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It was a newfound tradition for Mizuki to make the same wish on New Years. To hold her hands together, eyes shut with such focus. Afraid to even let a single doubt ruin it, cursing her with bad luck for the year. Was it a tradition if it’d only been about two or three years since she started? She wasn’t sure, but she felt prepared to make the wish for the rest of her life.
This year, though, felt so much more lighter than the years before. When she prayed for Nightcord to stay with her, it no longer felt like a fragile wish, a bond that’d slip through her fingers at any second of any day. It no longer felt like begging on her knees for them to stay, rather, hoping they can remain strong together. She started to believe in how they looked at her with so much warmth in their eyes, in how gentle their smiles were. They looked at her like no one ever had before.
In how secure and firm their hold on her hand was. In how they were so willing to even take her hand in the first place, without a second thought. Her hands that she convinced herself were rough and gross to touch people with, to infect others with. How they brushed their thumbs and fingers across it to comfort her.
In how, with her secret she rambled out through tears in her tired eyes, they let her know they were not leaving her. They accepted her without question, only worried about the pain she suffered through. Their eyes didn’t analyze the parts of herself that looked “off” in hindsight, nor did they reflect in horror at time spent with her. They never faltered, looking her directly in the eye with so much kindness it was almost unbearable.
She started to believe, a little more day by day, that they loved her. In whatever way that was, they loved her. And she loved them. She could no longer deny it to herself; her fragile heart belonged to them.
That was her issue that settled with a weighted anxiety on her shoulders. A weight that got more laborious as they approached the spot she found for them. Midnight was fast approaching, the streets crowded with celebrations. Mizuki spotted a secluded, nice hill with a clear view of the fireworks within the park. Truthfully, she had scouted it out weeks in advance. She wanted this moment to be as perfect as it could be. Ena let out a loud groan.
“Geez, how much longer?! And it’s cold up here!”
Mizuki burst into laughter. “Not much longer! We haven’t even been walking that long!”
“To be fair,” Mafuyu interjected, “your stamina is far greater than Ena and Kanade’s.”
“Ugh, that’s definitely true,” Ena muttered. “And Mafuyu’s right! Think about Kanade!”
Said composer’s smile was weak as she lagged behind, Mafuyu matching her pace and allowing her to hold her hand. She wore so many layers of clothing it looked almost burdensome. Mafuyu definitely hadn’t allowed her to leave the house without them. “I’ll… be fine…” she said with breathlessness.
“If she gets sick you’re both helping me take care of her.”
“Why are you targetting me?! This was Mizuki’s idea!”
“Like you wouldn’t jump at a chance to take care of her, Enanan~!”
“I would! But you shouldn’t be getting her sick and tired in the first place! She looks exhausted!”
“I’m sorry, Kanade!” Mizuki waved her hands around. “I thought it’d be better to be away from the crowds! It’s such a clear view from up here, too!”
“It’s okay, Mizuki,” Kanade assured. “Anything is okay if it’s with you three.”
Ena and Mizuki flustered, their faces warming a little. Mafuyu hummed, which was as close as she could get to a similar reaction. Everyone knew she apppreciated it all the same.
“There you go being all sweet again, Kanade. But I’m still complaining!” Ena crossed her arms. “I already didn’t get much sleep, so I’m all tired. And then convincing my family to spend New Years with you guys was way more awkward than it had to be! And now I have to do all this walking?!”
“Ena~! Just hop on my back and I’ll carry you all the way up, princess!”
“You’re going to drop me if I did that! On purpose!”
Mizuki laughed, and though Ena feigned her usual annoyance, it took mere seconds before she ended up laughing with her. The warm smile she started to give the girl more and more throughout the year shone upon her face. Everyone knew it at this point, and Mizuki had to pretend she was unaware of it. She had to pretend, for she was unsure if her weak heart could handle it, and what it could possibly mean. Unbeknownst to her, Kanade, and even Mafuyu, smiled a little at the sight. Mizuki’s joy was too infectious.
Through the laughter, Mizuki felt a little calm. At least everything was going well so far.
“Here we are! You act as if we were hiking!” Mizuki teased as they finally reached the top of the hill where two benches sat beneath the trees. Ena wasted no time sitting on one, leaning back in exhaustion. With a laugh, Mizuki sat besides her, Mafuyu and Kanade taking the other bench.
