What Rules Cannot Hold (A Naekusaba story)

Chapter 5

''So, you like him?'' Mukuro stopped eating and looked at her sister. The canteen was brimming with students that made a dizzying clamor, yet Junko's question was impeccably audible, as if all of that noise wasn't there. 

''I'm not sure what you-'' 

''Are you seriously going to play dumb, big sis? Your acting is shit. Maybe you would be able to fool some of those dimwits over here, but not me. You like Naegi, don't you? You better answer me.'' 

Junko pressed her heel on Mukuro's boot under the table. She didn't feel much but wanted to appease her sister nonetheless lest she were to do something more impactful. 

''He's nice and understanding, but-'' 

''But what?'' 

Here Mukuro wasn't willing to continue. Her feelings towards Makoto were meant to be hidden and she hoped that her sister wouldn't pry into the matter since she disliked the pair. 

''Mukuro, I know what troubles you,'' Junko said, pretending to be formal, ''because you're, how should we phrase it, lackluster in every respect, you do not know how you ought to reveal your feelings to him. You know that even a loser like him can see through your bullshit acting, so you're totally terrified that he might reject your advances before you even manage to make them clear! Isn't that right?''

Mukuro nodded in response. She was beginning to believe that perhaps Junko understood her, for better or worse.

''Now I, being your ever helpful sister, am willing to do the tougher part of the work for you.'' 

''What do you mean?'' 

''Obviously the part where we get to know if he likes you, you idiot! Today I'll tell him to meet with me tomorrow, or the day after, to speak about you. Until I meet with him, I wouldn't recommend talking with him unless you want him to suspect something and so, to fuck up my entire plan. Do you understand, big sis? I'm doing this to help you, so you better not waste my time by pulling up some of your quaint nonesense.'' 

The order was clear. Mukuro only finished that her sister were more tact in her proposal, but she was willing to help her with obtaining Makoto, therefore, she considered enduring her contempt and rudeness a fair price for the favor. 

''Thank you, Junko, thank you...'' Mukuro said, kneeling and bowing her head. 

''Alright, alright, now stop before I change my mind.'' Junko commanded, exaggerated disgust marking her face, though unable to contain a malignant smile. 

*

Makoto was packing his belongings, excited for another afternoon to be spend training with Mukuro. For a couple of days he has been contemplating giving her a gift for all the time that she devoted to training him; he initially asked other girls what kind of presents they liked, the answers they gave were, however, too diverse and individual for him to get any general idea. Following this period of thinking, he settled for buying a set of well-made hairpins that he thought fitted Mukuro's new look and a rose in vitro, though he experienced a weird feeling whenever he imagined giving the rose too her - it might've been too obvious.