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“What is it?” Miyuki slammed the letter down. The handwritten letter she found, the one written by Kaori. Shizuma blinked at the letters on the paper, loosing her stoic image. She regained herself and her composure. “What of it?”
“Did you even read it?”
“Are you kidding? Of course I did! You were at the ceremony.”
“Then read it again!” Miyuki shouted at the girl, her face in frustration. She calmed herself and straightened her outfit.
“You…”
“No, listen.”
“Feeling so bad about who won the election. Pitiful”
“Yeah you are. Did you read a word of that Shizuma?” Miyuki’s voice cracked, tears in her eyes. “Someone who’s supporting you through all of this? It wasn’t Nagisa, it was me. I was there with you. I was there for you!”
“So?”
“So? Ah!” Miyuki pulled at her own hair for a second, stopping herself and calmed her voice. “Even knowing you and your crazy antics, when I saw you, and I know its nearly impossible, but I thought you were going to say all of that to ME! Not Nagisa. Geez, she’s known you how long? She started as a puppet - a toy to replace Kaori, and she still barely knows you! She was come cute girl who caught your eye and progressed as another one of your suitors, another replacement!” Miyuki spat that last word. The look on her face was of frustration, but Shizuma’s eyes grew cold and angry. “Dammit Shizuma you’re not honoring Kaori very well!” Shizuma’s face held a scowl that would silence any other woman on Astraea hill and she gritted her teeth, showing them like a feral animal. “You cannot put Nagisa through anymore of this, I’ve watched you break enough hearts. You know who’s always here for you? I am! I still love you, stupid!” Shizuma swung her arm and motioned to slap Miyuki harder than she had ever done anything in her life. But with lighting reflexes, Miyuki grabbed her wrist. Maybe it was luck, maybe it was how well she knew the girl. But she pushed the girl harshly against the wall, and with the lightest grace and delicacy, she kissed Shizuma softly on the lips. She pulled back quickly and looked the girl square in the face.
“Wake up. I was there with you Shizuma. I loved Kaori too. We were best friends, you know that.”
Shizuma was left shocked at what happened, all of her anger and frustration beginning to dissipate. Miyuki cried, tears streaming down both cheeks. “You…you’re pretty selfish Shizuma. You never thought about how I felt, did you? How this affected me; how my future was going to be. I’m not just a crybaby anymore.” Miyuki pleaded, but had tears coming down her face anyway. Shizuma chuckled at the girl, causing Miyuki to reply in no more than a whisper. “Do you see how I feel? I care for you. I love you. But even above that I want you to love yourself. I am not your chambermaid anymore. I’m asking you to change, Shizuma. I want you to be who you used to be, not this bitter, shallow, sarcastic, manipulative, egotistical shell you act like.” Miyuki poked the girl dead center of her chest. “There’s still a person in here. Someone who hurts people. Someone who hurts…me. And I know this is all an act, and I put up with it anyway! So please. Can you give up Nagisa-san? For me, Shizuma. For someone who will change herself for you too.” Shizuma’s face softened but she closed her eyes and looked to the side anyway.
“Still a child.”
“Forget that Shizuma!” Tears ran steadily down Miyuki’s face as she released her grip on the silver haired statue. Shizuma stood still against the wall, either by reflex or some aura urging her not to move yet. “You didn’t used to be like this. You didn’t used to be this cold.” Miyuki sniffled again. “You can keep being with Nagisa now, and then you can find someone else when you’re bored with her. But what you feel for her isn’t real love. Because all she has for you is puppy love. She doesn’t know you. I know you. I know how you felt. I was there for you. You, me and Kaori were friends.” Shizuma’s eyes lost their coldness but only for a fraction of a second, just in time for Miyuki to look at her face to see the glint in her eye disappear. “See? You remember, you just chose to block it out! You never conquered your past. You even lied to yourself. Your memories are still too hard for you to bear alone, and you don’t have to! I’m here for you. You never truthfully grieved; you’re only reliving the same cycle and consuming new students to distract yourself. I am not your pawn. I am not your sheep. And I am not here to love you unconditionally. I’m here to tell you that I will love you if you’ll let me. But you have to let me. I’m not meant to be a reminder of her, I’m here to help you get over her.” As she inhaled once more, she saw the shadow of a single tear start to form in Shizuma’s eye. “Please. Change with me.” Shizuma closed her eyes and sobbed out loud while Miyuki slowly enveloped the girl, holding her and letting the girl cry. “Let it out. All of it. I mean all of it, I want this done now and forever, please.” Shizuma cried as Miyuki held her there, letting the silver haired girl cry into her shoulder. She didn’t speak for almost ten minutes. When she did, it was a husky, broken whisper.
“Miyuki, have I hurt everyone?”
“Yes. But it’s okay to let yourself be happy now Shizuma. The whole school knows that. But you cannot continue to have your free pass to act however you’d like. You may stay with me tonight.” Shizuma looked up and if by reflex, smirked. “I’m not here to have sex with you tonight Shizuma.”
“Don’t want to be my rebound?” her voice cracked with a failed jest.
“I want to be your best friend.” Miyuki gazed at her best friend, both in tears, Shizuma’s lip quivering, her mind reflexively wanting to hide, but the look in Miyuki’s eyes made her decide. “No one is here, so take off that filthy shell of yours, alright?”
“Yes Miyuki.”