Patience was a virtue Itsuka had taught herself years ago. When she first began learning martial arts, she had found herself growing impatient at how slowly mastery and skill in the art came. It frustrated her to no end, and beyond all reason. It always had looked so easy to do, and the fact that she wasn't mastering it immediately had her younger self deeply, deeply annoyed.

Martial arts weren't something that could be learned in a few weeks though, and it was far, far more complex than just throwing a punch and a kick, and becoming the next Karate master. It was something that had to be practised, and trained, and above all, it took time.

It took a lot of time to learn. To figure out. To be confident, and to be able to do it.

She learned that when she failed her first grading.

That had been a watershed moment for her when she looked back on it. Maybe without even realizing it, it had imprinted itself onto her core beliefs as she grew up. That she needed to be patient when she needed to learn something, that she needed to put the time and the effort in. Learning that, she passed her second grade with flying colours, and didn't fail a single one afterwards until she entered Yuuei, when she had to prioritize Heroism over continuing lessons. She kept her skills alive and active though, practicing what she learned, keeping them toned, and applying it with her Quirk. She even still kept in touch with the people she had taken lessons with.

Her sports uniform had soaked up a fair bit of her sweat from her training, that she only noticed when she slowed down for a second to take a breather. She wiped her forehead with her wrist and took a long inhale. Punching bags, target pads and other equipment was surrounding her. Durable equipment that could take a punch from someone putting their all into each and every strike, even if they had a Strength Enhancement Quirk - Having easy access to all of the best training equipment was definitely a benefit of studying at Yuuei, and living on campus there.

Ideally, she would have had someone around with her, to take the strikes and to return them in kind, but she had found herself on her own, her friends and dorm-mates all busy with other projects and routines. That was fine though. This was more an indulgence than anything. Just a small exercise to keep her old skills sharp, as well as something that she enjoyed.

If there was any extra-curricular activity that she was happy that she had taken, it had been her martial arts. She wasn't sure if she'd even be here if it wasn't for that, and how she had learned to incorporate it with her Quirk. It had made her a hell of a lot stronger, and more confident, and sure of herself when she finally took the entrance exam. Not that she neglected the intellectual side of things either. While she was glad that she wasn't known as a total muscle head like Tetsutetsu was, she couldn't deny that she felt her strength had been a big factor on her admission into the school. And if she were blunt and honest about it, she was proud of her strength. She felt she had earned it.

Those lessons had taught her a lot too. Not just about martial arts, but when she stopped to think about things, they could relate to other areas of her life as well.

Like patience. And being confident in oneself. But also when she shouldn't push a matter, and when it was best to give a little breathing room.

Such as with the situation between her and Momo.

Itsuka felt herself exhale. These days, everything seemed to loop back to Momo, didn't it? Somehow, in some way, it always happened. She couldn't even train and mindlessly punch a few stationary targets without her thoughts drifting towards her 1A crush.

That just seemed to be how her brain was working these days. She'd been in this particular loophole before, liking someone, and finding that just about every single thing that she thought or did somehow made her think of the one on her mind. It was a never-ending cycle that would just keep on going and going until things came to a head and either she spoke to Momo, or Momo spoke to her.

Calling the Kiyashi Ward trip a revelation would be too strong a word. It was there that Itsuka affirmed that she had a crush on Momo, but before that, she couldn't really pinpoint a moment when she started to feel like this. She never could when it came to crushes. They just sort of showed up and slowly made themselves known, and then there was a moment where she realized what was going on. Kiyashi had been where it had become abundantly clear that she was feeling this way, even if she hadn't fully acknowledged it herself. To an extent, she had, but not completely...

...If that made any sense. Itsuka wasn't sure it did. Then again, crushes rarely made sense, so she didn't feel too poorly about it.

There were times where she thought about just telling her, and just getting on with it and seeing what came of things. And there was a part of her that wanted to. A part that just wanted to rip the proverbial band-aid off and get it over with.

