Later in the morning, outside Luna's apartment-
"Hahh~ Okay, Nicole. Try to behave, alright?"
"What do you take me for? A delinquent?"
"N-no. It's just that this is a really important time. I don't want to scare her sister."
"Right right~"
Truth be told, I'm still incredibly nervous about being here. I sent Luna messages, double checking to make sure it's still okay for us to come over, but even so, my heart refuses to calm down as I use the box of my homemade muffins as some sort of stress release, squeezing down on it for any sort of comfort.
"You ready?"
"...Hahhhh... Mm!"
I exhale deeply as Nicole is the one to knock on the door for me.
"...Pfft. You do know they have a door bell. You don't need to knock."
"Well it's just a habit. My house isn't fancy like yours."
"Hehe."
Idly chatting with Nicole does help ground me back to reality, pulling me away from overthinking too much about what's to come.
Soon enough however, the door to the apartment opens to reveal-
"Hello~"
Could this actually be Reina instead? I look towards the black bunny hairpin on her hair which tells me that it's Luna, but for some reason I get the feeling that isn't the case. The way she spoke seems a bit more flamboyant than usual? I'm not sure, but-
"Hello. You must be, Reina?"
"Woah! Sis!"
"Hehe. Told you she'd know."
It's then that the real Luna pops out from behind a corner to greet us. I guess they were trying to fool us? Looking towards Nicole, she seems a bit confused, but I don't blame her. They look completely identical. It's honestly pretty jarring to witness something like this, even Nicole is speechless.
"I hope you don't mind, but I brought over some food for us to eat."
"Nn! Come on in!"
And so, with Luna letting us in, closing the door behind us, I lay the box of muffins down onto the table. To the side, I see Luna and her sister swapping back their hairpins, but I couldn't help but notice what a smile Luna has on her face... She almost looks like a completely different person with how much she's glowing.
After settling in, we all make our way to the table, with Nicole and I taking our seat on one side and Luna and her sister on the other. I would've liked to sit next to Luna, there's even a seat on the other side of her, but I refrained from doing so in case her sister might've not liked it. I have to start small here...
"So? What did you bring over?"
"Well, it's not really something to have for lunch, but-"
I proceeded to open the box to reveal my homemade muffins. Both Luna and her sister peers over the box, looking at all my muffins as a wave of heat assault my face. I really hope they don't think my muffins look strange... Nicole said they look fine, but-
"Oooh! Pretty~"
But it's when Luna's sister broke the silence did my fear quickly dissipate.
"Feel free to take one."
"Thank you for the food~"
One by one we all took a muffin out of the box before beginning to eat. Of course with Nicole already knowing the taste of it, she immediately downed hers within seconds. Luna and her sister however took smaller bites, as if savouring it. I couldn't begin to eat my own until I hear what they think.
"Mmm! These are great, Midori. Where did you get them?"
"Ah-"
"Aren't these handmade sis? Right?"
"Y-yeah."
Before I could even say anything, Luna's sister corrects her as I'm left again with a bit of heat lingering inside me. I can't believe I totally forgot to say that I made them! HAHH~
"Wait, you made these, Midori?!"
"...Mhmm."
Luna looks over to Nicole as if asking what I'm saying is true or not. I don't blame her. My cooking has improved with our shared lunches recently, but this is a whole new territory for me.
"Yup! Midori cooked it all by herself~ You should've seen the first batch though. They were-"
"Th-they don't need to know!"
I stuff another muffin into Nicole's hands, trying to stop her from continuing as she begins to slowly eat her second muffin. Hahh~ Crisis averted...
"Pfft, hehe. I'm surprised. I didn't know you could bake, Midori."
"I... I thought about trying something different, something special to celebrate your reunion."
"Thank you."
"Mm..."
Oh my god... My heart still can't calm down! Thankfully it doesn't seem like anyone's noticed. Thinking so, I finally begin eating the muffin in my hands. Just like everyone said, it's delicious. The icing is pretty sweet, but the muffin itself helps drown out the sweetness, adding with it a fruity kick. Did I seriously make something this flavourful?
"It's really good!"
"Th-thank you."
Her sister's compliments only add to the joy that's steadily growing inside me as I take yet another bite of my muffin as it's doing wonders in helping me calm down, and before I knew it, I was back to feeling normal again.
"Mmm. But I guess she beat you to it, Reina."
"Hmm?"
"Oh, Reina actually baked something for today as well, hehe"
"Oh?"
Nicole's ears perk up upon hearing that... as did mine.
"Mm. I'll go grab them."
"Does anyone want coffee by the way?"
"Sure!"
"Yes please."
Before we knew it, both Luna and her sister moved to the kitchen to prepare, leaving Nicole and I on the table with numerous things flying all around inside my head.
"Heheh. Looks like you have a sudden competition."
"..."
