Mischievous Function

A Change of an Ice-Cold Heart

Meanwhile, in another room...

"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY, OKAY?"

Bracelety fell to her knees and bowed down on the bedroom floor, extending both of her arms out in front of her as she groveled. "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" she wailed. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUSH YOU AT THE ARCADE! I JUST...I'M SORRY! I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE MAD AT ME!"

She tilted her gaze up and put on the most apologetic frown she could. "I WAS JUST...I LIKED IT WHEN WE SLEPT TOGETHER LAST NIGHT, AND—AND YOU WERE HOLDING ME, AND I WAS HOLDING YOU, AND—I LIKED IT. I LIKED IT A LOT. BUT I'M SORRY IF YOU DIDN'T! I DON'T WANT TO MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND ME, SO...I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M SORRY. PLEASE DON'T HATE ME..."

After several more seconds of crying and staring down at the floor in shame, Bracelety finally looked upward and put on a hopeful face, waiting to see the results of hours and hours of practice.

"...Ehh," Barf Bag said with a so-so shake of her hand, shrugging. "Personally, I think you're still a bit too overbearing and up in her face, especially for an otherwise gentle girl like Ice Cube. But you definitely have the spirit, so that's good."

Bracelety wailed again and planted her face in the side of the bed, pounding the sheets with alternating fists. "I JUST WANT HER TO BE OKAY WITH ME AGAIN..." she lamented in a muffled voice. "IT'S OUR FIRST VACATION TOGETHER, AND I DON'T WANT HER TO HATE MEEEEEeeeee..."

"Aww..." Barf Bag hopped off the bed and knelt next to Bracelety, hugging her from the side and patting her shoulder. "I'm sure she doesn't hate you, Bracelety. She's...probably just a little annoyed that you pushed her and then ran away without saying sorry."

"I...I WANT TO," Bracelety sniffled, turning to Barf Bag with tears in her eyes, "BUT EVERY TIME I SEE HER, I JUST...FREEZE UP. SHE DOES THINGS TO ME, BARF BAG. THINGS I CAN'T EXPLAIN."

Barf Bag flinched backward slightly and shut one eye, grimacing at the loud voice screeching directly into her face. "...Well," she suggested after a while, "maybe you could...lower your voice a little?"

"H...HUH?"

"I mean, don't you think Ice Cube's...I dunno, a little annoyed that she has someone screaming in her ear 24/7?" Barf Bag explained. "Sure, I'd be flattered for a day or two if someone followed me around idolizing me and cheering me on like you do for Ice Cube, but...it would really get old after a while."

"BUT...SHE'S NEVER TOLD ME TO GO AWAY," Bracelety said with a confused expression. "SO THAT MEANS THAT SHE AT LEAST DOESN'T MIND IT, RIGHT?"

"Well, maybe she's just trying to be polite," Barf Bag replied. "If you were screaming at her just to be annoying, I have no doubt that she would have socked you in the face weeks ago. But, frankly, Ice Cube—and everyone else, for that matter—knows that you think very highly of her. You just want the best for her and you want her to be happy, right?"

"OF COURSE!" Bracelety exclaimed. "WHO WOULDN'T?"

"Yeah—yeah, okay..." Barf Bag winced again and backed up a little further this time. "As vengeful as Icy can be, she's...also got a really kind, sweet, and gentle side to her. It's just that...well, not many people get to see the genuine side of her because they don't take the time to get to know her. They just see her as the small, quiet girl in the corner who occasionally gets really angry at people."

"BUT THAT'S WHY I MAKE MY VOICE SO LOUD," Bracelety explained. "I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW HOW GREAT ICY REALLY IS WITH EVERYTHING I SAY!"

Just then, they heard the door's lock click and the small beep that was telltale of a room keycard being scanned and confirmed. Someone was coming in, and since, as far as they knew, Naily was still with her TTRPG group downstairs in the lobby and would be there for a while, it didn't take the two of them long to figure out who.