Mami Lives Chapter 8
Mami Romance Chain
“You better hurry up, Madoka, or you're going to be late!”
That's what my mama shouts to me as she leaves for work. She probably noticed how slowly I was eating my breakfast. I have to admit that I've been lost in thought most of the morning.
If you Chose
A for
Choice M4, read Section
Helping Homura Heal.
If you Chose
B for
Choice M4, read Section
Decidedly Divided Deep Passions.
Spoiler for Decidedly Divided Deep Passions:
Today, after school, I would either accept or reject Homura's confession to me. Mami and Sayaka both expected me to reject it, and in fairness, that is what I had lead them to believe I would do. But I must admit that Homura's words and actions have left me in a world of doubt and uncertainty.
Mami is beautiful, kind, attractive, and sweet. I do love her.
But at the same time, Homura is so... so enchantingly mysterious to me. And to be blunt, she is very hot. But perhaps most importantly, Homura has been kind to me as well. In fact, she even saved my life twice! Do I really have it in me to reject her sincere romantic feelings for me? Of course, if I don't do that...
Well, I would need to make a decision after school today. And then, after telling Homura what my decision is, I would need to tell it to Mami as well.
While clenching a fist over my heavy heart, I raced out through the front door of my home. Today would be an important day! Today would be the day I'd either commit myself to Mami to the exclusion of all others, or it would be the day that my heart takes me in a different direction...
On the way to school, I met up with Sayaka. The weather was nice and sunny with only a few clouds in the sky, but it was also a bit chilly out.
Sayaka and I chatted a bit about what each of us we did on Sunday. After Sayaka talked a bit about how her visit to Kamijo's place, she asked me about my visit to Mami's.
If you Chose
A for
Choice M4, read Section
Talking About the DDR Star.
If you Chose
B for
Choice M4, read Section
Talking About Chocolatey Goodness.
Spoiler for Talking About the DDR Star:
“Mami introduced me to an old friend of her's called Kyouko Sakura.” I said cheerfully, “Mami, Kyouko, and I all went playing DDR at the local arcade games centre. Mami and Kyouko are both fantastic at it! I wasn't anywhere near as good as them at first, but I did get better after a few tries. So the three of us had a really great time together yesterday!”
“Really?” Sayaka asked, raising her eyebrows, before her eyes shifted to the side a bit, “I'm a bit surprised...”
“Why does that surprise you?” I asked.
“I've already met Kyouko Sakura.” Sayaka began in answer, “And while I don't think she's all bad, she's a pretty hard case. She actually thinks it's Ok for familiars to feast on innocent people!”
“She said that to you?” I asked, frowning over the thought of Sakura-san being like that.
“Yeah, she did.” Sayaka answered, “In fact, that's the main reason why her and Mami stopped being friends and Puella Magi partners. They disagreed strongly on whether or not Puella Magi should hunt down familiars, and also on whether Puella Magi should concern themselves with protecting people in general. Needless to say, I agree with Mami when it comes to that!”
“I see...” I replied, as I felt a bit sad over the thought of Mami having lost a friend due to her standing up for what's right.
But while it made me sad, it also made me more determined than ever to make sure that Mami, Sayaka, Homura, and Kyouko would all get along!
With this thought pushing me forward, I rushed over to Homura after Sayaka and I arrived at school. I told Homura that I'd like to speak with her privately on the school rooftop after school. Homura and Sayaka both seemed startled by my gesture here, but Homura agreed to it.
Spoiler for Talking About Chocolatey Goodness:
“Anyway, that's enough about me.” Sayaka said, after finishing her discussion on how her visit to Kamijo's went, “After I arrived home last night, I made a point to call Mami to see how she was doing. You did good, Madoka! Mami sounded a lot better than what she was Saturday night. And giving her chocolates in a heart-shaped box like that...”
A smiling Sayaka then playfully winked at me before continuing on.
“I'm legitimately impressed!” Sayaka said, “That was shrewd and romantic of you, Madoka!”
“Th-thanks.” I replied nervously, given where those chocolates had came from.
“... So where did you get the idea for the chocolates from?” Sayaka teasingly asked, “Is it that you're still getting beauty and romance tips from your mom?”
“... Ha ha.” I replied sarcastically, before making a proud face, “I'm sorry, Sayaka, but I've caught on to that little joke!”
“I guess you really are maturing then.” Sayaka replied, in an oddly melancholic tone, “Well, that's good to see! I guess you have gone through a lot lately, huh?”
“Yeah...” I replied.
