"What's wrong?"
Noticing Kato Megumi had gone quiet for a while, Mio turned, a little puzzled, to find her studying her with a strange look in her eyes.
Ordinarily, this would be the moment someone scrambled to change the subject. But Kato Megumi was, after all, Kato Megumi. She just said, mildly, "Nothing. I was just wondering whether you've got some kind of weird idea about me."
"You're very good-looking. But for now, I don't have any thoughts about dating a girl. Whether I will down the line—I can't say yet."
Even Mio hadn't expected Kato Megumi to be quite so blunt; for a beat, she had no idea what to say.
Seeing Mio fall silent, Kato Megumi tilted her head. "Did I... just flatter myself there?"
"Nah, not at all." Mio gave a small laugh and went on, "It'd be a lie to say I don't have any thoughts about you, Megumi. It's just that for now I don't really know what to do about my own feelings—so don't read too much into it."
"Oh, and—I might do some strange things to you here and there, so whatever you do, don't go letting me turn you gay, okay~"
"I won't." Recalling Mio's usual antics, Kato Megumi couldn't help tacking on a "...probably."
Before long, the afternoon-tea dessert was finished.
Once again, Kato Megumi marveled at Mio's skill. If she did end up dating Mio—did that mean she'd get to eat desserts this good every single day?
All at once, dating Mio started to seem like something maybe... not entirely out of the question.
By the time it was five in the afternoon, Kato Megumi rose slowly to her feet. "It's getting late. I should head back."
"Heading home already? You really won't stay over? Or at least stay for dinner?"
"Tempting as your offer is, I can't. We've got a guest coming over tonight, so I really do have to get back."
"Well, if that's how it is, then nothing for it. Let me walk you down."
"There's no need to go to the trouble—though I'm guessing you won't actually listen."
At that, Mio let out a soft chuckle. "As expected of Megumi—you really do know me~"
If anything, she couldn't claim to know Mio—oddly enough, it was the other way around. It was Mio who seemed to know her inside and out.
It felt like being with a friend she'd known for years.
But Kato Megumi was certain she'd only met Mio after Mio transferred into their school. Which made it all the stranger.
Then again, there were no end of strange things about Mio, so there wasn't much point overthinking it.
Trailing after Mio out the front door, the two came to stand before the elevator. Watching the floor numbers tick by, Kato Megumi said quietly, "Thank you for inviting me over today. I had a good time."
"A good time, huh? Funny, I can't tell at all from your face. Anyway—now that you know I like girls, you're not about to suddenly start keeping your distance from me, are you?"
"I shouldn't, probably."
"Why tack on a 'probably'?"
"Because nothing in this world is a hundred percent certain."
As Kato Megumi finished speaking, the elevator doors slid open, and the two stepped inside together. Only then did Mio say, "I mean, you're not wrong—but in an atmosphere like this, you're supposed to phrase it a little more reassuringly."
"Ah. Oh." Kato Megumi gave a flat little murmur of acknowledgment.
As the elevator reached the ground floor, Mio saw Kato Megumi to the building entrance. "It's freezing out there, so I won't see you all the way out. If you've got time in the future, you can come find me anytime~"
"Even if I don't have time, I'll make time."
"Good."
After watching Kato Megumi recede into the distance through the glass, Mio finally turned and headed back upstairs.
Maybe it was because Kato Megumi had left—the instant Mio got back upstairs, Shiina Mashiro stuck to her like a dog-skin plaster.
Feeling Mashiro pressed against her, Mio gave a helpless little laugh. "Mashiro, what's gotten into you?"
Just now, while Mio was downstairs, Mashiro had gotten a message from her older cousin. The contents were simple enough—she was asking how things were progressing between Mashiro and Mio.
Seeing that message, Mashiro remembered some of the things her older cousin had taught her before.
Of course, naïve as she was, even she wasn't about to tell Mio about that—but asked to come up with a convincing cover story on the spot, she couldn't manage one either.
Watching Mashiro frown in thought, Mio reached out and gently ruffled her head. "If you don't want to say, that's fine. No need to force out a reason."
"Oh."
Mashiro nodded obediently and dutifully gave up trying to think one up.
"Oh right—New Year's is almost here. Let's go out together tomorrow. Good chance to buy you some new clothes, and we can pick up some New Year goods while we're at it~"
Mashiro clearly couldn't have cared less about clothes—but the instant she heard "New Year goods," her eyes lit up on the spot. She wanted snacks. Lots and lots of snacks.
Seeming to read exactly what was on Mashiro's mind, Mio reached out and flicked her on the forehead. "Snacks are fine, but you absolutely cannot overdo it. If I catch you too full to eat your actual meals, I'm confiscating every last one."
"Mio. Like a nagging mom."
"And whose fault do you think that is!" Mio couldn't resist shooting back.
"But I love that about you." With that, Mashiro planted a quick mwah right on Mio's cheek, then got up and went bouncing off into her room to draw.
Today, on account of Kato Megumi, she hadn't drawn a single thing all day.
Mio pressed a hand to her kissed cheek and muttered to herself, "Sneak-attacking again."
······
"I'm home."
Kato Megumi pushed open the front door and called out, out of habit.
"Welcome back~" Kato Megumi's mother poked her head out from the kitchen to greet her daughter.
"So, how was your rare visit to a classmate's place?"
"It was nice."
"Huh, so you actually went to a classmate's place? Here I was thinking our Megumi had gone on a date~"
At the familiar voice, Kato Megumi's gaze drifted toward the living room—and there was her cousin's familiar figure, complete with that hearty grin.
Just as Kato Megumi was about to say something, her mother beat her to it: "I'd love to see her start dating someone, honestly—but it feels like a pretty tall order~"
"If I wanted to date someone, I'd manage just fine. Even if it's with a girl," Kato Megumi muttered, just loud enough for only herself to hear.
"What was that just now? Too quiet, I couldn't hear you."
"It's nothing."
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