After all, what would be the worst that could happen? She could be rejected, but Momo wouldn't phase her out of her life, would she? She wasn't that kind of a person - Jirou had confirmed as much to the Large Fist Quirk user at Kiyashi when she retold her own experience. It would sting... But it would be an answer. And then these feelings could have... Some sort of either affirmation, or closure. They'd have something at least.

To say that idea had no appeal was a lie.

But she couldn't. Because that just wasn't fair. Not right now, anyway.

It had only been a few of weeks since the Lodge incident, and everything that had come along with it. It felt longer though, to be fair to herself. Much longer than it actually had been. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that looking back on it all felt like looking at a mountain of books to be read in a weekend - It could be done, but it was going to eat up just about every other thing she was going to be able to do. She had had the time to consider everything though, and had more or else come to peace with what happened. She had grown from the experience, even if having to face off against actual Villains had left her a bit shaky afterwards. She'd survived, and she'd contemplated everything.

She couldn't be so sure that Momo had.

Momo had been through more than she had been, that much was for certain. She'd gone through a much more dangerous set of experiences that had put her directly into harm's way, and she had suffered injuries. She'd combated with guilt for having gone along with that rescue mission, and had gone out of her way to try to apologise when the guilt became too much for her to bare. She simply had had more to deal with, and it was hard to tell if she was even through all of that yet. Not to mention their lessons and the Provisional License Exams...

And then of course, there was her admission.

What she had admitted to Itsuka was something that one couldn't just admit at the drop of the hat, even if it was something that she had felt had been there all along. To be able to state that she was interested in girls and girls alone was something that she had needed to think about for a while, no doubt. And even if she had finally been able to admit to that, to both herself and at least one other person, that didn't mean that she had fully come to terms with it, and processed everything yet. Some people found it easier to just get on with life after that. Others found it a bit world changing. That was something Itsuka had learned from her own experience.

Mentally going through all the baggage that she had, going over everything over such a short amount of time, letting herself realise how she felt about things... Maybe she didn't know. Maybe Momo had come further along than she was giving her credit for. Itsuka couldn't be certain. Everyone was different, after all.

There was just... A feeling that she had that there was something Momo wasn't telling her. She seemed more awkward, more hesitant than the normal rapport that they had spent the last semester building up. All of a sudden it felt a bit more like it did when they first met. It was hard to explain, and even harder to put a finger on exactly what she thought the reason could be. Part of her - The same part that wanted to just admit how she felt - wanted to hazard a guess, and ask Momo.

But again, she didn't want to push her. She couldn't.

Momo was going through things in her mind, there couldn't really be any question about that. Even if she had come to all those conclusions years ago, Itsuka could tell that she was one of the only people she had actually told. Assuming her family didn't know, it was possible she was the only person. Maybe Jirou knew, but that was about it, and she wasn't sure if Momo had actually said it to her, or if it had been so clear they just hadn't needed to talk about it. Either way, actually admitting that to someone for the first time was never easy. It was a watershed moment, and everyone who did it reacted differently. Maybe Momo was just in a small state of shock at actually having admitted it.

Or maybe Itsuka was just completely over-analysing like a lunatic. It was possible Momo just felt a bit awkward after everything, or she was just having a run of exhaustion, or mental anguish. Those were also options, just like the possibility of Itsuka thinking way too hard about this was.

And it was just as possible that there was nothing wrong and Itsuka was making mountains out of molehills.

The bottom line though, was that Itsuka didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or move things along too quickly. And on the even slight chance that Momo was still figuring everything out, or that she wasn't a hundred percent sure about anything, Itsuka didn't want to confuse matters by telling Momo she liked her, just because there was a part of her that was starting to want to.

She just couldn't do that to Momo. Not when she couldn't be sure.

So she would wait for now. She would let Momo sort herself out before she did anything, or said anything.

...Though that didn't mean she didn't hope it was soon though.

Itsuka sighed, and then threw another punch at a target all of the sudden, all the weight she threw into the punch, as well as the punch itself, created a satisfying clap in the air once it made contact with the pad. She still had a lot of training to do. That would distract her.

She would practise the patience her martial arts had taught her.

