Prompt: The Empress and the Queen (Persona) (Patreon)

Summary: Haru and Makoto share a day of fun together, laughing and smiling as they enjoy a world without Personas and Shadows. A good respite for Makoto's lonely heart. With Ren not there, maybe Haru can help ease her friend's pain? Includes: No smut, humor, slice of life. 

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Makoto did her best to smile as she and her friends enjoyed dinner together one Friday night. It wasn’t that she was unhappy with her friends. No, she loved the group, she really did.

Ryuji and Ann were bickering as always, while Futaba was showing something to Yusuke on her phone and laughing at it while he stared in confusion. The group was the same it had been for months now, save for one crucial difference.

Ren wasn’t here anymore, and it felt like Makoto was the only one to really feel the hole he had left behind in the group. 

She tried not to make a big deal of it. The last thing she wanted was to be some sappy girlfriend upset at any distance between her and her boyfriend, but… but…

Makoto missed him. She truly, truly missed him. It had only been a week since they dropped him off at his home and returned to Tokyo, and yet she couldn’t stop thinking about him and the hole he left in her heart. 

Why did he have to go back? His family didn’t care for him as they should have. Sojiro was a better father to him! They didn’t even believe him when he tried to plead innocent, they believed Shido! 

Makoto’s hand tightened around her drink, digging into the styrofoam. 

How could they be considered family when his real family was here in Tokyo? When Futaba, and Sojiro, and their friends, and... she was here…?

Makoto fought off a sigh, keeping it locked deep down inside her chest as she stared at her salad. She poked at it with her fork, trying to push the thoughts away, but they just seemed to come back stronger. 

The loneliness… She missed him. It wasn’t that she couldn’t talk to the others, but he was her best friend. Her boyfriend. How could she not miss him?

“Hey, Makoto? You alright?” Ryuji suddenly asked. 

“Huh?” Makoto blinked, before looking at the young man. “Yes, of course. I’m alright.”

“You sure? Cause you’re spilling soda everywhere.”

“What?” Makoto followed Ryuji’s hand and her eyes widened as she looked at the crushed styrofoam cup in her hand, and the soda that was spilling all over her hand.  She quickly released the cup, blushing as she apologized. “Oh! I-I’m so sorry.” She quickly tried to apologize to the others as Ryuji laughed.

“Heh. Guess Miss Class President doesn’t know her own strength.” He probably meant it as just a simple joke, but… she really wasn’t in the mood. Makoto just didn’t say anything, cleaning her mess as she forced a smile onto her face.

Eventually dinner was over, and the group began to go its separate ways, bidding fond farewells to one another. Makoto did her best to smile at the others, before she turned and began her walk back home.

That was when a voice called out to her.

“Mako-chan, wait!” Haru was walking towards Makoto, and the brunette blinked.

“Haru, is something wrong?”

“I should be asking you that,” she replied with a knowing, if melancholic smile. 

“W-what do you mean?”

“Makoto, I can tell you’re upset, and I can probably guess why.” She reached her hand out to Makoto and took one of her hands in hers, gently squeezing it. “You miss him, don’t you?”

The other woman wanted to argue. She wanted to lie and say she was fine, and that everything was okay, but she knew better. She stared into Haru’s eyes, and it was a lot like staring into the eyes of her boyfriend. Haru already knew what the truth was. 

“I do,” she confessed with a quiet sigh. “I’ve tried not to think about it, but my mind always goes back to him. How he’s not here…”

“I knew it. Oh, Mako-chan, I can only imagine how painful it must be for you.” Haru then pulled on Makoto’s arm, and the other woman’s eyes widened as Haru embraced her, squeezing her in a warm, but tight hug. 

Makoto’s cheeks turned a subtle shade of red as Haru hugged her, speaking against her shoulder. “Have you told anyone about how you’ve felt?” When she didn’t get an answer, she pieced it together herself. “Well, that cinches it then. You and I are going to have a Girls’ Day Out tomorrow.”

“I… I’m sorry?”