“We had to walk from the festival to this park and up this hill! Excuse me for being tired, stamina freak!” Ena complained, flicking Mizuki’s forehead.
Grabbing her forehead and letting out an ‘ow!’, Mizuki turned towards Mafuyu and Kanade with a pout. “We~eeh! Mafuyu~! Kanade~! Ena hurt me~!”
“The fireworks will be starting in about ten minutes so I suggest you both calm down before then.”
“So cold!” Mizuki whined, leaning back in her seat. Still, she smiled wide, anticipation building in her chest. Ena glanced over at her. Mizuki pretended to not know.
“Are you okay, Kanade?” Mafuyu’s voice caught the others’ attention.
“Hm? Ah, yeah, I’m fine,” Kanade said. “I was just thinking about how nice it is we’re able to keep celebrating New Years together.”
“Isn’t it?” Ena giggled. Then, without the others knowing, she slipped her hand within Mizuki’s own. An action she’d done as though it were the most natural state for their hands to be in. “And there will be many more to come.”
Mizuki’s face lit up red, and Ena let out a private, quiet laugh only for her that had left her certain she was about to short circuit. She turned her head away, grinning like nothing had happened. The smile on Kanade’s face and the way Mafuyu was looking at her told her that they already knew.
“Yeah! Let’s make it a tradition! I want us to celebrate every year!”
Kanade chuckled. “I would like that.”
“I think I would, too,” Mafuyu said with a slow nod.
Despite everything so far reminding her of the security of their bond, the dread for the future crept up her back with each passing second. An old friend knocking on her door. She was learning trust now. She believed in Nightcord. After all they’ve been through, she knew it’d take more than time and space itself to break them apart. It was almost objective fact, at this point, that they’d be together for years to come, that she had nothing to worry about. She hoped it’d be the case for their whole lives.
But, the truth was that maybe she selfishly wanted more than that.
There was a small fear sparked by their fast approaching adulthood, as days flew into months. Thoughts that flooded her mind in her prepations for her third year of school. That reared their ugly head as Kanade, Mafuyu, and Ena discussed university. It was only natural that, with time, everyone would shift into their own adult lives with their own responsibilities. Meet ups would become more scarce. Maybe, someday, they’d all even meet different people they grow closer to.
Honestly, Mizuki kind of doubted that one. At least, she knew she’d never be able to take her heart back from Nightcord.
Though, there was always a chance. It was a doubt she couldn’t fully shake. They were all still so young. There could very well be people they find they like better than her. The more they separate, the more there could be other, new people involved in their lives. The more likely they’ll move on from Nightcord. That they’ll move on from her.
But Mizuki was observant, it was a curse in the days where she couldn’t bring herself to be close to people. She wasn’t stupid. She knew the bond she was sharing with Ena was blooming beyond what friendship entailed. The way she looked at her when she thought she wasn’t looking. The way she held her hand and the warmth radiating from her touch. How she checked on her and the softness of her voice. The faint pink that dusted her face in those quiet moments. The overwhelming love in her beautiful eyes. How she sang with her like she was so happy to even know her. It felt almost wrong to think, sometimes, but Mizuki felt Ena might have also been in love with her. But that was terrifying. She wasn’t ready to confront it. And she had the feeling Ena knew that, waiting as always.
Ena was too good for her, really. After how much she’s made her wait already, she remained ever so patient with her like it was nothing. After feeling she was so difficult, a mess of a person, Ena showed her compassion and love as though it were as easy as breathing air. It was strange that she and Ena seemed to have reached a point where they can say things without words. It was a bit scary. This wasn’t something she was used to at all. She could never again hide her heart from Ena, and that left it racing with unease, and overwhelming glee.
She felt, at the very least, Ena would accept her confession if she ever were to do so. But there still was a lingering uncertainty.
She wasn’t sure how she’d react to her messy feelings. Would she be offended that Mizuki’s heart wasn’t set on only her? After everything she’d done for her? With the passing months, she considered confessing to her. To steel her courage and to face her new feelings. But, she found, there was some sort of pull, some sort of conflict. ‘I want to spend my life with Ena,’ she would think, ‘but I think I’d be sad if I couldn’t spend it with Kanade and Mafuyu, too’.