Probably for the tenth time since she realized what hole she was falling into, Momo wished that emotions had a handy textbook, like the many subjects she was good at. A textbook she could study, work out all the arithmetic, the theories, and use what she learned to apply it to real life. As it stood, the closest thing that came to a textbook was advice. And advice was really hard to take sometimes, especially when the advice being given was advice which you really weren't sure you wanted to hear.

Jirou's advice had been honest, but flatly put. Midoriya's advice had been more gently put, but equally as honest. And accurate, Momo knew.

What they said made sense, and in all logical senses, Momo knew what they said was right. It was simple, and it was probably the best way to go about doing things. Jirou had admitted her feelings to her crush, and Midoriya was in a relationship - They knew what they were talking about. They knew the situation Momo found herself in better than Momo herself knew it. At the very least, they knew something. They could speak from experience, and what happened for them, and how it worked out for them.

But that didn't make the suggestions that they had made any easier to deal with.

Momo had found that walks helped her to relax. Scenery that wasn't a static room helped her to think, helped her to imagine, and helped her to brainstorm. After consulting many a guide on Hero costumes and the likes, she had gone on a long walk, and began to visualize the costume she had wanted in her head, all the way back at the beginning of the year. Since then it had become a habit when she really had to put her mind to a problem. If she were at home, she would be able to walk around the grounds of her estate, in relative peace and quiet, or, if she wanted a change of pace, she could wander around the neighbourhood. Noise and overcrowding weren't issues where she had grown up.

Yuuei had a somewhat similar environment around it. While it had a huge amount of land to its name, and hundreds of students running to and from their various classes, the school was still in a rather remote, all things considered. Atop a hill, and a fair walk away from the city, which was almost always in sight no matter where on campus you ended up. It was probably intentionally that way – To keep the students out of the way of the general public. To the average citizen, the students were almost like idols, and fans, if they were to get any, could wind up being a big distraction. Plus, being far away from the rest of the city plan, Yuuei could use the land around it as it saw fit, needing not to worry about conflicting with whatever plans the city council had for builders, or urban development. Being away from the main city had its advantages aside from that, like the calm and the quiet, and Momo found herself able to relax as she wandered around her new home, contemplating and thinking of what was to come next. What she had to do next.

Ignoring it just wasn't an option at this point. Not doing anything wasn't an option either. Not any more, for so many different reasons.

There were people who knew that she liked Itsuka. She knew that she liked Itsuka.

It was starting to eat her up inside.

More and more, she found herself distracted in classes. Before long, that was going to start affecting her grades.

And she was acting differently - She knew it, and she could tell that the people around her were noticing as well. Although the ones who knew why seemed to cover for her the best they could - She thanked Jirou and Midoriya mentally for it.

In any case, the situation had developed to a point where she just couldn't keep acting like everything was fine. She needed to figure out... .Something. Something with these feelings she had for Itsuka.

Jirou's advice rattled around in her head. 'If you want to tell her, you should'. And then Midoriya's did. 'Just... Be honest with her'.

And then she blushed.

"How on Earth am I supposed to do that..." She muttered to herself, shaking her head as she tried to cool her face down.

As she had thought before, it was good advice, but difficult advice to follow. She wished that there was some easier way around doing something like this, but really, what was there? She wasn't going to get some sort of miracle answer dropped onto her lap. No one could do this for her... And she seriously doubted that Itsuka was going to be the one to take the plunge. Primarily because she didn't have a clue what Itsuka felt herself. Learning that Itsuka was as attracted to the same sex as she was had been an immense relief for the Creation Quirk user – At least that particular awkwardness could be avoided - But that was just one thing of about a hundred that she had to concern herself with.

This was the first time she'd felt like this. Really, really felt like this. And that was exhilarating as it was terrifying. She wanted it gone, but never wanted to let go of it - Her own contradictory feelings on her feelings weren't helping matters, that was for certain.

She took in a deep breath, and then let it out, slowly. She was a walking disaster right now and she was painfully aware of it. She needed to just... Relax. Before she worked herself up into a frenzy.

