[ Obviously not! She's perfectly calm and composed and definitely not sick!
Except he's not convinced. ] I'm sorry, but I want to stop by. There's already someone else I'm going to see, too. [ Ichiro's texts were more concerning than Minako's had been, so at least there's that? And also the fact that, thanks to being friends with Mamoru, he knows she is far from alone.
Maybe it's a little selfish of him - it definitely feels pushy - but he wants to see her. Just so he can see with his own two eyes that she'll be okay. ] I promise I won't stay for long.
[ Wow. Thank god for Ichiro. At least someone here who's worse than her..
But obviously that still can't fully stop Tsumugi. In fact, Minako is rapidly realising over here that nothing is really going to stop this boy, so she doesn't even attempt to try to do so in vain anymore. ]
okay
[ Like a guilty little kid.. caught with their hand in the cookie jar.. T-Tsumugi is just too powerful.. ]
[ And, true to this word, he wastes no time at all making his way to her place. He's got a lot with him at the moment - medicine, tea, bandages, and the like - but admittedly, most of it's for Ichiro. (listen, he just texted him "alive", he has every right to be concerned.) But if Minako's doing worse than he thinks she is... well. There's more than enough for two.
(and if minako's doing worse than he thinks she is, maybe his tiny bit of good news can lift her spirits?)
He shoots her a quick text, letting her know he's right outside, before knocking. ]
[ Tsugumi has zero idea of the kind of chaos he's just caused here. Minako knows that there's only a limited time before he arrives at her place, so she's rushing to put on regular clothes instead of pyjamas, brush her hair, even putting on some makeup to try and look more presentable..
Even if there isn't much she can do with the limited time she's given here and the fact that she's still feeling like crap, but it's not like Minako can't run on sheer determination alone when she tries.
Which is to say - by the time she opens the door, she's at least not looking absolutely awful. G-Good job, Minako, fake it until you make it, girl! ]
.. there you are.
[ N-No, her voice isn't sounding weaker than usually, t-that's clearly just your imagination..! ]
[ Minako may be hiding a lot behind a smile and some makeup, and her voice is definitely weaker than normal, but Tsumugi is relieved just to see her in general.
That relief manifests in a gentle embrace, a hug given before he even speaks a word. It's as careful and mindful as the rest of him - he doesn't know if she has any wounds - but there's also a complete lack of hesitation, despite the fact that he so rarely initiates things like this. ]
... I'm glad you're okay. [ She's upright and able to greet him mostly like usual - so he has every bit of confidence in her strength to recover from here. ]
She was at least semi-prepared to face him. After all, he gave her notice that he was coming, so Minako had at least a few moments over here to try and steel herself for it. To prepare. To make sure that she'd put on a brave face.
But while the girl can endure that much when she's prepared, this is too much. She didn't expect the hug, nor the words of relief over her state. It's not even that people are never kind to her or anything like that, but Minako has always been bad at being the one being cared for, rather than forcing herself to only be the one who takes care of others.
So.. how is she supposed to deal with this?
Her heart is already so weak due to everything that happened, and it means that in this embrace, her emotions start to flood over.
Enough so that tears start to spill from her eyes before she realises it. ]
Why.. [ She starts, before choking up due to her tears, forcing her to pause for a moment so she can even speak. ] W-Why are you saying silly stuff like that? Dumb Tsumugi-kun..!
[ There's no malice or anger in her tone at all though.
It's just Minako trying to cope with the current situation while having absolutely no idea how to do so, or what to say, other than this. Sounding like a little kid who's too prideful to ever admit to anything. ]
[ Oh, Minako... He won't address the tears, though he positions them in such a way that she could easily hide in his shoulder if she wanted. ] I'm sorry. But I really am happy to see you. [ After all, he's well aware of how she can be. He still remembers the sight of the sword in her hand, and the weight of her words as they spoke to the knight they'd managed to save.
"I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."
