“Micchan~ Are you free next week?” Mitsuki turned around to see Miku smiling down at her while she was reviewing the choreography on one of their songs.
“I don't have anything in particular to do next week, Is something the matter?” Miku grins and shakes her head. “Nothing in particular, I was wondering if you want to come with me to eat out? My treat, of course.” Miku puffed out her chest, proud that she was able to treat her juniors instead of her being treated.
“And you can stop with the formal speech. We're the same age anyway, so it's kind of awkward don't you think?” She pats Mitsuki’s head as that's the only place she can reach while she's standing. “Of cour- I mean, sure! I’d gladly come.” Mitsuki responds more enthusiastically than she thought. “Nice! It's a date then. I'll text you the details later, we can adjust anything if you have something scheduled next week.” And with that, Miku waves an energetic goodbye and saunters off somewhere else in the room.
While Mitsuki is still kind of in a daze at what just happened. Obviously, she was looking forward to hanging out with a senior from the group and it's someone her age as well! But she can't help but feel nervously excited(?).
When they officially joined, she honestly hoped to interact with the other 2nd gen members her age but, with the gap in seniority, as well as how shy they were, there weren't a lot of opportunities (and courage) to try reaching out to them, much less talk to them. So Mitsuki worried they might not ‘click’ as well as she hoped they would.
Mitsuki shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and focused back on the choreography video she was watching.
“Mitsuki.” Someone else calls out to her and sees that it was now Nao staring down at her, a small smile on her ever so delicate face.
“Is something the matter?” Mitsuki questions first. Weirdly enough, the members she hoped to talk to more are now coming up to talk to her today.
Nao shakes her head and crouches down to match Mitsuki’s eye level. “Nothing in particular, I was just wondering if you needed any help with the choreography?” She leans to take a peek at Mitsuki’s phone, trying to see if it's a part she can help with.
“Oh no, I'm totally fine. Just taking a break is all. Are you also doing the same?” Nao smiles and nods. “If you don't mind, can I sit next to you?” Nao gestures beside her. Frantically, Mitsuki sets aside whatever stuff that was beside her (it was just her water bottle) and offers it to Nao, who sits comfortably.
“How is practice going for the 4th gen? Do any of you need help? Don't forget that your seniors are here to teach you if it gets too pressuring, okay?” Nao reassures Mitsuki with a small pat on the back and another smile. “Also, you can just speak to me casually. We're the same age so it sounds kind of awkward, funny enough you're also the oldest out of the 4 of us.”
Mitsuki felt touched, although they were their youngest juniors right now, they wouldn't mind their juniors speaking casually towards them. She giggles recalling the words Nao used and Nao looked at her, puzzled.
“Sorry, it's just that Miku also said the same exact thing to me a while ago and now I feel very touched by it.” Mitsuki told herself that she saw wrong but swore that Nao’s eyes twitched for a split second when Miku’s name was mentioned.
“Oh, Miku was also here? What did you guys talk about?” It couldn't hurt to tell Nao what Miku asked of her awhile ago so she just told the truth that Miku invited her out to eat next week. Nao was listening with a small smile, like how a mother would be when their child talked about their day at school.
“I hope you have fun then. Don't tell her I said this but Miku has actually been wanting to hang out with you for a while now, she just always chickens out at the last minute.” They both chuckle, easily imagining the scenario.
Just as they were both getting comfortable talking to each other, Miku calls out from the other side. “Nao~ Practice is about to start.” Mitsuki looked towards Miku, who was waving their hand high towards them.
She then hears Nao sigh. Thinking that it was a sigh of exhaustion, she glances at Nao, only to see her looking at Miku with soft eyes and a delicate smile.
Oh.
At that point, Mitsuki more or less understands what's going on. Nao stands up and waves her goodbye, much like Miku but more calmly, and stands beside Miku in formation (albeit a little too close but maybe that's just her).
With practice starting again, Mitsuki quickly finishes reviewing the choreography before going up to the other 4th gen members.
A few days later, Mitsuki gets a text from Hiyori, yet another member the same age as her.
h: hey micchan
M: Yes?
h: recently…miku talked to you didnt she?
Mitsuki wondered why both the 02 liners were curious about her talking to Miku. Are they just ganging up on me? were the fleeting thoughts of Mitsuki as she replies back to Hiyotan.
M: Yes…she has. Why do you ask?
h: soo did nao come to talk to you afterwards?
M: ???
M: How do you know that? Were you even in the room when all that happened?
As far as Mitsuki knows, only the senbatsu members, as well as the 4th gen members, were in the practice room at the time Miku invited her out.
h: call it ✨ telekinesis ✨
M: …
M: Don't you mean telepathy?
h: nvm that, since you've experienced it first hand, let me fill you in on a little 2nd gen secret.
