Kokoro shines too brightly.

It's got to be her hair, asymmetrically cut just like her personality and blonde and far too gleaming, but the more Misaki stares, the more she thinks it might be her eyes. Then she decides that every part of Kokoro is filled to the brim. Too optimistic, too opportunistic, Kokoro is a glass half full already asking for a refill.

They're the first two at the studio—one, because Kokoro likes to be everywhere at once, and two, because Misaki likes to be on time.

Where are the others anyway?

She counts off her fingers. If Kanon isn't here in ten, then Misaki will call her to see at which turn did she get lost; Hagumi's helping her family shop before running over; and who knows where Kaoru is. "What'cha thinking about?"

"Huh?" Misaki clenches her fist and turns to find Kokoro sitting next to her against the wall. Jeez. For someone so eye catching, Kokoro can pop up wherever she wants without any warning. She crosses her arms as she responds, "Pretending to be surprised that our band isn't punctual at all."

The other girl places her hands behind her head, humming a small tune. "What matters is that they will show up, right? We have all the time in the world!"

Except they don't! They have a reservation in the studio, that's how allotted time slots work for most everything. Misaki almost speaks up. Almost. Telling Kokoro that something is impossible, though, is more like a challenge than a fact. So instead, she resigns herself and leans her head back against the wall. "You're right once again, Kokoro." The sound proofed wall is soft and cushiony. Yup, that's what they paid for after all.

She closes her eyes. Kokoro continues to hum just to the left of her, fiddling with a rhythm game on her phone.

Misaki doesn't mind when Kokoro is like this, either. Not loud and charging ahead of everyone else, but instead someone content with doing what makes her happy. Which includes, among many, many things, sitting around with Misaki and slowing down. She kind of admires Kokoro in that respect—what kind of person can be so carefree, can do so much of everything like Kokoro does?

"Aww, you're smiling."

She brings a hand up to shield her face from Kokoro. "Don't look at me," Misaki admonishes, before peeking through her fingers to see that Kokoro had slipped her phone away and is sitting on her knees towards her. "What do you want?"

"Look at me!" Kokoro invites, motioning with her hands. Ah. She must have an idea on her mind. Like always, Kokoro doesn't know how to properly explain that. And like always, Misaki does just as she's asked, dropping her hand and angling herself toward the girl. Kokoro grins. "Thanks."

"I didn't do anything yet," Misaki rolls her eyes. "So, what now?"

"I was thinking," Kokoro begins, and Misaki prepares herself. "that I don't see you smile enough."

That didn't go anywhere where Misaki could've guessed. She furrows her brow, leaning back onto her arms. "I don't see the point in smiling all the time… probably? Yeah, that's it," Misaki ponders aloud. She looks up at the ceiling, the overhead lights causing her to squint. Is smiling even a quantifiable action? It seems too bright to do all the time for someone like herself.

"That's no good, Misaki! Hello Happy's goal is to make everyone smile, including ourselves," Kokoro declares. She's so sure of herself that Misaki goes along with it.

"Here you go, then," she tries to smile at Kokoro, but she can tell the other girl isn't satisfied, if the resulting pout was an indication of anything. She attempts one more time, and when it clearly isn't working out, Misaki gives her a deadpan stare. "I can't just force myself to smile. I'll do it when it feels right."

"You were smiling earlier, though! Aren't you happy?" Kokoro edges closer, wearing a look of absolute confusion. Aw, jeez. This girl really is as innocent as they come. In her own way, she's even more innocent than Kanon, which is a giant feat in and of itself. Misaki chuckles. What did she do to land herself as friends with Kokoro? "Hold that face!"

Warm hands come to cup Misaki's cheeks. It's Kokoro. The girl is kneeling now, having moved herself between Misaki's legs so that she could grasp her face. Kokoro is determined, as if finding the reason to Misaki's smile really was that interesting. This close, she's shining even brighter. "See, see. Was smiling so hard?"

Misaki is still leaning back, so she just looks up at Kokoro. "Not really."

Kokoro squishes her cheeks. "All you need is to relax your face," she says as she continues to play around with Misaki's face.

She doesn't really find it as annoying as she should've, so she lets Kokoro run through her train of thought. At first, Kokoro simply rolls her palms against her cheeks, before her hands begin to explore. A thumb against her cheekbone, fingers tracing her jawline. Misaki doesn't find it particularly bad. It's only when Kokoro traces her hair behind her ear, the smile on her face becoming gentler, that Misaki almost wishes that the girl would—

Whoa.