When she stopped shaking her head, just in front of her, there was a bench, overlooking the city down at the foot of the hill. A simple thing, A wooden seat, a wooden back to rest against, and metal hand-guards at either side. She sat down on it, and looked out over the view. Gentle gusts of cold air hit her face, and blew through her hair. Taking in a few, short breaths, she felt herself calm down enough to think. To think about this like she would think about any other problem.

She had been so reassured when she spoke to Midoirya about admitting how she felt to Itsuka. It had worked out well for him, and while he admitted that doing so had been difficult, if it hadn't ever happened, he and Ashido would never have begun to date. Imagining such a scenario now was difficult for him, and the pair of them owed that to a leap of faith and for daring to be brave.

It was the daring to be brave part that Momo found herself struggling with.

Part of her wondered what that entire... Conversation must have been like for both her classmates. How it came up, who brought it up, how the other person reacted to being told, and just... How it looked. That would at least be a reference point that she could at least work from. The biggest part of the anxiety came from not knowing what would come after she finally just said... "...I like you..." She whispered, finishing off her internal thought. She didn't even notice she'd done it.

Momo sighed. The hardest part was that it was something she had to do herself. Circumstance wouldn't force her to just come clean. If it did, that would be easier. That at least would remove the anxiety she was feeling right now. Somehow, it being all within her control made having to push it in motion worse.

But she had survived literal Villain attacks. She'd faced more danger in the first few months of her high school career than many students would ever face in their entire time there. She'd learned about herself, and grown from the person she was when she first stepped through the gates of Yuuei.

If she had survived that, she would survive this. That was the line she repeated to herself in her head.

She would be fine. She would be. After all, what was this? She could do this, couldn't she? Even if it paradoxically more nerve wrecking than being attacked at the USJ, or facing the assault during the lodge trip. She would be fine. She would be.

…

She was just going in circles, wasn't she?

Anxiety. Worry. Calm. Neutrality. Resolution. Determination. Doubt. Anxiety. Repeat. No matter how she justified it to herself, no matter how many times she assured herself, she always went back to thinking the same thing, over and over again.

About how nervous she was. About what could go wrong.

And then she was just back to where she started. She groaned. She hated this. She was getting cold feet, but nothing was reassuring her. She… Cared too much about this to just gun it, force her way through it and see what would happen. Even if this, what she was doing and thinking now, was selfish, she wasn't able to just… Do that.

Standing up, she sighed once more, defeated, and ashamed. So much for figuring this out now.

There was an unspoken, universal consensus that warm evenings were something loved.

When the sun was beginning to set, and the sky turned an orange and pink colour.

When the clouds didn't block out the sun, but instead complimented the skyline, casting a contrasting, wonderful dark shadow to dot over the colourful sky.

When they covered a city, and Human progress was accented by the beauty of nature.

When there was a warm, pleasant breeze to top it all off.

No one in the world hated such an evening. They were almost universally adored, even if they were nothing more than backdrops in the lives of people too busy to appreciate their beauty. Adores of nature or not, it was undeniable that walking along such a beautiful backdrop made people feel warm, and calm, and serene. There was just something about them that made them worth noting.

They were a favourite of Itsuka's.

The orange hair girl's muscles ached after she had retired from her training for the day. She had ended up spending a lot more time practicing her martial arts than she had intended, and on one of the few days off that students managed to get at this busy, hectic time. It had been something she had missed, and it helped her to relieve the stress of the last few days.

As soon as she gotten to her dorm, she had taken a shower, and donned a fresh set of clothes. When she entered the shower, the sky had not yet turned orange. When she left though, she was greeted to the beautiful sight from her window. As she dried her hair, she kept looking out at it, feeling a content warmth in her chest.

Something about it made her reach for her phone. Maybe because of the warmth it made her feel, but she ended up writing a message to Momo. She wanted to share this with her.

"'You looked out a window lately?'" She typed quickly.

Once her message was sent, she dropped her phone back on its place at her desk. She flipped on her hairdryer, and ran her fingers through her hair as she set the dryer onto the hottest, and most efficient setting that it was capable of. Hot air blasted through the strands of long, orange hair as she looked out at the warm, orange sky.

