Megumi decided that today had to be the work of an enemy stand user.

She was kidding. But it was a close thing!

How could a day like this occur? Megumi smiled from ear to ear as she recalled the fun afternoon she had experienced. Megumi had completely forgotten how drastically different it felt to hang out with a friend.

Sure, Megumi could go to the arcade by herself. She could grab a smoothie by herself, and she could venture by the local bookstore by herself. But it was definitely a hundred times more fun with a like-minded friend by her side. With someone else, the usual things just seemed...brighter, somehow.

It was either that, or the more likely scenario that Megumi had eaten something dated from the food stall.

Megumi dropped her bookbag by the counter and hurried to her room, where she promptly plopped down onto her bed. Full of wonder and reverie, Megumi spent minutes reminiscing. Today had begun as beyond horrible, but somehow ended miraculously great. She could hardly believe it.

Megumi was sure that Mizuki must be working part-time as a cop like that one movie, 2* **** Street.

Maybe she was just using her as a cover. That almost sounded more likely...Megumi felt the negative thoughts crawling by slowly, but she dismissed them just as quick.

No!

She wouldn’t rain on her own parade. Normally, she probably would go right ahead - her mind didn’t listen well to her sometimes, after all. But this time, she wouldn’t just be making herself sad, but she’d be outright lying to herself. Mizuki had said as much, hadn’t she?

“We’re friends.”

“We’re best friends, Megumi.”

"We're the bee-estest fwiends, Megu-min!"

“To be honest, I’m your secret stan. Sign this please.”

Okay, that wasn’t what she had said, but to be honest, it made her feel the same way. It was like a compliment punch to the gut. She hadn’t seen it coming, and now she had to spend the rest of the day feeling like a million bucks. Cold sweat broke out on her face. She wasn’t used to this at all!

Mizuki was a kind girl, Megumi decided with finality. She crossed her arms and nodded. Yes.

This was a fact of the universe, not just Megumi’s thought. After all, they were strangers, but she deemed it important to back her up and care for her. Megumi couldn’t imagine doing the same for her. Not because she didn’t want to, she did! She definitely, definitely did! But it was hardly a secret that years of social anxiety messed with her still. While it was fun to remain inside the realm of what-ifs, Megumi knew the truth. She would probably freeze up and say nothing, like always. Megumi hated that about her the most.

But Mizuki wasn’t like that, and Megumi admired that deeply. Mizuki extended a hand towards her, and she grabbed on firmly. And somehow, all reservations had vanished after that talk. Mizuki and her had checked out so many places, taken photos here and there. They had to return once the light outside waned, and Mizuki had the brilliant idea of running home instead of taking the bus. Megumi didn’t mind. She felt freer than ever in those moments.

And wasn’t that something?

While yes, Megumi had secretly regarded Mizuki as a friend since they met, she had no idea Mizuki felt the same way. Mizuki had wanted to be her friend too! Her friend!

Her!

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She almost wanted to go back to class to have another go at that Daddy’s boy, Haruki. She wanted to shout, “You see? I’m way better than you! I! Made! A! Friend!”, but she refrained. She also had to lower her fist, who decided it wanted to punch him. Like, a lot. She blushed while lowering it down slowly.

Megumi exhaled, ‘Happy thoughts’!

It was truly a day full of discoveries. She was more bloodthirsty than she thought. But she liked it. Grinning, she went to open her door, only to find Shiori standing beside her. Hm... Megumi squinted at her.

“Did you... want to come inside?” Megumi asked, perturbed.

Shiori’s eyes widened. “Ah, that’s not...” She sighed. “It’s just, I haven’t seen you in a few days, and I got worried.”

While that would be the case with a normal aunt, Shiori was anything but. It was suspicious...

Megumi squinted at her again. “We’ve barely known each other for two weeks, why would you-”

Shiori pouted. “Ah, seriously. Semantics. You,” she grabbed Megumi’s shoulders, ”are my precious niece, and I”, she pointed triumphantly to herself, “am your wonderful and amazingly nurturing aunty. Your auntie! So spend some quality time with me.”

Megumi wanted to disprove many of these accusations, but she relented. Shiori’s eyes seemed earnest and, dare she say it, sad. Had it been that long since they last talked? Megumi scratched her neck in confusion. This much was normal with her mother, so...

She turned to Shiori again with a smile. “Okay, let's do it. What do you have in mind?”

The sheer joy and relief expressed in her aunt’s eyes astounded her. “Yes! Thank you! You won’t be disappointed!”