Misaki's never thought about kissing another girl before.

"Uh. Um," Misaki hates being at a loss for words. She pulls away from Kokoro's hands. She can already feel how warm her face had become.

Kokoro doesn't know what to say either. She's still staring down at Misaki, with a funny, unsure smile on her face.

Ugh. Misaki lets herself fall backward and onto the floor. Oh no. She did not just think that. But she did. Why even deny it? An entire list of scenarios run through her mind. What if Kokoro doesn't even reciprocate? Her heart kickstarts even as Misaki internally repeats how dating someone in the same band is inviting drama through the front door.

Kokoro settles adjacent to her, laying her legs atop of hers. Her own face is blushing. "Did that make you smile, Misaki?"

Misaki groans. Of course, that's what Kokoro was going to say.

Defeated, she covers her face with her hands. She can at least save some of her dignity by not giving Kokoro the satisfaction of seeing her smile. "Yeah, it did."

Just when did she start liking Kokoro?

…

Kokoro Tsurumaki sticks out too much.

Hanasakigawa Girls' High School doesn't have a lot to its name—a decent graduating percentage, but not remarkable enough to be too competitive. Their uniforms aren't much to look at, either. All in all, Hanasakigawa is normal.

That's why Misaki enrolled here. The school is nearby, and the tuition isn't too bad. Maybe she lacks a sense of ambition, but she can get by.

She's not sure how to react, then, when she hears other first-years whispering in the first couple of weeks about another girl in her class. Misaki isn't one to get involved in rumors, so she listens, uninvolved and to the side. At first, the rumors were speculative. A girl that asks others what to do for fun? Is she looking for a new hobby? Then a name is tacked onto the girl, and her reputation grew from there.

Kokoro Tsurumaki. The girl living in her own world.

The name sounds familiar to her ears, and it's only the following morning when she hears Kokoro Tsurumaki being called for attendance that she recognizes it.

"I'm here!" comes an exuberant reply. Kokoro Tsurumaki. Misaki glances to the other side of the classroom, and finds a blonde girl standing from her far-right seat next to an open window. It's springtime and the weather is all blue skies and gentle winds, so Misaki shouldn't be so surprised when a gust of air comes in through the window. Kokoro's hair billows behind her. It's still morning but Kokoro acts as if it's noontime, eyes shining and alive. She looks as if she's straight out of a manga panel.

Yup. This girl definitely sticks out too much.

"You can sit down now," the teacher speaks in a dull voice.

"'Kaaay. You should really smile more, sensei. Then more of the class would listen!" The blonde girl says without a hint of remorse. Misaki doesn't know whether to respect her frankness or blanch at how blunt she came off as. Kokoro plops into her seat.

Hushed giggles and whispers erupt around Misaki. Does Kokoro know how much attention she attracts? Still looking back at her smiling face, she probably doesn't.

The teacher sighs. "I'll take that into account for next time, Tsurumaki-san."

The rest of her classes pass without too much commotion, and Kokoro doesn't bring much attention to herself during lessons, so by the end of the day Misaki wonders why so many people are fixated on her. Being eccentric can only be interesting for so long, right? There must be a catch that Misaki is missing.

She doesn't notice the crowd that's gathering at the school entrance until she bumps into someone. "My bad," Misaki drops automatically, taking a step back. Now she notices the crowd; now she's curious.

The redhead that she bumped doesn't so much as glance at her, too focused on whatever is happening. She's hopping on her feet. "Are you seeing this?"

"What is it?" Misaki asks, standing on her toes to look above the crowd. Her answers come from the audience, a nervous excitement as they spectate the scene. Whatever is happening, they're clearly trying to hide their laughter.

"It's that Kokoro Tsurumaki girl!"
"What is she up to now?"
"That poor second-year got dragged in."
"Isn't that Aya Maruyama? She's, like, an idol, right?"

Misaki squeezes herself between students. Kokoro Tsurumaki. Her, again. The redhead that she bumped into follows her, and they come to the front of the crowd. And before Misaki is Kokoro Tsurumaki, pulling a pink-haired girl around as they clumsily dance around. Someone mentioned that the other girl is a second-year? Aya? Does Kokoro have no sense of boundaries?

