Work Text
I like my room.
She did. She had. Yes, Minori liked it, her room that was like a younger girls dream, with so many plushies of varying sizes, from tiny to truly gigantic, and a vibrant and childish colourfulness. There were some more adult (or teenage might be more accurate) bits, more adult makeup and merchandise from bands and stuff like that. They barely registered to most people, with the giant plushes and cutesyness.It was born from a stubborn sentimentality, just as much as it was born from her being able to get what she wanted pretty much always. It was a very uncool side to her. Not in a way that her old crowd would have thought was cool or impressive, but that she felt different about now. It was in a way that she wanted to hide from them even back then, that she wasn’t at all eager to start sharing with people like that.
This is too important to me, even if it is childish looking.
Minori loved her room, like she might love one of the childhood plushies in it.
But it doesn’t feel the same, not after Mogami
When he’d possessed her, she had ended up in a room that took quite a lot after her room, in as much as a sealed room with one way glass could do that. But it was enough. Dad had done a good job in trying to use the stuff she loved from her room to make that place some of the feel of her beloved room.
It didn’t help. But I remember it. Sort of.
Yes, there was enough that she remembered from that time, in a hazy way, through what Mogami had left in her head, that being in her room that looked so like that place hurt. It gave her nightmares and flashbacks, of him.
It feels awful.
So she would change it. That was a simple enough answer. She had a lot to change in her life, change with herself, that she was working on changing. This was low on her list, in terms of its significance to her efforts. But it did matter a lot.She did need to sleep.
So I need to do something.
But how should she go about this? Going to someone for advice seemed good, but who?One person came to mind immediately. Teruki Hanazawa had been pushed towards her, thanks to a need for further support by a psychic or someone with suitable knowledge. She had needed someone with his talents. Or, to be accurate, her dad had felt she needed more support and that turned into her being pointed towards Teru. Then he became a person she could agree was helpful.
Yes, for a variety of reasons, I have needed him.
Today was something very different. Minori talked rarely with Mob, but that enough to hear him say that Teru was stylish. Teru said that too.
I don’t see it. But he does understand the problem fully, and Mob’s opinion does matter, even if he isn’t stylish. He trusts Teru.
Minori had ended up trusting him too, something she’d been learning to do to others in a healthier way, a non rich girl way. That trust didn’t extend to his style. But she would trust in Mob.
And his, no, our friend. I don’t get Teru’s style, but I do think he can be very reliable.
So, here he was, in her room“Leave this to me”, Teru declared, looking over it with a keen gaze.“Okay”.He then began throwing ideas at her, in his confident manner. There was plenty of thouht to them. He sounded informed and considerate. Yes, like he was potentially very helpful. Teru were definitely a good person to be a friend.
Good for Mob. Okay, good for me too.
But, Minori was certain of one thing, one thing that she had to voice regardless of Teru’s contuing ernest efforts to help her. It was touching, really, and she dud like this experience of having a real friend trying his best like this, but….“Sorry, but I’m not doing any of that”.Yes, it had been a bit painful, them going through his ideas, as she found herself not liking any of his ideas.Teru looked unhappy, but he swiftly turned that into a relaxed smile. “Okay. Would you mind telling me where I went wrong?”“Ummm…”.“You don’t have to say it”, Teru said breezily. “That’s okay”.“It’s not like that. Minori said defensively. “Okay, some of it is that we have differing tastes. Yours are...um….peculiar...ly unique”.Teru’s polite expression looked a bit strained. “Uh huh”.“But, it’s also feeling harder to do this than it should be”.“Is that so?”.“I don’t get it either. I just know that your suggestions don’t feel right. To me. They’re probably fine. Just, I don’t like...um…”.Minori didn’t know what to say.
Actually, I do. Easily. But I can’t be like that.
Yes, how to put this without being rude? That wasn’t something Minori was used to doing“It’s fine, I promise”, Teru interrupted, his tone pleasant. “Sometimes, suggestions just don’t suit a person”.Minori was glad that he was being accommodating. Still, she did feel bad about this. “Yeah. Well, sorry. You'll still get paid for your time, and your fare”.“I would hope we’re friendly enough with each other for me to just offer to help you out”.Teru had his charming polite smile back up, that looked practised to her. She was familiar with that sort of thing, and she could do it herself. It wasn’t like she’d never had to be polite and nice, even with her privileged. She wasn’t so important as to have never encountered a person she had behave towards, and not be radiating obvious contempt at.
