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When Miiko first asked her if she wanted to go out somewhere together, Hiiro couldn’t have been more excited, especially with Miiko promising to take her some place like no other. Hiiro’s mind rattled off whatever she could think Miiko might mean; a restaurant so fancy Hiiro hadn’t even heard of it, a clothes shop with such luxurious products that Hiiro would normally fear the price tag, or something equally as ritzy. Miiko was quite rich after all, and had a myriad of connects, so Hiiro figured she could probably get into all kinds of high-end locales that Hiiro could only dream about. Though, if Hiiro were being honest, it didn’t have to be somewhere magical or expensive to make her happy; the fact that she would get to go there with Miiko, that’s what made her feel so giddy.
Hiiro was rather surprised by how their get-together was starting out though; instead of meeting at some bright place, or being driven around in Miiko’s limo, the pair were waking down a dimly-lit street guided by a flashlight that Miiko had brought. This still wasn’t a bad thing to Hiiro, as it did allow them plenty of time to talk to each other, though it did make Hiiro curious what was going on and where they were headed; especially with them now being on the outer edge of the city, near the coast.
“Miiko-chan~” Hiiro finally decided to ask, “Where exactly are we going? As nice as it is walking with you, I believe you had somewhere you wished to take me, yes?”
“Yep! It’s just down here!” Miiko assured, “Miiko hopes you like it! When Miiko heard about this place it sounded so exciting!”
“Well, I certainly live for the thrill~ Fufu~” Hiiro giggled, “Though why did you wish to bring me in particular here?”
“Miiko loves spending time with you!” Miiko said casually; unaware of how she made Hiiro’s heart skip a beat, “Maybe it would have been fun to invite Lyrical Lily along too... but they were busy! Miiko’s happy to some alone time with you anyway! Maybe it’ll be more special since it’s just the two of us!”
“Oh you~!” Hiiro cooed; somehow, Miiko always knew just what to say to get to Hiiro, even if the girl was never aware of it.
A building came into view as they rounded the last corner at the end of the street, a rather unique one that caught Hiiro’s eye immediately, “Oh wow! Look at that lighthouse! So grand! I wonder if it’s still in use?”
“Nope! It shut down years ago!” Miiko explained, “But that’s what makes it a perfect place for us to check out! No one around to bother us!”
Hiiro nodded along for a moment, until Miiko’s words truly registered, “Wait... the lighthouse? That’s where we’re going? Why?”
“To find ghosts!” Miiko smiled up at Hiiro innocently, “Kurumi-chan said that she heard this place is really haunted! Miiko just has to go in!”
“H-Haunted? G-Ghosts!?” Hiiro stammered; though Hiiro wasn’t the most frightful in their friend group, the idea of going into an old, dark lighthouse where something could jump out at her was still scary. She could tell by the look in Miiko’s eyes though, that the younger girl would be going in no matter what, and there was no way Hiiro could let her friend go in alone; ghosts aside, there could be something else potentially harmful, and Hiiro wouldn’t let anything hurt Miiko. “S-Sounds fun! I suppose...”
Miiko’s expression brightened even more, bursting with excitement, “Yay! Miiko was a little worried you wouldn’t want to come in with Miiko...”
The look on Miiko’s face brought a delightful calm to Hiiro’s heart, “Nonsense! I’ll be with you every step of the way!”
It wasn’t long into their journey that Hiiro felt like she had had enough; from the moment they stepped inside, everything began to frighten her. Miiko had somehow acquired a set of keys for the lighthouse, though that proved unnecessary, as the door was already unlocked when they arrived; the way it seemed to close on it’s on behind them was what really had Hiiro on edge. Miiko fearless started to explore the abandoned building, with Hiiro following meekly behind, while the spooky atmosphere built around them.