"T-Tsurumaki-san!" fumbles the second-year. "I'll teach you some dance moves, sure, but not in public. Please!"

"We have so much space out here, though! And what if others want to join in?" Kokoro poses the questions. She really, honestly believes herself. Even the other girl is at a loss for words, to which Misaki understands. Shouldn't it be obvious that this is embarrassing? Why does that have to be explained?

The pink-haired girl takes a step back. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, and for a moment, Misaki thinks she's going to tell Kokoro that she's out of bounds. No one would blink an eye at reprimanding this strange first-year. Even Kokoro Tsurumaki has limits to her ideas, surely.

But when the second-year opens her eyes again, she has a smile on her face. "… Okay. I have some time before lessons. But if we're going to do this, we do this properly," she points an index finger at Kokoro. "And that means we stretch first!"

She's going along with it? "You're the best, Aya!" Kokoro hugs the girl, then jumps off. Misaki doesn't believe it, but this Aya girl must be gullible to go along with it. "Let's start!"

By the time the two have finished their stretches, most of the crowd has dispersed. The few that did stay come up to Kokoro and Aya or cheer them on, and an impromptu dancing troupe forms. They get into it too, Kokoro laughing as Aya elbows her in the gut. It's funny that people stop whispering behind other's backs when they realize nothing will come out of it. Did they only stick around to see if Kokoro would drop her act?

She might be the real deal, Misaki thinks. A real, bonafide dummy.

The redhead from before is still standing next to her. She's entranced as Kokoro cartwheels and Aya yells at her to be careful. "That girl's a first-year, right?"

"Huh?" Misaki looks at her in surprise. Even more surprisingly, this girl didn't seem turned off by Kokoro in the first place. "Yeah. Kokoro Tsurumaki."

"She's in the same year, but she's sooo cool," she says, but the look in her eyes says that and everything else. Misaki wouldn't exactly call Kokoro Tsurumaki a person to look up to, but she supposes there's something in how unadulterated she is. They watch as Kokoro takes Aya by the arm, swinging in circles before tilting her back by the waist. Aya is obviously embarrassed, but Kokoro doesn't seem fazed by it. Hmm. Yeah, no. Misaki takes that back. Kokoro is still off in her own world. "Wow! I bet she has a lot of friends."

That's a high compliment, but Misaki can't recall if she's seen Kokoro with anyone during breaks. Any which way, Misaki does find it odd that the girl isn't joining them. "Do you not like dancing?"

The girl raises her hands up in defense. "I do! But I gotta go to track soon. If I get into this, I'll lose track of time for sure!"

That's probably why she's so interested in Kokoro; it looks like they're cut from the same type of cloth. Misaki waves her off. She can't even begin to imagine what it'd be like if the two of them became friends. As if to prevent this natural disaster from happening, Misaki speaks, "You should head there now before you do forget, then."

"Ahh, you're right—" The girl pulls out her phone and physically recoils at what Misaki assumes is the time. Is she already late? Throwing a duffel bag over her shoulder, she's already running off as she yells, "I'll see you around!"

"I hope not," Misaki mumbles under her breath. She already feels worn down—not from classes, but from the high amounts of energy exuding from that girl and Kokoro. She isn't suited for these types of interactions at all.

Speaking of Kokoro… Misaki returns her attention just in time to see Aya waving the students away. Her and Kokoro have worked up a sweat in their uniforms (another foresight overlooked by Kokoro—who wants their uniform to get all sweaty?). Misaki is one of the few people left, so she takes her leave as well. She lingers near the school gates, though. She's not interested. She's just mildly curious, is all.

The words that the other girl said comes to mind. That second-year and Kokoro didn't seem that close, but that left another question: does Kokoro have anyone she calls a friend at school? Misaki flicks through different apps on her phone as she hears Aya say her goodbyes. She sees pink hair dash the opposite direction. That leaves Kokoro Tsurumaki by herself.

Misaki hears humming from the other side of the school gate.

The girl living in her own world, humming a song to no one's ears but her own. Misaki is there too, unbeknownst to Kokoro, and it's funny. Kokoro could be spending all this time by herself despite having never shown a hint of feeling lonely. As hard as it is to believe, though, Kokoro is still a regular human being. And regular people need friends to be around.

The crosswalk light turns green, and the girl skips out of school property. She didn't notice Misaki at all.

