A/N: It's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry for not updating this sooner. I tend to wait until inspiration strikes to write, and it took a while this time, haha.

Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!

0o0o0o0

"Hey, um, are you feeling better today?"

Miku found herself clutching the strap of her bag as she met Luka-san at her house once again. Yesterday, Luka-san had been the nervous one, but now, Miku felt a strange tightness around her chest while Luka-san seemed to be doing much better at keeping her cool. In just a day, the pinkette seemed to be getting more comfortable around Miku, which Miku loved to see. Yet... Miku couldn't make herself feel completely at ease around Luka-san. She wasn't scared of her, and didn't remotely suspect her as any type of murderer... so... why did she feel so... anxious?

"Yeah, I took some medication last night and this morning," Luka-san said, smiling softly. "I feel much better."

"That's good!" Miku chirped, feeling her chest tighten more. She ignored it — or at least tried to — and let Luka-san pass her as she walked out of her house. For some reason, Miku found herself holding her breath, noticing too many details about Luka-san: the way her hair framed her face, the way she held herself when she walked, and especially how their hands almost touched, barely brushing up against each other... It was enough that Miku had to wait a second before she caught up to the pinkette on their walk to school.

Miku didn't know what was wrong with her, but whatever it was, she hoped it would pass. She wanted to be friends with Luka-san, and she couldn't do that if she got like... well... like whatever she just got like! All the heart racing yesterday had to be a one time thing. Miku had to make sure it didn't happen again. Ever.

"...It's nice out here, isn't it?" Miku said after a few seconds, walking next to Luka-san. It was a bad attempt at talking, she knew, but it was better than nothing. Unlike yesterday, she didn't want to walk in silence. It was... uncomfortable now.

"Yeah." Luka-san looked at their surroundings, then right at Miku. "I like walking with you. I don't hear as many thoughts, and..." Luka-san looked away. "It's... nice, having you with me."

Oh no. When the pinkette said things like that... Miku looked away too, feeling heat rise to her face. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to talk. Heck, maybe silence was better.

"Sorry if I... um... embarrassed you," Luka-san continued, her face turning a light shade of pink, almost matching her hair. "I just... um... wanted you to know, that I, uh, really like your company. Even when I don't seem like it..."

"No, no, it's fine! I just, um... well..." Miku didn't know how to put it. Her emotions were being... weird, still. "I've just never been... appreciated, like that. Or complimented like that. So I'm just surprised, I think."

"Really? I thought you would be popular and get a lot of compliments." Luka-san looked at Miku shyly. "You have a... um... an attractive personality."

"Oh, um, I just don't really talk to anybody besides you," Miku admitted, possibly embarrassing herself even more. The fact that Luka-san had called her attractive — in a way — wasn't helping either. "I mean, maybe I could be more popular, but I don't really feel like it, if I'm being honest..."

"That's fine. I... um... I like that you can always talk to me... It helps me a lot..."

Miku felt a wave of warmth wash over her as Luka-san looked away from her once again, her hair covering her face. Though she couldn't meet Luka-san's eyes, Miku couldn't make herself look away from her. The pinkette really enjoyed her company.

That made her oddly happy hearing Luka-san say it... She already knew that she helped her and that she loved to do it... so why was her reaction so different this time?

It just confused her so much...

"Oh, we're here already..." Luka-san said, and Miku detected a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Um, thanks for walking with me again..."

"What are you thanking me for? That's just what friends do." Miku smiled, and felt it grow even wider as Luka-san smiled softly right back.

"I was just a little scared that you only went along with me because it'd be safer... uh, sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it." They walked inside the school, and that's when Miku remembered something. "Oh, yeah, uh, can I have your phone number? Because I kinda forgot to ask for it and I meant to yesterday..."

Luka-san's face turned red as she froze in her tracks. Miku became as flustered as her when she remembered that saying stuff like that was... really suggestive...

"I just need it for stuff like, when we meet up to walk to school because I was really lucky that I remembered where your house was and..." Miku trailed off from her rambling. "I'm sorry if that sounded really... I don't know..."

