Chapter Text
“Do you think they’ll be okay?”
Shizuku turned to Airi, who had an uncharacteristic expression of worry on her face.
“Oh? Why do you ask?”
“It’s just…” Airi sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m just confused. Haruka told me that she likes Minori back, but then why would she have star tear disease? Her love wasn’t unrequited.”
Shizuku hummed thoughtfully. “It might have been that Minori believed her love was unrequited. She was convinced that Haruka didn’t and couldn’t love her back, so that’s why she got sick.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Does it need to be complicated?”
Airi let out a breathy giggle. “I guess so. And you know? I bet there’s nothing I need to worry about. After all, even if Minori can’t confess now, I know she’ll find it in her to try again. She always does.”
***
Minori’s heart was going to beat out of her chest. Seriously. Excitement, love, and no small amount of anxiety was causing it to race at overwhelming speeds. Her hands shook nervously as she considered how to confess to Haruka, and she found herself wishing that she had prepared something to say beforehand.
Additionally, Haruka also had something to say to Minori, and Minori couldn’t begin to guess what it was. Was she just going to ask again about what was going on with her? Had she figured out Minori’s feelings and was going to reject her? Had she had enough of Minori’s problems and was going to kick her off MORE MORE JUMP! for causing so many problems?!
Minori quickly cut off that train of that. Haruka would never do something that heartless, and she needed to stop worrying so she could focus on the task at hand. But should she offer to speak first or let Haruka go? Or let Haruka decide? Or-
“Why don’t you go first?” Haruka suddenly said, cutting Minori’s renewed spiraling off.
“O-Oh, uh, okay!” Minori sputtered. “I, uh…”
She closed her eyes and considered where to start the story. Should she tell Haruka about her disease or just confess her feelings? On one hand, it seemed awfully embarrassing to basically tell Haruka she was confessing to her knowing she would be rejected, but on the other hand…
Minori opened her eyes again and found Haruka’s kind, patient gaze staring at her. The one that had supported her from when she had first become an idol to even now. She always had taken the time to try to understand and empathize with her, even when she certainly had more pressing issues to attend to.
Seeing Haruka’s kindness, Minori knew what to do.
“So, um…” The start of this was going to be the hardest part. “It’s probably been super obvious, but I’ve had…a…c-crush on you for a while now!”
Haruka’s eyes widened, but she didn’t seem too taken aback. She nodded, and Minori took that as a sign to continue.
“It used to just be a celebrity crush, but when we met, it suddenly got a bunch stronger! Like all my feelings were put in a magnifying glass! And I didn’t realize that until a couple months ago, which is totally embarrassing, and-Sorry! I’m getting off topic, aren’t I?”
“Anyways, remember that stream we did a week ago where at the end I ran off to the bathroom? Well, this really weird crystal fell out of my eye then, and I was really confused! But I brushed it aside cause I thought someone had just left it there…”
Minori drifted off in panic as she saw she was beginning to lose Haruka. “I promise this is important!”
“I believe you, Minori. You can take your time,” Haruka said as her face shifted into a kind smile that somehow made Minori’s heart race even faster.
“Right! Of course! Taking my time…”
She took a deep breath and continued.
“The next day, when I invited you to visit that café with Kohane and me, another crystal fell out of my eye! And then later, when we were waiting for her to arrive, I tried to tell you how I felt! But then Kohane interrupted, and I cried another crystal!”
“Later that night, I cried a bunch of them after trying to write my diary entry, and I was getting really worried, so I went to visit SEKAI to see if they could help. And Luka knew what was wrong! But…”
She averted her gaze to the ground and nervously pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. How was she supposed to tell Haruka this part without sounding completely crazy?”
“Well, she said, uh, that I have something called star tear disease. It’s when, uh, someone has an unrequited love, so they start crying crystal tears like the ones I was crying, and if it goes on for long enough, someone can stop seeing color, or even go blind!”
“So I was worried, and I finally realized how much I liked you, so I decided to try and confess…When we went to the restaurant, I tried, but my disease flared up do so that’s why I ran out and I’m really sorry about that by the way!”
“When I got home, I cried a bunch of crystals and realized I couldn’t see color anymore, and I was kind of demoralized…” Minori knew she was understating things, but she couldn’t bring herself to describe the true depth of the sadness she had experienced. It just felt too soon, too raw.
“And I guess throughout today it was kind of weighing on me, so that’s why I was so off during practice today. And I was worried I was just chasing you because I thought it would cure my disease, but today, everyone helped me realize something!”
She was so close to the finish line. She just needed to keep pushing. Just a little more.
“Haruka…I…I…I love you!”
The wind blew through her hair. The sunset illuminated the pavement. The scent of the night hung in the air. That moment, the moment when she finally said the words “I love you,” would forever be ingrained in Minori’s mind.
