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Lilly's never been the sort to dive into work at all...

...she DOES have a history of inoring and actively avoiding potential conflicts in her relationship - to the point of avoiding Hisao as well.

Hisao at this point should be aware enough to not do anything to startle Hanako.

I imagine being about to break up with your girlfriend would make you quite nervous and jumpy.

Hence the punchline is also the raison d'être for this situation. It may not be a bug, but a feature.

The punchline is the only thing I don't really like about this story. It does not seem to fit the mood.

Thanks all for the really useful feedback - I tend to overthink the circumstances around my stories and consider the background to be "obvious", so it's good to be reminded that trails of breadcrumbs get eaten by birds

Many thanks to Lap and Feurox for helping me de-clutter this tale; any remaining clutter is, of course, my responsibility.

***

Hisao sighs unsteadily as the Principal walks off the stage. "That was rough. I didn't know Tanaka so why did it hit so hard?"

Miki pulls him into a tight hug. "Yeah, these memorial services fucking suck."

"They do a good job of making us feel like an extended family so losing a member always hurts," Suzu agrees.

" 'Always'? Does this happen a lot then?"

"Two, maybe three times a year? Not so many that you get used to it, not so few that it's unexpected whe-"

Suzu is interrupted by Taro rushing up to them, closely followed by Naomi and Natsume. "Shunsuke didn't come, no-one's seen him today. He should've been here."

"Slow down big man. Who and why?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Miki. Shunsuke Ito is one of the juniors I mentor, he was close to Tanaka. Ducking out on this isn't going to help him come to terms with his loss. Suzu, will you do a seeing-off ceremony for him?"

"Of course, though I haven't conducted one before, I'll need to check some of the details with Naomi."

"What's a seeing-off ceremony?"

Patting him on the shoulder Miki says, "it's hard to remember you're a newbie, it feels like forever since the day you slunk into class."

Natusme nods. "Indeed. We have a number of traditions and rituals which are presided over by the student body. Suzu here is our keeper of traditions and Naomi is the keeper of records, they're instrumental in keeping alive the spirit of Yamaku."

"She's our very own miko," Miki says proudly, extending the hug to Suzu.

"I'm no shrine maiden, but I'll allow it provided you remember their original role as shaman."

"Yeah we had stuff like that at my old school. How does the mentoring work?"

"We get three juniors to look after. Well, not everyone, class reps and club officials are spared 'cos they're busy. And some of us find ways to wriggle out of our responsibilities." Taro looks pointedly at Miki.

"Hey, I was saving myself for Hisao. It's a good job I did, he needed intensive care."

"As if you knew he was gonna appear," Taro scoffs.

"How close were Tanaka and Ito, Taro?"

"You know I'm not one to pry Suzu," he replies with a shake of his shaggy head, "but, well, put it this way: from what I could tell, their parents were paying for one dorm too many."

She nods decisively. "In that case we should move fast." She takes out her phone and makes some checks. "Perfect. Sunrise tomorrow is 5:28 and moonset is 5:37. Taro, get him to the worry tree for around 5. Could you help him, Hisao?" When he nods she continues, "we can go over the records while we cook, Naomi. Miki, I'm afraid your task might be... aggravating."

***

Shunsuke jolts awake to a series of loud blows on his door. "I'm coming in whether you like it or not."

Recognising his mentor's voice, he swears under his breath and scrambles to open the door. Taro and a tall boy he does not recognise walk in as if they own the room, grating on nerves which are already frayed. "What the hell do you think you're doing, barging in here-"

"Shut. Up. Put on stout shoes and a warm coat and follow us."

"Fuck off, I'm not going anywhere in the middle of night. Who are you to tell me-" He flinches as Taro raises a heavy arm, all too familiar with how effective an attitude-adjuster it is. "OK, OK, no need to get cranky, I'm coming."

After marching through the dark woods above Yamaku for what seems like an age, they arrive at a clearing bathed in moonlight, dominated by an enormous tree at its centre. As his eyes adjust to the light he sees three figures. He recognises the track star and the artist but is unfamiliar with the slight girl standing between them. "Tell me of your hate for him," she says commandingly.

Ignoring Taro's looming presence he bursts out, "how can you say I hated him? He was the only thing that made this place bearable, the only good thing in my-"

"Don't stand under the moon hare with lies on your lips."

