Chapter Text
Obanai and Mitsuri continued to meet up throughout the next few months. Much to Obanai’s confusion, Mitsuri never gave up. In fact, she genuinely seemed to enjoy being with him. As they hung out together, their routine stayed mostly the same: Obanai would draw while Mitsuri sat beside him and talked about anything. Sometimes they sat in the tree, or sometimes they hung out in the park below. Occasionally they would go on walks as well. Mitsuri loved to see all the flowers blooming throughout the spring and Obanai loved to draw them for her.
Obanai learned a lot about Mitsuri during their time together, and in return, he had even started opening up to her more and more. They talked about their families and old memories, good and bad. She told him how she used to hide who she truly was before realizing that she didn’t need to be a people pleaser to find someone to care about her. He told her about how his family had mistreated him for years and he grew up alone. That was something they had in common; neither of them ever had any true bonds growing up. Maybe that’s part of why they had an easy time bonding with each other.
Obanai smiled as he briefly thought about the time that he’s known Mitsuri. It was now late May and they sat together on the tree again. She rested her head on his shoulder as they silently watched the sunset. That was another thing Obanai had learned about her: Mitsuri loved those little physical touches. It took him a while to get used to it; the first time she grabbed his hand he got so flustered that Mitsuri panicked thinking he was going to faint. In all honesty, he’s still not entirely used to her warmth. Right now, he could feel his heart beating in his throat as the sky was lit up in the orange rays of sunset. Mitsuri was his best friend, but he couldn’t help but think he liked her a little more than that. Or maybe he only felt that because she was the only one who seemed to care about him. It’s all a bit confusing to him.
“Obanai…” she mumbled. It sounded like she was falling asleep. “Obanai,” she sat up, more alert now. He bit back a laugh as she lazily rubbed her eye. Her sleepy face is so cute. Fully awake now, Mitsuri continued speaking. “Do you think you can meet me by the river trail tomorrow?”
“Er- yeah? Why?”
“I want to show you something,” she explained. He gave her a quizzical look, to which she replied, “It’s a surprise! It’ll be fun, I promise.” Her face was so eager that Obanai couldn’t help but feel a little scared for this “surprise.” As much as they got along, they did have very different ideas of fun.
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
She giggled before getting up. “Good! I should be heading home now, but I’ll see you tomorrow. You better not forget!”
Obanai sat in the tree for a little while longer, wondering what Mitsuri could possibly want to show him. He was always nervous seeing her, but he was even more nervous about this.
•••
The next day, Obanai met Mitsuri where he said he would. It was an old trail along the winding river, and it would travel through the forest a while before reaching the next town over. It was little used, however, since people prefer the other, faster routes. As Obanai approached the small decrepit sign marking the beginning of the path, he saw Mitsuri waving to him eagerly with a basket hanging from her elbow.
“You made it! Come on, let’s go!”
Before he could ask any questions, Obanai found himself marching through the forest, struggling to keep up with Mitsuri’s excited pace. A short bit in, she turned off the main trail on to a smaller, more overgrown path that Obanai would have missed if it weren’t for Mitsuri’s lead.
“So, uh, where are we going?”
She only hummed in response, choosing to remain vague about the excursion. She better know what she’s doing.
As they walked, Mitsuri finally slowed down a bit and Obanai began to properly take in his surroundings. It was a hot day, a sign of the approaching summer, but the trees of the forest provided relief from the sun. It actually feels really nice. Obanai took a slow breath in, enjoying the pleasant smell of pine and nearby flowers. He looked up to the girl in front of him. Her hair was tied back into a big, poofy bun and she wore a pink sundress, the same hue as the sakura petals earlier that year. He looked down at his own achromatic outfit. She really is something. His mind began to drift to Mitsuri and all her shades of pink. Her hair, her outfits, her blush…
Mitsuri suddenly turned back to Obanai with a glimmer in her eyes. “We’re almost there!” She grabbed his hand and practically began running towards a small opening in the trees up ahead. He’s glad she was in front, otherwise she’d notice the small blush creeping along his cheeks.
“Ok, here it is, ready, and…voila! Isn’t it beautiful?” She stepped forward into the clearing and twirled in the sunlight. Wildflowers of all colors grew in bunches across the wide field, with a single large wisteria tree rooted in the center. It was late in the season, but it still sparkled purple as the sun danced through the blossoms. A small creek bubbled along the tree line before disappearing back into the forest. Mitsuri looked back at Obanai, awaiting his response.
He was speechless. This whole area was so, achingly Mitsuri. The smell of flowers, the fluttering butterflies, and the crystal blue sky all matched her radiance in a way that was completely mesmerizing. “W- It’s incredible…” He trailed off into incomprehensible mumblings as he took in the view. Mitsuri swayed for a moment in the gentle breeze before stepping towards the wisteria tree.
“Come here,” she said to him as she opened up the basket she had brought. She pulled out a small checkered blanket and laid it on the ground between two thick roots. Obanai stumbled over as it finally occurred to him why they were there.
