“Your dress is beautiful,” Hirako tells Hairu.
“It is,” Arima agrees.
“Thank you!” In a flutter of white, Hairu twirls around with a giggle.
Ui stares at the floor. Of course she would go for Arima. Hell, he would go for Arima if not for Hairu.
But he wants her to love him.
Hairu chatters with Arima about their upcoming mission, and Ui feels himself melting into the floor.
“Are you okay?” Hairu tilts her head as they work together later that afternoon. “You seem awfully sullen.”
“I’m fine.” Ui forces a smile. If she’s happy, he is.
But he isn’t.
“What’s wrong?” Hairu gives him her best puppy eyes. “Koori, aren’t we friends? You have to tell me.”
“I didn’t realize you wanted to be more than friends with Arima,” he mutters. If he’s lucky, he can say he’s worried about the ethics, and she’ll believe him.
“What?!” Hairu shrieks. “Are you kidding me, Ui Koori?”
Ui freezes. Everyone is looking at them. Including Arima.
She stomps on his foot. “Arima was my childhood friend! It’d be like dating my brother!”
“Can you – can you keep your voice -” Ui croaks. He sounds like a zombie.
“Why would you think that?” Hairu seems genuinely upset. “Wait. Is it because he told me I look pretty?”
He blanches.
Hairu tries to hold back a tumble of excitement. “Are you – are you jealous, Koori?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie.” Hairu sticks out her tongue.
“I really – you know – like you.” Ui stammers.
“Then you’re an idiot. Arima’s doing what big brothers do so you would notice me. We planned this, or at least I did and convinced him to help, and you went and got jealous.” Hairu shakes her head. “Do you not like me?”
“I love you,” he blurts out.
Hairu gasps.
Careless for her coworkers’ prying eyes, she throws her arms around him and whispers in his ear. “Don’t be jealous, Koori. You have my heart.”
Mercy and Magic 