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The festival lights still burned behind her as Kuromi sped her scooter down the hill, pushing the pedal hard, wind nipping at her hooded ears. Lanterns bobbed in the distance, couples twirling hand-in-hand under garlands of paper hearts and sparkling lights. Kuromi didn’t need all that fluff. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.
The inky black wheels came to a stiff hault against the very highest ridge of the hill where there illuminating the sky, painted overhead, rested a full moon, like a shiny silver coin. She threw herself down into the soft blades of grass. The light from the stars twinkled in her wide eyes, a sense of awe reflected in the large, black beads at the sight. Tossing her helmet aside, she fished a little book from her satchel. A well-worn romance novel. A guilty pleasure, sure—but the words etched onto the pages felt like home. Kuromi flipped it open with a soft huff.
She was halfway through a chapter where the heroine finally confessed to her true love when a small, familiar hum reached her ears.
"Kuromi-chan?"
Kuromi snapped the book shut, ears twitching. "Ah? What are you doing here, My Melo?" Questioned the rabbit, swiftly hiding the novel behind her back, putting on an annoyed expression.
The little bunny in her pink hood stood in the moonlight, holding a paper-wrapped box in both paws. Her cheeks were rosy from the chill.
"I thought you might be hungry," My Melody said simply, sitting down beside Kuromi without waiting for an invitation. She opened the box to reveal perfectly decorated heart-shaped desserts, pink icing glinting.
Kuromi looked skeptic. "Leftovers?"
"No," My Melody corrected. "I made them for you. Extras."
Kuromi felt the cold catch up to her, too, her cheeks flushing. She grabbed one handmade treat from the box before turning away, forcing her focus back to the sky as she nibbled on the cookie in her paw.
Of course, Kuromi thought. Of course My Melody would come searching for her out in this weather. Stupid bunny.
"You should go back with the rest of them," Kuromi said. "Why don't ya leave me alone?"
My Melody smiled. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"You're cold out here."
And what would you do about that?
Kuromi scoffed, but a smile quickly overtook her and it ended up more an exasperated laugh under her breath, the cold air fogging around her mouth.
Maybe another body would warm her up. Perhaps that's what My Melody meant, though it wasn't clear. It was never clear what she was thinking, if thinking at all. There was only a dead smile behind her eyes and a fluttering little cotton ball tail.
"Why are you out here all alone, Kuromi-chan?"
Kuromi sighed, taking another bite of her cookie. It was sweet, the texture crunchy and chewy, exactly how she liked it, the icing smooth and creamy, dyed a pastel pink. "Well... it's just... loud." My Melody nodded along eagerly at just that, but Kuromi wasn't even finished. "And... and everybody's just so damn happy on the day of love, while I'm all alone. And—"
Kuromi groaned loudly, falling back onto the grass, gazing up tiredly. "Nevermind. Just forget it!"
My Melody blinked, watching with a blank, if mildly interested, expression.
...
"The festival is beautiful."
Kuromi sat back up. "Huh?"
Has she seriously not understood a single thing I've said? Kuromi thought, grumbling.
"But it's not as beautiful unless you're with somebody. And as long as you have me, you're okay, aren't you? Even with your issues."
Blunt as it was, and as much as it made Kuromi fume at the implication of her having issues, once she paused to think about My Melody's words, her heart gave a flutter.
And suddenly they're sharing a heartbreat, Kuromi's blood more My Melody's than her own. And now, a chorus of music seems to fill the air, as if on cue, rushing irritatingly in Kuromi's ears, growing louder from the bright festival in the distance. The sort of sickeningly sweet romantic scene the bunny only read in her novels and had ought to never be for herself. Or, at least, never for herself and My Melody; never to be shared with that specific girl.
The pink skull atop Kuromi's black jester hat assumed a shy, blushing expression, even as she faked an angry pout.
Kuromi just wondered what a true relationship was meant to feel like.
Take Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel, for example.
What made them work so well? Why were they just meant to be? Kuromi could only wish for something like that. Because, for her, there was only complication, never the simplicity those two seemed to have. Even when there were issues—like Daniel moving around before settling back with Kitty—the two were drawn back to eachother, no matter what.
Kuromi's eyes flickered to My Melody.
"Why are you still here?"
"I already gave you that answer," My Melody replied with a smile.
Kuromi sighed, but didn't argue further. "Well, thanks for keeping me company, I guess."
The two rabbits stared up at the moon and stars hung against the black sky. Kuromi shuffled closer, slowly, and opened her novel back up.
"I love you," she admitted quietly.
"I love you, too, Kuromi."
And strangely enough, it didn't take long before the page read...
THE END.