“Don’t be!” Haru beamed. “I want to help you, Mako-chan.” Haru released her friend, though her hands still laid on Makoto’s shoulders as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Tomorrow, I want us to hang out. Not as Phantom Thieves, but just as two normal friends. I want you to feel like you can talk to me. I want to make you happy.”

Makoto blinked, not sure of what to say. No one had ever taken such a… direct tone with her about such a subject. It was clear that Haru wouldn’t take no for an answer, and despite how bizarre this all might have seen, Makoto found herself smiling.

Maybe Haru was right. Maybe some one on one time with a friend would help. Makoto was willing to give her idea a shot, at least. It was clear that Haru was confident about it at least.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Oh, wonderful! We can do it after school tomorrow! Right after class, we can go to the cinema! There’s a movie playing that I would absolutely love to see with you.”

“That sounds fun,” Makoto replied. “I can’t wait, Haru.”

The auburn-haired woman’s smile was practically radiating a bright glow. Afterwards, the two young women parted ways, and Makoto found herself smiling slightly. 

Maybe this was what she needed? She certainly hoped so. Still, whether or not it was, the sheer fact that Haru wanted to help her so badly made Makoto smile. Haru was a good friend, and with her boyfriend miles away, Haru might be the perfect pillar for Makoto to lean on…

000

The day was a blur for Makoto. She did her duties as a student, but her mind was far from the classroom. She thought of Ren, and how he was dealing with the loneliness, locked away in some small town that cared nothing for him… Her thoughts also traveled to Haru, wondering just what the two were going to do today.

It had been so long since Makoto stepped out to just enjoy some one on one time with another girl her age. There was a bit of excitement under her thoughts, though Makoto did her best to keep such childish inklings under control. 

Still… Her pace could easily be described as a ‘fast walk’ as she made her way over to Haru, waving at her friend. 

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Indeed!” Haru beamed. “I’m so excited. I think you’re going to just love this movie.” 

The two walked together to the nearest movie theater, making small talk as they went. Makoto was so distracted by the simple pleasantries and the question of what they would watch, she didn’t even realize she knew what the obvious answer was. 

Haru was beaming when she pointed at the poster of the movie they were going to be seeing. Makoto’s reaction was the opposite as she felt both dread, and a simple question of ‘Why?’

Why had she not seen this coming? She knew what Haru’s favorite types of movies were. It was plain as day considering how she found the Shadows cute or how brutal her fighting style was against those same ‘cute’ creatures.

She had just been so focused on Ren lately, and then on the chance to hang out with Haru that… she forgot. She forgot how much Haru loved horror movies.

“Space Beast Five: The Day of Star-mageddon!” Haru grinned, presenting the poster like Yusuke was showing off his latest work of art. “It’s the reboot and interquel  to one of my favorite franchises when I was young!”

“How… how can something be both a reboot and a interquel?” Makoto shook her head. “More importantly, Haru, are… are you sure this is the best movie for us to see?”

Haru nodded her head with a smile. “It is! I saw the fourth movie with Ren at his place once and he loved it. I remember seeing the very first one when I was just a little girl with a-an old friend of mine.” Makoto raised her brow at Haru’s slight stumble. “This is a great movie to watch with friends!”

Makoto considered arguing, but how could she when Haru looked so… happy. She took a deep breath and put on another smile as she nodded her head. “Alright. Let’s go see it.”

“Excellent! Oh, and please, pick a snack to enjoy! I’m sure it’ll make the movie even better!” Haru beamed, before she took Makoto’s hand. She leaned in a bit, and even with the movie in the back of her mind, Makoto found Haru’s good mood to be almost infectious. “Please, it’s on me!”

“A-are you sure? I’m fine covering for myself.”

“Nonsense! This day is my gift to you. I want you to enjoy it.” Haru and Makoto shared one last smile together, before they walked in, grabbing snacks and drinks before they found their movie.

The movie was… Well, it was exactly what one would think. Makoto and Haru sat side by side as they watched a meteor flying through space, headed right for Earth.

“Is this a disaster movie?” Makoto whispered, but Haru shook her head as she nibbled on her chocolate bar. 