“A picnic?”
“Yes!” She smiled warmly. “Told you it was going to be fun!” She pulled out of the basket a variety of food: sandwiches, fruit, and various sweets including, of course, sakura mochi. It reminded Obanai of the first time they met. Mitsuri told him about how she went out for a walk the other day and followed the overgrown path out of curiosity, which led her to find this area. “It’s just such a lovely spot for a picnic, don’t you think?” Her eyes held a dreamy look and Obanai found himself struggling to keep back another blush.
At this point, he was suddenly very, painfully, aware of how he felt for the girl in front of him.
She was still glowing even though they now sat in the shade. Her green eyes glimmered and her hair blew messily in the breeze, having begun to fall out of the loose bun. A small white butterfly fluttered around her head and she beamed with delight, trying to get it to perch on her finger. He wished he could capture this moment in a sketch. However, in his anxiety regarding the surprise, he had stupidly forgotten his sketchbook at home.
It really was easy for him to get lost staring at her; he didn’t realize he was staring until she met his eyes with a curious look. He averted his gaze, biting his lip as he no longer controlled the blush rising up his face.
In an attempt to busy his hands with something, Obanai got up and started plucking some nearby flowers. Soon, he had a full bouquet of various flowers making an explosion of yellows, pinks, and violets in his hand. Returning to Mitsuri, who had been watching him the whole time, he held out the flowers for her. He was avoiding her eyes, an unsuccessful effort to stop his blush again, and in turn almost missed the blush blooming on her own cheeks.
“Thank you…for…” Even though he thought about what he'd say while he picked the flowers, he struggled to find the words now that he was facing her. Not to mention, the first word came out in an entirely different octave than the rest. “For staying with me. I mean, you chose me over anyone else and I, uh, don’t entirely get it but…I’m glad. I’m glad it was you that found me in the tree. And I’m glad you’re my best friend. So…thank you.” He stuttered a lot more than intended and was mumbling by the end, but he hoped Mitsuri had understood him. He could feel his heartbeat drumming in his ears. Why is he so nervous about this?
She took the flowers from him and without pause threw her arms around his neck. She almost knocked him over with the force of it. She cried out, “Oh, Obanai! Of course I would choose you, you’re my best friend too!” She finished the statement with a small sniffle. Was she crying? Unsure of what to do, Obanai wrapped his arms around her in return and held her tightly. They had hugged before, but normally it was quicker and Obanai was much more awkward. This hug feels different.
As they sat there, he breathed in her sugary scent, it standing out from the flowery fragrance around them. Oh god, he was hopeless.
She pulled back so he could see her face, but she didn’t let go of her grasp around his neck. “These flowers are really beautiful…” She’s avoiding his gaze. Is she embarrassed?
“Yeah well, they reminded me of you…” He blushed at the implications of what he just told her as her eyes widened and bolted to his. They were watery from the brief tears during their embrace moments before. They held eye contact for a second before her gaze drifted down to his-- Wait, his lips!? “I-”
“Crap, Obanai, I,” she blurted, interrupting whatever nonsense Obanai was about to say. She stumbled over her own words and her face was bright red, resembling a tomato. She shut her eyes tightly before continuing, “I really like you. I mean, you’re my best friend…but maybe even more than that. If…if you'd have me.”
“Mitsuri…” He could feel the tomato look burning its way onto his face too. His heart was deafening as he felt it in all parts of his body. She slowly opened her eyes, still avoiding eye contact. Without thinking, Obanai brought his fingers under her chin and forced her to look up at him. He had a tendency to do things without thinking, and right now was no exception. He wanted her to look at him, though he couldn’t find the words to express his own feelings. He decided to act on them instead. He pushed a few stray strands of her hair out of her face and guided her lips onto his in a gentle kiss. She gasped in surprise but kissed him back. It was sweet, like mochi.
When they pulled out of the kiss, Mitsuri threw herself back at him, tightening the embrace again. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath. He finally managed to respond to her by saying, “Of course I’d have you.”
After what felt like an eternity and a second all at the same time, they let go of each other. Before sitting back, however, Mitsuri picked a pastel pink flower from her bouquet and tucked it behind Obanai’s ear. “There, so we can match.” He couldn’t help but smile at the gesture, the small flower matching her dress perfectly. He found a white one that matched the accents on his sweater and twisted it into her hair. The act reminded him of the first time he did that, back when they’d first started hanging out together. He smiled at the memory.
Mitsuri smiled back at him. “Well, I guess we should start packing up before it gets dark…” They cleaned up their picnic and began walking back to town, holding hands the whole way. Obanai wasn’t sure if he'd ever get used to feeling her warm skin against his. He didn’t think he’d ever want to.
“Mitsuri.” She was walking in front of him, but turned to look at him. “I had fun today.” She smiled as she responded, “Me too.”
This is…nice.