M: Why?? I'm a 4th gen member, though. Are you sure that would be okay?
h: its fiinee, you're the same age as us so lets just say youre also an honorary 2nd gen along
with hinano.
h: so the secret. nao likes miku and vice versa
M: …
M: uhm. I don't think that's a secret exclusively to the 2nd gen. Even some of the kids in 4th gen have their suspicions.
h: im not finished??
h: 🙄
h: they aren't dating yet but whenever miku talks to someone else, nao becomes real possessive, in a scary sense.
M: THEY ARENT DATING???
h: you're surprised about THAT?
h: anyway, i heard it from a reliable source (tomita) but there was one time miku was talking abt her circle in college and casually mentioned a friend likes putting their arm around her shoulder
M: …and?
h: i see you haven't seen an angry nao to understand 😀
h: lets just say miku hasnt seen that friend …
M: ??????????
M: theyre DEAD???
h: NO
h: i assure u nao would never hurt a fly
h: …but she CAN be threatening if she wants to be
Mitsuki was in the depths of her thoughts thinking of ways to, maybe, avoid an ‘accident’ that could cost her her life.
She could tell Miku she has an emergency this week and won't have any time to go on the date? She could also just avoid Miku all in all and block her contact?
h: did that scare you abt going out with Miku now?
M: what do you THINK???
h: youre fiiiine, members get a pass
h: all you get are skin piercing daggers whenever you're around miku 👍✨
M: Don't think that made me feel any better.
h: lissen, thats not the MAIN reason i chatted
h: do u want to not have nao planning for your demise?
M: absolutely.
h: then i have a plan.
M: …i felt a great sense of dread when u sent that, are you sure you aren't the accident Nao sent for me?
h: jUst shut up and listen.
It was the day of their date…hang out(?) and Mitsuki, being the good junior she is and definitely not because she’s nervous of what could happen to her, got to the cafe a bit early. It works out for her as well as she goes through the sort of plan she and Hiyori thought of.
She was making sure nothing went wrong before she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Hey! You got here earlier than me. I hope you didn't wait long.” It was Miku in her usual boyish outfit. Mitsuki shakes her head. “No, I came here early so we have a place to sit.”
Miku smiles and sits at the other side of the table, parallel to Mitsuki.
“Order anything you want, you don't need to hold back.” Miku says confidently as she looks at the menu. Mitsuki took this chance to look around the restaurant, waiting for someone else to arrive.
The ‘not get hated by Kosaka Nao’ plan was simple. or, as simple as Hiyotan explains it to be. Go to the restaurant as planned, Hiyotan will force Nao to hang out with her, they ‘coincidentally’ meet at the same restaurant, and all 4 of them have a great time!
At least, that's what should have happened.
As Mitsuki was already busy picking out what to eat, she didn't notice the two figures approaching their table.
“Oh! Miku, what a coincidence.” Both of them looked up to see Hiyotan standing at the end of the table with Nao behind her, uncomfortably staring directly at Mitsuki.
‘God, save me.’ Mitsuki prayed to whatever being is above.
Miku stands up and grins at them. “Hiyotan! Nao! How are you guys here?!” She questioned enthusiastically.
“Oh y'know, I thought I'd drag Nao out of her cave she calls home and get her to touch grass so I invited her out to eat!” Hiyo sweetly says.
“There is a very thick line between ‘invite’ and ‘blackmail’, Hiyori.” Nao deadpans as she crosses her arms and glares at Hiyori from behind her.
Miku just chuckles and invites them to sit with them. “Well now that you’re here, why not join us for lunch? But don’t think I’m paying for your bill, Hiyori. I’m only paying for Micchan’s.”
“Aw, don’t be like that, rich kid. At least pay for Nao’s too?” She persuaded. Nao shook her head, “No, you don’t have to Miku. Hiyori invited me out so she’s paying for my bill as well. Right, Hiyori?” Nao stressed her words leaving no room for argument and no money in Hiyotan’s wallet. “...goddamn it.” Hiyori mutters.
They all sat down, Miku and Micchan on one side and NaoHiyo on the other. “Actually, you guys came at the right time. We haven’t actually ordered anything yet so let’s all decide on what to eat.
Miku leans closer to the menu Mitsuki was holding, unaware of the intense gaze that was coming from the other side of the table. “Nao, nao, nao! You can’t damage the menu!” Hiyori scolds her in a whisper when she notices Nao clutching onto the menu a little too hard.
Thankfully, they were able to order their food without any blood getting shed.
“Miku, can you come with me to the restroom?” Hiyori asked but before Miku could even answer, Hiyori was already dragging her by the arm.
Hiyori gave a thumbs up to Mitsuki, who was now alone with a very non-docile Kosaka Nao, she cleared her throat.