It was even more complicated when she had a hunch Kanade and Mafuyu’s feelings towards each other were not so different from her and Ena’s. Would they feel awkward and weirded out by Mizuki’s confession? Were her feelings towards them the same as hers towards Ena’s? Did she love Ena more? If so, it’d be cruel to confess if she only wanted them to stay. If she couldn’t love them as much as she loved Ena. If she didn’t have enough love in her heart to give. It wasn’t as though Nightcord split into two relationships would break apart their group. Nor did it mean they couldn’t stay together. In fact, it’d increase the chances of them being in each other’s lives for the future.
But whenever she thought about it, a lump formed in her throat and her stomach sank. Sometimes she got just a little jealous. Sometimes she wanted Kanade and Mafuyu to be as close to her as Ena was. Mizuki’s heart was so very weak. She crushed on Kanade and Mafuyu so early on, but when she fell hard for Ena, she assumed that was it. That she moved on. She hadn’t realized that while she was falling, she was slowly falling for the other two alongside her. Like a child, she didn’t want to choose. She wanted them all to stay with her.
She wanted them to love her the way she loved them.
Maybe she should’ve saved this moment for Ena alone. What kind of person plans to confess to three people at once? If she could confess to Ena, which was a scary enough concept itself, maybe she could then talk with her about this. Maybe they could sort that out, together, and figure out what to do next. But she wanted this moment to be special, and now she was doubting everything. Now her plan she’d been so confident in seemed to be completely stupid. She knew the coward she was. The hour would come and go with her keeping her mouth shut for another year. Maybe, by then, she would have lost any chance. Maybe her feelings would fade. Maybe their lives do get busier. Maybe Ena will find someone better than her-
“Hey,” Ena spoke softly, her hand firm but gentle against Mizuki’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t look at her. Just her voice was filling her stomach with butterflies, and she knew she couldn’t bear the warmth that would surely be in her eyes right now.
“Mhm.”
“You’re tense and breathing all weird. If you want, we can step aside until you calm down.”
Mizuki shook her head. “I’ll tell you after the fireworks,” she muttered. “I’m scared…”
Ena frowned. Her hand came up against Mizuki’s cheek and brushed aside some of her hair. Mizuki wanted so badly to melt into the touch, but the racing thoughts forced her to keep looking away. Ena didn’t know how selfish Mizuki’s worries were. If she didn’t take it well, everything could fall apart in mere seconds. What if she were to regret any kindness she spared her?
“I don’t want you to be feeling bad during them, though…”
Mizuki began to shake. Since letting herself cry in Ena’s arms about a year ago now, she’s become so fragile. It was as though her body couldn’t bear to hold in emotion anymore. It always wanted to fall apart within her arms when things became too heavy.
“I w-wanted to tell everyone something,” she whispered, leaning against Ena so that only she could hear. “But I’m afraid it’ll make everyone weirded out by me.”
Ena blinked, then huffed with a soft smile. Her hand moved around her back and rubbed circles into it. “Silly. News flash, we love you. And we’ll always love you. And anything you tell us, no matter what it makes us feel, we’ll figure it out together because of that. Because we want to stay with you, too. Okay?”
Mizuki’s lip quivered, a stray tear she’d fought to keep back slipping past her as she nodded. “O-Okay…” She took a deep breath that did nothing to calm her nerves, but smiled anyway, willing herself to look at her. “Thank you.”
Ena smiled back, gentle, never rushing her. She brushed away her tears. “Of course. It’ll be alright.”
“It’s almost midnight,” Mafuyu spoke up, her voice breaking through Mizuki and Ena’s private moment. Mafuyu’s eyes widened just so when they met Mizuki’s red ones. “Are you alright?”
With all her friends’ eyes now on her, Mizuki glanced away with a reddening face, laughing, a bit forced with it.
There was only the tiniest bit of respite in her anxiety. The proof that they loved her, that they worried when she was upset. They wouldn’t think she was weird because they cared about her and would want to hear her out. But logic never did so well against Mizuki’s fears.
“I’m okay! Just new year jitters.”
Mafuyu accepted the answer, but her eyes lingered for a second longer. Then, the crowds below began counting down, starting from twenty. Mizuki held her breath, and shut her eyes, making one last wish for good luck. Ena’s hand held onto her own without another word, the artist looking into the sky with some sort of anticipation. Mizuki glanced towards her and found herself stunned, watching how the wind blew through her short hair. How the moonlight and night sky reflected off of her, the stars shining in her eyes. She wondered, for a moment, if this was the kind of view that inspired people to become artists.