She sighs. She doesn't owe anything to Kokoro Tsurumaki. Misaki doesn't know anymore about her than the next classmate. For a girl who sticks out as much as she does, maybe regular people aren't suited to be her friends. Misaki isn't sure she could handle her either.

Misaki begins to walk home, humming along to Kokoro's tune.

It's a little catchy, she'll give Kokoro that.

…

Kokoro is trying too hard.

It's afternoon, orange sun casting warm light into the train station. For some twist of fate or another, Misaki has crossed paths with Kokoro again. This time, they're in a band. This time, they've been visiting Hagumi's friend in the hospital for nearly a month now.

All to see a child smile.

Kokoro really is a manga protagonist. Misaki isn't quite sure how she ended up as a side character to this fairy tale.

The five of them are at the train station, waiting to see Kaoru off. The girl is standing at the ledge, looking out to the town square. Her lips are pulled into a frown. To bystanders, it might seem like Kaoru is contemplating something serious, but for Misaki, Kaoru looks like she doesn't know what she's doing.

"Kokoro-chan," chides Kanon as their band leader paces back and forth along the platform. She grasps Kokoro by the wrist, pulling her to a stop. "Akari didn't want to smile today, and that's fine. Let's sleep on it, and we can try again next time, okay…?"

Hagumi nods, her whole body following the motion. "Yeah! It sucks a lot, but we won't give up. Right, Kokoron?"

"But it makes me wanna do something now!" Kokoro squeezes herself between Kanon and Hagumi, throwing her arms over their shoulders.

Misaki shoves her hands into her pockets, grimacing to herself. It annoys her because she understands what everyone else is feeling. The solution is easy: Akari just needs to undergo rehabilitation, and she'd be on her feet in no time. But the reality isn't so easy. The fact that the young girl has been rejecting their advances for weeks now is a testament that things aren't working as they are now.

She wanders near where Kaoru is standing to the side. Seems like Kaoru isn't the only one to be at a loss on what to do. Misaki props her elbows on the ledge and looks out to the town square. Some kids are playing soccer. The warm afternoon air brushes against her cheeks. For anyone else, this is a great day to smile.

"What weighs on your mind, little kitten?" Kaoru says offhandedly. She glances at her with lidded eyes.

Misaki sighs. She really didn't have the energy to play along to Kaoru's antics. "Don't you think we're being too direct here?"

"Is there no better way but forward?" Her senior gestures outward. Kaoru raises her chin and looks at Misaki as if to sweep her away. Misaki keeps her heels on the ground. "As Shakespeare once said, the miserable have no other medicine, but only hope."

She wonders how much she could bet that Kaoru doesn't understand what she just said, but Misaki rests her chin on her palm, weighing the words. Akari is still a kid. She'll recover easily, but it's not the injury that's stopping her. She needs something more than a cast, something less tangible than a prescription.

"Perhaps we should work on our next comedy skit?" Kaoru suggests. "We could use your snark, little kitten."

"I'll stop you right there. I'm not doing that," Misaki rejects the proposal as she rolls her eyes. If only Kaoru would stop talking sometimes.

They both turn around to look at the other three members of the band. Kanon is braiding Kokoro's hair as Hagumi talks about Akari. It sounds like the girl is just as stubborn as she is in the hospital, only she had the energy to match it. Kokoro gets into the story as well. Akari is more than just a hospitalized child for them now. Misaki admits it.

They all want the kid to smile.

After a while, Kaoru's train trucks into the train station. They get up, waving goodbye to Kaoru as she enters the train. She bows from her waist dramatically. "Until next time. May we succeed in our endeavors," she times her words right as the doors slide shut.

They take their time leaving the train station, as if heavy thoughts weigh on their shoulders, dragging them down. Even the ringleader Kokoro is acting relatively normal. And normal is not a word that Misaki thinks suits Kokoro well. At the crossroads, Kanon and Hagumi take their leave. Misaki's walk home coincides with Kokoro's about halfway, so they start down the sidewalk together.

She watches the orange sky above them. Kokoro is humming as she walks ahead of her, a slow tune that fills the space. Birds chirp over the distant hum of the city's white noise. They're at a residential part of town, so the streets aren't busy and Misaki can get lost in her thoughts.

"Kokoro," she starts, and almost regrets it when the humming stops.

"What's up?" The girl slows down until they're walking side by side.