Hiiro told herself that all the noises she was hearing were normal, easy-explainable, non-ghost related occurrences; the creaks were just the building showing it’s age, cold spots were just gusts of wind finding their way through cracks and breaks, while any movement was probably just a rat or something like that. That still may have been enough to worry some of her friends, Hiiro got a particular kick out of imaging Aoi being frightened by a mouse, though Hiiro herself had fed bigger things to her ferret; she wouldn’t let herself be afraid, not in front of Miiko. As long as there weren’t any ghosts, which Hiiro rationalized there shouldn’t be, she was sure she would be fine.
She froze in place as she thought she heard something; a noise that sounded almost like a muffled voice. “Did... uh... did you hear something, Miiko-chan?”
“Pardon?” Miiko asked, “Miiko didn’t hear anything! Miiko was checking to see if there was any ghost activity in the boxes over there!”
“Oh, I see...” Hiiro decided to brush off the noise and instead focus on something she liked, Miiko, “Well then, my dear little pilferer, did you find anything that caught your eye?”
“Just this!” Miiko suddenly pulled out, from who knows where, what appeared to be a decaying, severed head.
“G-Gah! Wha-!?” Hiiro reeled back in shock, “What is that!?”
“An old Halloween mask!” Miiko shrugged, “Guess someone who used to work here liked spooky things too! They left behind some decorations and stuff, but this one was the coolest! I figured there’s some way Kurumi-chan and I could use this to scare Haruna-chan!”
“Ah, the poor girl...” Hiiro muttered, “Yes! I imagine that devilish mind of yours will be able to put it to good use! Or bad use, for Haruna-chan’s sake!”
Miiko giggled gleefully; she was always thankful that Hiiro was so encouraging of her pranks. Hiiro was a unique adult in Miiko’s eyes; she could be responsible when something was important and knew there was such a thing as taking a joke too far, something Kurumi forgot from time to time but had been getting better with for Haruna, but at the same time Hiiro agreed a little bit of rule breaking was ok and even fun. Hiiro was the exact type of person Miiko wanted to be, and of course, be with; though that line of thought always brought confusion to Miiko’s head and even in her chest. She figured she should ask Hiiro about it but, for reasons lost on her, that felt embarrassing.
“Miiko?” Hiiro asked, slightly worried after the smaller girl went quiet.
Miiko shook her head, “Miiko was just thinking about something! Silly things...”
Hiiro laughed; she was sure Miiko was just thinking about all the pranks she was going to pull on poor Haruna. “I can only imagine! My mischievous little minx! Fufu~” She gently ran her fingers through Miiko’s hair; Miiko reacted by leaning into the touch. “It’s a good thing you’re so damn cute! Otherwise I might have to try stop your misdeeds!”
Miiko beamed at the compliment; she wrapped her arms around Hiiro’s waist, grinning up at the taller lady, “Hiiro-san and Miiko are similar then!”
Hiiro quirked her eyebrow, bemused by Miiko’s observation, "What do you mean?”
Miiko smiled sweetly, “From what Miiko hears from Nagisa-san, you’re just as ‘mischievous’ as Miiko!” Hiiro felt slightly embarrassed, though if she were honest, it wasn’t an incorrect assessment. “Plus! Hiiro-san is just as cute as Miiko too!”
“Oh ho! Really now, Miiko-chan~” Hiiro put a hand to her cheek, smiling blissfully, “You’re making me blush~!”
A loud moan echoed throughout the building; the haunting sound instantly shifted the mood and sent a shiver down Hiiro’s spine, “W-What was that...?” She asked, trying to deny what her mind immediately assumed it was. “I guess just a-”
“It must be the ghost!” Miiko exclaimed; her mood clearly shifting in an entirely different direct than Hiiro’s, “Sounded like it came from up these stairs, right!?”
It did, and Hiiro hated to agree, “It could have been anything really! I wouldn’t just jump to the conclusion that it was a ghost for sure! Could be something... totally mundane!”
Miiko nodded, “You’re right, Hiiro-san! It did sound like a person moaning to Miiko, but some things can sound similar...” Hiiro was about let out a sigh in some sense of relief, but Miiko naturally had to steal that from her, “We’ll have to go up and see to be sure!”
“W-What? You mean... go towards the horrible sounds of something unsettling!?”