Mizuki tore her gaze off of her and looked to the other bench. Mafuyu watched with little visible interest, but seemed to be content with no tension in her body. She looked down towards the people rather than the sky, the faint warmth of the gathering lighting up her face. Mafuyu often seemed fascinated by things like that. It was cute, Mizuki thought. Mafuyu was cute.
Kanade meanwhile had her eyes shut, a small smile on her face. She looked completely at peace. If Mizuki had to guess, she likely was taking in the moment. She wondered how it was possible to be able to turn all these little moments into songs, to capture feelings and sensations into sound, to paint a picture with only music. She did so perfectly everytime. Kanade’s heart was so beautiful.
The seconds ticked closer, and that meant Mizuki’s feelings were going to pour out in mere minutes.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
With a smile, she cheered out a “Happy New Year!” Ena followed, while Kanade and Mafuyu were less enthusiastic, but the grin on Kanade’s face and the calm expression on Mafuyu’s told more than their words. The fireworks raced up into the sky and painted it with vibrant colors. In truth, Mizuki didn’t care much for them, but she loved watching how the others looked at them. How the colors shone within their wide eyes. Having Ena so close to her was making her heart restless. Her grin rivaled the bursts of light. It took everything in her to not reach out in some way. She wasn’t even sure how. She would never dream to do something like kissing her without permission, but there was some sort of desire stirring in her chest. To be able to place a peck on her cheek, or nuzzle close to her in some way. To brush aside her hair that didn’t need brushing, and lingering her hold there. To hug her, thank her for all she’s done for her. To be close to her.
“I can tell you’re staring, idiot.”
“Eh, what?!” Mizuki jumped, realizing Ena had looked back towards her. Mizuki darted her eyes around the sky, pretending to have been paying any semblance of attention to the colors within it. “N-No, I just- I got lost in thought!”
A weight reached Mizuki’s shoulder, her body freezing in shock with the sudden warmth. Ena leaned cozy against her without another word. Her arms wrapped around hers, always somehow understanding the silent longing Mizuki carried within her eyes. Always willing to take those steps to give Mizuki what she wanted when she was too afraid to ask. Mizuki prayed the layers of clothing she had on were hiding how loud her heartbeat was, threatening to explode out of her chest.
Desperate to not lose her cool, she turned her attention towards Mafuyu and Kanade, also huddled close together. Kanade covered her ears from the dreadfully loud sound of the fireworks. Mafuyu seemed unbothered, but there was something different in her eyes. Whether it was an actual interest in the fireworks, or the feeling of warmth from Kanade, Mizuki didn’t know. What she did know was that so many colors looked beautiful against deep purple and silver.
She then began to deflate a little. What was she thinking with this whole confession plan? At an outside glance, anyone would agree Mizuki loved Ena, and Ena may have felt the same. That Kanade and Mafuyu carried the same affection for each other, in their own way. So, Mizuki should be happy with this arrangement, shouldn’t she? Nightcord could stay together. Of course she couldn’t be a part in all of their lives 24/7, but, so what? So what if, as she began to drift off to sleep in the middle of the night, she may have fantasized about living with them all. About being theirs for the many years to come in the future, taking care of them and being taken care of in turn. Being cuddled as she went to bed and sleepily greeted when the sun began to rise with a kiss on the forehead. To be treated with so much love and care in everyday life. Those tiny moments of domestic intimacy; why did she have to involve all three of them into it?
She was clingy. Needy. A pathetically lonely girl to her core. Was this what the curel classmates have told her all along? Now that Nightcord have accepted her, were the more unsavory sides of herself coming to the surface? Was it only natural she’d show them how big of a mistake that had been?
No, she knew that was wrong. She knew full well those people were wrong.
She knew those people were wrong, but…
“Mizuki, you’re tense again.”
Ena looked up at her, her chin against her shoulder. Had the fireworks stopped? When had that happened?
Mizuki opened her mouth, considering asking for reassurance, then closed it. She knew she would just become anxious again. After repeating the action a few more times, she gave up. She had to make a decision on what she was going to say. It was now or never.
“I’m alright.” She then took a deep breath and sat up straight, Ena letting go, watching her with a curious expression. “I have something I want to tell all of you.”
