Heart of the Infiltrators

Chapter 53: Suspicions and Comfort

Heart of the Infiltrators

(Senran Kagura x Male Reader)

Chapter 53: Suspicions and Comfort

April 28 – "Even when coupled with complete silence, a single action can say all that is necessary."

In the Hebijo Elite's common room, Miyabi was sitting on the couch and folding her hands over her face while bouncing her knee up and down. Imu had already taken notice of it about ten minutes before and had been watching intently with sad eyes, already believing that she knew what was eating the woman up. The spectacled shinobi was considering the prospect of breaking the ice, slowly moving from chair to chair and getting closer over time, before she was eventually seated right next to her best friend.

Swallowing the saliva that had built up in her throat, Imu debated herself on what to say. In accordance with the angel on her shoulder, she wanted to say something comforting and soothing to alleviate Miyabi's fears. The devil, on the other shoulder, wanted Imu to capitalize on Miyabi's worries to try and become a dependent figure in case anything went wrong with the woman's relationship. One option would be fine but didn't make any progress for her own strivings while the other was predatory to a scummy degree. Thus, trapped by indecision, Imu instinctually reached her hand out to Miyabi and began to pat her back.

Immediately upon contact, the stronger shinobi let out a brief yell, "Gu-WAAAGHHH!" and huffed a breath before noticing her friend, "Ah..." Once she took a moment to calm down, all while Imu was staring with wide and alarmed eyes, Miyabi then asked, "Are you alright? What's up?"

Pressing her lips together so as not to say something along the lines of, "I should be asking you those questions," the spectacled girl had to pause for a few seconds to plan her response. After a few more subconscious pats to Miyabi's back, she then quietly replied, "...I just wanted to see how you're enjoying your day."

"Oh," remarked the woman, "it's going pretty well..."

When Miyabi turned away sheepishly after the complete lie that she'd told, Imu had to refrain from letting out her own yell. But, after calming down, she then began to plot her next approach. Figuring that Miyabi was filled with jealous feelings over the date that Murasaki had left for earlier, Imu knew she had to choose between the angel and devil on her shoulders: either to be a comforting friend or a scheming romantic rival. Still unable to choose, she murmured, "I... actually can tell that you're upset about something..."

Miyabi sighed, "I suppose I'm not doing too well at hiding it..." before dropping her hands to her legs and thinking hard for a moment. When her face briefly brightened up, she turned to Imu and asked, "Hey, I'm not sure how acquainted you are with matters of romance... but could I ask for your advice?"

The devil on Imu's shoulder let out a merry yell and repeatedly cheered for Miyabi to break up, citing the misery that she must have been experiencing as the 'other woman' for the day, before it got tackled by the angel and beaten into a gruesome pulp. Once the fight was over, the blood-stained angel then beckoned Imu to say instead in a falsely enthusiastic voice, "I'm happy to help."

"What do you think I should do for my date?" asked Miyabi, her voice weighted by both stress and uncertainty.

Imu froze and the angel on her shoulder suffered a sudden heart attack from the shock. With both of her moral alignments effectively out of the picture, she could only narrow her eyes and ask, "Repeat?"