You Still Hate Green Tea, Don’t You?

Hello! Thank you for picking up this story and giving it a chance. It starts off slow, but I hope it gives you something quiet or interesting to hold on to. I’ll update as consistently as I can, and I’m open to feedbacks :DD.

Enjoy the tea☕️

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The kettle let out a soft whistle — not urgent, not loud, just enough to remind Mio that something warm was ready.

She flicked it off, letting the steam curl into the quiet air. Outside, the wind smelled faintly of rain. Clean. Gentle. A little like memory.

Peach tea leaves, Akari’s favourite, filled the kitchen with their sweet, slightly floral scent. It was a little strong. But Mio didn’t mind. Not anymore.

Mio poured the drink into two mugs. The bear mug was hers. The artistic-looking cracked mug was Akari’s. They’d swapped them once by mistake, and never bothered to switch back.

“You still hate green tea, don’t you?” Mio said, casually but already knew the answer.

From the living room, Akari’s voice drifted back. “I don’t hate it. I just don’t like the drink as much when drinking something that tastes like… like leaves?”

She paused for a moment, like she was trying not to offend the plant kingdom.

Mio smiled, like a sneer or a smug look if you didn’t know her better.

She walked over, settling both of the mug on the low-lying table between them.

“So you do hate it”

“I don’t dislike it.” Akari replied affirmatively. Sinking into the cushion like she had all the time in the world.

“I just prefer drinks that didn’t remind me of leaves brushing against my teeth.”

“That’s better. And why would you know whats it’s like to brush leaves against your teeth?” Mio said, handing her the peach tea.

“No comments.” Akari replied almost like instinct.

“You definitely did it because you were curious right?” Mio said with a held-back enthusiasm.

“You wouldn’t have mentioned it if you hadn’t experienced it.

Akari just smiled into her tea. “You’ll only make fun of me if I do. Not telling you!”

Akari puffed her cheeks slightly in defiance, which somehow made her look like a sulking hamster.

Their tiny but cozy living room felt like a safe haven, a hidden pocket, soundproofed from the outside world.

Filled with only the clanking of ceramic and the faint hum from the spinning fan above.

“I should’ve made the tea I like…” Mio muttered. But her voice didn’t sound annoyed. More like… thoughtful.

Akari looked at her, a little amused. “What’s wrong with having unique taste?” Akari replied, startling Mio-who had assumed her remark blended into the moment.

“…Except when it comes to green tea.”

They sat like that for a while — not talking much, but not needing to.

Not the awkward kind where both parties didn’t know what should be uttered.

But the kind where both had too much to say yet too little time, prioritising which should be talked about first.

The kind that said “I could say more. I could say a lot. But I like this moment just as it is.”

“Should our drink be bubble tea next?” Akari asked, lips tugging into something mischievous.

“We’ll get fat if we drink so much,” Mio said a-matter-of-factly, not realising she had fallen into Akari’s trap.

“Right. It’s not because you couldn’t make the pearls, stuck them all over your hands, and forced me to do everything after you said you were going to impress me?”

Akari said, her voice soft but sharp enough to bite, her smile a little too sweet but a little scary too.

Mio blinked twice rapidly, caught.

“When did that happen? I…I only remember enjoying it.” Feigning ignorance.

Her voice slightly higher than usual as a faint blush creeps up her face.

Truly a rare sight from her.

Mio shifted, dragging her legs up the cushion and hugging one knee.

The tea in her hand had cooled slightly, but the warmth still clung to the mug like it didn’t want to let go.

“I.. wasn’t trying to impress you,” Mio muttered, pushing through her embarrassment.

Akari blinked slowly, and relaxed, resting her chin on her palm.

“You told me - and I quote - ‘I’m gonna make the best bubble tea you’ve ever tasted, so you’ll rely on me forever.’ ”

Mio let out a small cough. “I wonder who said that? Sounds like something I would say.” She averted her eyes. “…except that last part.”

“You even wore the cat apron. The one with the fluffy looking ears.”

“It was your apron.”

”You still wore it.”

Mio looked away, sipping her tea like it might just cover her entire face.

“…I must admit…It wasn’t bad though.” Akari said after a beat, deciding to offer a little praise to Mio after the barrage of teasing.

Mio’s gaze softened. “You even drank the whole thing. Even the ones that are stuck in a weird clump of mess.”

“You made it, of course I did.”

Akari said it like that was just how things were, if someone tried it, you appreciate it.

And that was enough.

Mio didn’t say anything, something warm tightening in her chest — unspoken, but present.

“You know,” Akari added, swirling the tea in her cup gently.

“I like messing things up with you,” Akari said. “It makes the good parts feel even more real… and makes you look even cuter.”

”…like choking on pearls?”

“Exactly.” Akari said gently, with a sort of mischievous smile like she had won this round of the conversation.

They both chuckled. It felt like a small secret shared just between them. A soft echo of something that would last longer than the tea.

The tea wasn’t perfect. But they drank it anyways. Maybe it wasn’t about the tea. Maybe it never was.

“You managed to survive, and I get a good story out of it as well.”

Akari looked genuinely happy about it, which made Mio a…little happy? Probably more than a little.

She managed to make their days together brighter, before the doom of the endless threat of homework approaches.

Akari stretched her arms over her head with a cute sigh.

“We still got some homework left undone. Literature and math if I recall correctly.”

Akari reminding Mio so she wouldn’t “accidentally” forget some homework again, just to end up rushing through it in the middle of the night, and the very next morning like always.

