Miko go on the offensive

Dream was never a thing that made sense. This logic applied to Miko too today. As she slowly woke up from her slumber and lifted up her head from Anemachi's soft belly, she blinked her moistured eyes and adjusted her pose.

She looked forward. Anemachi was sleeping comfortably on the bed, her head facing towards the ceiling. The steady rising of her chest followed as fresh air continued to flow through her body. Both her eyes were closed, hiding the mesmerizing iris that had almost sucked in Miko's soul.

If it weren't for the two hands of Anemachi, Miko would have thought that what she had been through yesterday was just a wild dream. The bandage on her hand was now soaked with dark, lifeless blood, indicating that the wound had healed, or at the very least, stopped bleeding.

But talking about dreams, Miko had one earlier night. A rose field, a strange voice; A few familiar places, the crouching figure in the middle.

So blurry yet so real.

"But why can't I remember the details..." The dream was too blurry. Miko barely remembered anything from it. A few words stuck around but it doesn't mean a lot.

Specifically, the sentence 'Help her'.

"Mmh?"

That was when Anemachi finally woke up from her rest. Tired, beaten up, in pain, yet alive. Her coal-black eyebrow lifted together with her eyelids. Pink eyes appeared, her soft lip spoke.

"Ah, you're awake Miko."

Pain from the palm has soothed after overnight. There was some stiffness coming from the arm due to the position she was sleeping in. But overall, she was fine. She looked towards Miko who was sitting beside her. The silly girl apparently had been beside her the whole night. The action warm her heart, her face gave off a smile.

"Yeah, morning Anemachi."

"Morning Miko."

"...Are your hands still hurting now?" Miko can't help but ask despite knowing the answer. She knew Anemachi would tell her that she was fine regardless of the actual situation.

"Them? The pain had faded already. I'm fine now." And indeed Anemachi's answer was what she expected

"I see."

Well, Anemachi didn't look like she was in pain. So this would do for Miko.

The dream however again appeared in Miko's mind as she continued to speak with Anemachi. Something or someone spoke with her there about Anemachi, or did they? She can't remember.

Miko just felt that Anemachi's smiling face now looked more miserable for some reason.

"Miko, are you fine?"

"H-huh? Y-yeah. I'm alright now."

"Then...Why are you crying?"

Streams of tears were flowing down Miko's face as she was speaking. Anemachi began to feel worried for the girl again, afraid that she will do some dumb things again. But it seems like Miko herself didn't notice it at all. Perhaps Miko was blaming herself again.

"Don't blame yourself, Miko. I'm partly at fault for this to happen too. After all, everything could have been avoided if I noticed it earlier. Whether it's the hostile viewer or your situation." And when she noticed Miko's opening mouth, Anemachi immediately added in a sentence, " Alright, let's stop the self-blaming game. Everything is fine now, so don't worry alright?"

Everything worked up fine now, and that's what matters in the end.

Miko, who was rubbing her eyes, was cut away from her explanation by Anemachi. Her mouth opened and closed a few times until she gave up in the end. She didn't think that a dream will have this kind of effect on her.

'...I just wanted to say that it's because of the dream.' Miko eventually gave off a sigh.

She will explain it another time. Or most probably leave it rotten inside of her. A dream was just a dream after all.

"But Anemachi." Miko however has a request.

"What is it?"

"Can you promise me something?"

"Hmm? Tell me about it."

"Can you tell me more about yourself from now on?" Miko hesitated but eventually spitted the words she wanted to say, "And promise me..."

"Don't hide things from me. Is it alright?"

"...Huh?"

Anemachi was caught off guard by Miko's words. Hiding things? She would never do something like that ever. Well, rarely, case on case basics.

If those things involve her past that she doesn't want to mention, or involve her illness, or anything that she rather handled herself silently. Yeah, just these, just these.

"Of course I won't. Don't worry." Anemachi comforted the girl before her. And without any hesitation spurted out a lie.

Well, it's not lying. She didn't purposely hide her stuff. She just...Didn't let anyone know about it. Yeah, that's what she was doing.

But Miko ain't stupid too.

"Hey, don't put me off so easily!" Miko puffed her cheek to express her dissatisfaction, "Treat my word more seriously."

"Yes, yes, I'm serious." As serious as she can be towards a child ahem.

"You don't look like it!" Miko used her fist to hammer Anemachi's chest as an act of rebellion. Of course, it barely did anything to Anemachi, "I'm serious!"

"You were always caring about me...But I never knew anything about you. It's unfair."

"I don't mind-"

"But I do..." Miko sank her head into Anemachi's chest, "I do..."

