely nothing to say or do that could make it better.

Eventually Shizune appeared with a policeman in tow, explaining that he needed to ask a couple questions, and Misha had to go with him. She had still been able to hear Hanako’s sobs as she walked away. Misha had told the policeman what they knew, which was that they heard another voice just before Hisao fell, but that was it. It had been too distant, and she too distracted, to identify the voice beyond the fact that it had been male.

For a short while Misha had entertained the horrible possibility that the other person had pushed Hisao, but this morning Shizune had explained to her that the incident was ruled more likely to be an accident. A mostly-empty flask of whiskey had been found up on the roof, leading the police to conclude that inebriation had led Hisao to stumble too close to the edge, where he lost his balance and toppled over. They were trying to determine who the other student had been but no one had come forward. That didn’t surprise Misha—whoever it was could probably get expelled if they were discovered.

Shizune had been quiet all day, saying very little besides to explain what the police and teachers had told her. Misha recognized her melancholy, introspective mood, and didn’t press her about anything. They just worked together in silence. It was getting into the evening and they were nearly done when Lilly approached them.

“Misha? A word, please,” Lilly said.

Misha looked over to Shizune for input.

[Go. I’ll finish up here.]

Misha nodded and jogged over to Lilly, taking her sleeve and letting her take the lead. They began to walk back towards the main buildings.

“Misha, I need you to help me.”

“Of course, Lilly… what do you need?”

“It’s not what I need. It’s Hanako. You… you were with her when it happened, weren’t you?”

Misha looked away, not wanting to remember it, even though she hadn’t been able to get it out of her head all day.

“Yes… it was horrible…”

“I’m worried about her, Misha. She’s taking this very hard, even though we barely knew him. She won’t come out of her room and she won’t speak to me. I kept knocking until… well, she screamed at me to go away. If she stays like this…”

Misha choked up a bit, then fought the tears back. The thought of Hanako like that hurt her far more than the incident itself had. It was terrible what had happened to Hisao, there was no doubting that, but it was also true that they hadn’t even gotten to really know him before he was gone. And he was just that—gone. Hanako was still here, still suffering right now.

“Lilly… you know I want to help her, but… if she wants to be alone. Maybe we should let her?”

Lilly looked displeased by this but didn’t contradict it. Misha didn’t particularly like the idea herself. The more she thought about it, the more she remembered the night she had gone to Hanako’s room, after everyone else had gone to bed. How much better Hanako had made her feel about everything. Just the thought of it brought a surge of emotions up to her awareness, pressing dangerously against the wall she’d been holding them behind all day. She couldn’t hold them in forever…

“If that is what you think is best, Misha. To tell the truth… I don’t know what to do for her right now. I tried to do what I could. I think she might react better to you. I just ask… if you can help her, please do. Can you promise me that?”

“Of course, Lilly. I promise.”

Lilly nodded.

“Thank you, Misha.”

Misha could hear Lilly’s voice quavering on those last words before they parted ways. Lilly was maintaining her composed exterior but surely she was affected just like the rest of them. Misha wondered if she might be going to see the counselors right now. Misha wasn’t going to see any counselors, not yet… she knew who she wanted to see, and what she wanted to say.

***

“Hello? Hacchan?”

No answer. Misha knocked again. She worried that she might regret this but the anxiety in her throat wouldn’t let her just walk away. Something had to give before she left here.

“Go away! I don’t… I don’t n-need this right now!”

“I know, Hacchan. I do.”

Misha let some of the emotions she’d been bottling up flow over into her voice, its pitch rising and its usual lilting quality leaving it.

“I… I need to see you. Please…”

Silence. Misha waited for another long moment before finally sighing in defeat. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all… what if she just made Hanako hate her?

“It’s okay then, Hacchan. I’ll just—”

The door flew open, startling Misha a bit as Hanako peeked out at her from behind it, only the burnt right side of her face visible in the frame. Her eye was still red and puffy. She had clearly been crying again today but looked all cried out for now. Now she didn’t look sad, or at least, not only sad. There was another emotion there too. She looked almost… angry.

“Wh-what do you need, Misha?”

Misha’s shoulders slumped and her eyes drooped, the life seeming to drain out of her as she allowed the front she’d worn all last night and all day today to simply slough off of her.

“…I just need you, Hacchan.”

Hanako continued frowning at her for a moment but her lips were trembling now. Misha could tell she was holding it with conscious effort, the raw emotion behind it having faded. Hanako reached around the door and offered Misha a hand, pulling her in and closing the door behind them.

“M-Misha, I—”

Misha collapsed onto Hanako, letting the dam break as a flood of tears and sobs poured out of her. Hanako struggled to support the sudden weight for a moment, but quickly recovered and guided her over to the bed, sitting down and holding Misha’s face into her shoulder. Misha’s arms wrapped tightly around her midsection, just like the last time. After a few minutes, Hanako began to stroke Misha’s head, content to sit and hold her. Misha couldn’t see Hanako’s face but she could practically feel that anger and bitterness from a moment before melting away.

Right now she couldn’t stop crying—that was okay. Misha knew that they would be okay. She was going to be okay, and Hanako was too, because they were here together.

Chapter 19 | Chapter 21
Last edited by Hanako Fancopter on Thu Jan 24, 2019 8:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.
An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako Route)
Riposte (Rika Mini-Route)
One-Shots Thread (Random Smut/Meme Stories)
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by sloth4 »

QuietlySomething wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:15 pm Tfw Hanako Fancopter writes 3 times the amount of chapters in your fic in 1/8th of the time
It is quite impressive, especially given the quality produced. Reminds me a bit of when Downix published an entire Rika route in a month or two.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Hanako Fancopter »

QuietlySomething wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:15 pm Tfw Hanako Fancopter writes 3 times the amount of chapters in your fic in 1/8th of the time
LOL. I just hope the quality doesn't suffer for the quantity!
sloth4 wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:36 pm
QuietlySomething wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 3:15 pm Tfw Hanako Fancopter writes 3 times the amount of chapters in your fic in 1/8th of the time
It is quite impressive, especially given the quality produced. Reminds me a bit of when Downix published an entire Rika route in a month or two.
daww

Image

---

Chapter 21: Union

Hanako wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. Long enough for it to get fully dark outside. She got the feeling that neither one of them wanted to break away, not because they didn’t want Misha to stop crying, but because they weren’t sure what would come next if they did. What were they supposed to do? Just lay down in their beds and try to go to sleep, to forget about all of this and wake up tomorrow pretending like everything was normal? It felt too soon for that.