“Look.” Sayaka continued, after a short pause, “Don't worry too much about Homura. She's a very strong person. I know that from how Mami and I have worked a bit with her over the past week or so, in our Puella Magi activities. I'm sure she'll be able to handle you letting her down.”
“I'm glad you think so.” I replied, “Please try to help Mami make up with Homura.”
“I'll do what I can.” Sayaka said, “So you just worry about Mami, Ok?”
I couldn't answer that the way Sayaka would like me to, so I just left it without a response.
I appreciated Sayaka's attempts to reassure me that Homura can handle a romantic rejection. Homura did seem like a very strong person to me, so no doubt she can handle that sort of thing, but I still hated the thought of not answering her feelings the way that she'd like me to.
Homura had told me that I should put my own wants first. That I should choose whichever girl appealed to me most, between her and Mami. Perhaps that's the advice I should follow here...
That thought took hold of my mind as I arrived at school.
The school day seemed to speed by, probably since it was easy to get lost in my schoolwork. It had been hard these past two weeks to focus on that due to how my life had been turned upside-down by the world of magical girls and witches, not to mention my romance with Mami, and the sad passing of my good friend Hitomi.
So what I desired most now was for my life to become more manageable and stable. So that spurred me on to be decisive today. Such decisiveness would be needed when I met Homura on the pure white rooftop after school.
If you Chose
A for
Choice M4, read Section
A Plea For Friendship.
If you Chose
B for
Choice M4, read Section
The Ultimate Romantic Decision.
Spoiler for A Plea For Friendship:
As I walked unto the rooftop of the school, I was struck by the sight of Homura's windswept hair as she leaned against the thin lattice fencing on the side of the roof. Homura looked oddly vulnerable to me in this moment. It would ensure that I choose my words carefully.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Homura asked, as she turned her head sideways to look at me, as I walked closer towards her.
“Well, first of all, I'm sorry about how things went on Saturday.” I said to her, “You've saved my life twice now, and so I owe you a great deal!”
“Don't confuse gratitude with responsibility.” Homura replied to me, “I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. Nor should you feel guilty about what you said on Saturday. You simply stood by the person you love. I can't fault you for that. Nor would I forgive anybody who would.”
“Even so...” I stated, after carefully considering Homura's words, “I don't want you to feel like you have no friends, or that nobody cares about you.”
“You don't need to concern yourself with that.” Homura replied.
“That's not true. I do have to concern myself with that!” I shouted in reply, while motioning a bit more theatrically towards Homura for added emphasis, “You're my classmate. You've saved my life twice. You're a Puella Magi, like Mami and Sayaka and Kyouko all are.”
“You've met Kyouko?” Homura asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, I met her yesterday.” I replied, “I want Mami and Kyouko to become friends with each other again. And I want you and Mami to get along with each other too! I'd like for all of you, including Sayaka, to be friends with each other.”
“Is that simply for Mami Tomoe's benefit?” Homura asked with a touch of resentment in her voice.
“No, it's also because I care about you, Sayaka, and Kyouko as well.” I answered, “Please try to not be at odds with each other!”
My request here hung in the air for a tense moment, before Homura addressed it.
“Very well. I'll do what I can.” she said, while waving one hand through her hair, “Is that all?”
“No, there's one more thing.” I answered.
I then took a few quick steps towards Homura, and gave her a tight hug. I think Homura was very startled by my gesture here!
“I want to be your friend too.” I said, “Even if it is based on 'gratitude' instead of 'responsibility', I want to do what I can to help you. You seem very lonely to me, and I'd like to change that.”
“I'd...” began Homura, in uncharacteristic uneasiness, “I'd like that as well, Madoka.”
Homura hugged me back. As we released our embrace from one another, I think I saw tiny teardrops in Homura's eyes!
“Just don't become a Puella Magi yourself, OK?” Homura asked.
“Ok.” I resolutely answered.
“Good.” Homura said, “Then I'll see you around.”
Homura then began to walk away.
“Maybe all of us could hang out sometime!” I shouted to Homura as she started to walk through the exit from the roof, “All five of us I mean.”
“...Maybe.” Homura replied softly.
Homura then walked off. I breathed a deep sigh of relief over how well this meeting with her had went. Hopefully it would help ensure that her and Mami could get along in the future!
Speaking of Mami, I had promised to meet her after school, at a nearby restaurant around 4 PM. So that's where I was off to now!