“No, you see, in Space Beast 3, the Space Beast was killed, but it was revealed he has dozens of children spread throughout the galaxy, all traveling on little meteors like that. The fourth film had them taking over Earth. This film shows the first Space Beast Jr. to land on Earth after their creator’s death.”

“Oh. I see.” Makoto had no idea what was going on, but she shrugged it off and tried her best to just run with it. 

The meteor landed on Earth and a small creature came out of it. Makoto blinked, finding it almost cute as it tried to walk on newly formed legs. Was this the titular creature? It looked so small and harm-

Makoto’s eyes widened as the creature jumped onto a nearby squirrel. The two fell into a bush, but she could hear the ripping and loud squeaks as the Space Beast devoured the squirrel. 

The brunette glanced at her friend, finding Haru smiling, watching with wide, eager eyes as a dog-sized squirrel monster jumped out of the bush. Makoto gulped, nervously sucking on her drink, gulping down soda as he tried to calm her racing heart. 

The movie continued, and Makoto watched as a group of adults clearly too old to be teenagers, but consistently referred to and treated as such, entered the plot. 

And Makoto used the word ‘plot’ lightly.’ 

The group was going camping in the woods together with their friends, and it didn’t take long for two members of the group to leave the others behind, kissing and pulling at each other’s clothes. 

The brunette blushed as she placed a hand on her mouth, wondering if she should avert her eyes as the twenty-something man pulled his girlfriend’s top off. That was when the Space Beast jumped down on them, 

Makoto had been fine for the first thirty minutes of the movie, beyond a few jump scares and gory imagery. Nothing too bad. Now, though, the movie was a mess both literally and figuratively. 

The Space Beast clawed at the eyes of the woman, before jumping onto the back of the man and clawing a hole into his chest. The man began to mutate, and Makoto screamed as the man’s face began to take on elements of both the squirrel and the alien monster that now controlled him. 

Makoto grabbed the closest thing next to her as the bucket of popcorn on her lap fell to the ground, littering it as she grabbed onto Haru’s arm. The auburn-haired woman blinked, suddenly taken out of the movie as she looked at her friend. Makoto’s hands were clamped tightly onto Haru’s sleeve, holding onto her as the Space Beast began to chase after the young woman.

“Mako-chan? Are you okay?”

“F-f-fi-ahh!” Makoto screamed again, and this time she leaned her head behind Haru, averting her eyes as the Space Beast caught up to the woman and dragged her behind some bushes. Her screams echoed into the next scene as Makoto’s heart raced. 

“Mako-chan, if you want to step out-” Haru began, reminded of poor Shiho and the ordeal she had gone through when they had all gone to the theater before. 

“N-no.” Makoto shook her head. “I-I’m okay. I-ahh!” 

One of the characters had jumped out from around a tree, scaring another protagonist. They were laughing about it now as Makoto groaned, burying her face in Haru’s shoulder. She couldn’t believe that got her…

“Are you sure? This is meant to be fun,” Haru frowned. 

“I’m alright, Haru. Really. I just… the movie’s very… intense,” Makoto muttered, sighing as she looked down. It was then that she noticed just how tightly she was holding onto Haru, and she blushed as she tried to pull away. “Oh! I-I’m so sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Haru giggled, before reaching a hand out to Makoto. She didn’t grab Makoto, she just held it out to her as she whispered, “My palms always get sweaty during a good horror movie. Ren always tries not watching the screen when he knows a jump scare is about to go off.”

“Wait, he does?” Makoto blinked.

“Mmhm,” Haru smiled. “It happened all the time when we watched horror movies together.”

Makoto had never realized that before. Then again, she had never seen horror movies with her boyfriend. Her thoughts were sidetracked, though, as Haru leaned in and whispered once more.

“Just remember. It’s only a movie. Nothing in it is real. Just enjoy it from an outside perspective.”

“Right…” Makoto nodded her head, before both girls jumped slightly as someone hissed at them.

“Hey, quit talking!”

“Sorry!” both girls apologized, before they glanced at one another and gave each other a quick, but amused smile.

After that, the movie wasn’t quite as bad. Makoto still got wrapped up in the atmosphere of the scene, but she was able to distance herself enough so she wasn’t screaming or jumping from every little scare of the film.