Teru’s polite smile isn’t that bad. Not remotely. But getting smiles like that feel off.
It felt like having this end of a note that she definitely didn’t want it to. So, Minori decided to flatly point something out. “What about your fare? I know it’s a lot, getting here. Or are you planning to fly back home with your powers?”.Teru froze. After a pause, he chuckled and his smile looked more sincere again. “No. Okay, I’d like thatMinori smiled. That felt better. The vibe coming off Teru as they ended this felt better. Next, she needed to pick someone else to help her. Who? There was someone else she felt could help her out.
Tsubomi.
She was an acquittance of Mob. Minori had gotten to know a few of those, after that life changing encounter with him. The girls in Mob’s life were different to what she was used to. They had a solidity to their quirks, to their personalities, in a way that her old crowd weren’t.
We tended to be fighting social games, in pretty awful or pretty pathetic ways.
They in contrast were probably the sort of people that Minori was better off befriending than her usual crowd, the sort of people who’d be better for her.Tsubomi, at first glance, didn’t seem like the others. At that point, she seemed like the ideal of a sociable, nice and beloved girl.
It might be pure luck that I got to see otherwise, that I got her to like me at all. I don’t think I’d be appealing at all to someone like what Tsubomi turned out to be.
Well, it was probably luck that Mob happened to be there with his master so that he could save her.Tsubomi was actually incredibly resilient with her beliefs, and could be like a giant iceburg or an armoured plowship for anyone crashing into her with their own expectations for her. She wasn’t rude, but she didn’t waver, hesitate or yield easily when it came to stating what she felt or thought was right. Kageya….Mob? Shigeo?
I don’t think I’m at a first name sort of position with him, but it also feels too distant.
Well, he thought she was amazing. Minori also respected her considerably.
I think I thought I was like her in the past, sometimes. I knew I had daddy’s money backing me up, so I couldn’t have more than some moments of delusion about being like a girl like her. But I definitely dreamed of being something like her.
But that occasional dream wasn’t a match for Tsubomi.
Because her being tough comes from being principled and strong willed, while I still was,
to put it bluntly,
jus
t
a total shit in those fantasies.
Tsubomi had an amazing strength of character. So, yeah, Minori respected her easily. Admired her, even.
And maybe see why he had that huge crush on her. I can feel a bit of that.
Tsubomi could be relied on for sincere opinions mounted on a foundation of solid beliefs. So, she was who Minori turned to next.“What do you think, Takane?”.She’d said everything to her, including how her previous visistor had done, as she’d been free to examine the room. Tsubomi looked thoughtful, then a bit sterner, tenser, as she looked quickly around again“I could give you some quick tips, but why do you think Teruki not work out?”.Minori took a moment to respond. “His style’s off...it’s unique”.Tsubomi chuckled lightly. “Unique? Well, that’s true. Okay. I’m not sure what I could actually suggest. With how you seemed to have resisted some of Teruki’s ideas, it feels like you aren’t open to much at all when you’re asking for a big change”.Minori didn’t know what to do. She wanted a major change, and yet also didn’t like the feel of any ideas like that.“I can’t explain that. I know, asking people for advice when you don’t get your own needs is totally moronic”.Tsubomi pondered that. Then, with an air of confidence, she said “You love this room still? That might be why you’re struggling with actually changing it, even though you want to do those changes”.Minori sighed. “Yes”.“Then, whatever happened, you shouldn’t have it take away the room you love”.“Yeah”. Minori could agree with the idea, but it wasn’t that simple. “But it keeps bringing up awful memories. Terrible memories”.Tsubomi nodded. “I’m not saying to not change anything. I’m not made of iron. I do compromise, just in a way that doesn’t let those around me really push me from what I think is right or what is important to me”.Minori sighed. “If I do that, this is hopeless”.“Perhaps”. Tsubomi had a wry smile. “I can respect you basically sticking firmly to what you want, but we will need to do something. However, it doesn’t have to be as severe as you might think you need to be. A compromise is possible”.“Really?”.“Yes”. Tsubomi smiled . “I’ll be able to do that. It’s good that you asked me for help with this. But I will need you to work with me. Please”.Minori could accept that. Yes, that was right
I see. That might be it, that whatever change I think I need is more than I’m comfortable with. But I might not need an extreme room change.