So they stayed like that, for as long as they could. Misha had latched herself onto Hanako’s right side—even though her blouse was soaked, she couldn’t feel the tears as they ran down her scars. Something about that made her feel a bit better, like she had a layer of protective armor for Misha to lean into. A few tears of Hanako’s own leaked out but she had used most of them already by the time Misha came.

Eventually, Misha’s eyes ran dry as well.

“O-okay, Hacchan…” Misha said with a sniffle, “…I think I’m done.”

“Okay, Misha.”

Misha pushed herself up from Hanako’s lap, where her head had eventually ended up.

“Do you… feel better?” Hanako asked, reaching up and brushing away the last few tears from Misha’s cheek.

“Yeah… well, sorta.”

Misha gave her a weak smile.

“I just…”

“You needed to get it out. I-I know.”

Misha nodded.

“Umm… d-do you want to… talk about it?” Hanako asked.

“I don’t know, Hacchan. Maybe. I feel like I want to say something. I don’t know what to say, though…”

Hanako could understand that. This wasn’t the first time someone had passed away at Yamaku. Lots of people here had expiration dates, some earlier than others. Even more had conditions that weren’t guaranteed to kill them but could do so on a moment’s notice anyways. At least one student went every year, sometimes more; Hanako realized she was lucky to make it this long before it was someone from her class. She hadn’t known any of the previous casualties, and more importantly, she hadn’t seen their broken bodies at the moment of their death.

It was her first time seeing death since that day, and it took her back to a place she had hoped to leave behind.

“I guess… it just doesn’t seem fair,” Misha said. “He was only here for a week. We never even knew why he came to this school. He… he didn’t seem very happy, and then he just…”

“Yeah. I-it’s bad enough that people, with their c-c-conditions… and for H-Hisao it wasn’t even that.”

“The worst was seeing—”

Hanako squeezed Misha’s thigh.

“Don’t say it. I don’t—I-I don’t want to think about that.”

“Mmm.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, each looking down, the mood somber.

“I-I… I feel, I felt b-bad too because, well… I ran away from h-him,” Hanako said.

Misha looked up at her, seeing her bottom lip quiver slightly.

“H-he just wanted to talk to me, and now… th-that was all we ever got to s-say. M-maybe we could’ve been friends, if I hadn’t… m-m-maybe I could’ve…”

“Hanako.”

Misha put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t think like that. Me and Shicchan tried to hang out with him, but… he wasn’t very interested. He didn’t really seem ready to open up to people. It was… it happened. That’s all.”

“It just h-happens… that’s all?”

Hanako’s voice rose slightly as she continued.

“Why do such horrible things have to h-happen?”

She raised her right hand to her face, grimacing as she turned it from its palm over to the scars on its backside.

“This wasn’t enough? These, this—” Hanako scratched at the scars, using the gesture as a replacement for words that wouldn’t come “—a year in the burn room wasn’t enough? Getting stuck away in that orph—”

The word choked in her throat as Hanako realized what she was saying. It was too late… the first syllable had already come out. So what? Suddenly she didn’t care all that much anyways. If things like this were just always going to happen, then what difference did it make?

“And I just have to… to just take it? Because it just h-h-happens? Ughh!”

Hanako punched the bed beside her, a pointless gesture for pointless suffering.

“You don’t just take it, Hacchan. You work it out, just like this. By talking. Even if you’ve had a hard life, you can—”

“A hard life?!”

Hanako jumped up from the bed and glared at Misha. She’d let that one single syllable slip, one little hint, and now it was this. How she had such a “hard life.”

“You don’t know anything about me, Misha. You don’t—you don’t know about my life! Don’t talk like you do!”

Misha held her hands up in shock, looking equal parts hurt and afraid.

“Hacchan, I, I—I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t say you don’t mean it! Don’t lie to me!” Hanako ordered, pointing a finger in Misha’s face.

Misha looked down dejectedly, her shoulders shaking. The image of her reminded Hanako… at one time, she had been the one trembling while Misha yelled at her.

“It’s okay, Hacchan. I’ll go,” Misha said meekly, starting to get up.

Hanako’s hand on her shoulder caused her to pause.

“M-Misha, I’m…”

Was she sorry? Hanako decided she didn’t know. But she also knew she didn’t want this. The anger had faded as quickly as it came.

“…y-you can go, if you want,” she finished, sitting back down with a sigh.

“…do you want me to?” Misha asked cautiously.

Hanako shook her head, her face slightly red from the still-churning swell of emotions within her.

“Okay, Hacchan. I don’t want to go, either.”

Misha sat back down as well, returning the two girls to their starting positions.

“You’re right, Hacchan. I don’t know anything about you. But I know… I know I like being with you. Even if you get mad at me… it’s okay. I know I messed up.”

“I-I messed up too, Misha. I just, I… I get too a-angry. I know I shouldn’t get l-like that… I know what you were s-saying. About how things happen, and we just h-have to try to be okay. I hate it, and it’s not f-fair, but I know it.”

“I wish there was more we could do than that, Hacchan. But there’s not. It’s just how things are.”

“I-I know. It… it just sucks. Last night was really f-fun, but now, that’s what we’ll always… it just s-s-s-sucks, Misha.”

“Yeah. It does. But…”

Misha took Hanako’s hand and squeezed it gently.

“You are right about last night, Hacchan. Up until then… it was a really fun night. I’m glad I got to spend it with you. Even if…”

Her voice trailed off as Hanako nodded in understanding, then gave her a brief hug. That last thought could go unsaid, just like a lot of things in this conversation.

“What time is it, Misha?” Hanako asked with a glance at the window.

“I don’t know, Hacchan. Pretty late, I think.”