And he can only imagine how hard she'd fought yesterday, for the sake of people like him, who couldn't protect themselves. Who knows how she's feeling about all that, but... ] I know you did your best.
[ Minako will gladly take that opportunity right there. The less her tears are seen by anyone, the better in her opinion. So when she can hide them by just burying her face against him, she immediately does so, even though the tightness of her voice and the way her shoulders occasionally jerk up betray the fact that she's crying all the same. ]
Not enough. [ She manages to force out.
After all, she didn't do her best enough. She got touched by one of those terribly strong horsemen, causing her to have to be dragged out of the battle since she was too ill to even stand.
She didn't do enough. She worried her girlfriend to death.
Her words are half-muffled against him from her current position, but considering how close they are, Tsumugi should be able to make them out all the same. ]
[ It's true that she didn't single-handedly stop the invasion herself. That, no one can deny. But he shakes his head in disagreement as she insists that everything she did - all the effort she put in - wasn't enough. ]
I don't think you failed. After all, you put yourself at risk to keep me and others like me safe. [ It's a grim thought he'd rather not have, but... what if she hadn't been there? Would Ichiro not have been able to respond at all, with one less capable fighter out on the front lines? Would Izumi and Taichi run into more trouble, had she not kept wraiths out of the city?
Would Kazunari have not made it home - to him - at all?
He rests a hand against her back, a steady weight against her slight trembles. ] So really, that's more reason for me to feel grateful.
If I was putting myself at risk anyway, I should've done better.
[ She pulls back. Not fully, mind you - she's still letting Tsumugi hold her, but she's pulling her head back just enough so she can use a single hand to wipe at her eyes and her cheeks, trying to get rid of any remaining tears and stains on her cheeks.
It's not a very successful effort though, since more tears are still joining the fray. ]
.. this place deserves people who can protect it perfectly. I'm just.. just someone who keeps failing, every single time. [ Granted, she only failed here once.
But it's not only her attempts in this city she's thinking about. Back home she failed plenty of times, and then even one disasterously huge time in her past life.
[ It's never easy to see someone cry. And the things she's saying about herself... ]
I know I don't fully understand [ He cares for others - cares a lot - but he could never envision himself putting his life on the line like that. That's a level of courage and confidence that he simply doesn't have. ] but I still think you're being a bit hard on yourself. Perhaps you weren't perfect, but no one can be. You're still a hero to me, Minako-chan.
[ He pauses for a moment. This... isn't how he meant to tell her his "love gossip", but, ] Can I tell you about something good that happened yesterday?
[ Minako will gladly grab onto the last thing of what he's saying here. Anything is better than talking about herself, and her own insecurities, and the sheer mountain of negative feelings she has about herself that she prefers to bury down deep.
So she nods, sucking in a deep breath and willing herself to full on stop crying this time around. Come on, Minako. Just focus on other people. That's what you do best, right?
As she rubs away the last tears, she nods. ]
Of course. [ Her voice still sounds a little raw. ] You know you can tell me anything.
[ Another day, perhaps, he'd like to delve deeper into those negative feelings of hers. She might not want to, and she might not have even meant to say anything, but there's a part of him that's happy to have been able to listen. Not for the content itself, but the trust and ability to be vulnerable with him.
She's been through more than enough these past 24 hours, though. So that can wait for another day.
For now... ] I wanted you to hear about this first, since you asked me to tell you about some "love gossip". [ It's only proper for the goddess of love to be the first to know about a blooming love, after all!! Even though that post feels so long ago now. ]
I, um. Someone confessed to me yesterday, actually. And I said yes. [ His cheeks are turning a little pink, but it's fine! It's fine!! ] So now I have a boyfriend.
[ Look at this entire love gossip deal coming back around to her. Honestly, Minako wasn't even thinking about it anymore. She did send Tsumugi out into the world with that mission, but didn't necessarily want to put pressure on him to have to go through with it..