She still did jump, though. She gripped Haru’s arm, digging her fingers into her as the last survivors of the movie ran from the Space Beast. By now, the monster was the size of a truck, made of many hands, arms, legs, and various animal parts. The many maws of the beast roared as the survivors were chased…

Makoto’s heart was pounding in her chest as the creature nearly grabbed one of them. That was when one of the characters threw a stick of dynamite, and the entire cave was filled with fire. 

The characters jumped out of the cave, the fire chasing after them as Makoto wondered if the writers of this movie had any idea how fire worked. She chose not to mention it as the movie came to an end, and the survivors limped back home to safety, the cave they were in reduced to nothing more than a pile of rocks.

The words ‘THE END’ popped onto the screen, and Makoto let out a sigh of relief as the movie ended. Then a horrible shriek filled her ears and she jumped, pulling Haru closer. She peeked out from behind Haru’s head as a tendril of the Space Beast crawled out from under a rock. 

A question mark faded onto the screen, before the credits began to roll.

“Is… is it over?” Makoto asked, glancing at her friend. 

“Mmhm!” Haru smiled, and Makoto sighed in relief as she fell back into her seat. 

“Oh, thank goodness…”

“What an exciting movie,” Haru beamed, before looking at her friend. “Are you alright, Mako-chan?”

“Y-yeah. I’m okay. It was just… intense.” Her heart was still pounding in her chest. “I think I can somewhat understand why you like these movies, though. They leave your heart racing.”

“Exactly! It’s so exciting! And besides, I just love the special effects. They used so many practical effects during this movie! It was amazing!”

Makoto smiled at Haru’s clear excitement, before the two friends stood up. They both stretched as the other moviegoers began to leave, but Makoto stopped as she noticed Haru was picking up the popcorn the brunette had dropped.

Haru noticed Makoto’s eyes on her and the fluffy-haired girl blushed. “Sorry. I just feel bad leaving all of this for the workers to clean up. I love this theater, and they’re already overworked as is…”

“No, no. Let me help,” Makoto smiled. “I’m the one who dropped it, after all.” Haru nodded her head in gratitude, before the two scooped up the fallen popcorn back into the bucket. The two then walked out of the theater, throwing the trash away as they passed by the clean-up crew. 

“Have a good day, Atushi, Ena.” Haru waved at two of the workers and they waved back as Makoto tilted her head.

“Did you know them?”

“Mhhm. I asked for their names the first time Ren and I came here. I’ve tried to get to know them ever since. Atushi likes to collect and put together model robots, and Ena has a boyfriend at our school.” Haru blushed slightly as she explained. “I just think it’s important that everyone at a business is acknowledged for their hard work.”

Makoto shouldn’t have been surprised. Haru was such a kind woman, and she was growing up to lead a company one day. Makoto could already tell that Haru was going to do great things for her father’s company. 

That single thought led to a series of realizations. It must have been her father’s curious nature at work. Her father was a genius, and he had a keen eye for observation. If he had enough clues, his mind could piece together a puzzle in an instant…

Haru had said she had seen other movies in this series with Ren and with an old friend of hers. But who was that old friend? Haru had never spoken about having other friends before the Phantom Thieves. It honestly seemed like they were her first real friends…

Then who did she see the older movies with? Makoto had a suspicion about their identity, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want to bring up bad memories, but unfortunately, Haru could see the glimmer of understanding in her eyes.

“Mako-chan? Is something wrong? You look like you have something on your mind.”

“O-oh. N-no, it’s nothing.” Haru’s stare told Makoto that lying wouldn’t work on her. The brunette sighed as she voiced her thoughts. “Who…? You mentioned watching the older movies with an old friend. Who was that?”

“Oh.” Haru bit her lower lip as Makoto’s suspicions were confirmed. “My father. He and I used to love watching old sci-fi movies. He… he never liked the horror ones, but he watched them for me. He even let me see the ones I wasn’t old enough to see,” she admitted with a melancholic sigh.