“D-do you, umm…”

Hanako shifted uncomfortably, wringing her hands a bit. Her cheek’s shade of red deepened as she remembered that moment in the council room, right before it happened. What could have happened, if it didn’t.

“…d-do you want to, to… st-stay here tonight, M-Misha? I-I don’t… I don’t want you to go.”

“Of course, Hacchan~. I’ll stay with you. Do you have a sleeping bag, or another blanket I could use?”

Hanako shook her head, then clapped her hands twice, causing the lights to go out.

“Ah… aha~! Hacchan, you have the clappy lights set up?”

“S-so I don’t have to get up when I’m done reading…”

“That’s cute~! Shicchan showed me how to do them!” Misha said, amusing herself by clapping the lights back on and then off again.

“C-can we just, uhh… l-lay down?”

Hanako patted the bed next to her, indicating where she wanted Misha to be.

“Sure, Hacchan. If you like~!”

Misha waited for Hanako to slowly lower herself down on the bed, as if trying to convince herself that this was all fine, then followed up by flopping down right next to her. This startled Hanako a bit, causing Misha to giggle lightly in turn. Hanako felt Misha’s hand on her side, not gripping or pulling, just needing somewhere to be. Even so, the contact quickened her pulse. The room was pitch dark but Hanako could still see the golden irises of Misha’s eyes and the outline of her face. Her expression was expectant, but not impatient. Misha was waiting for her.

Hanako’s heart felt like it was about to go into her throat. Once again their faces were only a few inches apart. She didn’t remember Misha’s head landing that close to hers, yet somehow they had pulled together like a pair of magnets. Hanako reached up, her hand trembling as it brushed a pink curl away from Misha’s face, then she leaned in and their lips met. Everything else fell away for a moment; she couldn’t think, her head filled with a calming buzz. It felt… good.

“Mmm.”

Misha purred happily, seeming to savor the moment. When it ended they laid still for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes.

“M-Misha, I meant to tell you, because… because y-you told me.”

“Told you what, Hacchan?”

“Y-you told me who you l-liked. Th-the person th-that… that I-I like, i-i-is…”

Misha gave her a peck on the lips as she trailed off.

“I know, Hacchan. I feel the same way.”

“Y-you do?”

“Does that surprise you? We just, you know…”

“I-I just… I wasn’t really s-sure…”

“Okay, Hacchan~. Let’s make sure.”

Misha leaned in again, more aggressive this time, wrapping a hand around Hanako’s back and bringing the other to her face, cupping her cheek as their lips met again. Hanako closed her eyes, trying to ease into the act and enjoy it. It felt weird to lay limp while Misha’s arms embraced her so naturally; she raised her own hands, letting them hover awkwardly for a moment, then settled for placing them at Misha’s waist. It was difficult to think with Misha’s soft lips pressing incessantly into hers, a hint of tongue making itself known as Misha’s arousal increased.

Hanako felt herself heating up as well, both physically and otherwise. She didn’t know what to do, really, she didn’t even know if this was really something she should be doing, but she wanted more of it… until she felt the scratch of a finger against her bare chest, realizing that Misha had already undone the first button of her blouse and was working on the second one. Hanako pulled away, batting at Misha’s hand with one of her own while using the other to cover the small patch of scarred flesh exposed by the un-buttoning.

“Eep!”

“Ah… Hacchan, I’m sorry. I just got a bit excited…” Misha said sheepishly.

“I-it’s okay. It’s j-just…”

“Your shirt?”

Hanako nodded sheepishly, doing the top button back up.

“I-I know you saw them already, b-but…”

Misha pecked Hanako’s cheek.

“It’s different. I know, Hana-chan. So… are you sure now?”

Another nod, then Hanako leaned in for another kiss, this one already feeling more comfortable than the first ones as she pulled Misha’s body tighter against her.

Chapter 20 | Chapter 22
Last edited by Hanako Fancopter on Thu Jan 24, 2019 8:55 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

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Omg...yaaassss
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Rin is best girl, period
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

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First post on the forums, better start somewhere. might as well stop lurking

Loved reading this from the day this was first released. Super cute couple you created.

I expected Hisao to go down the Rin route. That dream got thoroughly crushed.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Well, not telling Lilly about his condition is one of the surefire ways to get the Kenji end...
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
griffon8 wrote:Kosher, just because sex is your answer to everything doesn't mean that sex is the answer to everything.
Sore wa himitsu desu.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Hanako Fancopter »

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, with the particular route I had Hisao go down, he was one choice away from having a shot at Rin. He'll have to romance her in another fic--I planned his fate very early on.

---

Chapter 22: Morning

Misha woke up worrying for a second that it was just a dream. Nope… Hanako was right there, one arm still wrapped around her. That proximity was probably what had woken her up, she figured. While snuggling with Hanako was really nice, sleeping this way with all their clothes on had also made her uncomfortably hot. Misha shifted around a bit, realizing with a grimace that she had a fair amount of sweat on her and she didn’t know how much of it was hers. Well, probably most of it was, now that she remembered what Hanako had said after her bout of heat exhaustion.

It hadn’t taken Hanako too much longer to nestle up against Misha and start snoring after they laid down last night. She seemed to enjoy the kisses but didn’t want to do anything more, content to cuddle. That was okay with Misha. She hadn’t slept much the night of the festival and Hanako probably hadn’t either; they had both been exhausted by that point.

She needed to do a lot of things: get up, get a shower and change, fix her hair, get some food, find Shizune, come up with some kind of story or excuse for where she’d been. All of that could wait. Misha took a moment to just watch Hanako’s sleeping form next to her. The other girl’s chest rose gently with her breath, none of her usual nervous energy apparent. Her lips parted slightly, with an expression of contentment on her face. She looked perfect, Misha thought. If she could stay just like this all day, there was a pretty high chance she would.

But she couldn’t. Misha started to squirm out from under Hanako’s grasp, only to find that her friend—lover? Misha didn’t know if they had done enough to say that yet—shifted as well and held her tighter.

“Mmmmmpff…” Hanako mumbled.

“Jeez! Hacchan!” Misha whispered in frustration. “I like you too, but come on!”