There's a lot to say. How can they be so sure that they're not making the problem worse? Is smiling all Akari needs? They're not professionals, they're not trained to handle serious situations like this. Misaki hesitates, before finding her words and speaking, "Do you think we can make her smile?"

"Why couldn't we?" Kokoro tilts her head.

Right. Of course, this girl doesn't know what the word 'no' stands for. It's not in her vocabulary to begin with.

Misaki doesn't understand how Kokoro can be like this. She doesn't want to. This blonde, sprightly girl is too idealistic for her own good, and in a world that isn't so kind, she won't last long. She clicks her tongue. "We're just teenagers, you know. We can't change the world because we want to."

Kokoro laughs. No, she laughs at her. Misaki stops in surprise, but Kokoro bounds ahead, jumping and reaching for the sky. In a blink, Misaki almost believes Kokoro will fly. Her blonde hair strikes against the orange afternoon. Misaki draws in a sharp breath, as if Kokoro herself has stolen the air from her lungs, and she finds herself frozen in place.

Aren't these kinds of thoughts dangerous for someone as mild as herself?

Then her feet land, and Kokoro is Kokoro Tsurumaki again, a normal girl with too many ideas floating around in her head.

"We're not changing the world! We're just helping it," she announces, as if it's the most obvious truth in the universe. Kokoro's feet are on the ground, but Misaki can see it. She's flying, unhindered by the doubts and hesitations that Misaki herself is weighed down by.

"Right," she mumbles.

Just another non-conversation with Kokoro, only this time she was almost convinced.

She's about to be swept away, and it's not by Kaoru.

…

Kokoro is too much of everything.

It's the first band practice after they've agreed on the new goal of Hello Happy World and since Misaki has agreed to stay.

When she arrives at the studio, Kokoro is the only one there. The girl is playing some game on her phone, so Misaki announces her arrival without flourish, taking her seat against the wall. To the tapping sound of a rhythm game, Misaki wonders where the rest of their band is. She pulls out her phone too, opening her messages and finding Kanon's contact number.

To: Kanon Matsubara
From: Misaki Okusawa
you alright?

To: Misaki Okusawa
From: Kanon Matsubara
I got lost, Misaki-channnn
But Kaoru-san found me, so we'll be there! ε=ε=(っ*´□`)っ

To: Kanon Matsubara
From: Misaki Okusawa
don't let kaoru-san get sidetracked either, then. be safe.

Misaki shuts her phone off, slipping it into her pocket. Kanon's probably the person she'd consider herself closest to in the band, but the girl has an unfortunate knack for getting distracted or becoming terribly lost. Her eyes draw themselves towards Kokoro, who is now lying on her back on the floor. She's still playing on her phone.

"You'll drop your phone on your face if you keep up with that," Misaki warns, and not surprising to her does Kokoro respond with a long 'kaaay'.

She doesn't spend much time with Kokoro outside of the band, though the band does things together rather often. It's not like Kanon, where they both appreciate treating themselves out to a café, or Hagumi, where they're both good with kids—Misaki recalls her first impressions of Kokoro Tsurumaki, the lonely girl living in her own world.

They're sharing something together now. Hello Happy World, for better or for worse, has brought their lives to intersect once again.

"Say, Misaki," Kokoro starts, dropping her phone onto her stomach. She's still on the floor, only turning her head to look at her. Misaki doesn't say anything besides a nod. She's already preparing for a strange request. "You wanted to stay in the band, right?"

Uh… huh. Misaki rests her head slightly against her palm. "I didn't have a reason to leave, I guess."

"That's not enough!" Kokoro rolls onto her knees and stands up, making her way over to Misaki. She motions for Misaki to stand up and, not knowing what to do otherwise, does as she's told. Standing in front of her like this, Misaki finds it amusing that someone so exuberant would be shorter than her. "What would it take to convince you to want to stay?"

Immediately, Misaki has a lot to say. Firstly, the fact that none of the other band members are here yet is something she'd change. Then how easily sidetracked they can get once practice begins. Practice itself is productive, but there isn't enough of it. Misaki can't find her voice to say these things. Those are easy fixes; she wouldn't leave the band because of them alone.

"Do I," Misaki picks her words carefully, if only because Kokoro would pressure her to get to the heart of things anyway. "need a reason to stay?"

Kokoro scrunches her nose. "No. Of course you don't. But I want you to be happy, too!"