“Okay. I get it”.Tsubomi looked pleased. Minori was glad for that, and for having something new to try. They went to work, making small adjustments. It took a while. Tsubomi was clearly annoyed at points, with how picky or exact Minori was being.
It doesn’t feel right, but this is probably ridiculous.
“Sorry”, Minori said pre-emptively. “This bit will be over soon”.“We’ve adjusted that for far too long”. Tsubomi gestured at an arrangement of some items, with a plush and a stylish perfume bottle having been the main target of attention. Either one or the other felt off to Minori, no matter what they tried. “I don’t think doing anything with it is going to work out. Please move on”.Minori didn’t like it. But Tsubomi was right, and Minori had gotten her over here to say stuff like that right at her. There was no point in then ignoring her.“Yeah”.They carried on, for a while longer. When they were finished with their time, the room did feel different. It actually helped.“Thank you”.“You’re welcome”, Tsubomi replied pleasantly.“Can you come around again?”.“To do more of this? Maybe, but I’m not a home decorator”. Tsubomi sounded displeased, understandably. But she then insisted, “Next time, we need to also actually hang out”.“Oh, yeah. Sure, I promise”.
That’s very accommodating of her.
Tsubomi nodded. With a menacingly polite smile, she nicely said “Good. You’d better keep it”.Ah. So that’s it. Minori couldn’t say it was unjustified, but she still felt offended.“Hey now. My promises aren’t that worthless”.Tsubomi just nodded. Minori felt more uncertain, and like her confidence in her annoyance quickly wilted.“Are they?”.“You’ve been okay so far, but I wasn’t expecting our time to be like this. It was a surprise. Not a good one. But I’m happy to have helped you out. It was clearly bothering you seriously. Otherwise, I’d be unhappy about travelling out here for this”.Minori felt embarrassed. Tsubomi was right, and her potential annoyance felt like a trip wire. She tried to be cool and not get flustered.“Okay, I’m not going to invite you over to a place like this just for housework. We will properly hang out next time. I promise”.Tsubomi’s expression looked warmer. “Good. Then, let’s see each other again”.“Yes, lets do that”. Minori was looking forward to that. “It’ll be a pleasure, again. This might have turned into work, but it was still a pleasure to have you here”.Tsubomi nodded. “I hear stuff like that a lot”.“I’m not much of a flatterer”, Minori said nonchalantly.Tsubomi shrugged. “That’s good for me. I’m not fond of flatterers, and I want to stay fond of you”.“Ah”. Minori felt like she’d become aware of of a social equivalent of a deadly trap that she had been close to triggering. For a moment, she felt a chill go through her. “I’ll keep that in mind”.“Heheh”.Tsubomi smiled, looking both amused and like her smile was from a less doubting place.“Yes, you will, won’t you? Or, more like, you’re not that sort of person. That’s how you are, and it’s something I do find charming, really. Thank you, Minori”.“You’re welcome?”, Minori said awkwardly. It was odd to hear a remark like that sincerely, but Tsubomi’s chuckle and warm, sincere smile made this odd comment feel oddly nice. More confidently, Minori added, “Okay, I’ll treat you properly next time”.“You don’t have to put up a show, but thanks”.“Oh. Yeah”. No, Minori didn’t want to be like that. Being a regular friend was still hard for her. “What I’m thinking up in my head is probably stupid, isn’t it?”“Maybe”.“I’ll ditch it, and do something reasonable. Probably reasonable”.Tsubomi looked just amused at that. It felt embarrassing, but not hurtful.
She’s cool.
The two of them then walked to the entrance of her once very impressive (but now a bit awkward to be aware of how large it was around others) home, to the garden, and then separated. Minori went back to her room. It really did feel different.
Thank you, Tsubomi. For this, and more.