This only drew more muttering from her. Moving more carefully this time, Misha managed to lift the arm and roll herself out from under it, only to realize that she was rolling right off the bed itself. Oops… these beds were only made for one, after all.

“Oof!”

The thud of Misha’s rear hitting the floor caused Hanako to jolt awake.

“Eep!”

“Whoops~!”

Misha raised herself to her knees, resting her elbows on the bedside and her head on her arms, giving Hanako a big grin.

“Good morning, sleepyhead~.”

“Umm… g-good morning, Misha…”

Hanako blushed and held a hand to her scars, no doubt remembering the events of the previous night.

“M-my hair…” she said, sounding a little distressed as she tried to clear wild strands out of her face.

“Waha~! Yeah, it’s going a little crazy right now, Hacchan.”

That was an understatement. Hanako looked like she had a purple mop on her head. She must have been tossing and rolling around quite a bit during the night.

“D-d-don’t look…” Hanako said sheepishly, shrinking back and raising the bedsheet up to her eyes.

“Aww~! Don’t worry, mine’s probably a mess too!” Misha said, shaking her head to flip her own hair around. Her drills no longer held their shape at all, instead just forming weirdly curved lengths that stuck out at odd angles.

“Y-yeah…” Hanako said, the hint of a smile audible in her voice. “It’s j-just… no one has seen it like this, before now…”

“Well~! I think it’s that way for both of us, huh? At least for me, since I changed my hair to be all drilly! Wahaha~!”

Misha kept looking at Hanako as the brief spark of conversation just sort of sputtered and died. They were both making small talk, not really addressing the elephant in the room. Hanako looked away from Misha’s gaze, continuing to hide behind her bedsheet. This was awkward… they were just making this up on the fly, and neither one of them really knew what they were doing, Misha thought. She needed to figure out what Hanako wanted without being too direct about it.

“So, Hacchan~! What are you gonna do today?”

“Umm… a-actually, I thought I might, err… st-stay in…”

“…all day?” Misha asked, her brow perking.

“Mmhmm…”

Well, Misha couldn’t blame her too much. It had definitely been an intense twenty-four hours. It was still the first day of classes after the accident, too. Hanako probably wouldn’t be the only person skipping to try and hide until its aftermath passed. Misha stood up and clapped her hands together, bringing the lights on in the room.

“Well then~! I need to go and do lots of stuff, stuff, stuff~! I’ll come back and see you again later… if you want?”

Hanako nodded.

“I-I need a sh-shower…” she said sheepishly.

“Wahaha~! Me too! Don’t worry, I’ll leave you to it, Hacchan.”

Misha got halfway to the door before a series of light knocks sounded from it. She froze, looking back at Hanako with eyes wide. Misha didn’t care who found them like this, but Hanako might be a different story…

“Hello? Hanako?”

Lilly. Of course. Hanako motioned for Misha to come back towards the bed.

“J-j-just… stay qu-quiet, I’ll talk to her,” Hanako whispered, getting up and answering the door.

Misha nodded and crouched down near the bed, feeling very exposed and awkward. As the door opened she could have sworn Lilly’s blue eyes were looking directly at her. She felt like she should hide under the bed or something, just as a formality.

“H-hi, Lilly.”

“Good morning, Hanako. You seem better today?”

“Err… y-yes. I’m feeling better. A b-bit…”

“Thank goodness. You had me worried yesterday.”

Lilly pulled Hanako into a hug and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. A kiss! Misha’s heart fluttered at that. It didn’t necessarily mean anything, but Lilly and Hanako always did seem awfully close… if she had gotten herself into the middle of something here…

“Umm, L-L-Lilly, please… pl-please don’t do that…” Hanako said.

Oh.

“Hm? You don’t want me to…?”

“Pl-please don’t… err… k-k-k-kiss me…” Hanako finally sputtered out, sounding very embarrassed. It was cute, extremely cute, and Misha suddenly found herself fighting the urge to laugh. Not now… this wasn’t the right time to be laughing!

“Ah… I’m sorry, Hanako, I didn’t mean to… please. Forgive me,” Lilly said, taken aback.

“I-it’s okay… just don’t d-d-do it again, okay?”

Lilly nodded.

“I’m just happy that you’re feeling better. I take it Misha came by to speak with you?”

Misha could see Hanako’s whole body tense at that.

“H-h-h-how…”

“Hm? I asked her to check up on you. You, well… you didn’t want to speak to me, so I thought…”

“O-o-oh! Y-yes… sorry for y-yelling at you…”

“That’s quite alright. I think we were all feeling a little emotional yesterday. I’ve decided to have some tea before class. Would you and Misha like some?”

Drat. Now Hanako had frozen so completely that she couldn’t even answer. Lilly frowned, seeming to sense this response.

“I believe it’s my turn to apologize. I could hear Misha quite clearly from my own room. That’s… that’s actually why I came to see you. It was thoughtless of me to embrace you as I did just now, but, force of habit, I suppose…”

Hanako’s shoulders slumped, admitting defeat.

“Lilly~! You were spying on us?!” Misha blurted out, unable to contain herself any longer as she got up and joined Hanako at the door.

“No, Misha! I wasn’t… trying to. The walls are very thin, and my hearing…”

Hanako was stuttering something incomprehensibly, looking close to having to go do something. Misha felt a twinge of panic in her chest, trying not to think about all the ways this situation could escalate and get out of hand. She put an arm around Hanako’s shoulder to steady her and quickly pulled Lilly in.

“You could have told us, Lilly!” Misha hissed, closing the door behind them.

“I… I came to tell you just now?”

“Yeah, but… sooner!”

“When? I, I didn’t… I hardly thought it proper to, well… to interrupt.”

Misha furrowed her brow.

“Bah~! You’re right, Lilly, you’re right. Do you, erm…”

Misha paused to sit Hanako down on the bed, who seemed to be recovering from the brink of panic, though she wasn’t yet ready to speak again.

“Do you approve?” Misha asked carefully.

Lilly looked confused.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know, Lilly! I don’t know~! Sometimes people get… weird! About stuff!”

Lilly’s face relaxed into a smile.

“Don’t worry, Misha. I approve. Your secret is safe with me.”

