“Hey, I want to check this out,” Mio said, eyes sparkling with glee as she pointed at one of the events listed in the festival booklet. I’d headed over to liberate her from her hiding place the moment the opening ceremony ended, and found that not only had she read the booklet in the meantime, she’d actually circled a few items on its itinerary. The one she was pointing at now was class 2-B’s offering, which happened to be a maid café.
I dunno... Class 2-B...?
“What’s that look supposed to mean? I’m here, so I might as well enjoy the festival—something weird about that?” Mio huffed.
“No, it’s not that you’re being weird,” I replied.
“I get where you’re coming from, okay? You broke the rules to sneak me in here, and I know that was asking a lot from you, but I don’t exactly get many chances to attend this sort of event!”
“You don’t?”
“Nope. I couldn’t go to my own school’s cultural festival—work got in the way. That’s...not exactly why I’m curious about them, but I guess it’s sort of related, at least,” Mio explained as she bashfully broke eye contact. Judging by the slight flush of her cheeks, it wasn’t an act—she really was a little embarrassed.
Mio was right: If she got busted, I’d get in trouble for sure, and the more we walked around the festival, the bigger the risk that someone would see her and be all, “Wait, who’s that kid?” I wanted to avoid that sort of situation, if at all possible...but I couldn’t exactly tell her no after she’d opened up to me like that, could I? It was sort of like one of those moments when a cat that usually won’t get anywhere near you suddenly gets all affectionate out of nowhere—not that I’d know much about that, seeing as I’d never had a pet cat!
“Ugh...” I groaned. “Okay, fine.”
“All right!” Mio said, pumping her fist. “Let’s get moving, then!”
Mio set off down the corridor, humming a happy little tune as she went. It really felt like she had me in the palm of her hand, but I also definitely couldn’t let her wander off on her own, so I chased after her.
“Come to think of it, what was your plan? It’s kind of weird that you rushed right back here if you weren’t into the idea of us walking around the place. What were you thinking we’d do?” asked Mio.
“It’s not that I don’t like the idea, exactly... But I was just planning on sticking around and waiting with you,” I replied.
“What, like, to keep an eye on me?”
“No, not like that! I just thought you might get lonely, so I figured I’d hang out with you until the performance. I hadn’t actually thought about what we’d do, though... We could’ve, umm, chatted, maybe?”
Mio stopped in her tracks, then spun around to face me. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she looked sort of upset.
“Wh-What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You’re a flirt.”
“What?”
“You, Yotsuba, are a flirt. You haven’t realized it?”
“Whaaat?!”
“So, what, you’re just like this naturally...? How is that even fair?”
“H-How is what fair?!”
“Well, whatever. It’d be one thing if it was on purpose, but I guess it’s kind of endearing if it’s just the way you are.”
“Oh. Uhh... Thanks?”
“Ha ha ha! That’s how you react? Come on!”
I’d been totally serious throughout that whole exchange, but apparently as far as Mio was concerned, my reactions had been hysterical. The little smile on her face almost felt like a mean-spirited smirk, but at the same time, it gave me the impression that she was having a blast...and suddenly, the intensity of her gaze that had freaked me out so much up until then didn’t bother me at all anymore.