Misha Scene 5 - Intermission [Non-H]

A lamp on the desk illuminates the bedroom, shedding light on its contents. A gentle 'pitter-patter' taps against the window from the rain and a desk clock reads '9:12'. Sunday. Graduation looms over us, only a week away.

The bed is as girly as ever, a thick pink blanket laying rumpled across the bed, a mountain of pillows sitting at the head as usual. Stuffed animals stare back at me from atop the dresser, a sample of its contents hanging from the closed drawers.

Before I can even make a snarky comment about the blue thong dangling out, Misha runs over and forces it back into the dresser.

“They're just for sleeping in~!”

It's been weeks since we've done anything, my suspicions the last chance proving true as I was left in the cold on last Sunday.

However, here I am yet again, standing in the pink-haired girl's own bedroom. She looks out the window in what seems like boredom, a plain pink t-shirt that seems as though its a size too small squeezing her considerate assets. A green skirt has been paired with it, a pair of white thigh-highs going along with that. The length of her skirt leaves a gap of skin between the hem and the top of the stocking.

“So, Hicchan~! What do you want to do today?”

She's so energetic about this. Even after all of our fooling around I still find it hard to swallow that she finds just finds it fun to...please me.

“Hey, Misha.”

“Hmm~?”

“Why do you do this for me?”

She goes silent.

“I mean, aren't these normally things you do with people you like?”

“I do like you, Hicchan~!”

I shake my head.

“No, I mean...romantically.”

Misha looks at the ground. Her previously bubbly demeanor seems to have done a heel face-turn instantly. The room is completely silent, except for the rain beating against the window.

“Romantically?”

I nod my head, unsure of whether or not she gets my point.

“So are you saying we should stop?” she asks with a worried look on her face.

I struggle to find the right words for an answer. I love spending time with her, there's nothing I love more. But it seems more and more like we ignore each other the entire week, only to meet up on Sunday and go at it for a few hours, for no reason other than to say we did it.

“Well...I mean...Maybe we should do other things for a while?”

She tries to force a smile, but doesn't quite manage. She stares at me almost sadly, as though I had just rejected her entire world.

“It's like we never just talk anymore. Sure, we hang out every now and then, but that's just as a lead-in to what happens on these fooling-around days.”

Misha shakes her head violently. She looks as though there are a million things she wants to say, but she catches herself and remains silent, staring a hole in me.

I open my mouth to speak again, but Misha jolts out of the room and towards the stairs before I can get another word out.

My brain hasn't even processed what happened before my legs are carrying me as fast as they can, flying up the stairs after her. My heart starts to beat faster, but I'm too worried about her to care.

She stands at the opposite end of the room, looking up at the moon. What was previously a light shower has taken a turn for the worse, drenching both of us in seconds.

“Why did you chase after me?”

I grit my teeth in anger -- mad at her because she just doesn't get it, because she's put me into this situation in the first place, and most of all at myself because I can't say it plainly.

“Because, Misha. Because I like you. Because I care about you.”

She looks away from the sky and stares at me blankly, failing to react in any real way. What feels like an eternity passes before she finally answers.

"You...like me?”

"Of course! There's no one else I feel this way about!" I yell back immediately.

She hangs her head shamefully, shaking her head as though it will clear her mind.

"I appreciate your feelings, Hicchan, but you can do better. You should.”

I can feel every part of me heating up in anger.

“I'm sure you and Shicchan are perfect for each other, and I wouldn't mind as long as you can make her happy..."

My entire body tenses up at her absurd statement, flashes of red invading my vision. I rush across the rooftop and wrap my arms around her, pulling her head into my shoulder.

"No Misha, I love YOU and no one else. You're the most important person to me, you-

She tries to pull away from my embrace.

“It's okay, Hicchan. I understand what you're trying to do.”

She backs away a few feet and look at me with dead eyes.

"You don't have to force yourself to be nice to me, Hicchan. I'm fine without pity or special treatment, really."

My entire body freezes up. I stop thinking, breathing, even my heart ceases to beat.

“NO.”

For the first time in my life, I yell at Misha.

“I REFUSE TO LET YOU BELIEVE THAT. I WOULDN'T BE UP HERE IF I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOU.”

I grab her and pull her even tighter to myself – my chest thumps furiously, my brain throbs, and my entire body quivers with frustration. She tries her hardest to resist, but I don't let her go anywhere.

I rest my chin on her head and hold her as tightly as I can. There's nothing more I can say – that can be said. I simply hope that she understands.

“Do you really feel that way?” she asks, her voice muffled by my chest.

“Yeah, that's how I feel.” I whisper into her hair, closing my eyes in anguish.

The entire rooftop goes silent, the ambiance of the raindrops hitting the ground blending into the background.

She wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me as tightly as she can. She digs her face into my shoulder and lets out a few quiet sobs. I take one arm from around her and gently pet her head.

She tries to pull away again, and I can't do anything to stop her. Her hands remain on my sides and she looks up into my eyes, our faces mere inches apart.

"Hicchan, did you know it's a sin to make a girl cry?”

I relax my arms and let her take a step back. Her deep amber eyes stare into mine, a stream of tears sliding down her cheeks.

"It's okay though, I can forgive you this time."

I hang my head in shame regardless.

“What you were saying about liking someone romantically, Hicchan...”

“Yeah?” I whisper back.

“That's how I feel about Shicchan. It's how I've felt about her ever since I met her.”

“I know.”

“But Hicchan, I can't help but feel the same way about you too...”

I jerk my view back to her, unable to comprehend what she just said.

“Haha, isn't it wrong for a girl to be in love with two different people?”

My feet carry me over to her, my arms finding their way around her shoulders once more. This time, she accepts my embrace and pulls me into a hug.

“I just don't know what to do, Hicchan.”

I kiss her head, unable to care about the rules.

“It's okay. We've got plenty of time to figure it out.”