“A secret~? Is it?” Misha asked, as much to herself as anyone else.

She looked at Hanako, who nodded sheepishly in response.

“Pl-please don’t… t-tell anyone. I-I just don’t want…”

“Of course, Hana-chan.”

Misha gave her a brief hug. Odds were nobody would judge them just for being two girls, but rumors always flew whenever there was a new romantic development at Yamaku, regardless of its orientation. It was still a school filled with teenagers out in the middle of nowhere, after all. Gossip was one way for the students to occupy themselves. Come to think of it, Misha wondered what else Lilly might have heard in these dorms that she wasn’t meant to, with those sensitive ears… no wonder she seemed to find out about so much.

“You don’t think Shizune will… be an issue, do you?” Lilly asked Misha.

“Hm, hm~. Well! What Shicchan doesn’t know, won’t hurt her! Waha~!”

“If you and Hanako begin seeing each other, Misha, it will be difficult to keep it from her.”

“I know, Lilly. Let me worry about Shicchan~!”

Lilly nodded, then turned and opened the door a crack, sticking her head out into the hall and listening closely.

“Okay. If you wish to make your getaway, Misha, the coast is clear,” she said.

“Aha~! Okay, thanks Lilly! I better go now. I’ll see you later Hacchan~!”

Misha leaned in to give Hanako a kiss on the cheek before getting up and flouncing out.

Chapter 21 | Chapter 23
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Mirage_GSM »

She put an arm around Hanako’s shoulder to steady her and motioned quickly for Lilly to come in, which she did.
Good for her. Usually motioning for Lilly to do something is not really effective. :roll:
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

My collected KS-Fan Fictions: Mirage's Myths
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by sloth4 »

Call me overly optimistic, but I think there's still a chance for Hisao and Hanako to get together.

Hanako getting flustered over this stuff is adorable, and it's good to see her anger coming to the surface more readily. Equally good is that she can rein it in.
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Hanako Fancopter »

Mirage_GSM wrote: Mon Jul 23, 2018 7:24 pm
She put an arm around Hanako’s shoulder to steady her and motioned quickly for Lilly to come in, which she did.
Good for her. Usually motioning for Lilly to do something is not really effective. :roll:
Nice catch. If only you guys knew how many times I've written something like that and managed to spot it before posting the chapter here... alas, one finally slipped through.
sloth4 wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 11:46 am Call me overly optimistic, but I think there's still a chance for Hisao and Hanako to get together.

Hanako getting flustered over this stuff is adorable, and it's good to see her anger coming to the surface more readily. Equally good is that she can rein it in.
Did you mean to say Hisao and Hanako there? I wouldn't get your hopes up... although the guys on the Discord have tried to talk me into various threesomes, they probably wouldn't involve Hisao, considering what just happened to him.

(There probably won't be any threesomes in this fic.... probably... no promises....)

---

Chapter 23: Concern

Hanako ran her fingers across the lingering sensation of Misha’s kiss, still reeling a bit from the gesture. That someone like Misha really would see her that way… it had happened, Hanako knew it had, and yet it still didn’t feel totally real.

Lilly sat herself down on the bed next to Hanako, leaning her cane against the bedpost. Silence. Sitting quietly with Lilly had never been awkward in the past, but today, it was. Eventually, Lilly raised an arm, putting it gingerly around Hanako’s shoulders before jumping a bit and withdrawing it suddenly.

“Ah! Sorry, err… is that okay?” Lilly asked, her arm hovering in anticipation of an answer.

“Mmhmm,” Hanako nodded, allowing the arm to cradle her a bit.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Hanako?”

Hanako thought about this for a moment.

“…N-no. But I’m better than b-before.”

“Okay. I know how upset you were yesterday, before Misha came to see you. I just hope that you didn’t… act hastily.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only that you should be sure of your feelings for Misha before you go too far down that path. Sometimes, when we’re very stressed, we seize upon the closest and most convenient outlet. Akira, for example…”

“Wh-what about her?”

“Well. I trust your discretion with this. You know that Akira is… rather fond of her alcohol, yes?”

“Yeah… she really likes b-beer, huh.”

“Back when I lived with her, there was a time when she liked it a little too much. You remember that I ended up cooking for us much of the time? That started because Akira would simply keep drinking through dinner otherwise. She would start as soon as she got home and keep going until she passed out. It used to be liquor, rather than beer.”

“G-g-goodness… is that safe?”

“No, it isn’t. Not if one does it every day. Her performance at work was slipping and I was quite concerned about her. It was a difficult situation for us. Finally, I convinced her to go through a program, where she eventually met her boyfriend. She’s more careful now, even if she still enjoys her beer. The point is…”

“…is?”

“Akira started drinking soon after our parents left for Scotland. It was a very stressful event for us with a difficult adjustment period, and she turned to alcohol as a means of coping. I just… I don’t want to see you do something you might regret, either.”

“So…”

Hanako took a moment to think about this.

“…y-you’re saying… k-k-kissing Misha is, like dr-drinking?”

Lilly sighed.

“Not entirely the same, no. Of course not. But… those types of activities, they can be… another way that people cope.”

“Is that… wr-wrong?”

Lilly didn’t answer, taken off guard by this question.

“M-Misha made me feel better… not j-just, that, but also because… she didn’t say anything, she just fell on me and cr-cried a lot. It made me think, I wasn’t the only person who n-needed to do that…”

“…Everyone needs to cry sometimes, Hanako.”

“Do… do you?”

Another long pause without an answer.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Hanako. Be careful with your heart. The last thing I want is to see it broken,” Lilly said.

“Mmhmm. I’ll be careful, Lilly.”

“Okay. Thank you, Hanako. Things are already so unpleasant between myself and Shizune, and everyone is emotional right now due to what happened at the festival. If things were to go sour between you and Misha… well, let’s just be sure that they don’t.”

Lilly withdrew her arm from Hanako’s shoulder, placing her hands in her lap and fidgeting with them for a moment. It was rare to see her like that. Hanako got the sense that she had more to say but wasn’t sure how to do it.

“H-how about that tea?” Hanako asked.

