Technical Difficulties (Brother's Conflict)

Chapter 27!

the picture above is unrelated to this fic but can anyone out there validate my simping for Judar or is it just me at this point

Over a week had passed since her impromptu disappearing act, Mei making it very clear in her actions that she was avoiding Tsubaki, though it seemed only he and a few others noticed. It was a half day at the school and also the official start of their christmas vacation, so Mei and Ema took this chance to run off and go shopping for various presents. Ema was the plan-ahead type that wanted to secure a good amount of time to wrap all of the presents they'd be buying.

"How 'bout this?" Mei held up some random video game she'd found for relatively cheap despite the company's good reputation. Ema took it as the girl approached, reading the description and almost feeling inclined to take it for herself. "Don't even think about it. You can borrow it from Yuusuke when he's done."

Ema gasped over dramatically, "How'd you know I was interested?!"

Mei switched over to a completely blank expression, with a tone to match, "Your eyes were literally sparkling-"

-----

The two girls both sighed in contentment as they sat at a table inside a small cafe, enjoying some drinks while surrounded by various bags. "Looks like we have all of the brothers covered now, right?"

Ema hummed in agreement, before looking up excitedly from her tea, "So! What are you getting Nageki?!"

She had taken the tone of the average teenager wanting to gossip, but at her younger sister's clear displeasured expression, her smile dropped. "I..don't know."

"What do you mean? I was sure you would've gotten something already since you guys are so close." Ema almost laughed at how quickly a blush formed on Mei's pale features.

"F-firstly! We're not that close. Secondly, I don't really know what he likes outside of foods and constantly bothering me..." Mei averted her eyes down to her own iced coffee, first out of embarrassment, but that shifted into a bit of a darker emotion. 'Were we really not that close? Nothing comes to mind no matter what I try..'

"W-well, why don't you just cook something for him! I'm sure-" Ema cut herself off as Mei shook her head.

"I cook for him all the time, so it wouldn't be much of a present..and it's not like I could give him art or something since he constantly has to deal with my art for work..god there goes any of my meaningful skills so we're back at square one!" Mei sighed heavily after her rant, laying her forehead on the surface of the table. Ema looked on with a smile full of pity, 'If only this silly sister of mine could see how he looks at her, then she'd know he'd be plenty happy just having her around..'

"Well, there's still a little over a week left till Christmas, I'm sure you'll think of something..Ah, is it alright if we seperate for a little while so we can buy what we need for each other's gifts?"

"Hmm, that's a good idea since I at least have something in mind for you. Meet back at the station in an hour or so?" Ema nodded happily, the two both finishing off their drinks and going their separate ways. Ema went off to buy some frames for the pictures she'd taken of Nageki and Mei at the wedding, while Mei went off to a gaming store to buy a pair of pink gaming headphones, meaning they had a mic attached and could do god knows what else since Ema clearly liked to play at night.

Mei knew she was a bit too ahead of schedule with how well she had known what to get, but she didn't really have any direction to walk in other than towards the station. She passed a multitude of shops, quite a few of which she and her sister entered previously, but she still turned up a blank everytime she thought of something Nageki might want let alone need. Mei was abruptly pulled from her thoughts as a small form crashed into her, almost sending them both toppling over if Mei didn't catch herself in time. She looked down to see a young boy who was now staring at her as though he didn't know what to say next, "Are you alright?"

The kind glaze she'd put in her voice seemed to snap him out of whatever he was thinking of, quickly bowing politely he apologized and ran back to his parents, who similarly smiled apologetically. Mei just smiled and waved the family goodbye, but as she passed them she overheard the boy talk in a boisterous tone, "Mommy, did you see? Her eyes were suuuuper pretty!"

A genuine smile lit up Mei's features at the words for a few moments, until a small craft store caught her eye. She stared at the front window, which held a few crocheted animals and scarves, all in eye catching and vibrant colors. Maybe it was because her eyes had just been mentioned, or that she had been in an emotional mood for quite a while recently, but she could hear a distant memory ringing in her ears as she stared at that happy storefront.

~~~

"Are you sure it's really alright for her to see her mother so soon?" A man was standing next to a nine year old girl with long black hair back in a braid, bandages covering her left eye.

"I think it would be beneficial for her to see that her mother is doing well, though the two won't actually be interacting, she'll just get to watch." The woman who responded was dressed sharply, a warm smile on her features that did nothing to convince the small girl to trust her or anyone in the slightest.

The man turned towards the small girl, crouching down next to her and looking at her with kind brown eyes, "If you don't want to see her or if you feel uncomfortable we can leave at anytime, okay Mei?"

The girl nodded mutely and the man sighed a bit at the lack of a verbal answer, but took her small hand anyway and followed the woman down the hall. They stopped at a large window, displaying a large common room full of adults mulling around with different activities. Some were doing puzzles, reading, or giggling like children, while others just sat at a bench or in a rocking chair, staring blankly ahead of them. The girl, Mei, stood on her tip toes as she peeked around every corner of the room to locate a particular woman.

Her bright blue eye landed on a woman sitting in one of the rocking chairs, a satisfied smile on her face while her own black locks were pulled back in a similarly long braid. In her lap laid an expansively long reddish colored scarf, the woman clearly two consumed in crocheting to actually notice it was too long. The girl's single uncovered eye widened as she saw the smile on the woman's face, not the pensive frown or desperate smile, this one was just..happy. She tugged on the sleeve of the man next to her, and he bent down to her height to see what she needed.

"M-Mr. Rintaro.." She started, which she usually didn't get past before resorting to speaking through writing on paper. He nodded expectantly, waiting to see if she'd ask for the notepad she knew he had in his pocket. "Can I..", she gulped and she gripped the hem of her shirt tightly, "can I learn how to do that?"

~~~~

Mei smiled at the thought, remembering the exorbitant amount of things she made, scarves, socks, sweaters, blankets, animals, any type of pattern she could get her hands on really. Her smile was bittersweet as she remembered why she had stopped bothering around two years later, simply because she still couldn't understand why it made her mother smile.