.. but look here. Not only did he find a bit of juicy love gossip out there, it's even more than that. It's Tsumugi himself getting romantically involved. Minako clearly didn't expect this, because now she's gotten rid of most of the tears, she instead just stares at him in surprise. ]
Wait.. really? You're not joking?
[ She doesn't think he's the type - but hey, he could have been trying to cheer her up, who knows! ]
Who is it..? How did it go down..? [ Sorry, Tsumugi, you might have to blush for a little bit longer. ]
[ He's fine with blushing for longer. He's accepted his current lot in life. ]
You might've met him before, actually! It's Kazu-kun- I mean, Kazunari Miyoshi. He's the one who planned my surprise birthday party.
[ y'know, the guy who called him a catch and went off in a totally platonic matter about his charm points? that kazunari miyoshi ]
I'm sure he'll end up confessing again, since it didn't go at all like he wanted. [ He says this with so much fondness, a hint of laughter in his voice. It's not very often he feels this excited about something not related to acting or gardening, but he's excited. ] He's been working on something for the past week, and I guess he's not done with it yet...
But then everything happened. [ Which is putting it incredibly lightly. ] He'd been staying with a friend of ours to work on his project, and despite how dangerous it was, he risked his life just so he could be with me.
[ Saying that out loud - it's still hard to believe that it happened. That someone would go that far for him. But it happened. It wasn't a dream. ]
I was so scared... and I know he was, too. He's not used to this sort of thing, you know? So when he got home safe and sound, we were both so relieved and we- we just said it. [ Kazunari had said it first - "I like you" - but, ] I told him I loved him.
It sure is the love gossip that Minako hoped for, though she sure didn't think about getting it in this sort of situation. It feels like a weird dissonance, where her feelings on the inside are still a total mess, yet she's hearing such a sweet story. Minako could only wish that she had been in a better state to receive it.
But despite said state.. she doesn't want to let Tsumugi down. All of this must be so important to him, and he sounds so fond of the other. How could Minako ever let her own feelings take precedence over anyone else's?
Of course she can't. So she forces the mess of feelings down as far as she can, just so she can confidently smile.
It's mostly fake, considering her mood, but it doesn't look like it in the slightest. Minako is a master at these things, and she tries even harder when it's for the sake of her friends. ]
Ah, really..? That's such a sweet story! Seriously, I haven't heard anything that nice in a long while! [ She giggles. ] Tsumugi-kun, you have to make sure to hold onto him no matter what, alright? I've heard that guy talk about you before, and he sounds totally head over heels for you! You can't ever let The One [ look, she's speaking so dramatically when it comes to those two words that they might as well have been audibly capitalized ] slip away from you, ever! You guys have to be happy forever..!
[ Her smile might be fake for the most part (which he misses - he's observant, but she's got him fooled this time), but his, unsurprisingly, continues to be the real deal. ]
I will. [ There's no "I'll try" or "I'll do my best to". He just will. ] I only hope I can make him as happy as he's made me. [ Which might not be too difficult, if he's already been gushing about him to other people? But that doesn't give him an excuse to slack off!
There's a brief pause, as though he's said his piece, but then... ] And I hope the same for you, Minako-chan.
[ There's two ways that could be taken: wishing he makes her happy, as her friend, and wishing her the same eternal happiness with Monika. He doesn't elaborate further because honestly? If he might be so bold, he'd like to wish for both those things, when it comes to Minako. ]
Ah, don't worry! Things are fine with me and Monika.
[ .. apparently that's the way Minako has opted to take it. Maybe it's just because it's so much easier to think of someone wishing the two of them well more so than it is to think of someone wishing just her well. At least when it comes to her love life there's another person involved.. ]
I.. um, I should probably go back inside though! I have so much to do..
[ Read: rest.
But she's trying to not draw attention back to that!! ]
I'll make sure to ask you all about the newest details about recent developments in your relationship when we talk again some other time, Tsumugi-kun!