Glancing up at Yamaku's unofficial mascot, he shudders and says, "Hanae's feet smelled. He was lazy with his schoolwork and always expected me to help him catch up. He was greedy, he stole my snacks and never replaced them."

"But most of all?"

"Most of all I hate him because he left me. It was supposed to be me who went first!" The anguish in his voice is unmistakable, causing Miki to make an involuntary move towards him, her heart demanding she take him in her arms. A gentle touch stops her, reminds her of her role.

Suzu steps forward and offers him a plate of sticky rice cakes. "Let these symbolise your hate so we can accept it into ourselves, transform it." They each take one and chew the sweet, rubbery confections.

"He didn't wait for you but we can't always control when we have to leave. He couldn't become a butterfly so joined the fireflies instead. I see a lonely caterpillar in front of me, I don't know which way it might go. All I know is it must change or it will never be able to metamorphose." Rin bows her head, nothing more to say.

"Tell me of your love for him."

Embarrassed, Shunsuke shuffles his feet and does not speak until Taro clouts him on the shoulder. "I l-loved his fierce heart, he couldn't play any sports but competed at video games as if his life depended on it. He would get so flustered when I caught him looking at cute kitten pictures. He could turn me into a quivering mess just by trailing a fingernail along my jawline..."

"But most of all?"

"Most of all I loved how his crooked smile would fill my world with joy."

Staring at his feet as the tears start to flow freely, Shunsuke does not see Miki wrestle with a jar and release the firefly it took her all afternoon to catch. Suzu calls out, "we make this offering to speed his soul on its journey."

He looks up and gasps as he sees the firefly disappearing around the tree, hastily accepting the flask of sake she is holding out to him. He pours a measure onto the ground and passes it to Taro who does the same. When the flask has made its rounds, prised out of Miki's hand when she attempts to drink instead of pour, Suzu bows her head.

"Now it is time for you to continue your journey, to honour his memory by making every step your best so when you meet again you can hold your head up with pride."

Taro wraps his good arm around Shunsuke's shoulder and guides the sobbing boy into the breaking dawn, flanked by Suzu and Rin, Miki and Hisao bringing up the rear.

With a last look at the corner of Earth she holds most dear, the moon hare sets aside her mortar and pestle, satisfied that the transformation of sticky rice into pristine cake is complete for the day.

What a beautiful and spiritual story. Very poetic and wonderfully carthartic. I love the little ritual here, and can’t wait to see you inevitably do more with those little symbolic rituals in the future.

"That was rough. I didn't know Tanaka so why did it hit so hard?"

At first I read that as "Tainaka" and wondered why you killed Ritsu...
I'm not sure how authentic your little ritual is - I certainly have never read about anything similar - but I think you could have chosen better characters for the story. I can just barely see Miki in that role, but Rin felt very out of place.
Also for something unrehearsed the ritual went a bit too flawlessly. If I was asked to state my grievances/love for a person I would start with the main issue and probably come up empty if someone followed up with "but most of all..."

Many thanks to Lap and Feurox for their valuable feedback!

It's been a very rough few months for me so I wanted to write something to cheer me up and here it is. If you wish, you can remind yourself of Hanako's friendship with Suzu, Hisao and especially Miki in the short stories "You are not alone..." and Manga evening.


***

Hisao frowns when an unfamiliar noise interrupts his attempts to make sense of his history assignment. A few moments later it repeats and he recognises it as the notification tone from the group messaging app Suzu had persuaded him to install. He grabs his phone and checks the messages.
***

Suzu slips her arm through Hisao's as she collects him from Yamaku's front gate and they set off down the hill, the setting sun lengthening their shadows.

"I wonder what's got into her this time?"

Suzu shrugs. "Who knows? If it was really serious she would've given us a bit more to go on. She's not one to drag us out for nothing though, I'm sure she thinks we need to do something about whatever bee she's got in her bonnet."

"I don't like being kept in the dark. How am I supposed to figure out what to do when I don't know what's up?" he frets.

She rests her head on his shoulder. "We might not have to do anything, sometimes you just need to be. You'll give yourself an ulcer if you insist on trying to fix everything. "

"Yeah yeah, I know, you've told me a million times and I'm doing my best to take it to heart. But it's not always easy, 'specially when it's something to do with you two."

"We'll find out soon enough. And stop galloping, I haven't got giraffe legs!"

