manifestations

The night had already taken over the sun, as Ena peddled to anywhere but somewhere with Mrs Asahina. Mafuyu’s phone kept ringing and ringing with the caller ID “Mom” lighting up every single time, but she didn’t pick it up. She switched her phone to silent mode the moment her mother called her for the fifth time.

“Ena… where are we going?” Mafuyu asked.

“… I don’t know. Where do you want to go?” Ena replied.

The hands wrapped around Ena’s waist tightened a little.

“Why did you come?” Mafuyu questioned Ena again.

Ena swallowed the lump in her throat.

“I just couldn’t stand you following that bitch’s orders everytime without questioning.”

“Don’t call her that…”

“Then stop listening to every single thing she has to say. Stop letting her dictate what you should or shouldn’t-“

“Then why did Ena break up with me?”

The bicycle’s wheels screeched before coming to a halt.

Ena furrowed her eyebrows, and turned around to face Mafuyu.

“You met my mother, didn’t you? And she told you to break up with me, and you did! Who are you to tell me not to listen to my mother when you also followed whatever she told you to do, just like that?”

It’s been a while since Mafuyu showed any intense emotion on her face. Her eyes were glossy, and she started sniffing uncontrollably.

“I didn’t. I didn’t listen to her. I broke up with you based on my own accord-”

“Liar!” Mafuyu retorted vehemently and she buried her face into her hands when tears of sorrow started streaming down her cheeks.

Something broke inside of Ena when she saw Mafuyu sobbing like that. She gripped her fists, with her fingernails digging into her skin.

“… I just felt that I wasn’t good enough for you, okay? Your mom did try to convince me to break up with you, but I really didn’t listen to that part. She just made me realise that… I’m just… me. And you’re someone so much better than me. Who was I to-“

Ena paused mid sentence when a hand cupped her left cheek, and her head was directed upwards again.

Since when was Mafuyu this near to her?

Mafuyu closed the distance between them and collided their lips together.

A few seconds later, Mafuyu pulled back. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, and she was so sure that Ena would’ve seen how flushed she was, if not for the dimness of the night.

“Ena never changes. Still as noisy as ever.”

That shut Ena up completely.

A certain brunette’s heart pounded against her ribs.

Ena shifted in her seat and held onto the bicycle handles again.

“Let’s go to my house to talk.”

Mafuyu wrapped her arms around Ena again, but this time, she leaned her head against Ena’s shoulder as well.

“… Don‘t. I stink. I think.” Ena stated, even though she really did enjoy Mafuyu’s touch. She’ll never say that out loud, of course.

For the rest of the way back, Mafuyu stayed in that position.

The door to the Shinonome residence opened, and Ena peeked inside. Only her mother’s shoes were on the rack. She would rather go to hell and back before she will let Akito see her side by side with her supposed ex-lover.

Ena stepped inside her house, but stopped when she felt a tug behind her on her sleeve.

“What?”

Mafuyu didn’t say anything. She just slid her hand into Ena’s, and intertwined them.

Ena looked at their hands. And then she looked at Mafuyu.

It’s pink. Her face was pink.

Ena was convinced whatever she experienced today was a dream.

“My mom’s home.” Ena said as she tried to loosen their hands, but Mafuyu didn’t want to.

Of all times to be annoying(ly cute)!!

Ena decided to just drag her into the room quickly. She made her sit on the chair.

“My mom’s in the bathroom now. When she comes out, go take a shower, okay?”

“Am I staying over?”

“Are you not? I don’t think you want to go home either…”

Mafuyu hummed in response.

Ena fished out her phone, and groaned when she saw the notifications from someone’s parent.

One message did catch her eye, however.

Mrs Asahina: But since Mafuyu likes you a lot, I trust you.

Mafuyu likes me a lot….

Ena put her phone on the table and turned to Mafuyu, who was still holding onto her hand. She bent down on her knees so that she could get on the same eye level as Mafuyu.

“I’m sorry. I was selfish. All I thought about was myself, and I didn’t bother asking about how you feel.” Ena held up both of Mafuyu’s hands as she apologized.

Then, there was a few knocks on Ena’s door.

“Ena, you're back? I'm going to make dinner soon. You can take a shower now.” Mrs Shinonome’s voice could be heard.

“Yes, Mom!” Ena answered back, before she got up and shuffled to her closet to find some clothes that Mafuyu could wear.

“Go. I need to tell my mom to make an extra portion.”

After showering and dinner, the both of them went back to Ena’s room again.

The atmosphere was rather awkward. Ena didn’t really know what else to say to Mafuyu.

But Mafuyu beat her to it.

“Sorry about my mother.”

Ena sighed. Mafuyu looked like a kicked puppy for some reason, and Ena couldn’t help but squeeze her cheek lightly.

“You don’t have to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Meow~

A familiar sound was heard in the room. Little Ena and Little Mafuyu appeared again, with their hands held together, looking up at the both of them on the bed.

Ena smiled gently at them.

“Say, do you know where they came from?” Ena asked.

“Miku told me that they are the manifestations of our feelings for each other.” Mafuyu answered.

Manifestations of their feelings for each other…

Oh, Ena was reminded of something.

She kneeled down on the floor in front of her bed and pressed a featherlight kiss on Little Mafuyu’s tiny forehead.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Little Mafuyu’s face turned red as well, and she hid behind Little Ena.

Suddenly, Ena noticed that the tiny version of herself didn’t seem so well. Her face turned pale as she waved a quick goodbye before she and Little Mafuyu disappeared into thin air once again.

Ena could sense a dark aura coming from her back. A chill crawled down her spine. She turned around to find Mafuyu squatting down, staring at her blankly, but there seemed to be something else in her eyes that she couldn’t figure out.

Ena lost her balance and sat on her bottom. How could someone look so expressionless but also scary at the same time??

“… Do you like me, Ena?” Mafuyu asked monotonously.

Huh. Ena felt like a similar scenario happened before. Deja vu much?

“I don’t know. Do I?” Ena teased with a smirk.

Mafuyu decided to wipe that smirk off.

She crawled closer to Ena and sat on her legs. Before Ena could register what was happening, Mafuyu grabbed onto the other’s shoulders and their lips touched again for the second time today. Ena was caught by surprise, but she melted into the kiss shortly before her hands found their way around Mafuyu’s waist.

For a minute, the only things they could sense were each other’s heartbeats and soft breaths.

“I like Ena… a lot.” Mafuyu whispered breathlessly against Ena’s lips.

If Ena wasn’t going to pass out from exhaustion, she's definitely going to pass out because of Mafuyu.