She should've expected this from Kokoro. Everything about her is about smiling and being happy, and about being your true self, and reminding the world about all the good things it has. Jeez, putting it in retrospect like that makes Misaki's head ache.

There's no way anyone can be so full of everything.

Yet before her stands Kokoro Tsurumaki.

Something in Misaki's chest aches, too. She likes to do things at her own pace. Life in moderation is her motto—not too much of everything, not too little of anything.

"I am happy," Misaki looks away from Kokoro, crossing her arms and feeling defensive, even though Kokoro is anything but dangerous. She's not sure why, but Kokoro keeps tugging her into doing more, more than she thinks she's able to do until she's already done it. Misaki realizes that she doesn't hate it. "Er. Well. I'm satisfied enough," she corrects herself. "though we could work harder."

She can't get swept up in Kokoro's whirlwind. That much she can resist.

"Hehe," Kokoro slips a little laugh, and Misaki glances at her to find a toothy smile on her face. It's so disarmingly genuine. Don't get swept up, Misaki. Don't fall for it. "I'm happy that you're happy too."

"Yeah?" Misaki brings a hand to the back of her head. Her face is all red, isn't it?

Shoot. Her entire everything feels warm. Misaki feels engulfed by a gooey feeling, sticking to her joints and keeping her in place. Of all people, why is Kokoro so, so sincere beyond what's expected out of a normal human? Misaki can't help but awkwardly chuckle.

She wants to keep this happy little corner of the world for herself, just for a while longer.

"You're a good person, you know that, Kokoro?" Misaki looks at the other girl head-on now. She surprises Kokoro, which gives Misaki some of her confidence back. The gooey feeling melts away. "Anyway, we should check up on the others before they never show up."

"You sounded a lot like Michelle for a second there, Misaki," Kokoro states, the surprised look still on her face. Misaki freezes. She was speaking like she usually did—what brought that up? Before she can ask Kokoro to elaborate, the girl pumps her fist. "I could really tell you love the band, just like Michelle!"

This time, Misaki laughs in full, as Kaoru and Kanon walk through the door. She doesn't understand the antics of anyone in this band. She probably never will. She'll play along with the act, though, if it means she'll see what Kokoro has next in store for them.

She looks forward to it. Not that she'd tell the other girl.

…

Kanon sips her black tea, face blushing and unable to find words to respond to Misaki.

Honestly, she doesn't blame Kanon, after they've spent their Saturday morning in a café admitting and analyzing some very embarrassing feelings from Misaki. No, no, the more she thinks about it in that way, the less she wants to hear what Kanon has to say, now that everything is out in the open.

"It's cute," Kanon comments after a pause.

"You have more to say. I can tell," Misaki accuses her. She raises her own cup.

Her senior giggles. Kanon raises her cup as well and they both sip in camaraderie. "I'm trying to not embarrass you. I can tell that was a lot of confessing you had to do, huh?"

Misaki releases a breath. At least Kanon is kind enough to be upfront with her, but more importantly, the other girl has been receptive to everything she's said. Having someone react so normally when you admit to liking another girl… well, it makes it normal. And Misaki likes normal. She also likes crazy blonde girls too, apparently. "I guess I wanted to process it. I haven't had someone to talk about it to, so thank you, Kanon-san."

Kanon ducks her head. "Thank you for approaching me about it. Can I say something, though?"

Here it is.

Misaki nods, as if to give permission, and Kanon leans forward. She meets her halfway, and finds Kanon whispering into her ear, "I didn't know you were such a romantic, Misaki-chan."

"N-No I'm not!" Misaki withdraws sharply, taking her seat again.

"Was that too much?" Kanon pulls away too, covering her face in her hands. She peeks up from her hands, still wearing the same gentle smile that coaxed Misaki down again. "You do care for her a lot. I mean, do you disagree?"

She clicks her tongue. The reason for today was to iron out her feelings, let these things that were buried even to herself come to the surface. Trying to shut down what Kanon says is not part of her agenda today. So—swallowing her embarrassment, Misaki holds her cup within her hands, and relents to Kanon, "You're not wrong."

Kanon reaches across and pets her hand. She says a single, encouraging word: "Progress."

Misaki nods, accepting it. "Progress."