“Haru, I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s alright.” Haru hid her emotions with a smile as they stopped walking. “I just… He wasn’t always the man you saw, Mako-chan. He was a good man once. There was a time when he was my best friend, but...” Her eyes fell to the ground as Makoto leaned a little closer. 

“I know. I know that better than anyone.”

Haru blinked, and Makoto smiled as she placed her hands on Haru’s shoulders. “My sister was my best friend too. I thought she could do no wrong when I was younger, and then we found her Palace… I saw the worst side of her.”

“But she’s back now, isn’t she? You and her are close again…”

“You’re right, but still… She changed, and I never even realized how badly until I was staring right at her Shadow.” Makoto’s hands gently squeezed Haru’s shoulders.

“I know what it’s like to lose a father too, and while I would never assume to know exactly how you feel, I just… I want you to know that you have my sympathies, and I know that if your father was alive today, he’d be so proud of you for helping him see the light. He’d be proud of how strong you are, and how brave you are… You’re amazing, Haru, and I’m proud to call you my friend.”

Haru had never heard those words before. Not exactly. Yes, she felt the pride and warmth from her fellow Phantom Thieves, but to actually hear this…

She lunged forward, wrapping Makoto into a tight, warm embrace. Makoto grunted as she was squeezed and lifted off of her feet, a scarlet blush on her face. 

“Thank you, Mako-chan.”

“N-no problem… P-please let me down now, H-Haru?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Haru did so and Makoto tried to ignore the bright blush on her cheeks. “I’m sure the same is true for you, Mako-chan. Your father would be so proud of you for doing so much for other people.”

Makoto’s blush returned and she smiled as Haru beamed. “Ren said the same thing…”

“Well, then it must be true! Ren is a smart young man, with a clear eye for good taste.” 

“G-good taste? N-no! I-I mean, maybe? I-I mean-” 

Haru giggled at her friend’s embarrassment as the two returned to their walking, exiting out of the theater. 

“What do you want to do now?” Makoto asked. “I’m happy to keep hanging out.”

“Really?” Haru beamed as her friend nodded. “Fantastic! Why don’t you pick? I chose this after all.”

“Hm…?” Makoto pondered the question, before grinning. “I think I have an idea.”

“Then please, lead the way!” Haru urged, before linking her hand with Makoto’s, gently squeezing it. 

000

Haru wasn’t sure what to expect as Makoto led Haru through the city. Were they going to the local library? A bookstore? Perhaps some kind of museum? 

Today, Makoto surprised Haru as she led the heiress to a large and crowded arcade. 

“Oh, I’ve never been here before,” Haru gasped. “I’m surprised, Makoto. This doesn’t seem like your particular kind of place.”

“Ren brought me here once. It was pretty fun, if a bit intense,” the other woman explained with a chuckle. “Come on. Let’s see if the game he showed me is available.”

The two girls walked inside, hand in hand as several other patrons watched them. From the outside, some might have even thought the two were dating. Of course neither girl held any romantic interest in the other, but they were close, and it was hard not to see their bond as being only a step or two down from such. 

“Here it is. ‘Gun About,’” Makoto declared, pointing at a large arcade cabinet with four plastic guns holstered in front of it. 

“How amazing! I’ve never played anything like this before! Can we give it a try?”

“Of course.” Makoto and Haru were both beamed as they slipped in the money to start the game. Each of them took a toy gun and the brunette was quick to explain the rules of the game, guiding Haru like Ren had guided her. 

“Mutant terrorists have invaded the building! Reinforcements won’t arrive in time! It’s up to the two of you, the last security guards, to save the VIPs and defeat the evil Mutant army!” the bombastic announcer declared. 

“We’ll do our best, sir!” Haru declared, saluting the announcer as Makoto laughed. 

The game began and the two moved forward on a ‘rail,’ as Ren described it. The monsters were quick to fire at the two as Haru and Makoto began to fight back.

“Look out! Incoming!” Makoto shouted.

“There’s so many! Ah!” Haru gasped, hiding behind cover and firing as best she could.

“Watch out for that one on the roof!”

“R-right!”

Bullets flew as the two did their best to fight against the tide of Mutants. Neither really said much, both engrossed in the game. The battle only got more intense as the two got closer and closer to the end of the first stage. 

