Just Another Ghostly Story

Sleepless Nights (3)

'Another uneventful day I guess...'
The lone girl thought to herself. Turning to her right, Daisuke is minding his own business as usual despite the crowd around him being livelier than ever. The contrast between his keeping to himself and the group of students behind him fooling around and enjoying a lively conversation is too jarring. In fact, they seem especially boisterous today compared to usual.

"Eh no way! I heard it happened to a third year too!"
The murmurs of highschool students intensify as Mizuki leave the class. She might not pay much attention to it but, a recent development has sweep the class by storm, gossips jump from one group to another. Mizuki is way too distracted by her own issue to notice. Daisuke is still taking his time, picking up his stuff before going home is taking longer than usual. A solemn look on his face, like something is bothering him, or rather his mind is focused on something else at the moment.

Even after school session ended and Mizuki promptly leaves, he paid no special attention. Daisuke has been quite since they stopped having that noon training session.

"Ahh Kitahara san, there you are!"
As Mizuki reached the exit of the building, a senior of her called out to her, an older girl in sports attire
"Your mother have been waiting for you at the gate, she was asking for you"
"GEGH?!" Mizuki spontaneously bursts, surprised not by how early her mom is but rather the possibility that eventually the whole school might know her this way. Like some lost kid that need to be called out at the mall.
"Haha what's with that reaction!"
The girl remarks while Mizuki just shyly brush it aside.
'ughh I have to ask her to change her mind about this or I'm gonna get some unwanted reputation at school...'

"Also, Kitahara san your mother is so beautiful! And she still looks young too!"

"I was a bit nervous when she approached me earlier"

'why would you?'
Is what Mizuki thought but not let it slip out her mouth.

"But it seems like you're going to grow up into a fine woman like her too, how lucky~"

"Hmm? She really said that?"
Fuuka inquires as Mizuki recounts the exchange. Her hands doesn't stop wiping the dishes even as her focus is on Mizuki.

"Yes. And then I told her that 'you can just tell her that yourself' and she suddenly starts getting all embarrassed all of a sudden"
Mizuki retells, slightly chuckling. She's helping her mother with some night chores.

Her routine at home ended uneventfully, Fuuka didn't ask anything difficult tonight, just having a good time and laughing it out with her only daughter. She's just glad to have Mizuki by her side and enjoying a good mother-daughter bonding time. She was fully prepared to face Mizuki's adolescent tantrum but instead enjoys a quality time every night after enforcing her parental rights the other day.

Instead of sulking, Mizuki just oblige and even seeks to spend more time with her mother.
'I guess... this is for the best...'
Is what she have in mind but, somehow her face still have a sombre dim once she escaped from Fuuka's sight. Probably hiding her true feelings in front of mom.

But she keeps pounding inside her head that things are better off this way, that it is how it is supposed to be. Almost like she herself are not convinced but is desperately tellimg herself to be so. Perhaps lying to herself enough times might eventually change how she feels.

However, later when Mizuki climb up the stairs, she heard a sound coming from her room, specifically her window. A tapping noise.

"D-Daisuke kun?! What are you-?" though she sounds surprised to find that gentleman knocking on her window on the second floor, unbeknownst to her that happiness are written on her face. Like students hearing the recess bell after a long boring class. Even if she never notices it herself, her face immediately lights up with excitement.