𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

you don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

( she's currently baking a birthday cake for anne. )

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

even Manaka wanted to stay in contact. She just seemed to be having difficulties properly showing it now.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

She choked on what to do now, having done something that she would find out of character for even herself especially with the Manaka of today.

As if frozen, Manaka stood there trying to process what she had done before pulling her hand away from Anne. It'd be difficult—

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

To anyone else that didn’t know Anne particularly well, the way she looked like now as she made to leave, was like she was looking all strong and resolved, professional, totally in control. . .but no. She was dying inside.

This completely sucked. —

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

to continue from that action without being even more flustered, something she'd rather not do.

"A, Ah. Sorry for that... Anne."

She looked away with a slight tint of red on her face.

Even with their hands no longer making contact, it was relatively obvious to Anne that—

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

It would be fine, even if Anne's eyes peeled away for even just a second. Manaka would be be here still with her.

She took out the pot and began making the congee now.

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

Unfortunately. . .Anne was a little. . .clingy, in a way, especially when sick.

Heck, her whole emotions were a wreck when she was sick, so she watched Manaka walk around her dorm with a worried, slightly scared look.

Like how they were in kindergarten.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

Taking the cup as Anne went to go lay herself back in bed, heading to the sink to go wash it and whatever utensils laid there.

Making sure to confirm herself where the medicine was and now it was time to go make some congee for Anne.

Softly humming a song to herself as she did.

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

Panting heavily even as she finished the rest of the drink, Anne would place the now empty cup on the bedside table, before gingerly laying back down.

At any other time, she’d be thrilled with Manaka with her like this. . .right now she was more grateful than anything that —

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

slight tint of red on her face from the embarrassment.

"I-..."

What was she supposed to do in this situation? This was something rather out of character for herself nowadays.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

"Ah. I see. Then have a good day Kurokawa-san."

She watched as Anne's eyes peeled away from hers, her hands resting in front of her.

... Anne has work, she should do what she has to do. It's rude and unprofessional to interrupt someone that has work to do.

That is what she—

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

She really was that beautiful.

Manaka had been her first love, even if she didn’t know it back then yet. But, in her absence, she knew. Or at least, she learned that she was the reason why she started swinging for the same team. . .

—

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

/SHOULD/ be doing.

However her feelings betrayed her body and with a swift turn, her hand immediately went to grab Anne's wrist.

It in fact surprised her quite a good amount as her eyes widened and her face looked visibly shocked. Manaka's eyes looked up at Anne with a—

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

essentially be playing housewife for her fufu.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

She looked over to the direction that Anne weakly pointed to and gave a small nod in response.

Getting her her medicine will definitely be in order after she makes her something to eat.

One might say that Anne was lucky getting her dear childhood friend and ex-idol to—

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

“They’re all. . .” Anne groaned, as she remembered. “Over there.”

She pointed by the table near the door of her dorm, where she tended to put everything she was carrying whenever she came out.

Right now, it was a bit too far for her in her limited energy.

—

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

A slight look of relief formed in her face as Anne began to drink the tea in small sips.

"I'll be alright. I'm more worried about you Anne. Where's your medicine if you have any?"

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

Anne would still grimace a few times as she took a few sips of the drink, the mere act of swallowing hurting both her throat and her chest, but she pushed through it, seeing how it was actually getting less painful with how the drink itself soothed her inflamed throat.

—

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

keep it still and fight the wind a little.

Ah... How breathtaking she must have been in Anne's eyes, she had seen her grow and mature through a screen but it was truly different in person.

"Sorry if I did end up getting in the way of any plans you had. Do you need to leave?"

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

It was never that Anne didn't matter to her, it was just... How does Manaka approach her childhood friend again? It had been a decade and a half since they last saw each other.

And in that decade and a half, a lot had changed in the girl that young Anne had met as a —

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

What was this?

She thrust one of her hands into her jacket’s pocket by her side, hiding the fact that her hand had balled into a fist in growing anger.

What the /hell/ was this?

Sure they were much older now compared to when Anne had promised her that she’d always be —

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

Manaka lamented that this was how they reunited, if she could be how she once was then she'd smile naturally and immediately go for a hug but that is not how reality works.

As the school bell rang and the wind blew one direction, she had a hand by the side of her hair to —

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

Manaka was in fact, NOT taking no for an answer. So Anne would just have to put up with it ehe.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

She held the cup of warm honey ginger lemon tea, slowly bringing it closer to her so that Anne could take small sips to make herself feel a bit better with the beverage.

"I don't have any plans for today so I'll be by your side Anne for the rest of the day okay?"

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

Anne nodded, pursing her lips as she grits her teeth and allowed herself to be sat up. It wasn’t comfortable. . .not at all, especially considering that nearly every part of her body, her joints, her skin itself, hurt!

Still, she panted as she was finally sat up.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

( A small sigh left her mouth, placing it down as with a mask and gloves reached over to Anne to help her up. )

Let me help you sit up against the wall okay?

[ᴀɴɴᴇ @AloofTrainer]

She sits up and tries reaching for that one, too.

But she's too tired and instead falls back down on the bed.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

actually wasn't too surprised now that she thought about it again. This was coming from the one who gave her smiles, spent nights sneaking away from home to watch the stars together and importantly, was the one to realize her dream of being an idol.

It was all thanks to her.

[𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐀. .ೃ࿐ @prancinglove]

On top of how her childhood friend was calling her by her last name, something about the smile had always felt off as if it wasn't genuine. Did she really dislike seeing her or was it just something else?

That aside... Even though it wasn't something like being a teacher, she —