***

"Where's she got to?" Hisao asks as a tinkling bell announces their arrival at the Shanghai. Looking around he sees a couple wearing Yamaku uniforms chatting animatedly at a table by the window and, tucked away in a quiet corner, a figure bundled up in a black sweatshirt, face obscured by sunglasses and hood.

"Oooh, is that-" Suzu is interrupted by a hiss from the shrouded figure who takes off her sunglasses revealing a scowling Miki. She beckons them over, making a shushing gesture with her stump.

"What are you playing at Miki?" Suzu asks with a giggle.

"I'm safeguarding the virtue of our dear friend Hanako!"

"Is it in danger?"

"Yes! What do you think about that?" Miki asks, her outrage obvious as she gestures towards Hanako and the mysterious student she is sitting with.

"Phwoar, he's gorgeous! Where's he been all my life?"

"You're not helping Suzu! All I know about him is he's in class 3-2, how can we be sure he's not just after one thing?"

"Heaven forbid! You've never pursued someone with just one thing on your mind..."

"Well, yeah, but that's different. I can look after myself, Hanako's a newbie at this dating stuff."

Breaking his silence, Hisao sighs. "Look Miki, sometimes you've got to trust that your friends know what they're doing and let them get on with their lives."

Miki and Suzu share an astonished glance. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Hisao"' Suzu demands.

"Yeah yeah, very funny, at least it proves I've been listening! You should practice what you preach."

"Yeah, but it's-"

"Come on, let's go and talk to them." Before he can move Miki grabs his arm and shakes her head vigorously.

"We can't butt in on their date!"

"Why not?"

"It's not the done thing. Back me up here, Suzu. Suzu?"

They look around to see her standing at Hanako's table, batting her eyelashes at the mystery man. "Hi Hanako, fancy meeting you here. Who's your friend?"

"Oh h-hello Suzu, I d-didn't notice you come in. This is Tochigiyama Moriya."

"Please, call me Tochi. I'll never forgive my parents for saddling me with such a mouthful."

"Sumo fans are they?" Miki asks as she takes her place next to Suzu.

"Very much so. I fear I was a terrible disappointment to them when they discovered I couldn't see beyond the end of my nose. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

"S-sorry Tochi, these are my friends Suzu Suzuki, Miki Miura and Hisao Nakai."

"I've heard of your achievements Ms Miura, congratulations on shaking up the established order."

"Just call me Miki, surnames are too stuffy."

"So how did you two meet?" Suzu asks eagerly.

"Hearing Miss Satou speak so affectionately about Hanako made me wonder whether such an angel truly lived amongst us, though satisfying my curiosity was difficult given her elusive nature. I'm ashamed to say I took advantage of the hubbub surrounding our beloved class representative's departure to press my contact details into her hand and exhort her to meet with me lest I wither in despair."

"Aww, how sweet," Suzu coos, backhanding Miki as she mimes sticking her fingers down her throat and gagging.

"Contacting him was a bold move, Hanako," Hisao says approvingly.

"I dithered for a-ages until one day I asked myself what Miki would do, then g-grabbed my phone and called him."

Hisao smiles fondly and nods. "Yeah, she's an inspiration for sure."

"I must say I had almost given up hope. You can only imagine my elation when my prayers were answered and I heard her sweet voice on the line. Oh, but where are my manners?" Tochi asks rhetorically. "Please, join us for tea and cake."

Suzu grabs Miki's arm and starts nudging Hisao towards the exit. "No, no, we shouldn't keep you lovebirds any longer. Don't stay out too long Hanako, we've got classes tomorrow."

"Y-yes mom!"

***

"I don't like him," Miki declares as she stomps up the hill to Yamaku. "All that flowery lingo. And you heard him say he took advantage of Hanako!"

"Well yeah but not in that way," Hisao protests. "He seems fairly..."

"...harmless." Suzu frowns as she remembers where one of the phrases Tochi used came from. "Tennyson! I knew I'd come across that 'lest I wither in despair' line before."

"See! He's a plagiarist, you can't trust a plagiarist."

Suzu darts ahead of Miki and stands in her way, stopping her from walking past. Taking her face in both hands, Suzu rises up on her tiptoes and kisses her tenderly. "I'm so grateful for your protective instincts and I look forward to benefiting from them for many years to come. In return I provide things which you benefit from too, don't I?" When Miki nods she continues, "if we didn't have this give and take you'd've dumped me ages ago for taking advantage of you. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I don't see the same dynamic between you and Hanako. You need to be careful you're not treating her like Lilly did."