And of course, Nicole points out one of those concerns. I knows it's silly to think about, but I can't help but worry how my muffins would compare against her sister's. The other one being just how close those two seem to be. I can't help but gaze upon them interacting in the kitchen.
"Are siblings usually this close?"
"Hmm? Oh. Well, sometimes yeah. I guess considering their circumstances it makes sense."
"Hmmm. What about your siblings?"
"I'd say we're pretty close as well, but I'm more like a second mom it feels like at times, so it's a bit different with those two."
Nicole then joins me with watching both Luna and her sister in the kitchen as we eat the remainder of our muffins.
"Here, sis."
"Thank you."
"Did you need a hand with anything else?"
"I think I'm good. Just gotta wait for the milk to finish frothing."
I watch as Luna whisks what I'd imagine is milk in a sauce pan.
"Kay~"
""Eh?"'
Just then, both Nicole and I exclaim as we both witness Luna's sister gently pecking her lips on her cheek.
"Wait. Is that normal as well?"
I couldn't help but ask that question to Nicole, but before she could answer, it seems like Luna's sister is making her way back to the table with a tray of what looks to be- cookies?
"Sorry if they look a bit weird. They're meant to be cookies, but they puffed up a bit too much."
"N-no worries~"
"Mm! It looks delicious!"
Looks like Nicole seems unfazed by what we saw earlier as she's now eyeing up what looks to be lemon flavoured cookies, topped with icing powder.
"Sis shouldn't be too long with the coffee."
"Okay."
I guess I'll try and not think too deeply about it. They've only recently reunited after nearly a decade of being apart. I'm probably worrying over nothing.
"So you and Luna seem pretty close."
But as if it couldn't get worse, Nicole proceeds to ask about it regardless, nearly stopping my heart in it's tracks.
"Ah- uhm... Yeah..."
Wait, now it's her that's feeling embarrassed? Did she not realize that we were watching?
"Sis and I have been through a lot... We uhm, often sought comfort in each other growing up and after our..."
She stops talking, but I knew what she was about to say. I recall the time when I comforted Luna that one night at this apartment, where she opened up to me about her past, about losing her parents. It goes without saying that the same thing happened to her sister... Without parents, of course one would turn to other family members like Luna...
"...A-anyway it's a long story, but sis means the world to me."
"I can see that."
"Hmm?"
"Well with that 'passionate' kiss just before, hehe."
NICOLE!!! What are you doing?!
"Fufu. You saw that?"
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god...
"Yeah. I used to do the same with my siblings growing up, so it was a bit funny seeing you do that."
So that's what Nicole was surprised about? Not about the kiss itself, but because of how old she is doing it?
"W-well... To be honest I'm still a little bit embarrassed about it. I mean, we used to do it a lot as kids, but I was a bit scared about doing it again after all this time."
"Mmm. Makes sense. I'd also feel a bit odd if I had to kiss my siblings nowadays, haha."
For some reason, Nicole seems to be having a regular conversation about this with her? Am I the only one that was freaking out about this?
"...Hahhh."
I try to quietly let out a sigh, trying to drown out all of these nerves.
"Midori?"
"Ah-"
But that only seemed to have caught Reina's attention as now it looks like I'm now in the spotlight.
"I-it's nothing. It's just that I've never had siblings before, so this is all new to me..."
"Ohh?"
"Yeah, sometimes I'm jealous of Midori. She gets all her parents attention, meanwhile my parents seem to be more focused on my younger siblings than me."
"Yeah, well I'm jealous that you even 'have' siblings. The stories you share with me. Makes me think that things could've been different..."
"What happened?"
"Well, my parents got divorced you see. So it's basically impossible at this point for me to have siblings."
I didn't plan on opening up this fast to Reina, but the words just flowed seamlessly... Is it 'cause of how similar she looks to Luna?
"I-I see-"
"Here we are~! Sorry for the wait."
Just then, before the atmosphere could even begin to get awkward, Luna comes back with our coffee.
"Here you are, Midori. Hot milk, just the way you like it."
"Hey..."
"Hehehe."
So I'm guessing that milk she was frothing was for me? Looking around it does look like mine is the most milky out of everyone's.
With the pleasant atmosphere now returned, we begin eating Reina's cookies along with our coffee. Obviously my coffee 'did' have coffee in it and not just hot milk, but I can't help but smile knowing that Luna made it pretty much perfectly to how I like it. As for the lemon cookies-
"My god. These are amazing!"
"Thank you, fufu."
Like Nicole just said, these are simply divine. The burst of lemon along with the coffee makes for quite a combination as I find myself stuck in a loop of eating the cookies, followed by the coffee.
"Mm. It's incredible."
I give my compliments as I'm met with a smile from Reina. I think that if this was a competition, it's safe to say that I've well and truly lost. I guess I'm not too surprised considering how well Luna can cook herself. Of course her sister could do the same.
"I'm glad you like them. They didn't turn out like I'd hope, but I'm glad they're satisfactory."