“Oh! Right, right away!” Lilly said, jumping a bit as Hanako reminded her. She got up and withdrew a couple packets of herbal tea as Hanako went and filled a pair of mugs with water from the sink. Lilly carefully placed them in the microwave and set it to heat them up. The interlude this created in the conversation gave Lilly enough time to work out her question.

“So, Hanako, ahh… you… prefer girls?” she finally asked, waiting by the microwave.

Hanako was grateful that Lilly couldn’t see her blushing at the question. Even after all this time, it still felt delicate to talk about. If it was Lilly, though… she could talk about it.

“Y-yes…” she admitted.

“…only… girls?” Lilly clarified.

“Mmhmm…”

Lilly sighed, relieved that it was out in the open.

“I’m sorry if you feel that I’m prying. I must admit, I always suspected, but I didn’t dare to ask. You were always so skittish around boys, but I thought it may just be because you’ve always been shy, in general…”

“N-no… it’s true. I-It’s a lot worse around b-boys. I… I have a h-hard time with them.”

Lilly furrowed her brow.

“May I ask why? Assuming there is a particular reason?”

“No reason… I just don’t l-like them, I guess.”

Lilly didn’t believe her. Hanako could tell. Lilly had always been impossible to lie to… it was one of her more frustrating qualities. Thankfully, another quality she had was a willingness not to press too far with topics like these. The microwave chimed with perfect timing, giving them an excuse to let the topic drop as Lilly retrieved their mugs and set them aside to cool for a few minutes.

“Okay, Hanako. I suppose… I should also apologize, if I’ve been too forward with, well. With physical contact. I never considered that I might be making you uncomfortable…”

Hanako stood up and hugged Lilly around her waist to quiet her concerns, surprising her a bit. After the hug, she took Lilly’s hand and brought her to sit down on the bed next to her.

“It’s okay, Lilly. I-I don’t mind… I would have said something. J-just, uhh… no more k-k-kissing, okay?”

Lilly turned red at this, causing Hanako to stifle a giggle. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been the one causing Lilly to blush like this… it might be the first time.

“Yes, it’s… I’ll be more careful not to do it.”

“I-I don’t mind it, r-really, but it’s just, now… it feels too w-weird to let someone else do it…”

“I understand.”

Hanako got up to retrieve their mugs of tea, handing one to Lilly as she sat back down. They were still a bit too hot to drink but they could nurse them until they were ready.

“What about you… Lilly?” Hanako asked.

“What about me?”

“I-I told you, you know, th-that I… like girls. Y-you’ve never been with anyone, not since I met you…”

“Ah! Well, I suppose that’s only fair…”

“Y-you’re very pretty, Lilly. I’m sure people have c-confessed to you…”

“Yes, well. Perhaps…”

Once again Hanako sensed that she had Lilly at a bit of a disadvantage, a new situation for her. Someone like Emi or maybe even Misha would probably start teasing Lilly right about now. While the idea of flustering the unflappable Lilly had its appeal, Hanako decided not to press.

“I-If you don’t want to talk about it…”

Lilly took a long sip of her tea before speaking again.

“No… you’re right. You know that before Yamaku, I attended an all-girls school. With no boys anywhere to draw the girls’ attention, it was inevitable that… feelings would develop. I’ve had to turn several people down, in fact. Of… both genders.”

“L-Lilly! Y-you, you… you turned them all d-down?”

Until the past week, receiving just one confession had seemed impossible to Hanako, never mind several. She couldn’t imagine having that many prospects and refusing them all.

“I did.”

“D-doesn’t that seem… a bit, p-picky?”

Lilly furrowed her brow, working out how to take that question.

“I suppose I have higher standards than some,” Lilly answered, an undeniable hint of pride in her answer.

“B-but, wouldn’t you want to just… tr-try? At least o-once?”

Lilly frowned at this.

“Romance isn’t something to ‘just try,’ Hanako. It’s a complex web involving the deepest human emotions. One shouldn’t simply treat their heart as a plaything.”

“Y-you make it sound so complicated…”

“It is complicated, Hanako. It requires a great deal of experience and consideration.”

“S-so… have you ever had a b-boyfriend? Or a g-girlfriend?”

“…No…”

Lilly’s frown shifted from disapproval back to mild embarrassment. Hanako realized that, at this moment, she technically had more romantic experience than Lilly did. Absurd as it sounded. Though she didn’t know if Misha could be called her girlfriend just yet…

“Th-that just seems so w-weird, Lilly. Y-you’re… you’re beautiful. You could confess to a lot of d-different people…”

“It’s not that simple. You know, it wasn’t easy to decline the affections of others, Hanako. It’s a hard thing to have to do to another person. Imagine what you would do if someone felt that way about you, and confronted you with it, but you didn’t feel the same way?”

That was pretty easy to picture. Hanako knew exactly what she would do. Lilly had probably done a much better job of letting people down softly than she would have… maybe Lilly had a point. Hanako remembered what she had learned about Misha and Shizune. Anytime that Lilly was friends with someone, she might have to worry about whether or not they had those feelings for her. That was one problem Hanako had never had, though she didn’t think she would consider that a blessing, considering the reasons why…

“I-I guess that would be hard, yes. But… isn’t there anyone you ever l-liked?”

Lilly sighed.

“There was. Once…”

“D-did you…”

“Did I confess? No. It… they didn’t feel the same way about me.”

“Really? How would you kn-know, if you never tried?”

“Just trust me, Hanako. I knew.”

“Okay. I-I’m sorry, Lilly. I’m sure one day you’ll…”

Hanako couldn’t even finish that statement. It was too surreal, for her to be the one reassuring Lilly that there was someone out there for her.

“One day,” Lilly agreed, accepting the sentiment much more readily than Hanako.

“Umm, Lilly…”

“Yes?”

“Y-you never answered my qu-question…”

Lilly gave her a bit of a mischievous grin.

“Very astute, Hanako.”

She took a punctuated sip of tea, holding her pinky out with perfect form.

“I can neither confirm nor deny any particular preference.”

Hanako smiled a bit as well, sensing a lighter tone in the conversation now.

“Sneaky, Lilly. You’re very sn-sneaky.”