"No fucking way! I give her support and encouragement without standing over her and telling her what to do."

"True, but what does she give you?"

"I don't need anythin-"

"It's not about what you need. She needs to believe she's got something to offer, otherwise she won't feel like an equal partner in the friendship."

A troubled look crosses Miki's face and she pulls back from Suzu, turns and takes a few steps away. "It's not like she treats me as her big sister. And I don't even get to see her that often these days, so much for catching up on lost time..."

"Graduation's coming up fast, you need to prepare yourself to part ways with her. The best thing you can do until then is let her make her own decisions, her own mistakes, and offer her a shoulder to cry on if she needs it. She's got her own path to follow and you won't be there to pick her up if she falls."

"Fuck you. And fuck you too Hisao." She wipes her eyes and blurts out, "why do things have to change? For the first time since I don't know when, everything makes sense, everything just works. Why can't I have some time to enjoy the life we've struggled so damn hard to carve out for ourselves? Every time I try to kick back I get reminded it's about to end and I'll have to start again from nothing."

"Not from nothing." Hisao walks over to Miki and hugs her from behind. "We'll be right there with you."

"Will you? You two have plans, you know what you're gonna do, what you're gonna be. Me? Not so much. How long are you gonna put up with me mooching off you if I end up a NEET?" When Hisao starts to chuckle she spins around to face him. "Don't you laugh at me!"

"Then stop saying stupid things. You a NEET? I don't think so. We all know what you should do, the opportunity is right there, waiting for you to grab it with bo- with all your heart."

"What if I can't make it? Right now I'm a big fish in a small pond, out there I'll be swimming with the sharks."

Hisao shrugs. "You don't need to be perfect, just be the best version of yourself you can be."

"I dunno Hisao, no-one loves a loser."

"It doesn't matter where you place, you're always a winner in my eyes."

"Oh fuck off, you glib bastard." In contrast to her words, Miki melts into his arms and kisses him.

"I'm so proud of you two right now, I can't even say," Suzu beams. "All this emotional stuff has made me hungry, how about I treat us to-"

"Pizza!" chorus Miki and Hisao.

***

Miki opens her door and is almost bowled over by a sobbing Hanako falling into her arms. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"We broke up!"

"What? How? If he did anything..."

"No no, I finished with him. I t-tried but I couldn't take it any longer."

"Awww, sit down and tell me all about it." Miki ushers her into the room and passes her a box of tissues. When she shows no sign of speaking Miki nudges her. "C'mon then, spill the beans, what happened? You looked disgustingly head-over-heels in the Shanghai last week."

"I'm a b-bad girlfriend," she wails. "I should n-never have accepted his confession."

"I find that very hard to believe. You're not just super cute, you're kind and funny and clever. How the hell do you figure you're a bad girlfriend?"

"I'm supposed to be t-tolerant of my boyfriend's little oddities b-but it was just too much."

"What type of oddities are we talking about?" Miki asks suspiciously.

"The p-p-poetry! He'd spend hours reading aloud this excruciating poetry he'd written and I was s-supposed to sit in appreciative silence until he f-finished, then tell him how good it was."

"I bet it didn't even rhyme! He came across as the sort of pretentious git who'd look down on conventional stuff like that."

Hanako giggles. "You're right, h-he calls it 'free verse'."

"As kinks go poetry is pretty harmless. Not that I'm not saying you should put up with it," she clarifies hurriedly.

"I wouldn't have minded something a bit m-more physical, a girl's got n-needs after all."

"Hanako!" Miki shakes her head and laughs. "Hang on a tick while I grab us something from my emergency ice cream stash. When I get back I'll tell you a tale about the first guy I dated and his oddities..."

Good to see back Scroff! Are your stories in a sort of shared continuity? I get the sense of it but my reading of them is too spaced out to really be sure. I do like the idea of Miki and Hanako as besties.... unusual friends one might say. And when they first saw her with the handsome guy I immediately imagined him wearing a leather biker jacket for some reason......

Thanks, it's good to be back in a writing frame of mind! There is a shared continuity, 14 out of the 25 stories in this thread are set in it, the ones with Suzu, Miki and Hisao being the most obvious though there are a couple of others too.