"You're kidding. I think they're perfect."
"Th-thanks..."
I wasn't about to let Reina put herself down from these cookies. Sure they might not be traditional cookies, but I think that's what makes them unique. It's like a new dessert in a way.
"How's the coffee though, Midori?"
"Mm. It's perfect, Luna."
As if on que, we all drink from our cups as I'm once again hit with a delicious, creamy taste with a pleasant coffee after taste. Nicole seems to be doing alright with a more darker coffee. If memory serves me right, that is what Luna first had me try. It was far too strong for me back then, but maybe I could handle it now? As for Luna and her sister, they're practically drinking the coffee black with very little to no milk or cream.
"How about you, Nicole? Not too strong?"
"Hmm? Ah yeah. It's a bit strong, but I kinda like it."
She says as she takes another gulp from her cup.
"But I don't know how you two can handle drinking it like 'that.'"
"Fufu. Well it's what our- mother used to drink... So..."
"We followed in her footsteps I guess, hehe."
Luna ended up finishing her sister's sentence as I could practically feel the anxiety coming from Reina. In contrast to her, Luna seems to be holding up quite well in terms of their lost parents, but I guess her sister still has some open wounds...
"I see... Sorry, aha."
"It's okay."
That's it. I don't want this awkward atmosphere to persist any longer. Thinking so, I begin to down the rest of the coffee before putting the cup back down on the table with some force.
"Alright! How about we go somewhere?"
"Oh? I could've swore it would've been Nicole to suggest that, hehe."
"Well it's Sunday. We'll be back at school tomorrow, so today's the only day for us to properly celebrate, right?"
"True. Then what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking maybe just walking around and see what catches our eye? Reina hasn't been in this city long, right? I think it's good to get her familiarized at least a little."
"Nn. Sounds good to me. Reina?"
"Mhmm!"
Perfect. Looks like it worked out. But actually now that I think about it, it looks like Luna and her sister are already dressed to go out. Maybe they planned to go out anyways?
"Ah- but could we stay a bit longer? These are no joke, amazing..."
However, Nicole seemed pretty absorbed in Reina's cookies...
We ended up walking around the city, visiting numerous different shops, the awkward atmosphere of the apartment no longer present as we all have fun looking around together. Nicole loves window shopping like this as I'm used to being dragged around by her every now and again. Reina for the most part stuck close to Luna as we naturally ended up in groups of two while we walk.
It was when we went to an electronic however where Nicole and I were both stumped. Luna and Reina wound up buying what looked to be a video game console. I don't have one personally as I don't really get the appeal all that much. I've spent my fair share around them though when I'm at Nicole's place however, watching her younger brother play. I still remember him trying to coax me into playing with him before Nicole told him off. So to see Luna and Reina buying one... Is a bit surprising. I figured it was something meant for boys.
We also went around to some clothing shops, but it was mainly Nicole and Reina doing most of the looking around. Reina makes sense as she might not have as much clothes, whereas Nicole just loves these stores to death. Her closet is probably triple the size of mine and yet she still thinks she needs more. Thankfully Nicole chose not to get anything today, but I wouldn't be surprised if she came back next week after getting her allowance from her parents. As for Reina, Luna bought her a few sets of clothes that she picked out.
Eventually, the time flew right by us as it was well into the afternoon now. If this was Saturday, we could still hang out for longer, but with me staying another week with my dad due to my mom still busy finishing her work load, I have a curfew of sorts, same with Nicole.
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school?"
"Nn. I'll see you two tomorrow."
We're at an intersection where we start saying our farewells.
"It was nice meeting you two!"
"Hehe. It was nice meeting you too, Reina."
"Mhmm! I'll be sure to come around more often for more of those cookies, haha."
Nicole sure loved her cookies it seems... Ah who am I kidding, they were amazing. I couldn't hold a candle to them-
"And thank you for the muffins, Midori. I learnt a few things from tasting them."
"A-ahaha. You're welcome~"
But it seems like Reina thought differently as she seemed to have really liked my muffins. But to learn something from them?
"I hardly did anything as amazing as you. I was stuck reading a bunch of stuff online, hehe."
"Oh? Could you send me the website maybe?"
"Eh? Uhm, sure."
And as if naturally, I wound up exchanging contact info with Reina as I forwarded the website I found on my phone to her.
"Thank you!~"
"No problem."
"Haahhh~"
After getting home, I collapse on my bed, thinking back on today's events. My main goal of getting to know and befriend Reina was a success, but still...
"..."
I really felt like I couldn't get between those two at all. Whether they were in the apartment or when we were shopping, they were practically glued to each other. I've come to terms with my feelings, but I felt like it was impossible to make any progress whatsoever.
"At least tomorrow is school... Oh right! I suppose I should start prepping!"
Before I could dwell on my thoughts, I kick myself back into gear, making sure that I have everything ready for tomorrow.