“Of course!” Miiko replied, chipper as ever, “We don’t want to be like those lame guys on TV that hear a little bump and say that met a ghost! We have to really meet them! I bet Kurumi-chan will be so jealous when I tell her all the grisly details!”
“G-Grisly?” Hiiro stammered.
Miiko started for the stairs, the metal clanged loudly as she went the first few, before coming to a stop; she turned to look back at Hiiro, a careful glimmer of hope in her eyes, “You’re coming too, right, Hiiro-san?”
Hiiro cursed herself for her inability to say ‘no’ to Miiko, “I couldn’t let you have all the fine, could I? But, um...” Hiiro reached out; it felt like a strange turn for her, reaching up to find Miiko, but in that moment where Miiko looked so brave in the moonlight sweeping through old windows, it also felt exhilarating. Miiko’s hand was surprisingly strong for such a small girl; a very welcome surprise that might have made Miiko even more attractive to Hiiro.
As the girls made their way up the stairs they started to hear something new coming from above them; the sound was similar to a muffled voice, not just one voice either, but a pair. Hiiro started to get worried; she wrapped her free arm around Miiko, clinging to the small girl for comfort. “Heh... sure sounds... a little strange doesn’t it, Miiko-chan?”
“I know! I’m so excited!” Miiko squeaked, “Come on! Just a little more!”
The girls crept up further until they reached a door, though the winding staircase carried up beyond it, Miiko was sure this was where the sounds had to be coming from. She was proven right before they even opened the door; a series of shuffles and thuds indicated something was moving around on the other side.
Miiko rushed forward, dragging Hiiro along with her, and the pair entered the room. It was pitch black, though Miiko still didn’t hesitate, and began scanning with the limited sight provided from her flashlight.
The silence was somehow a little more frightening to Hiiro; it added to the mystery of what was even making the noises in the first place.
Another horrible moan called out, though now it was coming from the very room they were in, making it all the more terrifying. The wailing was already enough for Hiiro to tighten her hold entirely around Miiko, essentially trapping the small girl in a tangle of limbs, though it was what followed that made Hiiro’s heart leap for her throat. When the moan was coming to it’s end, it shot up from it’s low, slow grumble to a sharp, sudden tone; like whatever was making it went on the attack. As soon as it did, a shrill, mortified scream erupted through the lighthouse, shaking the girls to their core; it was a scream that Hiiro wished she could make, but she was too scared to even get it out. A scampering of footsteps started towards them, stomping wildly, like in a blind frenzy; it pushed the usually composed Hiiro over the edge.
“Ahhh!” She screamed; with her heart beating out of her chest, and a fear of what was to come, Hiiro yelled out practically on instinct, “Miiko-chan! I love you!” It was something she had wanted to say for a long time, though Hiiro had assumed the time for it would never come, if it even something she could confess at all. “I just have to tell you before we die! I’ve loved you for a long time and I wished we could have just gone on a normal date as girlfriends!”
“H-Huh!?” Miiko blurted out; her twist of expression made it seem like she hadn’t been the least bit frightened by the ghost, though Hiiro’s had totally shook her.
A figure emerged from the shadows, flying in a sprint towards the girls, though once it entered the area lit by Miiko’s flashlight they could see it wasn’t a ghost at all; who it was may have been even more surprising than seeing a ghost. The scared looking person before them, who must also have been the one who screamed, was their friend and Miiko’s unitmate; Kasuga Haruna.
Haruna screamed, Hiiro screamed, Miiko stood silently in shock. It took a moment for the girls to properly process who or what was in front of them, “Hiiro-san? Miiko-san?” Haruna asked, “What are you two doing here!?”
“I could ask you the same thing!” Hiiro retorted, “Miiko-chan wanted to show me this lighthouse because it was allegedly... haunted. Did you... see a ghost...?”
“Ugh, no no...” Haruna moaned. Now that she had started to calm down, her fear was replaced by aggravation, “Something far worse than a ghost tried to scare me I’m afraid...”