Everyone’s attention was now on her, and Mizuki felt any confidence she had evaporate. Her heart thudded so fast it sent tears to her eyes. She knew they were gentle people. She knew they loved her already as it was. She knew she was just a normal girl with too many confusing feelings. So why was it so scary?
“Take your time, Mizuki,” Kanade said softly.
Her hands clutched onto her skirt. She stood up, hoping the cold winter air would cool her nerves before turning to face them. As always, the looks on their faces were attentive, somewhat serious as they watched her. It almost made her laugh. They looked at her with the seriousness of guard dogs, and it made her anxious heart flutter and feel all fuzzy. How protective they got when she was nervous or felt bad made her knees weak.
She shut her eyes, steeling herself one last time. She forgot the script she practiced for hours this morning. She forgot any plans she had. All she knew was that the tangled bundle of feelings had to be poured out before they suffocated her.
“I really… I really am thankful for all you’ve done for me. You three are some of the most important people in my life, and I feel so grateful and lucky to have met all of you.”
Everyone seemed to relax, somewhat, small smiles on Kanade and Ena’s faces while Mafuyu only nodded. Mizuki fidgeted with her hands.
“Every year, I’ve wished we can be together. For New Years, for my birthday, anytime there’s an opportunity to wish, it’s all I ask for. I really want to stay with all of you.” Mizuki watched their soft expressions, then took another breath. “B-But… some of my feelings have changed. Or, maybe, I’ve always had them. And it kind of scares me. I don’t want you all to think I’m weird, and I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”
Mizuki couldn’t bear to look at the girls. She knew she was letting too much spill past. There was an awful clash of relief for not being able to back out, and dread for the same fact. Her wide eyes focused on the blades of grass beneath her, her body beginning to shake in pure fear.
But, breaking through her fear as always was Ena’s gentle voice. “It’s okay, Mizuki.”
“You can tell us whatever,” Kanade added with the tiniest waver. Mafuyu hummed in agreement.
Their kindness was too much to bear. The dam holding her feelings back broke and sent everything she hid rushing past. “D-Don’t… Don’t feel pressured, or anything. We can just be friends! If nothing else, I still want to be friends. B-But I have to get these feelings out or I’ll lose my mind.”
She looked up at them, hands clutched over her heart beating against her chest. Time felt like it was moving unbearably slow. Her mind blurred their faces from her view.
“I-I really like you all! Like, I-I’m… I’m in love with all of you! I don’t know what to do about it! I know it’s weird, and confusing, confessing to three people… but I can’t help it! I know it’s selfish, but I want to be with you three for the rest of my life! And I know that would cause a lot of problems, and I don’t want you three to have to face them, but that’s what I feel, and…”
Mizuki’s voice started trailing off, her anxiety becoming too heavy to bear. Their reactions were making her lightheaded. Kanade was stunned, Mafuyu’s eyes widened a noticable amount, and Ena had her hand over her mouth. Were Mizuki’s vision not so blurry, she may have noticed the bright red on Kanade’s face and how tense her shoulders were. Or how Mafuyu’s face was dusted red, but her ears were much brighter and her fingers were fidgeting together. Or how Ena was smiling wide beneath where she covered her face, her eyes flooded with adoration. She had to tear her eyes away, shaking where she stood and voice dying alongside any confidence she had.
“M’sorry… I don’t want to cause another mess-”
“Don’t apologize.” Mafuyu cut her off quick, but her typically serious tone was a little softer, a little more uncertain. Like the quiet tone she would use when confronting her own feelings and anxieties.
“I told you we’d work through any feelings you have together,” Ena said with a smile, starting to stand from the bench. Mizuki froze watching her do so, mind racing faster than she could catch up. “I’m proud of you for telling us that.”
A dumb smile broke through Mizuki’s expression. “Ena…” she drew out her name in an embarrassed whine. “No fair.”
“I…” Mafuyu started, her voice incredibly quiet and soft now. She looked towards the ground beneath her feet, her hands clenched together. “I think… I like… all of you, too? But I don’t understand that feeling.” She looked back up with the admission. Her unsettled emotions were clear in her eyes. “I might be confusing what… kind of ‘love’ it is. If you’re with me, I might not be able to love you the way the others would. I may even discover I don’t feel the same.”