Mio flinched, her face darkened with betrayal, like she was silently saying ‘you were supposed to forget that.’

“I almost forgot” Akari added thoughtfully.

“But hmm that clutter on the table, in bold that says “literature assignment” just reminded me of it.

Mio took a small quick peek towards the pile.

The worksheets glared back at her, untouched and judgmental.

She wasn’t bad at school. In fact, she was good at it, annoyingly good according to some.

She was observant and could pay attention even during the most boring lectures.

Sit through hours of studying a day if needed and stay consistent. And yet… she hated doing homework with a passion.

It wasn’t because it is difficult, but because of its repetition, the effort to start.

She always liked to leave homework for later, rushing through it at the last moment, like some last-minute genius getting mosts of it right except some carelessness here and there.

“If you don’t finish, your “quick” dinner is going to become instant noodles again.”

Akari said firmly but couldn’t hide the softness in her eyes. “We can’t survive with only eating instant noodles. So please get your work done.”

Mio, blinded by Akari, didn’t want to do homework.

But she didn’t want to say no either.

She stared at her tea like it would magically make the homework complete.

Before Akari could suggest helping Mio with something like preparing ingredients for dinner, since Mio always helped her with academics, Mio cut in with a sigh.

“Fine I’ll do it now so we can enjoy our dinner later.”

She didn’t want to, but a promise was a promise.

It was a quiet sort of surrender, the kind you make when someone sees through your habits or excuses but stays close anyways.

Akari smiled, the kind that’s warm even without trying.

“Ganbare, Mio.” (Ganbare -> 頑張れ – do your best/good luck)

“Remember to actually study as well. We’re in our last year, we can’t afford to slack off anymore.”

Even though Mio grumbled something under her breath as she stood, but she was smiling too.

Akari was popular with no discrimination of gender, or crowd, always having that infectious but warm smile.

She was the opposite.

She didn’t get too close to anybody.

She didn’t like to go out either. And she especially hated visiting other people’s home.

It meant figuring out how to act, how to speak politely to the adults, how to perform. While Akari would have people visiting her instead.

Their lives are different. completely different. Yet they still live under one roof together.

To save money, to support each other when needed, and maybe because neither of them liked being alone.

Opposite, yet complement each other well, somehow they fit.

The mechanical clicking of the pen echoed in the quiet room as Mio finally sat down at the desk.

Flipping open the worksheet like it had done something wrong to Mio.

Leaning slightly forward with the usual “I don’t want to do this but I’m doing it anyways” face.

Akari sat close to her, on the couch, reviewing her own notes as well. Curled loosely with the book of notes on her lap.

Flipping the pages slowly like she wasn’t reading.

Her hair leaning in front, messy from the quick re-adjustment of the hair and leaning on the cushion too long, but she didn’t seemed to mind at all.

For a while, nothing happened, completely peaceful.

Tea cooling beside them, and the soft hum of the fan spinning above, and occasionally bird chirps from the trees outside.

Mio worked through the questions one by one, her eyes focused, but her hands slower than usual.

The kind of slow like ‘I’m trying, but only because I said I would.’

“You always look different when you study” Akari said, watching her from the corner of her eyes, with a gentle half-smile.

Mio didn’t look up. “Different? I look ugly?”

“No no, like you’re quietly battling a war that no one can see. Quietly. Persistently”

“I’m battling integration.”

Akari giggled. “You’re persistent and brave. And that’s what I like about you.”

Mio didn’t respond right away. She just smirked, maybe a blush, then continued solving the next question like Akari hadn’t just casually dropped a line that sounded a little too sweet. A little too close.

After scribbling for a while, Mio finally sat her pen down. She leaned back in her chair, arms stretched over her head.

“I’m done.” She muttered, slightly cheerful, but held-back as well.

“How done?” Akari peeked from her notes.

“Enough to deserve food.”

Akari laughed and stood up, clearing the mugs. “Then I’ll reward your bravery with dinner and one peach candy.”

”One?”

“You didn’t show enough workings for question 8. You’ll be penalised if you actually forget to show in exam.”

“That’s cruel. Is that how you treat a soldier who just fought through war?”

Akari gave her a bright grin, one of those overly bright ones like opening your phone in the middle of the night when its brightness is maxed.

She walked towards the kitchen while saying “next time I’ll give you two pieces, show your workings and I’ll give you more. Maybe even a kiss?”

Mio stayed at the desk for a moment longer, staring at the small pile of worksheets and half-solved equations.

Her body felt a little lighter now. Not because the work was done, but because Akari had been there through it, in her own quiet way.

Akari returned, leaning against the counter, arms folded casually. “Hey… next weekend.”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go somewhere. Just us, like a… date. It’s been a while since we last went anywhere other than school and the grocery store.”

Mio turned to face Akari. “Where?”

“You can decide where.”

Mio contemplated for a moment, then smiled faintly, “I’ll think of something.”

“You promise?”

”Yeah I promise.”

Mio’s smile softened, not brighter, not louder, but calmer. Like something special have just been placed between them.

Outside, the breeze fluttered the curtains, and the last bit of light cast a soft glow across the room.

The tea — a little too sweet, a little too warm — lingered in the air, like something waiting to be remembered

And in the stillness between sips, something small and quiet settled between them. Something like a beginning.

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Thank you for reading chapter 1! Feel free to leave any thoughts or comments, I’d appreciate any feedbacks and hear your opinions :DD.

(Chapter 1: Edited. 2 May 2025. Some phrasing adjustments, reworded some lines at the study/homework part. And some trimming.)