They segue away from Misaki's personal strife and talk about their upcoming performance for an elementary school. Apparently, this was the school that Kaoru had gone to before high school, and their annual talent show was looking for an exciting interlude between their performance. Misaki thinks they've accidentally established themselves as a band for kids. Kanon thinks there's no better way to make the world smile than through children. They order another pot of tea, and by noon they part ways.

"If you want to talk more, I'm here for you, okay?" Kanon says over her back.

There's a start for everything. Misaki waves, waiting until Kanon turns the corner. Once she does, Misaki turns her heel and walks in the opposite direction, towards downtown. She has some time before she picks up her sister from her club, so she can check out some shops before then.

The day would have been normal, had Misaki not felt like someone was following her route.

The worst part is that she's used to this feeling, too. Misaki slows her pace, until she hears footsteps from behind, and turns to find three women in black suits approaching her. "Your usual modus operandi is that Kokoro's involved somehow," she begins, though she knows they won't answer to that.

Misaki realizes after speaking that she did, in fact, talk about Kokoro just before this. They couldn't possibly be listening in on her to that extent, could they?

"…"

Mhm. Misaki crosses her arms. She's on her guard. "What do you want?"

The woman farther in the back steps forward, and hands her a single rose. Misaki accepts it, out of surprise. The other two approach her as well, removing her hat and brushing her hair quickly. A lint roller comes out at one point. By the time her hat is adjusted onto her head again, the three women have replaced the distance between them.

Misaki doesn't know what to say, so she gives them an exasperated look. This is just beyond strange, even for them.

"When you arrive at downtown, there will be a flash mob waiting for you," speaks one of the suits. Huh? "There will be music, choreography, and many people involved. At the end, Kokoro will approach you, and this will be where you declare your feelings for her."

The woman on the left pipes up, "And there will be doves."

What?

The last suit points to the rose that she had in her hand. "Kokoro has always dreamed of being confessed to with grand, romantic gestures. Roses are very much a part of that."

"Okay, there's no way this is happening," Misaki hands the rose back to the women. These women approaching her might be a coincidence after she's spoken about this with Kanon, but it doesn't mean that she'll just accept whatever plan they've concocted. Nope. She won't do it that way. Misaki places her hands on her hips. She's going to have reprimand grown women, huh. "First of all, a flash mob? We're teenagers, not a drama sitcom."

"…"

"I'm repeating that. She's not a child. She can learn to talk about her relationships without you orchestrating behind the scenes for her all the time," Misaki continues.

"We just want her to be happy."

"I—" That shuts Misaki up.

It occurs to Misaki just how sheltered Kokoro really is. An affluent family has a single daughter and raises her as the jewel of their lives. Of course she's going to grow up believing in fairy tales and in a world she hasn't experienced herself. Even these women, hired to look after Kokoro, are just concerned for her wellbeing.

Misaki sets her jaw. Well, then they can trust her, too.

"Call off the flash mob. And the doves. Let me talk to Kokoro by myself," Misaki speaks, hoping her feigned confidence is enough to convince them. Her heart's beating fast. She can hear it in her ears. But she's speaking the truth. "I want to do this properly with Kokoro."

"…" It's the first time that Misaki sees their composures crack. They look at each other—their poker faces don't reveal anything—but only at the slight nods of their heads does Misaki see that she's gotten through to them. The flower is offered again. "At least take the rose."

"Deal," Misaki takes it.

After the women make some calls and give her an okay to leave, flash mob situation saved for another day, Misaki resumes her walk.

Did she just promise to confess to Kokoro?

Oh God. She did.

Twirling the rose in her fingers apprehensively, Misaki arrives at downtown far too quickly. To her relief, where she imagines to be the conspicuous masses of people for a flash mob are the regulars for the shops in the area. She finds herself relaxing, but not until she sees Kokoro right outside of the Yamabuki bakery.

In overalls and a striped red shirt, Kokoro Tsurumaki looks like any other girl enjoying a day outside. Misaki knows better. As she draws nearer and Kokoro notices her, Misaki knows that she wouldn't have fallen in love had Kokoro been anything less than special.

"You're out today too, Misaki?" she grins at Misaki.

"Coming back from hanging out with Kanon-san, actually," Misaki tells a small white lie, unsure of how to explain her encounter with the suits. She hides the rose behind her back as Kokoro says she'll message Kanon a hello. She had the rose, but what is she supposed to do with it? When's the right time? Is there even a right time to confess?

Mood. Right. The mood. Which isn't right now. Misaki glances over Kokoro's shoulder and into the bakery. "Were you going to get anything?"