“N-nao-san…” She stutters. Nao lets out a puff of breath. “I thought I told you to stop with the formalities.” She warns.
“Oh…Sorry, I'm just not used to it yet…” Mitsuki admits. Nao crosses her arms. “You seemed pretty used to it with Miku and Hiyotan, though?” She questions with a raised brow.
Welp. Probably should have made a better excuse than that.
“Don't think I don't know that you guys are scheming something.” Nao suddenly accuses. “Hiyotan rarely asks me to hang out and on the rare occasions she does, somehow we end up at the same restaurant as you two.” Nao laid down her deductions from the moment she stepped out of her house.
‘Goddamn it, Hiyotan! Way to make it obvious?! ’ Mitsuki internally curses Hiyotan for putting her in this situation while keeping quiet at the accusations Nao is throwing at her.
“N-no, it's nothing like that! I swear, we aren't planning anything.” Micchan denies the accusations rather quickly. Nao raises an eyebrow, still suspicious.
But before Nao could continue her interrogation, the other two had found their way back to the table.
“I hope you didn't miss us too much.” Hiyotan jokes as she blows a kiss towards Nao, who rolls her eyes in fake disgust.
Not a while later, their food also arrives.
“ Itadakimasu ” They all say in unison before chowing down on the dishes. At the time, Mitsuki genuinely felt comfortable with the four of them eating like this.
Although Mitsuki loved the 4ki members like sisters, it still felt different if you were around people of the same age.
“Micchan.” Miku called her. “Here, you should eat more. You don't have to be shy.” Miku instinctively directs her chopsticks towards Mitsuki.
Although they all knew she did this without any ill intentions…”Nao, stop! You can't break any of the plates here!”
Nao thought otherwise.
“Miku, I can eat it on my own! You don't have to feed it to me.” Mitsuki puts both her palms in front of her to reject Miku’s offer.
“Mitsuki.” She whips her head around and sees Nao burning holes into her.
‘This is literally the WORST CASE SCENARIO!’ Mitsuki screams in her head as she looks at Hiyotan’s direction for help.
In a panic, Hiyotan just stands up and grabs Mitsuki out of her seat. “Y'know, I just saw some delicious looking dangos a few stores back! Let me borrow Micchan for a bit, we'll be right back!”
Hiyo bolted out of the restaurant with Micchan and the two were left at the table. Miku is in a flabbergasted state while Nao is trying to calm herself down.
“Have those two always been that close?” Miku asks Nao.
“It seems so.” Nao said with her eyes closed, still trying to relieve her mind of the jealousy she felt a while ago. She didn't want Miku to see that side of her… At least, not yet.
She opened her eyes again when she felt a cold yet comforting hand on her forehead.
Without her noticing, it seems that Miku had made her way to Nao's side of the table.
“Are you okay? Do you feel unwell?” Miku asks worriedly. Nao shakes her head.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit lightheaded, I guess.” Nao reassures Miku with a sweet smile.
Before Miku could ask her another question, Miku felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned around to see someone from her college circle greet her. It was one of the guys Miku never bothered to remember the name of.
“Miku! Fancy meeting you here.” He greeted her with a smile, a hand was placed on the table.
Reluctantly, Miku greets him with a small smile as well. “Hey. What a coincidence.” She awkwardly responds back.
As the guy tries to keep the conversation going, (with Miku trying her best to end it as well) Nao instantly notices his hand trying to wrap itself around Miku’s shoulder.
Without any warning, Nao stands to grab his arm and twist it. “What the fuck do you think you're doing.” Nao says in a tone Miku has definitely not heard before.
“You better get the fuck out of here before I break your arm and send you to the hospital like that buddy of yours for trying to touch what's mine.” Nao threw his arm with a surprising amount of force to the point that this man, a head taller than Nao, stumbled back and almost fell to the floor.
“T-that was you?” He stuttered back. Nao looked at him, dead in the eye. “Do you want to find out?”
Not a moment later did he bolt up and run out the store.
Meanwhile, Hiyotan and Mitsuki had been standing outside the store ever since the altercations started and one of them was just enjoying the show.
“This is what I've been waiting for.” Hiyotan said as she grins at this 5’7 guy trembling in front of a 5’3 girl.
“Are you sure we shouldn't stop them?” Mitsuki asks as she holds the desserts they bought outside the store.
“Meh. What's the worst that could happen?” Hiyotan shrugs at her concerns just before Nao throws the guy's arm away and threatens him to leave.
In front of Miku.
“Oh. Okay maybe this is a problem.” Their eyes follow the guy as he runs to the door. They step aside to let him through before going back in themselves.
At this point, the whole store is pretty much looking at their table with Miku in shock as well as Nao.
