PRETTY GIRLS CAN NEVER DIE (1)

"A-Asahi...! Are you alright?!" Fueko rushes to hug her.

"I'm... fine." She meekly responds, weakness in her voice.

"Where are your glasses...?"

"Huh?" She places a hand to her face, expression scrunching up in realization. "I uh... I left it at Micch- ... ....Mizuki's." She breaks the hug, moving to the living room table we placed the food by.

"Oh, phew." I sigh in relief. "Guess that means you'll have them back when she gets here, then."

Asahi looks to me... confused? I don't really know how else to describe her expression.

Fueko chimes in, holding her phone in the air. "She uh... hasn't responded in the group DM yet-- or to my texts. Could you..." She trails off after noticing the look on Asahi's face.

"I'd rather not."

I sit beside her. "What... w-what happened?"

No response. It's not that she didn't hear me... B-but more that she's not comfortable responding, it seems.

Regardless, I can guess that it's nothing good.

"Let's save some for her." I suggest to Fueko, who nods-- setting aside a bit of food for Mizuki. Then, we eat in silence-- not really knowing what to say to disperse the awkward mood that hangs in the room.

...Ah, that's not true, is it? We try a few times to start up small talk, but it always trails off fairly quickly. The one time we try and turn the TV on... we're greeted with another anti-witch news bulletin. Seems like the government's moving through with the curfew, as well-- with the ongoing epidemic of Anxi. ...Fueko apologizes profusely, turning off the TV.

"...M-maybe I shouldn't've come. S-sorry." Asahi stands up, making to leave.

I put a finger on her shoulder to stop her, not wanting to be too forceful in doing so. "P-please, Asahi. Stay..."

She whimpers, caught off-guard by my forcefulness. "I... I'm just making things awkward. It's fine. I don't want to be a bother."

I smile, trying to be as reassuring as an Anxi can. "C'mon-- tell me what's going on. You helped me last night-- I want to help you tonight."

"I-I..." She looks at me, staring into my eyes... before tears start welling in hers.

It takes her a few moments before she gains enough of her composure to speak. "M... Mizuki... I... I c-confessed my love to her, last night... She... she fucking turned me down..." She sniffles, Fueko offering her some napkins to blow her nose into.

"O-oh my god, I'm so sorry Asahi..." I pull her into a hug, gently rubbing her back. Fueko joins in, as well.

"It was a mistake, I... I shouldn't've done that. She's going through a lot, a-and I just made it worse by dumping my feelings onto her like that."

"?"

"She..." Asahi stops herself, realizing something. "I don't want to talk on her behalf. S-some bad shit happened to her last night, after we all left. That's all I should say."

"Well, you c-couldn't have known, right?"

She shakes her head.

"I-I'm sure she understands, then. M-maybe you didn't help, but I doubt she's holding it against you, y-y'know?"

"Yeah," Fueko chimes in. "The two of you are inseparable-- I imagine, even if the two of you got heated with each other, that she's probably come to her senses by now."

Asahi lowers her head, not saying anything else.

...

......

"I'll go talk to her, then. Where does she live?"

"W-what? N-no, fucking don't!" She breaks from the hug, clenching her fists. I've struck a nerve. But... I don't know, I don't feel like backing down for once.

...I-I'll have to be careful in how I approach this, though......

After a moment to collect my thoughts, I speak. "She's... you said something happened to her, right? Before you'd even confessed to her?"

Asahi reluctantly nods-- encouraging me to continue.

"S-she's all alone, right now. Going through her own troubles. Hurting. ...You two were here for me, I-I want to be there for her."

Asahi sits there, lingering on my words. It genuinely looks as though she wants to deck me in the jaw. H-honestly, I don't blame her. Yet, she closes her eyes... releases the tension in her body, and speaks.

"Y-you... you're right. You're absolutely right." She looks out the window. "The sun's already set-- meaning it'll be easier to get you to her house."

I smile. "That's good, then." I pat her on the head, much to... everyone's confusion. "...S-sorry."

Asahi laughs, already seeming to have cheered up. "It's fine-- I just wasn't expecting it. We should probably head off now, though-- It's a bit far off, and we shouldn't really draw too much attention to us if we're going by car."

Fueko lowers her head.

Asahi looks to her. "...What's wrong?"

"My, ah... medicine hasn't arrived yet. I-I-"

Asahi elbows her. "C'mon, Fue-chan. Making me think it was something serious. I'll drive Chii-chan over-- you can meet us up later. You know where she lives, right?"

"Y-yeah, I do." Fueko laughs nervously.

Asahi rolls her eyes, amused. "I'll DM it to you. C'mon, Chii-chan. Let's get going."

Asahi's car is, to be honest, nicer than Fueko's. Or at least, I'd say it's in nicer shape than Fueko's. Maybe it's a newer model-- it's one of the ones that has a screen on the dashboard? That's pretty cool.

...The air conditioning works as well, given she's got it on full blast.

"Sorry... I can turn the AC down if it's too cold for you."

"Ah, no it's fine-- I'm not that cold. I-I think my sludge insulates me like fur...?" Something like that.

"Maybe, yeah." She laughs weakly. "I'm glad it's not too much for you, then. Being a fire witch really sucks sometimes."

"I get that. I'm-- I'm always worried I'm going to break something whenever I touch it. M-moreso now..."

"Right... I get that. Me and Micchan sometimes spar to get our feelings out. I bet you'd probably have a harder time doing that with us, eheheh..."

"Yeah-- especially since I-I don't know any healing magic."

"Oh, you don't?" She seems surprised; sad, even.

"Yeah, I-I... I found out I was a witch pretty quickly, and well. I did resolve to become a magical girl after seeing you all, but things went south with my p-parents before I ever had the time to learn."

"It's good to have-- I'll teach you sometime."

"Ah, t-thank you...!"

"Hey, wait- you became a magical girl because of us?"

"Y-yeah... well, I mean. I'd realized I was a witch a while ago, but I'd gotten the motivation to be a magical girl seeing you all kick ass. I-I'm uh... still kinda starstruck to be working with you all-- or I mean-- to be f-friends with you all."

Asahi chuckles at how I scramble to correct myself. I'm glad she's in better spirits, at least. I'll gladly embarrass myself if it means making my friends feel better.

...

......

"Hey... Chii-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"...Thanks."