Spoiler for The Ultimate Romantic Decision:
As I walked unto the rooftop of the school, I was struck by the sight of Homura's windswept hair as she tightly gripped the thin lattice fencing on the side of the roof. Homura looked oddly vulnerable to me in this moment. I guess she was deeply worried that I'd reject her confession. Her heart must be in such pain right now...
“I'm glad that you came.” Homura said softly, as she turned her head sideways to look at me
“Of course I did.” I replied softly, “It would be highly insensitive of me to do otherwise.”
“Is that the
only reason that you're here?” Homura asked, “Does that mean you are here to reject my feelings for you?”
Choice M5:
A) “I'm deeply sorry, Homura, but
yes, I'm afraid I can't accept your confession. I will be remaining true to the woman I love with all my heart, and that's Mami Tomoe.”
B) “No, that's not the only reason why I'm here. I
accept your confession to me, Homura!”
Spoiler for Response M5A:
“... I see.” Homura said, trying to sound as cool, and in control, as she normally does.
But I could tell that my answer had left her trembling. But Homura would be more than simply trembling in a couple moments.
“Homura, are you Ok?” I asked, as I saw her face begin to contort into one displaying wretched pain and debilitating sadness.
Homura then started sobbing a bit, as tears poured out of her eyes. Homura then collapsed to her knees!
“Homura-chan!” I cried out, as I raced over to her.
I then leaned down and hugged her snugly to try to comfort her.
“I'm really sorry, Homura.” I said, as I couldn't help but to also start crying, “Please know that I hate hurting you like this!”
I lightly caressed her as I hugged her.
“I know it may be small comfort, but I'd be more than happy to be friends with you.” I said, “You've saved my life twice now, so you deserve that much at the very least!”
Homura finally composed herself, and breathed a deep sigh.
“I...” she began uneasily, while still a bit chocked up.
“...Give me some time.” she said, now sounding like her normal self again, “My heart isn't ready for being just friends with you, Madoka, but maybe one day it will be.”
“I hope that your heart will be ready for that one day, Homura-chan...” I said, with as much sympathy as I could muster up.
I then helped Homura to her feet, and brushed off her student uniform while wiping away some of the remaining tears on her cheeks. I then gave her one more quick hug.
“I have to leave soon to meet up with Mami.” I said, as I released her from this second embrace, “But before I go, let's exchange phone numbers. I want you to be able to reach me in case you ever just want to talk.”
Homura nodded weakly to that, and so we exchanged phone numbers. I then apologized to Homura one more time, and shouted goodbye to her before leaving to meet up with Mami-san.
Spoiler for Response M5B:
Homura's eyes went wide with shock over my response. I also saw her place one hand over her heart, as it looked like my response had made her heart skip a beat!
“Are... are you sure about that, Madoka?” Homura asked me, “Are you sure that you want us to be girlfriends and lovers?”
“Yes!” I shouted in resolute reply, wanting to cast aside any lingering doubts I had over my controversial decision here, “Yes, I'm sure about that, Homura. You saved my life twice! You've gone to such incredible lengths to protect me, even when I didn't appreciate that like I should have. You have done so much for me without ever asking for anything in return. So now, I will give you your heart's desire, Homura! I will give you that because I love you!”
Tears rushed to Homura's eyes over my words to her. They would foreshadow how Homura herself would rush over to me while shouting my name.
Homura hugged me tightly, and I hugged her back.
“I love you so much, Madoka!” Homura cried to me, while tears streamed down her eyes, “I'm so glad that you've accepted my feelings for you, even now in the most difficult of circumstances for you.”
Homura then wiped away her tears with one hand, before leaning her head down towards mine while she parted her lips. We then locked lips in a forcefully fiery frantic kiss. I could sense such immense pent-up feelings and desires rush out of Homura as she held me and kissed me like this. It was clear to me that Homura had wanted this moment for so long and so badly!
Finally Homura released my lips from her's, and she proceeded by releasing me from her embrace. We then both breathed a bit heavily in order to catch our breath. But as we did so, my mind wandered to the 'difficult circumstances' that Homura was referring to. I hated the thought of having to break up with Mami, of having to let her down so severely.
I had decided that Homura was the girl that appealed to me the most, but I loved both her and Mami. The thought of breaking either of their heart's brought me such miserable pain! I think that Homura could tell that this thought was plaguing me as I stood there, now a bit lost in thought.
“You're worried about Mami Tomoe, aren't you?” Homura asked.
“Yes, I am.” I replied.
Affection Calculation Time! An
Opportunity Choice will now be made available to you depending on your affection level with
Homura Akemi. To determine your affection level, refer to the following Homura Akemi Affection Data, and calculate your affection level with her.