The downsides of such wonderful evenings were that they rarely lasted long. An hour or two if one was lucky, and she didn't know just how long the sky had already been like this. It couldn't have been longer than half an hour at the least. So that meant at worst, there was only about half an hour left.

It didn't take her long to decide that she wanted to talk a short walk while she had the chance.

Her phone buzzed as she came to that conclusion. She glanced down at it as her now dry fringe flopped down and covered up her eyes, making her have to use her free hand to move it out of the way.

"'I have indeed.'" Itsuka read the message aloud. "'It's a gorgeous evening, isn't it?' Well, you're not wrong there, Yaomomo." She muttered, typing out a response.

"'I think I'm going to have a walk while it's still nice like this.'" Itsuka sent off her response, and put the phone back on the desk.

Then she paused, and looked at it for another moment. Then she picked it up again.

"'You want to come along?'"

She had decided to give Momo the time to figure everything out that she needed to before she admitted to anything, that much was true. That didn't mean that she intended to avoid her friend altogether It would be nice to spend a bit of time together. Tonight was a nice night out, and she wouldn't mind the company on her walk.

Especially Momo's company.

Itsuka's hair had dried up by the time she received a response to her message. "'Are you sure that's alright?'"

"'Of course. I could use the company.'"

"'If that's alright with you then, I'd be happy to.'"

"'I'll meet you outside in about ten minutes?'"

"'That sounds good.'"

The Large Fist Quirk user smiled to herself as she got hold of some loose-fitting clothes and changed into them. They weren't anything particularly special – Just a plain, loose, sky-blue shirt and some tracksuit bottoms, and a red jacket wrapped around her waist, just in case it became colder later on. She didn't really expect to be out longer than maybe a half hour, but it was better to be safe than sorry, she figured.

"So..." Momo murmured as she walked alongside Itsuka, glancing towards her from the corner of her eye as she spoke. "Did... You have any particular reason for going out on a walk like this? Aside from it being nice out, I mean."

"Not really." Itsuka answered honestly, keeping her own eyes fixated on the scenery in front of her, committing it to memory before it faded away. She had already made sure to snap a picture of it on her phone - While she wasn't one for traditionally 'pretty' things, but she couldn't really deny the beauty of what was in front of her.

As summer turned to Autumn, these sorts of evenings would continue for a short while - But it would only be a short while. Darkness would come around a lot sooner as the days went on, and the clouds would become more frequent, blocking this sight from view.

There was a feeling Itsuka had - A feeling she couldn't begin to explain - That told her that she wanted to remember this scene. Hence the photo she had taken. She took the effort to also burn the scene into her brain though. Again, for reasons she couldn't quite understand, she felt that was going to be important today.

Momo took note of the scenery as well, though not quite as intently as Itsuka did.

The pair of them walked along, no real destination in mind, and no real idea when they were going to head back. They just walked, and spoke to one another.

"It just seemed like a nice time to go for a walk, that's all." Itsuka further elaborated. Her hands found their ways into the pockets of her jacket, and she smiled at her friend gently. "I like this sort of evening."

"O-oh. I see." Momo nodded at the answer. "I... Didn't know you had a particular affinity for evenings like this."

"There's just something about them. I don't really know why, but they're just really appealing. It seemed like a waste not to take advantage while I had the chance."

"I see. That makes sense."

"Say, I didn't drag you out, did I?" Itsuka asked, tilting her head in curiosity and concern. "I only offered because I thought it might be nice. We've had lots to do lately, and we haven't really just been able to talk since the lodge."

"N-No, no, I was glad you invited me." The taller girl held up her hands just in front of her, and gave her friend a smile of her own. "Like you said, it's... Been a hectic couple of weeks. Aside from our phones, we haven't talked a lot, have we?"

"Just bits and pieces during breaks and lunch. Maybe an hour or two after classes." Itsuka recalled. She paused for a moment, searching her brain for a conversation topic. She ended up on the most common, but always reliable, "You been doing okay?"

"Better than I was after the whole... Bakugou and Midoriya thing."

