It was the next day.

Shinobu was in her place, getting ready to visit Tengen. She really wanted to learn the actual truth about the situation.

She stepped out, the weather growing cold as she looked at a tiny snowflake float in the air. With a tense expression, she tried to find Tengen.

"Cold!"
Mitsuri was out on a walk as she exclaimed.

"What a weather!"
She mumbled as she walked quietly.

That's when she noticed Shinobu walking in the distance.

"Kocho-San!"
She waved at her joyfully, pleased to see her.

Shinobu stopped and turned around, noticing Mitsuri. She sighed and walked towards her, rubbing her hands together for warmth.

"H-Hello Kanroji-San..."
She said, her tone cold.

"Do... Do you need something?"
She asked bluntly, not in the mood for small talk.

Mitsuri's expression dropped a little, her excitement dampened by Shinobu's tone.

"Oh... no. I just wanted to say hello, Kocho-San... Look, it's snowing! Isn't it beautiful?"
She blushed a little, trying her best to get Shinobu to smile.

Shinobu's gaze flickered up to the falling snowflakes before returning to Mitsuri's face.

"Hmm... It sure is pretty..."
She smiled at Mitsuri's sweet and welcoming words.

Kyaaa!!! I got her to smile!
Mitsuri squealed internally.

"See? It's like a little miracle from the sky, just for us."
She sighed in contentment, her breath forming a tiny cloud of mist in the cold air.

"So... Where were you going? You looked a little... tensed...?"

Shinobu's smile faded as she looked away from Mitsuri, her expression turning back to its usual stern one.

"...I'm on my way to visit Uzui-San."
She said, not bothering to hide the fact.

"I need to talk to him about something important."

Mitsuri's eyes widened.

"Uzui-San? But he's on a mission, isn't he?"
She looked into Shinobu's eyes, her tone slightly curious.

Shinobu's eyes widened.
"Wh-What? On a mission?"

Mitsuri nodded, her face lighting up.
"Yes! He told me he had to leave for a while. He said he'd be back soon, though."

She tilted her head.
"You didn't know? Was it something important?"

Shinobu was surprised, but she tried to keep calm.

Wh-What am I supposed to do now!?
She wondered, extremely tensed.

Mitsuri's expression turned concerned as she noticed Shinobu's distress.

"Kocho-San? Is everything alright?"
She asked softly, placing a gentle hand on Shinobu's shoulder.

"You look so troubled..."
She mumbled, her voice filled with worry.

Shinobu sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"K-Kanroji-San... You know, Shinazugawa-San and Tomioka-San?" She trailed off, looking down at the ground.

"Well..."

Mitsuri's eyes narrowed slightly as she listened to Shinobu's words, her expression turning thoughtful.

"Shinazugawa-San and Tomioka-San..."
She repeated the names, her mind racing with possibilities.

"What about them?"
She asked, her voice gentle but probing.

Shinobu let out a heavy sigh, reluctance coloring her voice.

"They... They are not in good terms with each other anymore..."
Her gaze met Mitsuri's again, her fingers reaching out to gently rub the back of her neck.

Mitsuri gasped softly, unable to believe that the couple she loved the most had fallen apart.

"Wh-What do you mean, Kocho-San!?"

Shinobu hesitated, glancing away before continuing.

"I-It's a long story..."
She gulped, her gaze shifting back to Mitsuri.

Mitsuri's expression turned serious. She grabbed Shinobu's hand, pulling her close.

"Come on, Kocho-San. We're alone, and it's cold. Let's find a place to sit and talk about this, alright?"
She said, her tone gentle yet firm.

Shinobu nodded, following the taller woman. The two walked into a nearby restaurant, taking a seat next to each other.
Mitsuri offered two bowls of hot soup, her gaze shifting back to Shinobu.

Shinobu took a deep breath in, holding Mitsuri's hands.

"They... They got into a fight..."
She explained, her heartbeat fast.

Mitsuri recalled the times of the past when both Sanemi and Giyuu would always be together, never leaving each other's side.

It was almost unbelievable to even think that those two could grow apart. It was just painful for her to think of it.

She recalled the time Sanemi visited her to get flowers for Giyuu, and it made her gasp softly.

"H-How..."
She covered her mouth with her hand, her heart beating fast.

"How did this even happen, Kocho-San!? And what does Uzui-San have to do with this...? Please, tell me!"
She pleaded, unable to keep calm.

Shinobu sighed, looking down at the bowl of soup.

"Long story short... Tomioka-San had asked Shinazugawa-San to make a promise, to always take good care of himself. But Uzui-San later told him that he'd heard Shinazugawa-San say that he didn't care... And that has caused Tomioka-San to distance himself from Shinazugawa-San."

She paused, looking up at Mitsuri, who looked speechless.

"I... I personally don't think Shinazugawa-San would ever say such a thing, it has to be a misunderstanding!"
She said, a certain shimmery gleam in her purple eyes.

"I think so too! Why would Shinazugawa-San do something like that... He looked so genuinely caring when he visited me to pick flowers for Tomioka-San!"
Mitsuri sighed out, unable to believe the words.

"I-I tried to explain it to Tomioka-San but he didn't seem to care... I'm sure they had a miscommunication, which ended up in an argument!"
Shinobu said, her voice hurtful.

Mitsuri nodded, her heart breaking into pieces.

"I wish they would just talk it out and clear things up! I mean, they're a couple, right? They should be communicating better than this..."
Shinobu's voice trailed off, frustration clear on her face.

"You're right... They should talk to each other."
Mitsuri whispered, her eyes welling up with unshed tears.

Shinobu nodded, a pained expression on her face. The two talked for a while before deciding to leave the restaurant.

Mitsuri took Shinobu's hand in hers as they stepped outside, the cold wind hitting their faces. She looked at Shinobu, her eyes filled with concern. "Let's keep hoping for the best, alright?"

Shinobu smiled gently, sighing out as she nodded.

"What're you two doing here?"
Obanai walked towards the girls, a curious expression on his face.

"Oh, Iguro-San... We were just... Talking about some stuff."
Shinobu replied, a pained expression on her face. Her gaze flickered over Mitsuri, who also looked slightly tensed now.

Mitsuri forced a smile, trying to hide her distress.

"Y-Yes, just some personal matters. Nothing to worry about, Iguro-San."
She said, giving Obanai a reassuring smile.

But, her eyes betrayed her, still worried about the situation between Sanemi and Giyuu.

___________________________________________

Girl talk ☕💅

Yes! I'm back...? I missed y'all so much that I just decided to publish a chapter lol😭

Take this chapter for now, I'm not sure if I'll be back anytime soon.

I'm sorry but my classes and exams are eating up my schedule! Expect to see me active from October!

Love you guys❣️

My pretty gurls~🩷💜

Alr bye🍩