"It's okay, I probably overreacted..." Luka-san's hands went to her hair as she looked away from Miku.

"Oh no, I really, really phrased that wrong..." Miku felt her face heat up once again, but tried to ignore it as she reached for her phone in her bag. "I-I, uh, I'm sorry that it seemed like... you know..."

'You're probably not into that anyways...'* Miku thought as she finally grabbed her phone. She smiled as she turned back to Luka-san, but for some reason, it was becoming harder to hold.

Into what, anyways...?

"I can enter my number in your phone, if that's easier," Miku offered, seeing that Luka-san had her own phone out. Luka-san nodded and they traded phones.

Miku felt... odd, holding Luka-san's phone, but she tried to ignore it as she navigated to the contacts screen. She refrained from frowning when she saw that she would the be only contact besides Luka-san's parents, it seemed like. Poor girl... Though Miku couldn't say much because it was the same for her...

It just felt worse when it was someone else and not herself. And Miku had talked to people occasionally in class — not often, but she did — while Luka-san had never talked to anyone until she talked to Miku only a few days ago. Luka-san must've felt so lonely...

Miku quickly entered in her phone number as she realized Luka-san was already done entering hers. They traded phones once again, Miku trying to ignore the feeling of their hands brushing. Why did that always make her so nervous? There was no reason to be nervous around the pinkette, yet she was when they would do so little as touch each other...

And that feeling of tightness... It hadn't gone away. Why hadn't it gone away? It needed to. She couldn't be disabled by such simple things as touching... It just... It didn't make sense!

The bell rang, forcing Miku out her thoughts. She looked over at Luka-san, who was obviously still standing there, and they locked eyes. It only took a second before Miku realized what she did and turned away again.

"Uh... let's get going to class," Miku said, not waiting for an answer to walk forward. She know she might've seemed a bit rude, but she figured Luka-san would just nod and follow her. They went to the same class, after all.

And mostly, she didn't want the pinkette to see another blush forming on her face.

0o0o0o0

Lunch could not come any sooner. Just like yesterday, Miku had grown tired of the teacher's deadpan voice, and the ominous atmosphere the classroom developed. But also like yesterday, Miku waited until everybody exited the classroom with Luka-san.

Luka-san wasn't looking sick — in fact, she looked much better than yesterday — but Miku doubted Luka-san wanted to go where the students were. Even with medicine, more thoughts meant more cacophony in her head, and Miku didn't want that.

"Hey, why don't we eat in here?" Miku said, turning to Luka-san. The pinkette nodded, already reaching for her lunch.

"Yeah, it's much quieter in here." Luka-san smiled. "I can only hear a couple voices... It's nice."

Miku smiled too. She'd been aching to talk to Luka-san again since class started, and she was so glad to finally be able to. And seeing as Luka-san was feeling better, it only served to make her good mood even better.

Though is bugged her that the tightness in her chest hadn't gone away... She supposed to would just have to ignore it.

Miku jumped in her seat, startled by a noise. She looked up from grabbing her own lunch to see one falling to the ground, away from her. She didn't know what she was thinking when she reached out to grab it, since it was nowhere within range. There was no way she could've saved it.

Except... she had forgotten about her new power. The box floated in the air, all the contents still in check. Luka-san just stared at her, seemingly shocked, until she grabbed her lunch, letting Miku let go of it with her telekinesis.

"Thanks..." Luka-san smiled, but only for a second. She quickly looked behind her, towards the door. Miku looked too, but nothing was there.

"You okay?" Miku asked, a frown forming on her face. Luka-san glanced away from Miku, focusing on her lunchbox.

"I-I'm fine... The voices just went away, that's all." The pinkette shook her head. Miku didn't fully believe her, but she didn't push it. She opened her own lunch, only realizing how hungry she was right then.

Luka-san was probably just on edge... Miku couldn't imagine having to hear everyone's thoughts, and added with how dark the atmosphere felt, Miku didn't blame her.

They ate in silence until the class came back, and the ominous atmosphere settled once again.