"Good to hear... Anything interesting happen in your class lately?"

"Well... Aizawa mentioned something about internships."

"Oh, yeah. Blood King mentioned them in our homeroom yesterday. You thinking about looking for one?"

"I... Don't know. Maybe. After our last... Experience... " Momo wasn't so sure she could call it an internship, when all they did was essentially be models for their mentor. "... I'm not too sure about another one."

"You'd get to choose your own place this time. You wouldn't be limited to a few people who kept their doors open to you."

"I know... But it's kind of hard to... Separate the associations, if that makes any sense. I know not going on one would be a missed opportunity, but I'm concerned that something similar to what happens with Uwabami could happen again. I'd spend my time better working on class projects... If that... Makes sense." She had repeated herself at the end, but she had felt the need to. She wasn't all that sure if she was making coherent sense.

"Yeah, I get that." Itsuka nodded, signifying that she understood what her friend was trying to say. "Well, if you don't, it's not like you'll be behind where the second years are now. First year internships are a brand new idea after all. And I don't think everyone is going to take them."

"True..." Momo admitted, slowly saying the word. "...I do worry that I'll fall behind my class if I don't find one though."

"Of everyone in your class, I feel like you're the last person who has to worry about falling behind." The 1B president commented kindly, and with a soft smile.

Momo couldn't stop the blush that hit her cheeks with that compliment.

Both of them continued walking along, and as they did, Momo realised that they were on the same path that she had been on earlier that day. They would reach the same bench she had sat down at only a few hours ago. she looked down at the city below. The buildings were now covered in shadows, and were mostly black, but the individual rooms were lit up by the lights, creating many tiny glimmers of light. It gave the scene a different feel to what it had had just a few hours ago.

She couldn't really disagree with Itsuka that there was something to behold about this scene. She couldn't be sure she'd ever really get used to it, even if they were going to spend the next three years living around this place.

"You wanna take a minute?" The orange-haired girl asked.

When Momo looked towards her to see what she was talking about, she saw Itsuka using her thumb to point towards the same bench she'd sat at a few hours ago. It was still in the light of the sun, and looked like it would be for a little while longer. She nodded.

Both of them sat down, letting out small sighs as they took the weight off their legs. They hadn't been walking for all that long before winding up here. Itsuka rested her backpack at her feet, and from one of the side compartments, she pulled out a plastic water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a few gulps. Momo wondered if that was the reason that Itsuka had suggested that they take a break.

"Ahh..." Itsuka let out the small exhale everyone did once they drank something, and then held the bottle for Momo to take. "You want a sip?"

"Oh, thank you." The Creation Quirk user said, taking the bottle into her own hands, and swallowing a couple of smaller gulps than Itsuka had taken. She then handed the bottle back to it's owner, thanking her once again.

Then pausing. And then blushing, and trying to hide her face behind her down-let hair.

An indirect kiss. She hadn't realized it at the time, and seriously doubted Itsuka had even considered that. Momo could have groaned right then and there - That was something so childish - So completely and utterly childish - Was she seriously this much of a complete mess that of all things, that was going to make her blush?

"You alright?" Itsuka asked once more, her voice clear with concern now.

"I - I'm fine!"

"I seem to be asking if you're okay a lot." The Large Fist Quirk user felt her eyes narrow slightly. "There something wrong?"

"N... No. No it - No, I'm... Completely okay. I assure you."

"Somehow, I don't know if that assures me..."

A silence fell between the pair of them now. They both looked out and watched as the charcoal-black city began to flicker as more and more lights switched on inside homes and offices and nighttime entertainment. The orange sky still hung overhead, but the sun was starting to fall behind the mountains. They'd be gone soon enough.

Whenever she inquired, Momo always told Itsuka nothing was wrong, and by this point, Itsuka wasn't buying it. There was something. And the fact Momo didn't seem to trust her...

Momo hated this. She hated not being able to even just talk to Itsuka without her very soul feeling like it was about to snap and explode. Itsuka was trying to help, and she just couldn't say anything because her heart stopped her. And...