“Am I?” Lilly asked, perking her brow. “You’re the one cavorting with another student after curfew. Whatever would Shicchan think?” she continued, holding a hand to her mouth and giving a mock gasp of shock.

“Ah! L-Lilly!”

Hanako squeezed her shoulder as Lilly laughed.

“Well. Not going to class today, I take it?” Lilly asked.

“N-no…”

“That’s okay. Don’t… try not to miss too many days, alright? You don’t want to fall behind.”

“I-I’ll try to go back tomorrow…”

“You’ll try?”

“L-Lilly… don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll try.”

Hanako frowned, annoyed by this turn of phrase.

“At least go to a counseling session?” Lilly prompted. “I went yesterday evening. I must say, it was quite helpful.”

“I-I already see my th-therapist every week…”

Now it was Lilly’s turn to frown.

“And I’m sure you’ll see her this week, too. Don’t you think this type of trauma may warrant a bit of extra help?”

“M-m-maybe… I don’t want to g-go anywhere t-today, okay? M-maybe, maybe t-tomorrow…”

“Can you promise to go sometime this week? For me?”

Hanako kicked her legs a bit and mumbled incoherently, knowing that another “maybe” wouldn’t be good enough.

“Okay, Lilly… I’ll go. S-sometime,” she conceded.

“Good. That’s a relief to hear, Hanako. You may not like the idea, but it’s important to get help when one needs it.”

Right. Help. Like Lilly didn’t give her enough of that already. Hanako balled the fist of her free hand and took a gulp of her tea, sloshing a bit of it onto her blouse in her haste. Drop it, drop it, drop it now, she thought…

“You know, Hanako…”

Hanako grit her teeth. Drop it…

“…I don’t think I feel up to attending classes today, either.”

Hanako sighed in relief. Unless… this better not be a ploy to go to counseling together

“Happy to hear that?” Lilly asked curiously.

“Hm?”

“You made a noise just now, that’s all,” Lilly clarified.

Crisis averted. Hanako very nearly sighed in relief again.

“A-a-ah! Y-yes, I’m glad…”

“That makes me happy in turn, Hanako. I was hoping we might spend the day together, if it’s alright with you. I think a relaxing day in the tea room will help to take our minds off things. I’m even feeling up to a few rounds of chess, if you like?”

“Okay. I’d like that, L-Lilly.”

Lilly smiled at Hanako, aiming those unfocused eyes straight at her. That was always how Lilly had been, Hanako thought… even though she was blind, she could see right through Hanako, more than anyone else could. Maybe it was because she couldn’t see the scars, so her perceptions had never been shaped by them. Either way, Hanako appreciated her. If she was honest with herself, she needed Lilly, just like Lilly often needed someone to help her go places or do certain things. If only she could find some way to tell Lilly that they weren’t mother and daughter…

That was a worry for another day. Hanako stood up and took hold of Lilly’s sleeve with thumb and forefinger. Taking her cue, Lilly picked up her cane in one hand while handing the empty mug in the other to Hanako. Hanako set it down on the desk alongside hers and they walked out of the room together.

Chapter 22 | Chapter 24
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Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

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Chapter 24: Blunder

Misha twirled a drill absentmindedly as Mutou droned on. Mutou was never that enthusiastic in class to begin with; today he looked like an absolute zombie. No one goofed off or tried to talk like they normally might, yet no one seemed to really be taking notes, either. The dark cloud hanging over the room affected teacher and students alike. Hisao’s empty desk stuck out like a festering boil. Hanako wasn’t the only one skipping, either… Suzuki, Kapur, Kawana and Suzumiya were all absent as well.

Misha had barely had enough time to shower, fix her hair, and grab a snack before rushing to class. Despite being a few minutes late, Shizune hadn’t given her any funny looks or anything. [The Student Council must set an example to other students. Its officers must never be late to class!], she would have said, at any other time. Today, Misha got a pass, just like all the students who were skipping. She felt a bit guilty that the school tragedy was covering up the real reason for her tardiness. At least it wasn’t by design, she thought.

She tore a sheet out of her notebook and began to write on it before passing it to Shizune.

How are you today, Shicchan? It’s too bad that I missed breakfast!

Shizune tapped her pen against the sheet for a second before responding, studying it carefully.

I’m fine. I’m more worried about you, Misha. Are you okay?

Misha tapped her pen in turn, considering this question.

Yes. I think I’m okay. If I’m not, I’m going to be.

She was able to pass that back to Shizune with a smile and a look of resolve in her eyes, assuring Shizune of its sincerity. Shizune returned the smile, clearly happy with this result. They both knew that this wasn’t the real question at hand, though.

And what about Hanako? Is she going to be okay? Shizune wrote back.

Misha’s expression remained positive, though it fell slightly.

I think so, Shicchan. I—Misha’s pen paused, working out how to phrase this—talked to her a lot, and I ended up crying some too. I think we both comforted each other.

Shizune nodded in approval of this.

I’m glad to hear that. Make sure you go to counseling. I am going tomorrow. Maybe you and she could go together? You were both there together, after all.

That’s a good idea, Shicchan. I’ll make sure to go.

Misha looked back to Mutou, who didn’t seem to have paid them any mind, rambling on without any pauses on their account. He had probably noticed what they were doing but simply lacked the energy to address it today. It helped that, as the Student Council, they could be discussing any number of legitimate issues related to the incident. As if the exact same thought had just struck her, Shizune passed the note back with a new message on it.

Class is pointless today. Let’s go to the council room and get started on our work. There is still a lot of things we need to fill out and help the school get sorted.

Nodding in agreement, Misha raised her hand.

“Yes, Mikado?” Mutou asked.

“The Student Council would like to be excused from today’s lesson in order to do Student Council work!”

“Very well,” Mutou responded, accepting this explanation and going straight back to his lecture.

