Unable to Say No

"Mira, I'm back!"

I pull the door of my apartment open while catching my breath.

After running basically the entire time, we managed to get back faster than most of the people driving. I may live close to school, but the distance isn't negligible when you're running nonstop. Given that distance, I should be completely wiped, but I'm feeling much better than the girl joining me today.

"Hah…hah…too…fast…"

I'm standing with the door open and ready, but Stella is still halfway down the hallway. She still attempts to maintain some kind of jog as she slowly approaches at the speed of an average person walking.

I can only patiently wait for the girl in a sweat soaked white to arrive. An entire minute later, she collapses against the wall next to the door.

"You told me to keep up…"

"Can it!"

"Ow!"

Despite her exhaustion, Stella has more than enough energy to drive her foot into my knee from her spot on the ground. Her breathing still isn't in perfect form, but it's enough for her to join me back on two feet. She closes her eyes and starts cleaning her red-tinted glasses.

"How is Mira?"

"Ah…"

Now that she mentions it, I've been standing here for quite some time and Mira hasn't come running up. I feel my stomach perform a backflip as I charge inside the room without even removing my shoes.

"Mira!?"

My urgent gaze sweeps across the small studio apartment. I don't want to believe in the worst case scenario, but I can't deny the possibility that Mira somehow found a way to escape and disappear to somewhere I can't find her. She's not sitting at the desk, or the couch, or the dining table. She isn't in the bathroom or anywhere else that I can see. My mind is whirring to the point that I feel it overheating.

"Mira!?"

"You're noisy."

I feel a light impact of something flat against the back of my head. It didn't hurt all that much, but it was enough to interrupt all of my doomsday thoughts.

"Huh…"

"Mira is still here."

Stella walks past me and my startled expression while she brushes off the side of her bag. My eyes can only focus on the mass of white that almost blends in with the wall.

"She's under the bed."

"Under the…Oh!"

In a swift motion, I veer around the couch and throw myself to the floor. What I see isn't exactly good, but it's better than the scene that brought me into panic.

"Mira!?"

"Mmm!"

I'm relieved to see her, but it certainly isn't met with relief from the other side. Mira is curled into a ball with her cheeks puffed out and her face frowned. The little rabbit won't even look me in the eye.

"Uhm…Mira?"

"Mmm! Stupid Noa!"

Her voice is quiet, but the words on their own are enough to almost bring tears to my eyes. Mira has been annoyed at me before, but never to this extent. Normally, giving her what she wants will appease her, but there doesn't appear to be an easy response here.

I slowly sit back up, but I hardly feel like moving from this spot. It's like all of my energy has been taken away and all that's left is a sad shell of a high school boy.

"What do I do…"

"Haaah…"

Stella approaches the bed from her spot off to the side. I don't see her coming, nor do I care about the leather bag that slams against the back of my head for a second time. My body collapses to the side like a discarded doll while Stella drops down to a crawl.

"Have you been well, Mira?"

"Stella—OW!"

One of these days, the boards holding the mattress are going to snap in two.

Mira scuttles out from the darkness and leaps onto the girl in white.

"You're here! I was so lonely by myself!"

"I would imagine. Noa is such a jerk for leaving you here."

Stella doesn't bother trying to remove the rabbit who has tightly wrapped around her waist. Mira digs her face into Stella's chest and receives a hand rubbing over her hair as a reward.

"Noa just hands me a bunch of boring books to read and leaves! When I try to follow him, he traps me inside!"

"Maybe we should lock him outside next time."

"Can we!?"

I feel a chill run down my spine listening to their conversation. Here I was expecting Stella to be a good influence to the still unaware rabbit, but it seems that she has turned Mira against me. My wallet and keys are not leaving my pocket for the rest of the day.

The two of them move their joyous conversations to the couch whilst I return to being alive. As I head to the fridge for a bottle of water, I continue listening to the two girls.

"Stella is all sweaty."

"Sorry, we had a bit of a run getting here…"

"That's not fair! I want to go out and run around, too!"

Mira leaps to her feet and points accusingly at my sad excuse for a desk chair.

"My butt still hurts from sitting on that thing!"

"Don't say the word 'butt'."

Like a page of a book, Stella's soft expression turns to an annoyed glare when she looks back at me sipping from a bottle.

"How could you make her work all day on such a terrible chair? Do you want her to suffer?"

"Give me a break! I don't have any other chairs!"

"At least give her a cushion or a foot rest! Do you even have a brain in there?"

"Are you her mom…"

A fire burns behind those red lenses as she wraps her arms tightly around the young rabbit.

"If I had the option, I would take Mira home right this moment. I can't let your stupidity rub off on her."

"Well sorry for being stupid!"

Mira giggles off to the side from Stella giving me a hard time. This was supposed to be my time to observe cute girls having cute conversations, but I'm under attack instead. There is nothing left to do but sigh and accept being the bad guy. Wow, water really tastes good when you're a villain.

Stella frowns as she tugs at the fabric that has stuck directly to her skin.

"It does feel a little uncomfortable, though."

"You can always use our shower."

"Huh?"

The taste in my mouth immediately sours from the glare I receive. Taking a bath at a guy's house is so embarrassing that girls could never hope to reveal it to their friends. The chances of her agreeing without any particular reason is basically zero, but that doesn't stop me from forming a sinister grin on the inside. Unfortunately for her, I don't plan on going down without a fight. Stella looks and sounds perfect, but she has a single weakness.

"Mira, you should probably go too. It will take time for me to prepare dinner."

"Really!?"

Mira jumps up at the idea with her blue eyes beaming a warm ray of joy over me. Stella seems to jump up a little as well, but with the opposite reaction.

"H-Hold on!"

"Let's go, Stella!"

The girl with a normally frozen gaze is struck with a dilemma that has her facing off against the most powerful foe. She tries to avert her eyes from the two bright gems threatening to tear through her defenses.

"As much as I would enjoy taking a bath with you, Mira, it probably isn't a good idea!"

"Why?"

"Why…"

Her eyes darted around for a moment before returning to me. Maybe my amusement is showing or maybe she just hates looking at my face, but she is anything but pleased. Regardless, she knows that I'm the only one capable of turning Mira down without Stella losing points.

"Look, I don't have a clean change of clothes. I can't come out with nothing."

"Sure you could?"

"Of course I can't!"

It was Mira's response, so I have no idea why I'm receiving her anger here. This is a battle that I've had to fight with Mira since she arrived, Stella is just experiencing it for the first time. It actually makes myself laugh from how easily I could predict this situation.

"Mira has plenty of clothes. I'm sure that they'll fit you just fine."

"That may be well and good, but surely you don't expect a girl to use your toiletries?"

"No problem, you can use Mira's."

"Urk…"

On my face is the smile of a welcoming host, but I'm sure Stella can see what's behind it. Regardless, she is completely out of options and must either reject Mira or accept her fate. The answer she chooses is of no surprise.

"Alright, let's go…"

"Yay!"

Mira bounces up and down with Stella's hands in hers. I'm given one last visual death threat before the two disappear into the bathroom. I wait for the door to close before I let out my satisfaction.

"I win."