Minori’s quickly found her face covered in a bright flush. She had already admitted to having a crush on Haruka, but somehow saying “I love you” felt much, much different.
She continued staring at the ground for a couple of seconds as she waited for Haruka to respond in nervous anticipation. But it already felt like a weight had been lifted off her heart, just by telling the truth.
It felt like forever, that moment of silence. Minori tried to be patient, but her heart was still racing, and eventually, she had to cave. Minori looked up from the ground and at Haruka, whose eyes were filling with tears.
“You can’t see color anymore…because of me?” Haruka said.
“W-What?! No! Nonono, it’s not you fault at all! So don’t feel guilty! Please! If anything, it was my fault for bottling it up so long! Really! Please don’t cry!” Minori babbled, a rising sense of panic in her.
“No…!” Haruka exclaimed passionately, and Minori blinked in surprise at the emotion in her voice. “It’s not your fault at all! So please don’t say it was…”
Haruka took a deep breath and wiped her tears away with the back of her wrist. “Minori…Airi told me how you felt when you went into SEKAI, and it made me wonder how I had been blind for so long. Not only to your feelings, but my own. In that way, it is partly my fault, because I never realized till now.”
“I know I probably don’t have to right to say this, especially after you what you lost because you thought I didn’t like you back. But Minori…I love you too. You always make me smile, and you always brighten my day. That’s the truth of how I feel”
Haruka’s words held a deep conviction, one that was enough to make Minori’s face flush an even deeper red, one that she wouldn’t have though possible before. Was Minori dreaming? Did Haruka just say she liked her back? Was this real!?
Minori pinched her cheek and let out a cry when she felt the pain. So it wasn’t a dream…
Haruka giggled and started walking over to Minori. “Is it that surprising? Airi acted like she had known for a while…”
“All the virtual singers said it was super obvious how I liked you, so I guess we’ve both been oblivious, huh…” Minori said, laughing sheepishly.
Suddenly Minori found Haruka standing right in front oh her, and she almost jumped back in surprise. Haruka tenderly grabbed both of Minori’s hands and smiled. Oh, was this how Minori was going to die?!
“S-So! Uh,” Minori started, unable to find her words. Haruka’s hands on hers seemed to chase away every comprehensible thought of hers. “Since you like me, and I like you, uh, would you want to…go on a date sometime!? And be my girlfriend, m-maybe?”
“I’d love to,” Haruka responded, and she started leaning closer.
Minori’s heart skipped several beats as she realized what was happening. Was Haruka going to kiss her? What if she was misreading her? Wouldn’t it be mortifying to kiss her if she was trying for something else? But if she was kissing her, then what was Minori supposed to do?!
Minori had never kissed anyone before! Were her eyes supposed to be open or closed? Was she supposed to like, push or bite her lip or something? Minori’s only knowledge came from a romance novel she had snuck from her parents room when she was thirteen, and it seemed extremely inadequate when faced with the real deal.
While Minori was panicking, Haruka had gotten even closer. Their foreheads touched, and they locked eyes for an infinite second.
Then Haruka leaned forward and put her lips on hers, and all her worries melted away.
Minori’s eyes widened in surprise before she closed them and leaned into the kiss. She could faintly taste the strawberry ChapStick that Haruka used on her soft lips. Their hands remained intertwined, and Haruka’s grip grew stronger. The kiss reminded Minori of how Haruka was as an idol; she was always trying to convey her love and kindness to all of her fans. But this time it was just Minori receiving that love, and she was overwhelmed with ecstasy.
They stayed that way for a couple of perfect seconds before Minori pulled away, finding her heart racing so fast that she needed a deep breath. She gently untwined their fingers and leaned down, placing her hands on her knees.
Minori was going to melt. She was going to turn into a puddle of gushy Minori mush. That kiss had been everything she could have imagined and more.
“Minori? Is…everything okay?” Haruka asked.
Minori stood up fully again and pivoted to face Haruka, who’s face was just as flushed as Minori imagined hers was. She had regained her expression of worry, however
“T-That was…incredible!” Minori exclaimed, and Haruka suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.
“Y-Yeah, it guess it was!” she said, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth-
Her blue eyes. Minori gasped as she looked around. The red, golds, and purples in the sunset. The grey of the concrete. Haruka’s beautiful blue hair and eyes. They were all apparent to here, and Minori felt another rush of joy as she realized what had happened.
“Haruka, Haruka! I can see color again!” Minori exclaimed, jumping forward and hugging Haruka.
“You can?!” she said. “That’s great news!”
Haruka took Minori and pushed her away gently, her smile exuberant and free. Minori still wasn’t quite over the fact that her and Haruka had kissed, and now she was granted with a miracle! That moment couldn’t have been any better. Except…
“So…what now?” Minori asked, her smile dropping slightly. “I mean…I’ve never dated anyone before.”
