𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕥 || 𝕂𝕪𝕠 𝕊𝕠𝕙𝕞𝕒

That's Fine, Too

"Hey...can I ask you a question?"

Summer break was coming up. Since they met on that spring evening, they only saw each other every other Saturday. They would meet up at the park a few blocks from her apartment; no one ever went there to play like they did, so they were almost never bothered by other kids.

Sitting across from her in the sand, her faceless friend looked up. "What is it?"

"...Um..." Hesitating, she pulled her legs close to her chest. Hiyori could feel her cheeks turning red. "Uh, n-never mind..."

"What?" It sounded like he was frowning. "Hey, you can't just change your mind like that. What did you want to ask?"

Her face flushed even more. "No, it's...I-It's nothing."

"Come on, Hiyori!"

"But you...might think I'm weird." She said softly.

"Weird?" From the corner of her eye, she could see him turning to face her. "I'm...not gonna think you're weird. So just say it."

Hiyori was still hesitant, but she was in this situation because she opened her big mouth in the first place. So what other choice did she have?

She turned her head the other way. "Um...I was just w-wondering if you and me are...friends." If possible, her cheeks burned even more. "Because I...don't think I've had friends before. No one but my cousin really talks to me at school, and that might only be because w-we're related."

The boy was quiet for a second. Hiyori knew that she shouldn't have asked such a stupid question, but it was too late now. All she could do was sit there in silence and wish the ground would suddenly swallow her whole.

"...Why wouldn't we be friends?"

The girls' alarm had yet to go off when Hiyori opened her eyes. Tohru was still asleep in her own bed, and the room was still dark from the closed curtains.

Sighing, Hiyori covered her eyes with her forearm.

'Even after all this time...why don't you have a face?'

~🦋~

Finishing the last sip of his breakfast, Shigure sighed in delight. "Thanks for the soup, girls. It's divine."

"I'm so glad you like it." Tohru smiled.

"Just one more way you've both changed things. We never ate breakfast when it was just me and Yuki."

Hiyori giggled. "Well, I'm happy that's different now." Glancing up, she spotted Kyo walking into the kitchen with his jacket and bag both ready to go. "Ah -- morning, Kyo!"

"Hello!" Tohru chimed.

Either he didn't hear them or he was just choosing not to acknowledge them. Either way, Kyo went straight for the fridge without a word.

"Hey," Shigure called. "Come and eat."

"Better hurry, or it'll all be gone." Yuki drawled.

Again, Kyo didn't reply. Watching him grab the milk carton, Hiyori tilted her head at his persisting silence.

"Um, don't you want breakfast?" Tohru offered.

Kyo turned to leave with his milk. "Not hungry."

"Oh," Hiyori blinked. "But..."

"He can starve if he wants to." Yuki sighed.

"I wonder what's wrong." Tohru murmured.

Hiyori played with a fraying string on her lavender sweater. Dropping her gaze to her breakfast, she frowned just slightly. "Hm..."