...It hurt.

This silence hung for a few moments longer. Neither of them moving, or speaking. Occasionally they would look at once another with their eyes, without moving their heads, but that was all.

And then Itsuka sighed.

"...I didn't mean to pry."

"Huh?"

"Or guilt trip you. Or... Whatever it was I did. I just..." The words weren't right. She bit let lower lip, and looked to her feet. "...I don't like seeing you look like you're fighting something on your own."

"What do you mean?"

Her hands came together and her fingers inter-winded. "You're so... Self aware, I suppose. You seem to be so careful about everything lately. Every time anyone asks if there's even a slight issue, you insist that you're okay, even when no one thought that there was a big problem. It's... Just worrying."

"I - Itsuka..."

"If there's something you don't want to talk about, I'll give you a bit of distance if you want. I won't ask if you're not comfortable."

"...I don't want you to give me any distance..."

No matter how many times she went down this song and dance, Momo realized she wasn't going to be able to stop people from worrying about her as long as she kept secrets. She couldn't keep one to save her life - It was always written all over her face.

How many times now had Itsuka assessed that something was wrong with her since they knew one another? By now it felt like she'd done it hundreds of times. And each time, she'd done so with perfect clarity, noticing all of Momo's behavioral ticks and slip ups. Hiding what she felt and thought was something the Creation Quirk user wasn't good at. By now, she would have hoped that she'd gotten a bit better at it at least.

But clearly not.

Momo looked at Itsuka outright now, and just looked at her for a couple of moments.

Hiding it wasn't working. All it was doing was causing more anxiety.

...Did she even have an alternative?

Her index fingers pressed against one another so hard they felt like they were going to snap. She didn't really. Not if she wanted to make Itsuka completely understand how none of this was on her.

Was she going to get a better opportunity than this? Was it selfish to want one?

Was she even going to be able to go through with this now? Just earlier today, she'd logic'd her way into doing it and into not doing it in the span of a few minutes. And here she was now, in the same place, with the same question.

The only difference was Itsuka was here.

"I don't... Mean to worry you. Or... Anyone. It's just... I... I'm not sure how I'm going to really put this..."

Her heart was heating harshly against her chest. Like it was telling her to stop, but making her go on.

"...You're someone I hold in especially high regard. You've been a real friend to me since out internship. I can't even think of any situation that you've let me down in. It's... Always been me, letting you down... And even then, you're still there. And you're always ready to just... Be there."

"It's... The least I can do."

"For someone who hasn't done anything to deserve it..."

"We're friends, aren't we? It's not about doing something to deserve it or not. That's just what we're supposed to do."

The words were just coming out on their own now.

"... You're the one person here I feel like I'm able to be completely honest with. In just about everything. You helped me to train for the semester exams... You helped me tutor my group... You were there when I was in hospital..."

Her fingers pressed against one another even harder.

"...When I told you about me. And my... Preferences... And.. .Comforted me by telling me yours..."

She bit her lip. Itsuka was now just listening, not completely certain where Momo was going with this.

Momo looked at her. And for a moment, they made eye contact.

"...What are we, Itsuka?"

"...Huh?..."

"I-Is there something more going on or... I-Is it just me who... Thinks that?" Momo's hands suddenly clasped onto one another, and rested over her heart. Her face was now a bright red. Words wouldn't stop forming though. "...Who... Wants... That?"

It took Itsuka a few seconds to actually formulate a response. What she had just heard, she needed to process, to interpret. "Wait, are you saying you're..."

Momo nodded, fairly quickly, and feeling her hands shaking as she fully realized what she'd just done and said. "I am... Deeply... Deeply... F... Fond of you... A-And I don't know what you think, a-and I'm sorry for saying it now, but I... I don't know what else I can do or say to..." Her voice trailed off.

Had she really just said all of that? Part of her still was shaking in disbelief. Her entire body felt boiling hot and she found herself desperately wishing beyond all hope that she wasn't actually doing all of this right now.

Now that silence fell again, she felt a slight panic in her heart. What on Earth had she just done?

"I... Itsuka, I..."