Megumi laughed, “Okay, okay! Enough already.” She let Shiori cart her out of her room. That made her pause. She hadn’t yet seen Shiori’s room, but hadn’t thought much about it. Excitement pooled out of her aunt, and it was times like this that Megumi decided her aunt wasn’t half bad. Her childish side (in doses) could even be considered kind of adorable.

Megumi was wrong. Dead wrong. Repeatedly stabbed in the neck wrong.

“This is excrutiating. I think I'm dying,” she moaned. Shiori turned around, thought for a minute, before declaring, “You’re not. Come on. This much is easy!”

For the record, Shiori wasn’t completely wrong to assume this could be a fun bonding experience. She just didn’t realize how much Megumi loathed things like these. What is it, you ask?

Calling TV hotlines to complain about Soap Opera storylines.

Not just one, either. They had already gone through 13. 13!

Megumi wanted to combust. This had to be some high level form of ninja torture.

Death through intense shame.

Shiori didn’t mind that though. “Honestly! Do I have to explain everything?”

Megumi looked at her like she was crazy. “Yes, you do,” she started, “Because unlike you, I haven’t seen half of these shows! And the ones I know of are like 20 seasons long! How am I supposed to make real criticism?! At this point, I’m just harrassing these poor people!”

Shiori laughed, “Poor people? As if! Anybody who could look themselves in the face after sending my favorite Claire off to prison is not poor at all! They should feast on the taste of my fists instead.”

Megumi’s eyes darted around, before settling tiredly on her aunt. “Umm...okay. Auntie, why do this? They'll think you’re crazy.”

“Yes, and that’s why you need to call them. I would try lying to the receptionist, but by now, they know my voices.”

Megumi sighed, “Not voice, but voices.”

Shiori looked away. “Hey. A man has to fight for what is right.”

“You're not a man.” Dissapointment seeped out from her pores at this point.

Megumi had had enough, but she felt strangely like this was important. Instead of her normal response of ignoring her aunt’s quirks, she decided to play into it. “Aunt Shiori, suppose I get through to this show’s team, err, “Wilting Rose Captain”...”

“Of the Never-Ending Torment of Turtles, yes,”

Megumi continued, “Right. That. If I get through to them about your bullet point of criticisms, will you answer a question of mine?”

Shiori eyed her for a while. “Sure. You’re in luck, that’s actually my favorite. It’s about a turtle drinking an evil witch’s potion and becomes human male all while falling madly in love with a female assassin, who has a trauma of all aquatic creatures.”

Megumi was done. "Why."

"Ah, that was because the grand-father of the grandfather of the Main Character Turtle ordered a hit on her-"

"Not that. Please, stop talking." For her sanity's sake.

She was messing with her, wasn’t she?! There was no way a real-life tv executive would greenlight something like that. If that was the case, they deserved this harrassment. In fact, they should double it.

Megumi paused. “I’ll do it then. And you’d better hold up your end of the deal!”

So Megumi endured the stomach-splittering torment that came with bothering working people about inconsequential things at night-time. It was technically that company’s fault for having around the clock hotline established, but Megumi believed in human decency...unlike her aunt, who cheered excitedly in the corner.

“Thank you for listening to my concerns, Mr. Terebii. Yes, I don’t expect you to do anything to rectify or change anything to fit my concerns, I just wanted to state them. Yes, I’m serious. No, I’m not crazy, and I’m not an insomniac. Yes, I know this is inappropriate. Right. Sure. No, really, It’s fine. Goodnight. No, I wasn’t being sarcastic. Please believe me. Alright. Bye.”

After that pathetic excuse of a conversation, Megumi turned to her aunt, but found that she beat her to it. She was engulfed into a bearhug. Shiori’s hugs were like a prison, she could barely move!

“Shsjss, whpalp r you” came the muffled response.

“Thank you! Thank you Thank you Thank you! I'm sure if a young girl like you asks them, they are sure to do something!”

Jumping up and down, she expressed real joy at Megumi’s escapade. All while her mother stayed back, watching the two in their little moment.

She coughed. “Ara, I’m home! I’ll get started on cooking...My, are you two adorable! Shi-chan, why didn’t you say you got along with Megumi like this?”

“It was all Megumi! I am proud to have such an go-getter of a niece!” It was clear that Shiori was still deep inside the throes of her recent victory.

Was she blind? That was nothing like Megumi!

Megumi regarded the two siblings as they dressed the table excitedly. She then noticed the clock by the wall. 10:30 PM. It was super late for a meal, but she decided to humor them anyway. Megumi smirked, as she rubbed her eyes.

If she did arrive late tomorrow, she could always cite Shiori as the reason.

She was her teacher, after all.