Kokoro puts her phone away. Without a hint of embarrassment, she admits, "Oh, yeah! I was going to, but I forgot my wallet. So I was food window shopping."

"Then," Misaki lets her mouth do the talking, since her brain wouldn't. "I can treat us to something in there."

"Yeah!"

Thank goodness she got money from her part time job recently. As Kokoro bounds into the bakery, Misaki feels her phone vibrate against her. She glances at the text message.

To: Misaki Okusawa
From: Kanon Matsubara
Sending you energy, Misaki-channnn ʕ/·ᴥ·ʔ/))))

Misaki smiles. She could always rely on at least one of her seniors for things like this. She puts her phone away again, heading into the bakery feeling less nervous than she had outside.

The smell of freshly baked bread greets her. It's sweet, and Misaki can taste the bread already. Looking at the rows of bread farther down is Kokoro, completely entranced by the bakery around her. Misaki follows her.

"What if Hello Happy got into baking?" Kokoro exclaims.

"We're a band, not bakers," Misaki kneels to look at the lower shelves. She might as well get something for her sister too, while they're at it. Kokoro kneels alongside her. "What are you going to get?"

"I'll get whatever you get," she sing-songs, and Misaki feels warm. No, maybe they're not the closest of friends yet, but she'd like to be. She wants to know Kokoro more.

She calls the owner to get three sweet buns, and as she's pulling out her wallet, Misaki notices that Kokoro is staring at her hand. Misaki looks too. She'd forgotten that she's still holding the rose. Neither mentions it as the owner jokes with them about splitting the third evenly. Misaki accepts the brown bag with the buns inside, and they leave the bakery, feeling self-conscious.

Misaki's surprised that she's looking forward to addressing her feelings aloud too.

They find a bench a little away from the main street of downtown, settling down upon it. Misaki hands Kokoro her sweet bun in a napkin, but not before she slips the rose into Kokoro's other hand too. "This is for you too," Misaki mutters as she takes a bite into her bun.

"Oh," Kokoro looks like she wants to say something. She looks ready to, but ultimately decides on beginning her bun as well. She leans back onto the bench, bliss from a single bite appearing on her face. "Mmm. Thanks for this!"

"Yeah," Misaki smiles into her food.

They stay like that for a moment, letting the silence fill the space between them. Misaki wonders what Kokoro is thinking. She recalls the words that she told the suits. She remembers her conversation with Kanon earlier. Misaki thinks back to all the times that she's glimpsed at how bright the girl sitting beside her can shine.

If Kokoro is reaching for the sky, then Misaki wants to fall following her. She can't fly like Kokoro can. She can stand next to her, though.

"I should've thought this through," Misaki feels her way through her words. There's gravity to each syllable, as if she needs to take her time. Kokoro is looking at her with a confused smile. She finishes her bun before cleaning her hands off with the napkin, then she angles herself towards Kokoro.

"I guess," she says as her throat constricts. Her toes curl. These are words she only wants to say to Kokoro. "I just like you a lot. I like you as more than a friend."

Misaki wishes she accepted the suits' proposal when she had the chance. All that talk about being a teenager and learning to talk about relationships? She's never confessed to anyone before, much less another girl. This is completely new territory. She's not used to not having anything to rely on.

Kokoro's hand slips over hers. She's warm, in sharp contrast to Misaki's cold fingers. When Misaki looks into Kokoro's eyes, they're both blushing.

She doesn't know what else to say. Luckily for her, Kokoro picks up where she left off.

"I finally found you, Michelle," Kokoro leans her forehead against Misaki's. She lets her, leaning back so that Kokoro would follow.

"What do you mean by that?" Misaki whispers. Kokoro's close. She doesn't need to talk so loud with how close they are. She's not used to letting someone into her personal space so willingly. Misaki wants to know more about what she's feeling, though, so she doesn't move away.

Kokoro brushes the rose petals against Misaki's cheek. "If you talk like that," she explains. "and smile like that… you're Michelle, the one who keeps our band together, aren't you?"

She hasn't even realized she's been smiling the entire time. Misaki squeezes the hand that's in hers. Her words have left Misaki warm. The gooey feeling from before is back, but this time Misaki can recognize it. It's love. She loves Kokoro.

In her own way, Misaki has found Kokoro for the first time as well.

Thanks for reading!