That was when they came face to face with the boss of the area.

“Look out!” The monster roared, and the two were face to face with some kind of cyborg draco. It roared, an electric current hidden just below the screech, giving it a robotic sound effect. It breathed fire on the two, damaging them both.

“I-I’m nearly done!”

“Me too! Such fire… We have to work together to beat it! Here, use my health pack!”

“But Mako-chan!” Haru gasped. “It’s your last one.”

“Just do it! I’ll be fine,” Makoto smiled, passing her health pack to her friend as the beast roared again. Lasers shot from small turrets on its back, and the two cried out as laser fire nearly hit them.

They fired, giving as good as they got, even as the mutant cyborg dragon tried to destroy them. They fought as hard as they could, destroying each one of the dragon’s turrets. Sparks and smoke shot out of the dragon’s body as the two girls watched its head split open, revealing the large barrel of a cannon.

“Look out!” Makoto dropped her gun and grabbed Haru, trying to shield her friend with her body. The screen flashed wildly as a colorful laser erupted from the barrel, and both girls’ characters were knocked down by the last. 

“CONTINUE?!” the game asked, as both girls looked at it. 

Makoto blushed slightly, realizing how immersed she had been in the game as she pulled away from Haru. Thankfully the other girl didn’t notice as she blinked.

“What a devastating final form.”

“NINE. EIGHT. SEVEN,” the game counted.

The two watched as the dragon continued to roar, shooting lasers wildly and without reason as they sighed. Makoto was about to suggest the two move on from the game when a voice called out to them.

“Hey. Can I join?” a young boy asked, holding out his hand to the two and opening it to reveal several coins. “I’ll cover for ya.”

The boy was small. Younger than even Futaba, and shorter too. He seemed like a normal young boy, though Makoto couldn’t help but raise her brow at the strange hat he had on his head. 

What did getting ‘smoked’ mean?

“Oh!” Haru beamed, her eyes shining at the young man. “He’s so adorable,” she whispered to Makoto. “We should play again! He looks like he’d love to join us.”

“I can hear you, ya know,” the boy frowned. 

Makoto and Haru offered apologetic smiles to the small, adorable boy, before they nodded their heads. “Alright,” the brunette smiled. “One more game.”

The machine was fed and the battle began again, and what a battle it was. All three fought with a wild, powerful vigor, and the monster howled as gunfire rained on to its skin. The young boy easily slipped into the role of a leader for the two inexperienced women. He knew exactly where to attack, and he was able to keep his eye on each of their health bars as well as his own.

It didn’t take long for the three to slay the beast. They each focused their attacks on the monster’s weak spot, and it roared as it died an agonizing death, its flesh melting and burning as its reactor overheated.

The beast bellowed, before three words flashed onto the screen, congratulating the trio for their hard fought victory.

“CRITICAL FINISH! CLEAR!” 

The beast was destroyed as the three cheered, each of them beaming. 

“You two are pretty good, for a couple of newbs,” the young boy commented, giving the two girls a thumbs up.

“What’s a newb?” Haru asked, and Makoto shrugged as the boy tipped his hat to the two and turned away. 

“Thanks for the good co-op game. Been looking for one since my friend went back home.”

Makoto raised her brow at that statement. There was something familiar about the young boy now that she thought about it, before Haru tapped her shoulder. She turned to her friend, who smiled.

“Come on, Mako-chan. Why don’t we get some food?” Haru suggested, and Makoto was inclined to agree. She gave one last glance at the boy, who waved goodbye at them as he walked over to a group of kids his age.

The other kids seemed to beam at him, laughing and joking as they picked another game to play together. Makoto couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them. It reminded her of her own group of friends. 

For most of her life, Makoto was weighed down by expectations and others’ standards, but when she was with her friends, either as a group, or just here with Haru or Ren, she felt those weights vanish. 

Her hand found its way to Haru’s, and the two girls walked out of the arcade, their faces shining bright with joyous grins.