Hanako Fancopter wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 8:14 pm And when they first saw her with the handsome guy I immediately imagined him wearing a leather biker jacket for some reason......

The Hanako who has Miki as a good friend would never consider herself to be used goods under any circumstances!!

Well I'm lucky enough to have had a first glimpse at this story before it was posted, still, it's no hardship reading it again! Congrats Scroff!

I utterly adore the theme of change, of moving on! (Probably why I like to tear things apart so much ha!) But this brief glimpse of Miki's frustration that, yes, life does move on, and no, things can't stay the same, made me so damn excited! You tease! I hope we see more of that stuff explored in your next shots to come, because my lord is it good here!

Great work as always

Do people actually text that way in real life?
In story I can see Miki doing that, but not Hisao.
Apart from that a very good new story/chapter.

Thanks to both of you for the lovely words! As to whether normal people text to each other like in the story, I dunno - the only person I regularly text is my teenage daughter, and I'm not sure either of us counts as normal!

As always, thanks to Feurox and Lap for helping me to improve greatly this tale.

***

Miki hugs herself to keep in the warmth as she walks down to the track. An hour after dawn, the temperature hovers just above freezing, and the late winter sun makes the frost patches sparkle. She smiles as she sees a handful of the Track Team training, and watches quietly for a while.

"Pick those feet up Asahi! You're gonna be racing at a cross country meet, not some namby-pamby track event!" she yells as the group runs by.

"As if I'd take advice from a sprinter," he replies with a grin and a wave.

She sticks her tongue out in response and continues her tour of the part of Yamaku she will miss the most. She smiles wickedly as she passes the track shed. 'There's still time for us to leave our mark here, though I kinda wish I'd thought about it back in summer...'

Coming around to the bleachers, she sees a trestle table set up with insulated flasks and disposable cups, and a boy dressed in what looks like all of his training kit.

"Hi Yuuto. How long've you been playing tea-boy?"

"If you ever came to morning practice Miki, you'd've known we started offering hot drinks when I took over as captain. I thought it might tempt more people to show up."

"It is a good idea but getting students out at this time of day is a hard sell at the best of times, let alone in the middle of winter."

"I bet a tonne of people would turn up if they thought you were gonna be here."

"I highly doubt it, Emi's the popular one, all that peppy 'fastest thing on no legs' and cutesy twintails."

"You'd be surprised." He looks down and shuffles his feet. "I'm...we're going to miss you. It won't feel the same when you're gone. I don't think you know how much people appreciate the banter, the encouragement. I swear Yui grew two centimetres when you said her sprinting form was first rate."

"Hey, I got a lot out of being on the team too, it's gonna be hard to leave you guys behind."

"It's the right time for you to move on though. You're the real deal Miki, you need more challenging competition to stretch you."

"We'll see. Maybe I won't be able to hack it in the real world. Maybe I'll come running back with my tail between my legs."

"Nah, Miki Miura runs from nothing!"

She reaches out and ruffles his hair affectionately. "Thanks man, I appreciate the confidence. One thing's for sure, I'm looking forward to being invited back to present the prizes at the end of season meet!"

"Yeah yeah, let us know when you've got your Olympic medal and we'll think about it!"

With a laugh she turns and sets of towards the main building, a grin on her face and a spring in her stride.

***

Mutou looks up from his science journal to see Miki walking into the classroom. "You know seniors don't have classes, Miura?"

"Of course I do. And call me Miki, surnames are too stuffy."

"I've been declining that offer since we first met, what makes you think I'd change my mind now?"

"I mean it's pretty much your last chance, live a little!"

He smiles awkwardly. "I believe I can resist the temptation. Do you need something from me?"

"Not really, I'm just...restless. I'm not used to having this much time on my hand."

"Ah yes, your satellites have managed to escape your gravitational well for a while. It was a relief when you three found a mutually acceptable centre of mass to orbit around, I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the big bang I thought was inevitable."

"I have absolutely no clue what any of that means."

"I was referring to Suzuki and Nakai." Seeing the embarrassed expression on her face, he continues, "while it's part of a teacher's job to have a general idea of their students' relationships, that doesn't include prying into things which are none of their business. However, I've seen how much you benefit from each others' support and I hope it'll continue past high school."

"Well yeah, we're planning on ending up in the same place."

Mutou nods approvingly. "Good. How will that work with your sponsorship?"