Nao looks over at Miku in distress. “M-miku, I can explain!”
But before Miku could reply, the other two grabbed them by the arm. Hiyotan put a big bill on the table while holding onto Nao. “Keep the change. Sorry for the trouble!” She bowed before hurriedly dragging them all out the restaurant.
The four of them had no destination in mind, their only priority was to leave the scene before anything else happened.
After a minute of walking in awkward silence, they come across a small playground park with no people.
“Let’s rest here.” Mitsuki suggests and all of them nod.
They find a bench and let the two sit. Nao still has her head down while Miku casts her a worried look.
Mitsuki and Hiyotan share a look. “We'll give you guys some privacy to talk. You guys better address the elephant in the room.” Hiyotan scolds the two of them before signaling to Micchan.
“We'll just be by the vending machines. I'll get you guys something to drink when you're done talking.” Mitsuki offers them a small smile before catching up with Hiyotan.
With the two of them now alone, Miku was the first one to break the silence.
“...Nao?”
Nao doesn't look up which makes Miku worried. Miku scoots a little closer to Nao.
“If you're bothered by what happened at the store, I'm actually thankful you made him back off.” Miku awkwardly chuckles.
“I wasn't even that close with him so you don't have to feel too bad about him. If I'm being honest, he definitely had it coming.”
Nao slightly looks up at Miku. She gave her a reassuring smile. “Sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing?”
Nao sighs, she really has no other choice but to talk about it now that she already exploded in front of Miku.
“I basically ruined your date with Micchan. All because I was so damn jealous about it, what a senior I am…” Nao admits to Miku, which she tilts her head to.
“I don't follow?” God, why is she so dense…
“Miku, I like you.” She outright said. “And not just in a friendly way but in a way that I want you to only look at me when we're together and only ask me out on dates with just the two of us.”
Nao meant to stop her declaration there but for some reason, the words just kept pouring out of her mouth without her control.
“I want your attention to be only on me and I don't want anyone else to look at you, get close to you, or even talk to you. I like you so much that I want you all to myself and monopolize you.” Nao covers her face out of embarrassment.
“I know I'm being unreasonable and I understand that I can't restrict you from my selfish wants but my mind just can't help it…God, you must think I'm disgusting now…”
Nao doesn't remove her hands from her face in fear of seeing what kind of expression her kind and gentle Miku has on her face right now.
She flinched when she felt another hand touch hers. Miku guides her hand away from her face and makes her look her way.
“I don't think that at all…To be honest, I'm flattered.” Miku says as her ears turn a shade of red. “Sorry, I'm not really good with words especially when I'm talking to you…but to respond to your feelings, I like you too…Maybe not to the same extent as you but…” Miku chuckles.
Nao shakes her head. “I'm happy enough to know that you like me as well. Being obsessed with me doesn't really fit you, Miku.”
For some reason, Miku took slight offense from it. “I'll have you know that I can be as possessive about you as you are to me.” It seemed that Miku took this as a challenge, not that Nao minds.
“I'll be looking forward to it, Miku.” Nao leaned closer to Miku's face until their noses touched.
“So…what you said at the store about putting someone from my circle in the hospital…” And the mood is gone. Nao sighs and gives Miku a peck on the lips.
“I'll think about whether I should tell you or not.” Nao teases before standing up from the bench.
“Wha-? Why not just tell me?” Miku follows suit and joins Nao who is walking towards the other two.
Nao hums, “If I think about it now, I might really just tie you up where no one else can see you, Miku.” Nao smiles before turning back around.
Miku isn't sure whether she should ask if she was joking or not and wasn't that eager to find out.
“Oh, you're done talking? Are you finally dating now?” Hiyotan asks while Mitsuki gives the two of them their beverages.
Miku nods with a smile while Nao bows her head to Mitsuki.
“Sorry, Micchan. I ruined your date with Miku because of my jealousy. I hope you can forgive me.” Mitsuki widens her eyes at the action and shakes her head.
“You don't need to apologize! I don't mind.” Micchan dismisses it with a laugh. “I just hope that you don't plan on killing me if I get too close to Miku next time.” Micchan says it jokingly but neither Nao nor Hiyotan were laughing.
Nao glances off to the side while Miku nervously laughs. Hiyotan puts a hand on her shoulder, “Well you definitely won't die but I think you should try to avoid that scenario. Now that they're dating, I think the whole group needs to be more cautious.”
Nao hangs her head, “I'm sorry for the trouble I'll cause.”
“You won't even try and deny it?!” Mitsuki rebuts as the other two laugh.
“Don't worry, Micchan. I'll make sure she won't cause that much harm.” Miku tried to reassure her.
“At least tell me you'll try to stop her?!”
They continue their back and forth conversation as they all hang out and walk around the city for the rest of the day.