Of course! I should also get going. [ After all, he's got another stupidly stubborn person to visit.
So he gives her one more small squeeze, an unspoken "thank you" for listening to him and for doing her best, before releasing her. ] Sorry for keeping you out here for so long... but make sure you get plenty of rest, okay? [ don't think he's forgotten about the main reason of his visit, missy ] And let me know if you need anything.
[ Judging from some of the things she said, he doubts he'll be hearing from her... but he'd rather say it than not. ]
[ She truly can't escape the fussing of Tsumugi.. Ever.. He is the most powerful boy in this entire place.
But Minako manages to smile a little at him all the same, even if some sheepishness sneaks into it at the fact that she's definitely been caught most of this time now. ]
Yeah. [ She slowly nods. ] See you later.
[ Hopefully when she's a little more well rested and no longer recovering from a disease that literally almost killed her.
And with that, she returns back indoors, closing the door behind her. ]
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Except he's not convinced. ] I'm sorry, but I want to stop by. There's already someone else I'm going to see, too. [ Ichiro's texts were more concerning than Minako's had been, so at least there's that? And also the fact that, thanks to being friends with Mamoru, he knows she is far from alone.
Maybe it's a little selfish of him - it definitely feels pushy - but he wants to see her. Just so he can see with his own two eyes that she'll be okay. ] I promise I won't stay for long.
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But obviously that still can't fully stop Tsumugi. In fact, Minako is rapidly realising over here that nothing is really going to stop this boy, so she doesn't even attempt to try to do so in vain anymore. ]
okay
[ Like a guilty little kid.. caught with their hand in the cookie jar.. T-Tsumugi is just too powerful.. ]
i'll see you in a bit then
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but okay now the actual tag (→ action)
[ And, true to this word, he wastes no time at all making his way to her place. He's got a lot with him at the moment - medicine, tea, bandages, and the like - but admittedly, most of it's for Ichiro. (listen, he just texted him "alive", he has every right to be concerned.) But if Minako's doing worse than he thinks she is... well. There's more than enough for two.
(and if minako's doing worse than he thinks she is, maybe his tiny bit of good news can lift her spirits?)
He shoots her a quick text, letting her know he's right outside, before knocking. ]
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Even if there isn't much she can do with the limited time she's given here and the fact that she's still feeling like crap, but it's not like Minako can't run on sheer determination alone when she tries.
Which is to say - by the time she opens the door, she's at least not looking absolutely awful. G-Good job, Minako, fake it until you make it, girl! ]
.. there you are.
[ N-No, her voice isn't sounding weaker than usually, t-that's clearly just your imagination..! ]
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That relief manifests in a gentle embrace, a hug given before he even speaks a word. It's as careful and mindful as the rest of him - he doesn't know if she has any wounds - but there's also a complete lack of hesitation, despite the fact that he so rarely initiates things like this. ]
... I'm glad you're okay. [ She's upright and able to greet him mostly like usual - so he has every bit of confidence in her strength to recover from here. ]
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She was at least semi-prepared to face him. After all, he gave her notice that he was coming, so Minako had at least a few moments over here to try and steel herself for it. To prepare. To make sure that she'd put on a brave face.
But while the girl can endure that much when she's prepared, this is too much. She didn't expect the hug, nor the words of relief over her state. It's not even that people are never kind to her or anything like that, but Minako has always been bad at being the one being cared for, rather than forcing herself to only be the one who takes care of others.
So.. how is she supposed to deal with this?
Her heart is already so weak due to everything that happened, and it means that in this embrace, her emotions start to flood over.
Enough so that tears start to spill from her eyes before she realises it. ]
Why.. [ She starts, before choking up due to her tears, forcing her to pause for a moment so she can even speak. ] W-Why are you saying silly stuff like that? Dumb Tsumugi-kun..!
[ There's no malice or anger in her tone at all though.