“Worse?” Hiiro questioned, “What do you mean?”
Her question was answered with the appearance of another figure, “That went even better than I planned, Haha!” Kurumi laughed devilishly, “Not only did I scare Haruna-chan, but I finally managed to get Hiiro-chan, what a good night!”
“Maybe for you!” Haruna huffed; she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back to Kurumi, “I shouldn’t be surprised but I thought you could at least take our first date a bit more seriously!”
“First date, eh?” Hiiro smirked impishly.
Haruna face deepened several shades of red, though she tried to hold onto her scorned expression, “Kurumi-san confessed to me and asked me out on a date. Perhaps it was against my better judgement that I actually thought she meant it!”
“Aww, Haruna-chan! Don’t say that!” Kurumi cried. She wrapped her arms around Haruna, who stubbornly maintained her cold stance, as Kurumi squeeze her tightly from behind in a desperate hug, “I love you, Haruna-chan! Really! More than anything! I just thought this place could make for a more interesting date! And once we were here I... just couldn’t resist the urge to scare you, hehe...”
“Well, I certainly don’t appreciate that!” Haruna sneered.
“Sorry sorry~ How about I make it up to you?” Kurumi offered, “We can go anyway you want! And I’ll be the best date ever!”
Haruna hummed, mulling over Kurumi’s words. She turned her gaze down to the mischievous girl, met with a puppy-dog stare looking back; Haruna sighed, “Why can’t I stay mad at you?”
Kurumi giggled, “’Cause you love me!”
“Perhaps~” Haruna spoke shyly.
“Oh! You two are just so cute!” Hiiro squealed, “Don’t you think Miik-” Hiiro paused; she caught off guard by the intense stare Miiko was giving her, “M-Miiko-chan?”
Miiko fiddled with her hands, shyly pushing herself to say what was on her mind, “Hiiro-san... loves Miiko?” She asked almost like she was trying to figure out the words herself, “The way Kurumi-chan and Haruna-chan love each other...?”
“O-Oh!” Hiiro stammered, “I... I did say that, didn’t I? Um...”
“We’ll give you girls a bit of privacy!” Haruna offered; she dragged Kurumi, who was complaining about wanting to watch her friends’ awkward moment, out with her.
Now alone, Miiko wore a saddened expression, “Did you not mean it?”
“No no! I did! I just...” Hiiro sighed, her face falling into her hands, “I didn’t really want it to come like this though... I thought if I ever did confess I would try make it a little more romantic than... that.”
“Miiko thinks it was perfect!” Miiko assured Hiiro; her smile shining brighter to Hiiro than the pair’s light.
“Are... Are you sure?” Hiiro asked, “I mean... we’re in a dark lighthouse, we got tangled up with your unitmates embarrassing each other, not to mention how I screamed my confession out in a fit of fear!”
“Yeah! That’s what made it so fun!” Miiko beamed, “Miiko doesn’t mind a bit of the lovey stuff, like in those movies Miyu-chan likes, but Miiko will always prefer big moments like this to be as fun and heart pounding as can be!”
“Heh, I suppose I can see the appeal in making things a bit more thrilling~” Hiiro laughed, “Either way, you know how I feel now, Miiko-chan. I don’t expect anything... just so long as this doesn’t ruin our friendship! You’re very precious to me, you know!”
“Miiko...” the young girl mused on Hiiro’s words, thinking back to her own mix of emotions when it came to her friend, “Miiko thinks that... Miiko loves you too!”
“H-Huh?” Hiiro stammered, “You don’t need to say such things to make me feel better! I’m serious about these feelings you know!”
“Miiko knows!” Miiko affirmed, “Miiko’s not really used to feelings like these, that’s why Miiko’s unsure! But... Miiko would still like to take you out on that girlfriend date you talked about! Miiko’s sure it’ll be fun!”
“Well...” Hiiro embraced her friend, or the girl who could be more, in a tender hug, “I can’t turn down such a tempting offer, can I? Just, uh... let’s not go anywhere haunted next time, ok?”