Mizuki felt a little bad she put these emotions onto Mafuyu, her own heart calming in sympathy. She smiled at her, a fond warmth began to flood her chest and quell the anxiety. “Th-That’s okay! I just… I mean…” she turned her head away, fidgeting with a strand of hair. “You can just be yourself, you know? The same as always. Even if you don’t know what that is. I mean, you being yourself is the you I liked in the first place…”
Mafuyu blinked, averting her eyes as a small smile grew on her face. Mizuki could’ve almost squealed from how adorable the sight was. She wanted to see Mafuyu shy more often.
“There’s no rush to be perfect at this, anyway. I doubt any of us have been in any relationship like this before, and we already have a lot going on,” Ena said, kind as always. “We can take it one day at a time, can’t we? And figure it out as we go along.”
“We?” Mizuki asked, unsteady.
“Still haven’t picked it up yet? And I thought I couldn’t be more obvious…” Ena walked a little closer to Mizuki, poking her cheek with a grin. “I love you, too, dork. I was just waiting for you to be ready. And I love Kanade and Mafuyu as well. So, no problem then, right?”
“It was obvious,” Mafuyu butted in.
“Hah?! You were just turning redder than I’ve ever seen you, I don’t want to hear you making fun of me now!”
Mizuki burst into laughter, relief rushing alongside it. There was still some discomfort in her chest, there always was when it came to opening her heart up. But it was worth it for these moments of fuzziness.
“Um…” Kanade started. Her distant stare already told them what was running through her head. Her brows furrowed. “You all… love… me?” She pointed to herself, tone baffled.
Ena sighed, her gentleness not fading. “Geez, you three. Yes. Of course we do. You brought us together. You made us a home we belong in. And you’re the biggest sweetheart ever. Of course we love you.”
“B-But,” Kanade’s voice faltered. “I’m… I’ve been- I’ve caused…”
“I want to stay with you,” Mafuyu said, plain and simple. “For a long time. I’m uncertain what love feels like yet, but… I think I feel it for you.”
Conflict flashed upon Kanade’s face. Her blush grew alongside her concern, unsure what feeling to allow herself to feel. She looked to Mizuki like she was waiting for her to tell her it was a joke, the taller girl feeling sorry she’d stressed her out.
“But, I… I couldn’t even… I didn’t even know that you were suffering, and…”
“Ah, don’t worry about that, don’t worry about that!” Mizuki frantically flailed her hands around. “You already helped me, you know? You’ve helped me so much. And, like Ena said, you showed me a place where I belong. You don’t have to do anything for me to like you, I just do!” Her smile was so warm, the composer’s heart couldn’t help but skip.
“Either way, you don’t get to tell us what we feel,” Ena pointed at her as though scolding her. Though, it looked like how one would half-heartedly scold a cute dog. “Who decides that we love you? You, or us?”
Kanade frowned, looking less troubled. She looked almost close to pouting, even. Mizuki and Ena’s heart raced, both thinking for only a moment that it’d be adorable to see her do so. Finally appearing flustered, Kanade looked at all the girls one by one, before sighing.
“If… Only if you’re all sure, and okay with me… I-I think, I do like you three also. No, I know that I do, but…”
“Of course we’re sure,” Ena said with full earnesty. “You can take your time, too, you know.”
Kanade’s expression finally eased up, just so. She nodded, a smile forming on her face. “Mhm… thank you, Ena.”
Mizuki clapped and cheered right after. “Wait, so we’re all on board?!”
“Not that I don’t want it, but wouldn’t this kind of relationship be troublesome?” Mafuyu asked. “I’ve not seen anything like it before. Two girls being together would already be a problem.”
“Since when do we care about anything like that?” Ena scoffed, crossing her arms. “If someone has a problem with us all having three girlfriends, that has nothing to do with us! Big deal if someone else is jealous!”
“I mean, it is a thing, it’s just not, uh, really known or talked about?” Mizuki shrugged. “B-But, it’d be just like the usual, right?! Just a little more, you know…” She gestured ahead. “R-Romantic?”
“Come to think of it,” Kanade thought out loud, her hand on her chin. “Haven’t you been joking about us being romantic for a while now? Were you trying to… hint at us? I’m sorry I didn’t pick it up.”
“W-What?!” Mizuki startled. “What do you- Huh?”