It's just Minako trying to cope with the current situation while having absolutely no idea how to do so, or what to say, other than this. Sounding like a little kid who's too prideful to ever admit to anything. ]
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"I'm going to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."
And he can only imagine how hard she'd fought yesterday, for the sake of people like him, who couldn't protect themselves. Who knows how she's feeling about all that, but... ] I know you did your best.
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Not enough. [ She manages to force out.
After all, she didn't do her best enough. She got touched by one of those terribly strong horsemen, causing her to have to be dragged out of the battle since she was too ill to even stand.
She didn't do enough. She worried her girlfriend to death.
Her words are half-muffled against him from her current position, but considering how close they are, Tsumugi should be able to make them out all the same. ]
I failed this time. I should've been better.
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I don't think you failed. After all, you put yourself at risk to keep me and others like me safe. [ It's a grim thought he'd rather not have, but... what if she hadn't been there? Would Ichiro not have been able to respond at all, with one less capable fighter out on the front lines? Would Izumi and Taichi run into more trouble, had she not kept wraiths out of the city?
Would Kazunari have not made it home - to him - at all?
He rests a hand against her back, a steady weight against her slight trembles. ] So really, that's more reason for me to feel grateful.
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[ She pulls back. Not fully, mind you - she's still letting Tsumugi hold her, but she's pulling her head back just enough so she can use a single hand to wipe at her eyes and her cheeks, trying to get rid of any remaining tears and stains on her cheeks.
It's not a very successful effort though, since more tears are still joining the fray. ]
.. this place deserves people who can protect it perfectly. I'm just.. just someone who keeps failing, every single time. [ Granted, she only failed here once.
But it's not only her attempts in this city she's thinking about. Back home she failed plenty of times, and then even one disasterously huge time in her past life.
She's just not good enough. ]
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I know I don't fully understand [ He cares for others - cares a lot - but he could never envision himself putting his life on the line like that. That's a level of courage and confidence that he simply doesn't have. ] but I still think you're being a bit hard on yourself. Perhaps you weren't perfect, but no one can be. You're still a hero to me, Minako-chan.
[ He pauses for a moment. This... isn't how he meant to tell her his "love gossip", but, ] Can I tell you about something good that happened yesterday?
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[ Minako will gladly grab onto the last thing of what he's saying here. Anything is better than talking about herself, and her own insecurities, and the sheer mountain of negative feelings she has about herself that she prefers to bury down deep.
So she nods, sucking in a deep breath and willing herself to full on stop crying this time around. Come on, Minako. Just focus on other people. That's what you do best, right?
As she rubs away the last tears, she nods. ]
Of course. [ Her voice still sounds a little raw. ] You know you can tell me anything.
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[ Another day, perhaps, he'd like to delve deeper into those negative feelings of hers. She might not want to, and she might not have even meant to say anything, but there's a part of him that's happy to have been able to listen. Not for the content itself, but the trust and ability to be vulnerable with him.
She's been through more than enough these past 24 hours, though. So that can wait for another day.
For now... ] I wanted you to hear about this first, since you asked me to tell you about some "love gossip". [ It's only proper for the goddess of love to be the first to know about a blooming love, after all!! Even though that post feels so long ago now. ]
I, um. Someone confessed to me yesterday, actually. And I said yes. [ His cheeks are turning a little pink, but it's fine! It's fine!! ] So now I have a boyfriend.
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.. but look here. Not only did he find a bit of juicy love gossip out there, it's even more than that. It's Tsumugi himself getting romantically involved. Minako clearly didn't expect this, because now she's gotten rid of most of the tears, she instead just stares at him in surprise. ]
Wait.. really? You're not joking?
[ She doesn't think he's the type - but hey, he could have been trying to cheer her up, who knows! ]
Who is it..? How did it go down..? [ Sorry, Tsumugi, you might have to blush for a little bit longer. ]
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You might've met him before, actually! It's Kazu-kun- I mean, Kazunari Miyoshi. He's the one who planned my surprise birthday party.