Help her. A simple sentence from her dream, yet the more Miko thought about it, the more Miko realized how little understanding she had in Anemachi. She wanted to be there for Anemachi too.

And something told her that if she ignored this, she would regret it, deeply.

"I want to know more about you too..."

"..." Anemachi meanwhile stayed silent, staring at Miko who was weeping silently. How was she suppose to reject Miko at this point?

"I will try my best then."

She doesn't want to lie to Miko, so this was the best she could do.

"..." Miko not getting the answer she wanted was disappointed. Her weeping stopped, however.

"Nevermind. I will dig it up from you eventually," the girl declared

She would pick herself up. She wouldn't allow herself to fall into this state again. Thinking back, she was an idiot for being so emotional in the past. She wanted to have the strength to stand on both her feet, to be able to overcome obstacles after obstacles.

And this time, she would be the one that was there for Anemachi.

Also...

"Anemachi." Miko lifted her face up and asked. Her face however was bright red, "Just curious. I wanna ask...Are you single right now?"

Miko wanted to pursue her happiness.

Meanwhile, Anemachi was still immense in Miko's word.

Dig it up from her? How funny. What does that achieve anyway? Don't Miko knew that she was hiding things from her for a reason?

How would Miko even react to her illness anyway? In the end, the best way to make everyone happy was for her to bring it all alone to her eventual demise. No one will be sad, everyone can continue on with their life. Can't they understand?

Mio, Miko, Suisei, Mom...No one understand her. No one.

But then, what was the funny feeling in her heart? Why did she felt happy when Miko said that she wanted to understand her more? Why did the thought of 'Just tell her everything' pop up just now? Anemachi had told herself to not budge a single step when she moved away. If so, why did she hesitated just now?

Anemachi doesn't understand herself.

"A-anemachi?"

"A-ah, y-yes?' Miko's voice brought back Anemachi from her thought, "Can you repeat what you're asking?"

'Oh god, why did I pick this time to ask this kind of question I should have asked her another time oh god what now why am I so stupid I hate myself god damn it Miko-' Meanwhile Miko began to curse herself for saying things without going through her brain. Of course, she didn't show her thoughts on her face.

"Ah, i-it's alright. I'm just asking if you are s-single now." Miko prayed to God that Anemachi wouldn't look at her with different eyes after this.

"Oh."

'It's just a random question it seems,' Anemachi thought, "Yeah, I'm single now."

"O-oh!" 'She is still single!' Miko tried to hide her excitement and her smile, "N-no one ever ask you out before? Impossible! Anemachi was such an attractive girl, aren't people blind!?"

"Well, I some people did ask me out before during my high school. But I turn them down since I wanna focus on my studies." Anemachi remembered the horny male that confessed to her before and shaken her head, "And my department in the past was filled with middle age married uncle and auntie, so my personal life was quite boring overall."

"I see.."

"T-then are you interested in anyone recently?" Miko immediately regretted it again. She was being too obvious.

"Oh~" Anemachi too realized Miko's intention, "Well, not really. No one caught my eyes yet so far."

"Did someone at Cover asked you to scout for him? Well, tell him to find me directly if he really wanted to date me. I could give him a chance you know, hehe." Anemachi felt fun teasing Miko whose's face was getting even redder.

"N-n-no, I'm j-just-"

"It's alright." Anemachi with a smile waved off Miko's concern with her bandage hand, "Well, wanna tell me who is it? I'm curious now."

"A-ah, hahaha..." Of course, Miko won't reveal that the said person is her, "W-well..."

This could be a good chance though.

"Then, could you accept a girl?"

"Girl huh?" An interesting question for Anemachi.

To be honest, she had never thought about her sexuality so far in this world. She was just enjoying her life with Suisei and her friend. And her past life's experience contributed to this issue too. However she admitted, the idea of getting married to a guy wasn't the most attractive to her.

Dating a girl huh...Well, maybe, if she has a normal life. But she wasn't going to drag someone else with her down. So staying single would be the best option for her.

"Well, I don't mind that much. Who is this girl then?" She didn't outright reject the idea though. Giving some hope to others was important too.

"S-she wanted me to keep it a secret!"

"Come on Mikoooo, I wanted to know who is it!"

"Ah! Don't throw yourself onto me!"

"Hehe, this is the punishment for not revealing the person!"

Miko who was playing around with Anemachi felt more relaxed now. Things aren't at their best but they will do. She managed to understand Anemachi even more, and everything was on the right trail.

And, she wanted to be closer to Anemachi's heart.

Closer.