"They said it doesn't matter where I train as long as it's with a qualified coach, and the universities Suzu and Hisao are trying for have strong athletics teams."

"At first I wasn't sure about this ambassador role you're going into, but the more I think about it, the more I realise it suits you. What point would there be for you to struggle through a university course you're not interested in, only to fall into a career you hate? This way you can inspire others in your position and help educate the public. Heaven knows this country's attitude towards the disabled needs shaking up, we shouldn't need places like Yamaku for kids like you to be given a fair chance at life."

He fiddles with the journal, avoiding looking at her. "I hope you realise that being in the public eye comes with many pitfalls. The recent scandals involving those pop idols show how easily a career can be torn down."

"Yeah, but I'm gonna be a runner not a singer. Which is a blessing, my voice is nothing to write home about. And there's no way I'd touch any of the filthy drugs they were caught with."

"Then there's the case of the politician who was photographed leaving his mistress's apartment when he was supposed to be on paternity leave."

"What are you going on about? I'm not even married, let alone a parent."

"I'm just trying to..." He sighs and looks up at her. "I don't want you to be unprepared. You need to realise that all aspects of your life will be under scrutiny if your athletics career takes off, you'll need to make sure you at least appear to be abiding by society's norms."

"I don't know wha-" Miki splutters.

"Just remember it's not only you who could be affected. Anyway, speaking of scrutiny, it's high time I got on with this grading. I'll see you at graduation, Miura."

"Um, yeah, thanks I guess." With that, Miki leaves the classroom for the last time.

***

"Hello, Miki, I thought I'd be seeing you sooner rather than later," Nurse says as she walks into his office.

"Really? What are you, some sort of mind reader?"

"When Hisao picked up his prescriptions early because he was going away for a few days, closely followed by Suzu asking for something to help her concentrate in some upcoming entrance exams, I put two and two together and realised you'd be bored without your... support mechanisms. And you only ever come to see me when you're bored."

Miki cannot help laughing at the exaggeratedly glum expression on his face before scowling and saying, "I don't like it when you give her that shit, it can't be good for her."

"Your concern for your friend is commendable, but I'd appreciate it if you treated me as a member of staff. Don't presume too much on our long acquaintanceship." When she nods apologetically, he continues, "the studies haven't found long-term issues with anything I might hypothetically prescribe for a narcoleptic. Keep being suspicious of drugs though, there are many temptations in the world you're about to set foot into."

"I'll never end up like Marion fu- um, flipping Jones."

"Good. You know, I've felt more than a little guilty about prioritising Emi over you since we arrived, but you've hardly needed any support. You adapted pretty quickly to life here, as long as we don't mention the shaky start," he adds with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, it's years since I got into a fight."

"Thank goodness. You can ill afford to have that hand out of action. But as I said, we won't mention that. Let's focus on the positives, like how well you've managed to rebuild your life, like how you've found something to run towards. Thanks in no small part to Suzu!"

"I'd've kicked up a fuss about baby-sitting her if you hadn't already brain-washed me into doing whatever you told me to."

"You shouldn't question the wisdom of your elders. My plans never fail! Well, almost never. I didn't anticipate how things would turn out with Hisao..."

He laughs when Miki's stomach growls loudly. "I bet you forgot breakfast without anyone to nag you. Go and get some lunch, I don't want to have to scrape you off the track because you fainted from hunger while training! In case I don't see you again before graduation, I'd like to say it's been an honour working with you Ms. Miura, and I look forward to watching you compete on the world stage. Now stop bothering me and let me get on with my work!"

Grinning at the stunned expression on her face, he ushers her out of his office and gently closes the door.


***

Miki walks into the cafeteria and joins the queue, scanning the day's offerings. 'I'm gonna miss the free food, even if it is bland as hell!' she thinks, depositing a bowl of ramen and a bottle of Pocari sweat on a tray which she lifts carefully and steadies on her stump. Looking around for a seat, she spots a shock of blonde hair and makes her way to where Naomi is sitting. "Fancy some company?"

"Hi Miki, that'd be lovely. It's pretty quiet now most of the seniors aren't around. How come you're on your own? We don't often see you without Suzu or Hisao in tow."

"I could say the same about you and Natsume. They're away doing entrance exams, they figured out they could take in three different campuses on consecutive days, so they went on a tour. Madness, if you ask me, but at least they're due home later this afternoon."