[ y'know, the guy who called him a catch and went off in a totally platonic matter about his charm points? that kazunari miyoshi ]
I'm sure he'll end up confessing again, since it didn't go at all like he wanted. [ He says this with so much fondness, a hint of laughter in his voice. It's not very often he feels this excited about something not related to acting or gardening, but he's excited. ] He's been working on something for the past week, and I guess he's not done with it yet...
But then everything happened. [ Which is putting it incredibly lightly. ] He'd been staying with a friend of ours to work on his project, and despite how dangerous it was, he risked his life just so he could be with me.
[ Saying that out loud - it's still hard to believe that it happened. That someone would go that far for him. But it happened. It wasn't a dream. ]
I was so scared... and I know he was, too. He's not used to this sort of thing, you know? So when he got home safe and sound, we were both so relieved and we- we just said it. [ Kazunari had said it first - "I like you" - but, ] I told him I loved him.
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It sure is the love gossip that Minako hoped for, though she sure didn't think about getting it in this sort of situation. It feels like a weird dissonance, where her feelings on the inside are still a total mess, yet she's hearing such a sweet story. Minako could only wish that she had been in a better state to receive it.
But despite said state.. she doesn't want to let Tsumugi down. All of this must be so important to him, and he sounds so fond of the other. How could Minako ever let her own feelings take precedence over anyone else's?
Of course she can't. So she forces the mess of feelings down as far as she can, just so she can confidently smile.
It's mostly fake, considering her mood, but it doesn't look like it in the slightest. Minako is a master at these things, and she tries even harder when it's for the sake of her friends. ]
Ah, really..? That's such a sweet story! Seriously, I haven't heard anything that nice in a long while! [ She giggles. ] Tsumugi-kun, you have to make sure to hold onto him no matter what, alright? I've heard that guy talk about you before, and he sounds totally head over heels for you! You can't ever let The One [ look, she's speaking so dramatically when it comes to those two words that they might as well have been audibly capitalized ] slip away from you, ever! You guys have to be happy forever..!
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I will. [ There's no "I'll try" or "I'll do my best to". He just will. ] I only hope I can make him as happy as he's made me. [ Which might not be too difficult, if he's already been gushing about him to other people? But that doesn't give him an excuse to slack off!
There's a brief pause, as though he's said his piece, but then... ] And I hope the same for you, Minako-chan.
[ There's two ways that could be taken: wishing he makes her happy, as her friend, and wishing her the same eternal happiness with Monika. He doesn't elaborate further because honestly? If he might be so bold, he'd like to wish for both those things, when it comes to Minako. ]
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[ .. apparently that's the way Minako has opted to take it. Maybe it's just because it's so much easier to think of someone wishing the two of them well more so than it is to think of someone wishing just her well. At least when it comes to her love life there's another person involved.. ]
I.. um, I should probably go back inside though! I have so much to do..
[ Read: rest.
But she's trying to not draw attention back to that!! ]
I'll make sure to ask you all about the newest details about recent developments in your relationship when we talk again some other time, Tsumugi-kun!
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So he gives her one more small squeeze, an unspoken "thank you" for listening to him and for doing her best, before releasing her. ] Sorry for keeping you out here for so long... but make sure you get plenty of rest, okay? [ don't think he's forgotten about the main reason of his visit, missy ] And let me know if you need anything.
[ Judging from some of the things she said, he doubts he'll be hearing from her... but he'd rather say it than not. ]
I'll see you later, Minako-chan.
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But Minako manages to smile a little at him all the same, even if some sheepishness sneaks into it at the fact that she's definitely been caught most of this time now. ]
Yeah. [ She slowly nods. ] See you later.
[ Hopefully when she's a little more well rested and no longer recovering from a disease that literally almost killed her.
And with that, she returns back indoors, closing the door behind her. ]