“Me neither. I’ve always been too busy with idol work. But we can figure it out together. Even if it’s difficult, I’m sure we can figure it out. Especially since getting together was already such an ordeal. We’ve got lots of practice!”
“Yeah! You’re right!”
“But we will have talk with Airi and Shizuku about our relationship, plus what it means for MORE MORE JUMP! as a whole. Idols being in a relationship is generally frowned upon, so we’ll probably have to keep it a secret from the public. That might mean…”
“Haruka?” Minori interrupted, and the uncharacteristically serious tone of her voice made Haruka suddenly quiet down. “You’re such a hard worker…but it’s okay to take a break for now! Let’s just enjoy the moment and worry about that tomorrow!”
Haruka widened her eyes in surprise before smiling once more. “You’re right…for now, let’s just go home.”
She held out her hand in invitation, and Minori found herself hesitant to reach out. After all, was she really allowed to do things like that now. But Haruka gave her a warm smile and a small nod, giving her the courage she needed to tie their fingers together once more as they walked off the rooftop.
***
“I knew she could do it! They’re together now! That’s so-“
“Rin, be quiet! She’s gonna hear us!” Len reprimanded in the dark of Minori’s pocket.
“But I’m just so happy for her! Minori was suffering so much…” Rin said, drooping slightly.
“Well, all’s well that ends well, I suppose,” MEIKO said with a wide smile on her face. “I wonder if this will affect SEKAI at all.”
“If that’s the case, we’ll certainly see those changes soon,” Luka responded.
“Luka…” KAITO started, and Luka turned her head towards him. “Did you know that there was the possibility of Minori’s color vision coming back? If so, why didn’t you tell her?”
Luka grinned enigmatically. “My source said that there was a chance her vision would be restored, but it wasn’t certain. I didn’t want to tell her in case she got her hopes too high. Plus, she was already worried she was chasing after Haruka just so she could cure herself. Telling her that would have made her worry even more.”
Miku frowned. “Your source? Luka, don’t tell me you contacted…them. We’re not supposed to unless the SEKAI is in danger!”
“Wouldn’t you say a heartbroken Minori would have hurt the SEKAI? And besides, everyone’s happy now. Let’s just enjoy this happy ending.”
Miku sighed, but her expression settled into a happy one moment later. “You’re right. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
***
When Minori and Haruka got to the front gates, Airi and Shizuku were waiting. Upon seeing their hands, Airi let out a cheer and charged toward them. Shizuku followed closely behind, though in a far more graceful manner.
“I knew it would happen! You two have been pining for months now! Congrats!” Airi yelled, pumping her fists.
“Yes, congratulations!” Shizuku added, smiling brightly. Something seemed to cross her mind, however, and her expression gained an uneasy note. “Still, it’s unfortunate about your vision, Minori.”
“Actually, I got it back! I can see colors again!” Minori cheerfully said. “It happened after we-”
Haruka suddenly cut her off by covering Minori’s mouth with her hand. Minori suddenly realized what she had almost just shared. Her face flushed with heat, and she put her fingers in front of her eyes to try to hide the blush.
Airi had already caught on however, and she jumped with all the eagerness of a bloodhound that had caught the scent of their prey. “After what, hm? Mayhaps after you…kissed!?”
Shizuku gasped in what Minori considered a slightly dramatic fashion. “You kissed? Oh wow…tell me, was it like how it is in the movies? Were there sparks?”
“Shizuku,” Haruka sighed, but Minori could tell it was with fondness. “Why don’t we talk about this some other time?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course! I’m sure we’re all tired after today. Let’s head home. And I’m very happy you got your vision back. So, do you think you’re cured, Minori?”
The girls began to walk together as Minori considered the question. Minori realized that there had been a pressure behind her eyes the whole time that she was only now noticing because of its absence. “I’m pretty sure I am, but we’ll just have to wait and see!”
Airi sighed in relief. “Well, I’m glad that whole ordeal is over. Just promise me you two won’t be too lovey-dovey from now on, alright!”
“Airi” Haruka exclaimed while the rest of them burst into giggles, and Minori was struck with joy and a feeling of rightness. Everything was okay, and everything was as it should be.
***
When she got home, she settled down into bed and quickly texted Ichika and Kohane the good news. They both almost immediately responded with their congratulations, along with promises to hear her out if she ever had any relationship trouble.
Next, she went to text Haruka good night, because that’s what girlfriends did, right? It took her ten minutes of contemplating and overthinking, but she eventually settled on “Good night” with a heart emoji, along with a picture of Samo.
Haruka almost immediately responded with her own good night and added three heart emojis, which almost made Minori’s heart explode with happiness. Minori was seriously concerned for her heart health if their relationship continued.
Finally, Minori flipped open her diary, pulled out her pen, and began to write.