Naomi shudders. "I can't imagine putting myself through something like that! It's tiring enough taking one exam, and when you factor in the travel..."

"Is Natsume off doing exams too?" Miki is surprised to see Naomi's eyes suddenly glisten with unshed tears.

"I-I don't know. I've hardly seen her since we finished classes and handed over the Newspaper Club to the juniors. It feels like she's avoiding me."

"What the hell? You two have been practically inseperable since first year. Did you fight or something?"

Naomi shakes her head, tears starting to leak from the corner of her eyes. "I really can't think of anything I might have done to offend her. I'm scared Miki. What if she's decided she's outgrown me and is planning on going it alone?"

"Nah, I can't believe that, I've seen the way she looks at you. It must be some sort of misunderstanding. Maybe she thinks you're gonna leave her behind?"

"Oh no, I'd never do anything like that! I'm at my wits' end, what am I supposed to do?"

Miki takes Naomi's hand reassuringly. "You've gotta find her and talk it out. You'll kick yourself if you let it slide and never see her again."

"You're right!" Naomi stands up decisively and wipes her eyes. "Thank you. I wish I'd talked to you earlier, I should've known someone in your position would give good relationship advice!"

"Fuck's sake," Miki mutters under her breath as Naomi rushes out of the cafeteria. "Does everyone know our business? At least she's got enough sense not to shoot her mouth off about it." Finishing her lunch, she stretches and decides to have a nap before training.

***

Miki comes around the bend of her final warm down lap and sees a familiar pair of spectators sitting in the bleachers. With a whoop of joy she shifts into top gear and sprints towards them, impatient to be reunited. Gathering them into a tight hug she says, "welcome home, how were the exams?"

"Ewww, Miki, you're gross! But I'll allow it 'cos it's your birthday. I think it's fair to say we're cautiously optimistic, right Hisao?"

He pulls them closer and nods. "Missed you so much."

"Yeah yeah, I find that hard to believe when you've had this saucy minx all to yourself for the past few days!"

"To be honest, we've been too stressed and tired to do more than cuddle."

"Fuck's sake you two, I know what I'd get up to if I had the chance to stay in a room with a big bed and soundproof walls!"

He disengages from the hug and offers Miki a bag of souvenirs they had picked up on their travels. "Happy birthday!"

"Aww guys, you didn't have to get me anything. Having you back is the best present I could've wished for."

"Oh, so you don't want this then?" Suzu giggles, waving an ornate envelope.

Miki grabs it and fumbles it open, an intrigued look on her face. When she sees what it contains she gasps. "The Imperial Suite at the Westin Hotel? Suzu, are you mad? This must've cost a fortu-"

Suzu stands on tiptoes and kisses her soundly, cutting off her protests. "You're worth every Yen. Being away from you was torture for both of us. Don't you want to show us what you'd get up to in a room with a big bed and soundproof walls?"

Miki's grin is almost broad enough to split her face in half. "Hell yeah, you have no idea what I've been dreaming up while you were away. Come on, we're heading into town as soon as I've showered and changed. I'm not gonna waste a second of this!"

"Think of it as a taste of things to come. When we leave school we'll be able to get a little apartment. Imagine having a place where we can be ourselves, where we won't have to hide!" There is no mistaking the excitement in Suzu's voice.

"Maybe this growing up and moving on business isn't so bad after all!" With that said, Miki leads them away from the track, towards their future.

***

Happy Birthday, Miki!

A bit of a tonal shift from my story yesterday, even though I think we're talking about somewhat similar themes!

It's lovely to see Miki exploring the ends of her time at Yamaku; moving is a scary prospect for all of us. But it's also exciting, it's opportunity - a chance at something new.

I think many people will resonate with Miki's restlessness, it's done brilliantly and really captures the spirit of the character you've so cleverly crafted over the duration of your stories with Miki x Hisao x Suzu.

Well done! and yes, happy birthday Miki!

"Ah yes, your satellites have managed to escape your gravitational well for a while. It was a relief when you three found a mutually acceptable centre of mass to orbit around, I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the big bang I thought was inevitable."

"I have absolutely no clue what any of that means."

Honestly, even if I didn't love the rest of the story, it would've been worth it for those lines alone.

I just hope Suzu is more sensitive to social norms than Miki is...

Thanks, & Happy Birthday Miki!

This is a fitting love letter to everyone's favorite polyamorous gaylord!