“She has. Such as the moon viewing a few years ago. And she tries to get us to call her cute,” Mafuyu said. “She keeps commenting that we act as though we were like a romance manga or anime. Or asking if we’ve fallen for her.”
“I-I wasn’t trying to get compliments!” Mizuki flailed around. “Why do you remember these things?!”
Kanade giggled. “I don’t mind it. Even if I’m a little afraid, it’d be nice to finally be able to be honest about those kinds of feelings.”
Mizuki felt like her brain was lagging like an overloaded computer. “A… What? H-Honest?! Finally?!”
“Ah, you. You realize how lovable you are, don’t you?” Ena teased.
“Sometimes I think about Mizuki before going to bed and it calms me down and makes me feel really warm.”
“W-W-Where did that come from, Mafuyu?!”
“I thought we were being honest…”
“I suppose nothing really would be changing if we’ve all felt like this for a while,” Kanade hummed. “It’s… exciting, I think. That we can be together.”
In those seconds where Mizuki’s brain desperately tried to catch up, Ena stepped on her tiptoes, placing a kiss against her cheek. “Happy New Year, Mizuki. I love you.”
Getting the same idea, Kanade stood up from her bench, Mafuyu following after. It was a lot shier than Ena’s own kiss, which made Mizuki almost giggle, but she placed a ticklish kiss on the other cheek. Mizuki wasn’t sure if the words she muttered were an ‘I love you’ or not, but she was more than willing to let the composer build up to such confessions.
Mafuyu then placed a kiss on her forehead, leaning hers against Mizuki’s, basking in the warmth. This close up, Mizuki could see how Mafuyu blushed, and it was making her heart race. “I… love you, Mizuki.”
She wondered if this was all a dream. If she had still been in bed, the day not yet having started. But Ena clinged onto her arm, leaning against her shoulder. Kanade held her hand in a delicate hold, intertwining their fingers together. Mafuyu’s forehead leaned close against her own, her cold hand against her cheek. And with those grounding sensations, she knew this was all real. The waves of emotion that struck her sent tears spilling out her stinging eyes, a wide smile on her face. A feeling so overwhelming she could barely contain it. “I love you guys! So much! Thank you!”
“Thank you for letting us love you, silly,” Ena said softly. Then, she grabbed Mafuyu’s arm and tugged. “Okay, now back up a bit. I thought you were going to kiss her.”
“I wasn’t going to. But if she’s my partner now, wouldn’t that be alright?”
“You can’t just take her first kiss in front of all of us!”
Deciding to add fuel to the fire, Mizuki hummed, placing a finger against her cheek in pretend thought. “Oh, geez, I didn’t even think of that! Who’s gonna be the first to kiss this poor lonely princess?! Maybe I’ll have to reward the first kiss onto the brave knight who buys me the new limited edition-”
“Okay, don’t get too bold,” Ena interrupted, shoving her shoulder. Mizuki laughed loudly.
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind buying something you want,” Kanade said, smiling. “But I don’t need a kiss for it.”
“Damn it, Mizuki, I tell you to stop jokingly asking for things because you know she’s going to go try to buy it!”
“Weh, how do you know it’s a joke?! What if I really, really, really happen to want the new CubeRouge dress collection that just released, and-”
“You don’t need that!”
“Those might be a little expensive, but…”
“No, Kanade, me and Mafuyu will help buy those, don’t worry about it.”
“When did I agree to buy anything?”
“When you decided to date this spoiled princess!”
“Aw, Enanan thinks I’m a princess~?”
Though Ena gave a frustrated glare to her, it broke into such a warm grin that left Mizuki’s heart fluttering. As she saw how Nightcord looked at her, it became so obvious they loved her. They really, truly loved her and everything about her. They would do anything for her, no matter how silly or how big. They looked at her like she was the thread that held the world together. She got so lucky, her younger self could only dream of this.
The coming years were still scary. There was still the chance their schedules will conflict. That they’ll see each other less. That they’ll all get busy and caught up in responsibilities and life. But she knew she had a place carefully carved out just for her in each of their lives. That they weren’t going to leave her alone. That they didn’t want to. She knew they’d find a way, it’d be one of their many late night talks to come. Her heart raced in knowing the security of simply being able to confide in them would remain. That she can trust them with her fragile heart.
She smiled and laughed with the freedom of the cool winter breeze against her. And for now, she could believe they’ll be together for as long as is possible.
She was finally excited for a new year.