"…What makes you think I wouldn't share that feeling?"

The black-haired girl paused, blinking twice, like that would help her clarify what she had just heard. "I-Itsuka?"

She didn't clarify immediately though. Instead, Itsuka asked, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?.." There wasn't any anger or frustration. Just... Curiosity. She wanted to know. "Did you think I'd be... Angry or something?"

"N... No. I... I'm not sure. It just... It was... Really difficult. I - I can't explain it..."

"...Would it surprise you to know I've been waiting for you to sort out... Whatever it was that was bothering you before I admitted the same thing to you?"

No response came from Momo. There weren't really any words that could accurately articulate. And even if there were, she didn't know them, and her throat wouldn't let her make noise.

"Wh... Huh?..."

Itsuka's face seemed to go redder than it had ever been before, but she still kept her composure and smiled. "I'm serious. I've... Been fond of you for the longest time as well, you know. How couldn't I be? You're smart, kind, strong... You keep trying even when you're not sure of yourself. You overcame things that bothered you, and you're just..." She blushed a deeper shade. "You're the nicest person to just be around. And well... You're beautiful on top of that."

Both girls looked at one another.

Then blushed.

And then refocused on the city before them.

About seven thousand questions now spiralled between the pair of them, both in a flustered, blushing, heart-pounding mess. The fact their crushes were mutual caught them both... By surprise, to say the very least.

Momo felt... It was hard to describe. Lighter would be the best term. Elated too. It felt like a thousand tons of bricks had been removed from her chest, and she now had the silliest smile on her face she couldn't quite get rid of.

She was still shaking, but now it was for… Some other reason. Relief. Optimism. Pleasant surprise. Euphoria? She didn't have the first clue. All she knew was that her heart was still beating in anticipation now.

Itsuka found herself as well with a rapidly beating heart. Surprise, yet happiness, had filled up the majority of her reaction. Surprise that Momo had confessed like this. Surprise she even had those feelings. Surprise that she had admitted them like this, and that all her awkwardness and shyness had been because of them.

Both of them glanced at once another after a few moments. There was... A lot that they needed to talk about. A whole lot. A lot that they needed to... Discuss.

Neither of them knew where to begin though. Or how to start.

"..."

"..."

"...So... Now what?..." Itsuka asked, giving Momo a small, but awkward smile.

"I... I - I don't... Know..."

The orange haired student gave her another small smile. Again, she wasn't sure what came next. Momo wasn't either. This was something that they would have to... Figure out. For sure.

But... Right now...

"...Let's just... Watch the sunset for now?" She suggested, and held out a hand.

Momo blushed dark red, but somehow, now everything felt easier, and lighter. She looked at the hand, and then at Itsuka, and then smiled. She took hold of it.

The pair of them watched the sunset until it fell behind the mountains. Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but once the sun had slipped behind the mountains, they looked down at their now held hands.

Whatever came after this moment was just as special.

Aaaaaaaaand there we go - This confession was a hell of a lot harder to do than I thought it was going to be. But I think it went well.

Alright, so - I've got a bit of an announcement to make - HandCrafted is now going into a sort of Hiatus Ending.

I do have plans for this story I'd like to go back to - I set up a fair few plot points I'd like to go over someday - But due to real life becoming more and more of an issue, I need to clear my schedule up a bit, and ending Handcrafted now like this seems like a good solution - I've spent so long making this chapter like this so that on the chance I never get to come back to it, it can be read as a finished piece. Anything that comes after will be icing on the cake. I hope that makes sense, and I hope that's understandable - It's not my ideal, but I think it's to the best interests of everyone, and especially me, since this was a stress to wrap up.

Wrapping this up also lets me focus on some smaller projects, like oneshots, trades, and short stories, without worrying about them taking time away from uni work and a larger running story.

I hope you all have enjoyed HandCrafted - And if it returns, I hope I'll see you then - And if you did, be sure to check out my other works - And be sure to check out my social media pages, like twitter and Tumblr, all under QuirkQuartz as always.

Thank you very much for reading guys - And ill see you next time - See ya!