What Rules Cannot Hold (A Naekusaba story)

Chapter 17

Although the opening ceremony was long, Mukuro couldn't recall anything from it. Bumping into Junko in the dormitory and then later sitting next to her left her feeling too exhilarated for her to focus on anything else. Her younger sister only greeted her when they encountered each other, staying silent ever since, but for Mukuro that was enough; her sister did not need to say a word as long as her presence gave a smallest hint of reconciliation between them two. Admittedly, she was most susceptible to Junko when she felt alone. When she was with Makoto, the temptation to be with Junko faltered and could be resisted easily. The solution wasn't to be with Makoto at all times, as Mukuro was still convinced that her person was disagreeable to him, but she was at a loss about other ways of treating her affliction. A few weeks ago she wouldn't dare to see her love for Junko as a problem; now, having conversed and spent much time with Makoto, the faulty character of this love became perceptible, yet whether her reluctance to forsake it was voluntary or a matter of habit remained unclear. Perhaps what made Mukuro to come back to her sister were her regular fantasies about the dread she'd experience if they ever parted; the punishing sorrow would wreck her constancy and would render her talent as the ultimate soldier useless by overcoming it with emotional frailty. There was no means to escape this ending if Junko were to leave her. 

They headed to the canteen together and ate in silence. Mukuro expected Junko to insult her or call her a pig for eating more than she, but Junko stayed quiet, flipping through a recent issue of a fashion magazine, undisturbed by the unseemly shouting and chaos as more students tried to force themselves into the stuffed canteen. Her composure was unusual and Mukuro began to imagine what she'd feel if Junko never spoke to her again. She found that scenario less overwhelming than the previous one, but doubted that her sister's current stance could persist. She was driven away from the thoughts when she saw Makoto and Gonta approach one of the nearby tables. The crowds constantly blocking her view forced her to stop trying to make herself noticed by Makoto who quickly disappeared in one of the queues. Mukuro kept on looking out for him until her sister arose. She followed suit and they headed to the dorms. 

''Hey...Mukuro?'' She heard Makoto call and faced him. 

''...Yes?'' 

''Would you like to watch something with me...I mean me and others? Kazuichi invited me to the theatre downstairs, so I thought that you might like to go as well...it's fine if you don't since you're probably busy.'' 

''Are you going there now?'' 

''In about an hour. That is if me and Gonta manage to get a dorm key to leave our stuff...'' Makoto chuckled and moved the arm encumbered by his duffle bag. ''I don't know what we're going to watch but it should be fun-'' 

''Would you like to go t-there together?'' Mukuro cut in, rebuking herself for doing so and for asking such a risky question. 

''Sure...I was actually about to ask that myself,'' he adjusted his bag's strap as if to cover his blush, then his expression suddenly became serious. ''And about Junko. Is everything alright? As I said, I won't intrude into your relationship with her, but just want to make sure that everything's fine.'' 

His words left Mukuro visibly flustered.

''Did I say something wrong?'' 

''You didn't, Makoto...you didn't,'' she struggled to restrain the flood of emotions she felt when hearing Makoto express his worry about her so endearingly. Acting as Junko allowed her to be more reckless in showing her feelings and freed her from a sense of embarrassment that'd handicap her otherwise - but what was she to do now? Who was Mukuro Ikusaba and how would she act in this situation? Would she imitate her sister's flamboyance or would she remain shy, unobtrusive in expressing herself?