If your affection level with Akemi Homura is
+2 or higher, read Section
Homura Makes a Shocking Offer. Otherwise, skip over it.
Spoiler for Homura Makes a Shocking Offer:
“Then don't be.” Homura said.
“How could I not be worried about her?!” I asked, a bit incredulously.
“You don't have to tell her about you and I.” Homura replied.
“Huh?” I asked, wondering what Homura could possibly mean by this.
“My love for you is very deep and strong, Madoka.” Homura said, “So strong that I hate the thought of being the cause of any suffering in your life for any reason. As such, I'm willing to spare you from having to break up with Mami Tomoe.”
“... Are you actually saying that...?” I began to ask in breathless shock.
“Yes, but only if you're comfortable with it.” Homura confirmed, “I'm willing to be one of two girlfriends for you. And I'm willing and able to keep my new relationship with you secret from Mami Tomoe in the process. What do you say to this, Madoka?”
M Opportunity Choice 3:
A) “If you're really willing to, then... sure. Yes! That would be for the best! I wouldn't have to hurt anybody then!”
B) “No, that would be disrespectful to both you and Mami. I will be properly breaking up with Mami later today.”
If you chose
A, read Section
Firm Love Triangle, and
disregard the rest of Section The Ultimate Romantic Decision. Otherwise, skip over that Section, and read the rest of the chapter.
Spoiler for Firm Love Triangle:
“I'm very glad that I could be of help to you, Madoka.” Homura replied with a smile, “But there is something I'd like you to do for me as thanks.”
“Oh, what's that?” I asked.
Homura then walked over to me, and handed me a sheet of paper and a map.
“On that sheet of paper is my home address.” Homura said, “And on the map is a route I drew in pink marker. It marks out the quickest path from your home to mine.”
“So... you want me to pay you a visit this evening?” I asked.
“Would that not be a fitting way to start our romance together?” Homura asked in turn, while smirking a bit.
“Yes, I guess it would be.” I smiled shyly.
“But one more thing.” Homura said.
“What's that?” I asked.
Homura then leaned in close, and whispered something seductively into my ear.
“Prepare for a wild evening.” she said.
My eyes went wide, my mouth opened in shock, and I think my heart skipped a beat!
“B-but Homura!” I cried.
But it was no good. Homura had seemingly disappeared right after saying that to me.
I guess that Homura had... special plans for her and I.
Those plans would have to wait for now, though. First I would sadly need to lie to Mami. I hated doing that, but it would be necessary to hide my new relationship with Homura from her. I really hoped that I would be able to manage having two girlfriends like this!
“Very well.” Homura replied, “I'm deeply moved that you respect me enough to do that, Madoka.”
“In any event...” Homura said, before continuing on...
“Try not to worry about Mami.” Homura replied, “Sayaka is a close mutual friend to both you and her. I'm sure she'll help Mami through this difficult period.”
“Yes, you're probably right.” I responded to that, “Still, I want to get everything dealt with today. So I'm going to formally break up with Mami within the next hour or so.”
“I see.” Homura replied, with a touch of sadness in her voice.
There was then a tense pause in the air, before Homura said something else to me.
“Well, I don't want our first day as girlfriends to end on a sad note for you.” Homura said, “So I want you to meet me at my place this evening.”
“Ok.” I replied, “But where do you live? How do I get there?”
Homura then walked over to me, and handed me a sheet of paper and a map.
“On that sheet of paper is my home address.” Homura said, “And on the map is a route I drew in pink marker. It marks out the quickest path from your home to mine.”
“That should work then.” I replied with a smile.
“It would be cliche of me to say I'll be waiting for you with bells and whistles on.” Homura began in response, “Besides...”
Homura then leaned close in to me, to whisper something seductively into my ear.
“I'll be wearing something much sexier than that.” she said.
My eyes went wide, my mouth opened in shock, and I think my heart skipped a beat!
“B-but Homura!” I cried.
But it was no good. Homura had seemingly disappeared right after saying that to me.
I guess that Homura had... special plans for her and I.
Those plans would have to wait for now, though. First I would sadly need to formally break up with Mami. I
hated doing that, but I had to be honest with Mami about the decision I've made today. Homura was now the girl for me!
And so I was now leaving the school, to go meet Mami at a nearby restaurant. I had a lot to talk to her about! Today was proving to be a changing day in my life! I only hope that I had made the right decisions this day.
__________________________________________________ ___
Sayaka Romance Chain
“Man, this just isn't my day.”