000

Makoto and Haru laughed as they entered the small store together. The wealthy heiress was the one to suggest they eat here, and Makoto struggled to decide on what to get. There were so many sweets, and while Makoto didn’t have as much of a sweet tooth as Ann, the selection still looked absolutely delicious.

In the end, the two decided to share a large ice cream together made up of three different flavors. 

“Here, try some,” Haru beamed, picking up a small spoonful with her utensil and holding it out to Makoto. The brunette blushed slightly as she opened her mouth and tasted the cold, but sweet treat.

Her eyes widened as she let out a small moan of approval. “This is delicious!”

“I’ve always liked this place,” Haru admitted. “But never had anyone to go with. I was going to invite Ren here, but…” She bit her lower lip, glancing down at the table. 

“He moved away,” Makoto finished for Haru. “I understand that…”

Haru glanced at her friend and she put on a smile. Makoto was a brilliant girl, but this time, she was wrong. Haru had planned on taking Ren here after he accepted her confession. A confession she never even tried to make, because Ren had confided in her that he and Makoto were dating. 

She took a deep breath and took another bite of the ice cream. She had spent a whole night just crying from the loss of her first love. She thought she had gotten over these feelings. If Haru were to lose, she was glad it was to someone as kind hearted and perfect as Makoto, but still…

It hurt to lose. 

Haru took a few more bites of her ice cream, before noticing Makoto staring at her. She hadn’t even touched their dessert yet. 

“Mako-chan? Is something wrong?” Haru asked, and the brunette took a deep breath, before sighing.

“Haru, I don’t think I could ever repay you for today.”

“I’m… I’m sorry?”

“No, I’m sorry. I know how down I’ve been around the group. I’m probably no fun to be around, and taking me out today, I’m sure you had better things to do,” Makoto admitted, but before Haru could argue, the young woman continued. “But I want to let you know how much I appreciated today. I really needed this.”

Makoto’s hand found its way to Haru’s, and the latter smiled as she locked her fingers with her best friend. “I only wanted to help. You’re my friend, Mako-chan.”

“Haru, I… you’re my best friend,” the brunette confessed. “Besides Ren, I feel like you’re the only one I can really talk to, and open up to. I miss Ren so much,” she confessed. “I miss his smile, his laugh, his warm nature, I miss everything about him.”

Haru understood that feeling… Makoto’s hand squeezed hers tighter as the brunette continued. “But today? Today I didn’t miss him so much. I know he’ll come back someday. I’ll see him soon, and maybe all three of us can hang out together.”

Makoto smiled brightly at Haru, and she squeezed her hand one more time. Haru knew she had lost the battle for Ren’s heart, but she would take her loss with grace and dignity. Makoto was a wonderful woman, and Ren was an amazing man.

It was an honor to even be their friends, and if she could be both of their best friends, well… That was more than enough for.

“Thank you, Mako-chan.”

“No, thank you, Haru.”

The two girls smiled brightly at one another, before they continued to share the ice cream, making small talk and plans for another outing next week. 

Eventually the two stepped out together, a few sweets and snacks in hand as they laughed. Makoto had a lollipop in her mouth as Haru talked about what they could do next time they spent time together. 

She paused as she noticed something though. “Oh, Mako-chan, you have something on your cheek!”

“Huh?” Makoto blinked as Haru lifted up her hand and licked her thumb. She then wiped the other girl’s cheek, wiping some leftover whipped cream from her cheek.

“There you go.”

“Oh, um… T-thanks,” Makoto blushed.

“Is something wrong?” the other girl asked.

“N-no. You’re just very motherly. You remind me of Sis when she was younger.”

“Oh? I’ll take that as a compliment. Your sister is a wonderful woman,” she beamed, before wiping her hand against her sweater. Makoto held out her own hand to her friend, and the two linked hands, walking hand in hand to the night-covered town. 

“I’m sure she’d be happy to hear you say that…” Makoto gave Haru’s hand a squeeze, and the other girl beamed. “Thanks for everything, Haru.”

“It’s my pleasure, Mako-chan. I’ll always be here when you need me.”

“Like a hero of justice.”

Haru’s eyes widened, before she blushed, giggling a bit. “Exactly.”