***

The rest of the school day passed much more quickly once Misha had something to occupy her mind. The forms and paperwork—mostly filled out by Shizune, then sorted by Misha—were mind-numbing in their rote repetition, which was exactly what she wanted. Busy work to just make this time disappear as easily as possible. But as the day wore on and the sun sank lower, anxiety crept steadily into Misha’s mind. She had promised to see Hanako again after classes, which had probably been over for a while now… things were still too uncertain to leave her hanging. Just thinking about Hanako made her head reel with a blend of different emotions: anxiety, compassion, concern, lust…

It didn’t look like this council work was going to let up any time soon, either. Misha hadn’t counted on it taking all night but, in hindsight, she should have. It was just like Shizune to work through the night at a time like this.

[Shicchan…]

[Yes?]

[I’d… like to go do something, for a while. If that’s okay with you.]

Shizune raised an eyebrow.

[Like what?]

Misha looked down and fidgeted with her hands. What was she supposed to say?

[This isn’t the time to be sneaking off to the tea room, Misha. We have a lot of work to do.]

[It’s not that! Shicchan, I’m still worried about Hacchan. I want to go see her… to make sure she’s doing okay.]

[I thought you said she is doing better. You were with her all night—you never even came back from the dorms.]

[I know, Shicchan, I know! I just—]

Shizune glared at her.

[I just want to check on her. That’s all!]

[You said it would take a while. Why would it take you a while just to check in?]

Misha couldn’t look at her. If she looked right at Shizune, she’d crack. She remembered what Hanako had said, exactly as she’d said it: “Pl-please don’t… t-tell anyone. I-I just don’t want…” Maybe she could…

[Is something going on, Misha? You’re being weird about this.]

[I can’t talk about it, Shicchan. It’s… about something Hacchan told me last night. She doesn’t want me to tell anyone else, okay?]

Shizune’s expression softened, placated somewhat by this offering.

[Alright, Misha. I trust you. Please don’t take longer than you need to. I really need your help here. We aren’t even close to done.]

[I know! I’ll hurry back as soon as I can, okay?]

[Okay. But, Misha…]

[Shicchan?]

[You know you can talk to me too, right? If there is anything you need to tell me, about what happened, or if you just want to confide in someone.]

Misha felt like a needle had pierced her gut. She’d been so busy, so overwhelmed by everything, she’d never even stopped to consider talking to Shizune about things. What if Shizune was like her, bottling it all up and looking for a time to let it out? Who would be there for her, if not Misha? Did she even have anyone else? Could she leave Shizune alone to go and see Hanako now? Could she leave Hanako alone, when she’d told her they would hang out again?

[Misha?]

“Huh?”

Shizune was staring at her with a look of concern.

[What’s wrong?]

[I’m just thinking about a lot of stuff, Shicchan.]

“Wahaha~.”

[Don’t. You don’t have to pretend to do that for me.]

Misha winced.

[Okay, Shicchan. I’m worried about leaving you to go see Hacchan. I want to be with both of you, but I can’t be in two places at one time. It’s really inconvenient…]

[Can she come help us with this council work? Then we can all be together.]

[I don’t think that’s a good idea, Shicchan. I want that, but it just isn’t a good time.]

Shizune frowned, her expression changing to one that Misha rarely ever saw on her. It took her aback for a moment until she figured out what it was. Not disapproval or contempt… the negative feelings weren’t directed outwards, but inwards. It was sadness. Shizune looked sad. She didn’t say anything else, turning back to the paperwork. Misha knew that she could go now and Shizune would not stop her. Instead of doing that, she approached Shizune, poking her in the shoulder to get her attention.

[Okay, Shicchan. Let’s talk.]

[Now?]

[If you want.]

[Okay, Misha.]

Shizune’s hands went halfway up before falling and trying again, several times, unable to find the right words. She sat on the edge of a desk and looked down for a moment, at a loss for what she wanted to say. Misha rested a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up, her blue eyes filled with remorse. That was a look Shizune never let anyone else see. Again Misha felt a piercing sting in her gut.

[You really care for Hanako, don’t you?] Shizune finally said.

[Of course I do.]

Shizune just stared, as if waiting for Misha to explain further.

[What are you trying to say, Shicchan?]

[I’m saying you want to be with her. Like… like you wanted to be with me.]

Misha wasn’t surprised that Shizune knew this, but she hadn’t expected such a direct confrontation of it, and she certainly hadn’t been ready for the second statement. She couldn’t do anything else but acknowledge the truth of it.

“Yes, Shicchan, I did—I do!”

[I’m sorry I couldn’t do it, Misha. Sometimes I wish that I could have but I can’t. And I wish we had talked about it more. I wanted to be there for you after what happened at the festival, I hoped we were still on those terms, but you didn’t talk to me about it. You went to her.]

“I didn’t mean it to push you away, Shicchan! I didn’t think—I didn’t think about it that way at all! We can talk, Shicchan. We’re talking!”

[It feels too late to be talking, doesn’t it? I couldn’t give you what you needed, and… you had to move on. I understand. It just makes me sad. I thought I could ignore it and be okay but I don’t know if I can do that. I think I should have told this to someone else, a different friend who is not involved, but that’s the thing. I don’t even have any other friends to tell it to, do I?]

“You do, Shicchan. You have Hacchan—she’s your friend, too! I even told her, you know, about us. When we were on the roof, with Emi and Rin, it came up and—”

Shizune gripped her shoulder, squeezing it painfully to cut her off.

[What did you say?]

“Huh?”

Misha’s body seized up as she realized what she’d said. Just the look on her face told Shizune what she needed to know. The president’s mood changed from somber to enraged in an instant.

[When were you on the roof? And why?]

“Shicchan… I’m sorry…”

Chapter 23 | Chapter 25
Last edited by Hanako Fancopter on Thu Jan 24, 2019 8:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.
An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako Route)
Riposte (Rika Mini-Route)
One-Shots Thread (Random Smut/Meme Stories)
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Scroff
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:17 pm

Re: An Unusual Friendship (Misha x Hanako)

Post by Scroff »

Ooooh trouble looms!
[Okay, Shicchan. I’m worried about leaving you to go see Hacchan. I want to be with both of you, but I can’t be in two places at one time. It’s really inconvenient…]
She comes across as too conflicted to be saying that it's merely inconvenient - troubling? heart-breaking?

Also Misha forgot that she needs to sign to Shizune at the end :shock:
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