"It seems you misunderstood what I meant, Mei — but as it happens, I had something I wanted to ask you about too."
Acheron had been looking at her with rare, visible surprise, and Miko met it with an expression that said I know exactly what you're thinking — accompanied by an inexplicable little smile.
Acheron: "..."
Having her strange inner thoughts read so plainly — and then being told Miko actually wanted to discuss them — Acheron genuinely didn't know what to say for a moment.
They were all women right now, yes. But was this really the kind of thing you just... talked about openly? That part, Acheron truly didn't understand.
By her prior understanding, both parties were supposed to simply act as though nothing had happened. Miko, clearly, had no such intention.
"Discussing this sort of thing doesn't seem appropriate, Miko." Composing herself, Acheron decided to watch and see exactly how Miko intended to navigate this.
"Are you embarrassed, Mei? I really didn't expect that."
Hearing that, Miko seemed to find even more energy for the topic, and promptly announced that Acheron was, in fact, blushing.
"Didn't expect what?"
"That you'd actually get embarrassed. I thought you'd discuss this kind of thing with me the same way you discuss everything else — completely stone-faced."
As she said it, the smile on Miko's face deepened.
Acheron clearly wasn't reacting the way she'd imagined, and that, honestly, was rather entertaining.
"I simply feel it's not an appropriate topic of discussion." At that, Acheron smoothly returned to her usual expressionless composure.
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just the two of us here. We can talk about anything."
Seeing Acheron slip back behind her blank mask, Miko said just that.
From where she stood, she and Mei got along quite well — and they shared the same boyfriend, on top of that. Talking about that side of things was the most natural thing in the world.
"So the thing you wanted to say just now — it really is about that?"
She'd already guessed as much, but Acheron asked anyway.
That said, what she'd actually guessed was only that Miko had come to mention something that might have happened between her and Kaito. She hadn't guessed that Miko would be quite this bold — apparently ready to sit down and openly discuss that side of things with her.
"Not entirely. I mostly just wanted to tell you that yesterday, Kaito and I... mm. We did that kind of thing, that's all." Miko shook her head slightly, indicating that Acheron hadn't gotten it quite right.
'Not entirely' — which means it is, partially.
Acheron couldn't help delivering a silent retort at that.
But since that was how Miko saw it, there was nothing more to add.
"No wonder you didn't come back until morning." Acheron's response to Miko's confession was perfectly mild — exactly in line with what she'd privately anticipated.
As expected... Mei's focus isn't on what Kaito and I actually did...
Facing that sort of answer, Miko had been prepared for it. Even so, she'd noticed the faint edge of embarrassment when the topic of that kind of thing had come up — that part, she hadn't anticipated.
But that was actually perfect. It made the conversation considerably more interesting.
If Acheron sat there completely blank-faced through all of it, that would be no fun at all.
"Your focus really is in strange places, Mei." Miko wasn't in any rush to get to the heart of the matter. She intended to take her time.
What exactly am I supposed to be focused on — the details of what happened with Kaito last night?
That, I obviously already know...
After hearing Miko's remark, Acheron delivered another inward comment she kept entirely to herself.
And it was right then, while Acheron's inner monologue was running, that Miko was suddenly reminded of something.
Right...
I wonder if Mei already knows that Lumine and Kaito have also... done that...
Should I mention it while I'm at it?
Somehow I feel like Mei won't even react...
With that thought turning over in her head, Miko decided it would probably be fine to bring up.
But after thinking it over and over again, she ultimately abandoned the idea.
Forget it.
Better to leave it for Kaito or that little girl Lumine to tell Mei themselves.
I should keep my mouth shut.
Considering that what she said might stir up unnecessary complications, Miko decided not to dwell on it any further. After all, whatever the case, she and Lumine weren't exactly close — so it was better to stay quiet.
"I think it's fine." Though she dearly wanted to ask what the correct thing to focus on was supposed to be, Acheron ultimately didn't voice it — she simply said it was fine.
She knew perfectly well what would happen if she actually asked that. Miko would almost certainly use it as an opening to elaborate on that side of things in considerable detail — so it was better not to ask.
"Really, Mei — you've completely defeated me." Looking at Acheron like this, Miko let out a helpless laugh.
Even so, she had no intention of simply dropping the subject. She opened her mouth and said: "Actually, what I was going to ask earlier was about that little red ball. Kaito mentioned you've used it too."
It seems Miko has genuinely awakened to something remarkable.
With the same expressionless look as before, Acheron found the same thought surfacing in her mind that had once surfaced in Kaito's.
Or rather — a thought she'd had before was making its return.
Not that she would ever say it out loud, of course.
"I have used it, yes — though not very often." Since that was genuinely true — she'd only used it once — Acheron answered quite naturally.
Not that she would admit to using it frequently even if she had, because that would give Miko a whole new battery of strange questions to fire at her. Better to simply establish from the start that she rarely used it.
That way, whenever Miko came at her with some oddly specific question, she could deflect with I don't use it much and leave it at that.
"Rarely? I honestly assumed you used it all the time, Mei." Acheron's answer seemed to genuinely surprise Miko.
Why would I use that thing all the time...
It's purely self-indulgent novelty...
Having a few bodies of the opposite sex — you lose interest too easily.
Hence finding odd little things to play with.
With those thoughts quietly running through her mind, Acheron said aloud: "It's only occasional. Kaito asked me to use it, so I did. Having that thing in your mouth constantly isn't exactly comfortable."
"I thought you'd find it exciting, Mei."
Acheron: "..."
You're the one who finds it exciting.
Her face as impassive as ever, Acheron gave a small shake of her head and replied, "I don't find it exciting."
"Is that so."
She hadn't expected that answer from Acheron at all, and Miko immediately straightened up.
She had the distinct feeling she'd let something slip — best to stop right there.
"Ah — I nearly forgot, I haven't had breakfast yet." With a small sound of realization, Miko turned her attention to the meal set out on the table in front of her and began to eat.
She still had more she'd wanted to ask — but she felt she ought to slow down for now, before she exposed too much of herself.
If Mei were more like her, they'd be deep in conversation by now. But there was nothing to be done about it.
Mei, clearly, was not quite like her.
____
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