Those were the first words out of Kotetsu Miki's mouth after seeing his daughter and I kissing each other. It was a milder response than Sayaka or I had expected!
Kotetsu is a tall and thin man in his 40s, and he also keeps himself in very good shape, as he exercises a lot. Right now he's wearing a green shirt with a white vest on top of it. His hair is short and black but spikes out a bit on the sides. Perhaps his most noticeable feature is his finely groomed goatee, that includes no moustache and looks like two matching bat symbols on his chin!
Mr. Miki is usually in a gregarious, upbeat mood with a real vitality to him. But right now, his shoulders were hunched over, and he seemed to be very depressed. It was almost enough to make Sayaka and I forget about the main issue right now!
“I-I can explain!” Sayaka shouted, as she quickly rose to her feet after her and I pulled ourselves apart.
“What's there to explain?” Mr. Miki asked in reply, as he went to the fridge to grab something to drink, “I think it's pretty obvious, don't you?”
“...You're not mad?” Sayaka asked, surprised by her father's nonchalant response to seeing her and I kiss each other.
“The situation between you and Madoka isn't the worst news I've gotten today, that's for sure.” Mr. Miki said, as he returned to the living room holding a glass of strong sake.
“It adds on to the earful your mother is probably going to give me later today, that's about it's only
immediate impact on me.” he continued, while he slouched down into a chair opposite from the couch where Sayaka and I had been sitting.
Mr. Miki then downed his glass of sake in one huge gulp, leaving both Sayaka and I a bit worried.
“What's the worst news you've received today?” Sayaka asked, genuinely concerned about her father.
“I've been laid off from work, Sayaka.” he answered, “Your mother is going to be in for two nasty surprises when she gets home.”
I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty now. It angered me a bit that Sayaka's parents might not accept her and I being girlfriends together, but at the same time I didn't like how Sayaka and I might inadvertently cause Mr. Miki's already bad day to get worst.
As Sayaka and I glanced back and forth at each other, I could tell by the look on her face and in her eyes that she felt the same way that I did here.
“Do you have to tell mom about it?” Sayaka asked, “I mean, you losing your job is the most important thing right now!”
“I'd rather your mother hear about it from me than have to find out about it the way I just did.” Mr. Miki replied.
Mr. Miki then turned his attention to me.
“Madoka.” he began, while looking towards me.
“Y-Yes?” I asked nervously.
“Look, don't worry.” he said, “I'm not mad with you or anything like that. You've been Sayaka's best friend for a long time now, and I'm grateful for that. If it was up to just me, I'd probably roll with it, you know? But Nanami... she's probably not going to take it well.”
Nanami was the name of Sayaka's mom. It's true that Nanami was very... traditionalist in her views. She had also been strongly supportive of the idea of Sayaka ending up with Kamijo, as she admired Kamijo and his family a great deal. I had always gotten on pretty well with both of Sayaka's parents, but I doubt that would be the same after today.
“Please don't tell her, dad!” Sayaka pleaded once more to her father.
“Now, come on, Sayaka, don't you think your own mother deserves to know this?” Mr. Miki replied, “I hope you don't plan to lie about it when I tell her!”
“No, I won't lie about it.” Sayaka replied tersely, “I don't think I could lie about that.”
Sayaka looked over to me as she said that, with such powerful emotion in her eyes. I could tell how much this situation was bothering her, and how much she wished her and I didn't have to face what would come from her father catching us kissing each other.
“Now, Madoka.” Mr. Miki said, after turning his attentions back to me, “I don't mean to be rude, but you probably should be heading home now. It probably would be better if you're not here when Nanami gets home.”
Part of me wanted to fight against that request, and stand up for Sayaka and I. But ultimately, I saw the logic in Mr. Miki's words, so I decided to comply with his request.
I then rushed over to Sayaka, and gave her a quick hug.
“I'll see you tomorrow at school, Ok?” I asked her.
“Ok.” Sayaka replied with a certain assertiveness, partly for her father's ears as well.
I then left the Miki household, and headed home, deeply worried about what would happen next.
I had considered telling my parents about what had happened, but I just didn't feel prepared for that. So after getting home, I just quietly had Dinner and went to do some homework afterwards. In the late evening, I heard a knock on my door.
“Madoka, we need to talk.”
It was my mama.
“Ok, come in.” I replied.
Mama than opened up the door and walked into my bedroom, while I was sitting in front of my personal computer, completing homework on it.
“I just received a very...
interesting phone call from Kotetsu Miki.” she said, “I trust you know what it's about?”
“Yeah.” I replied uneasily.
“Care to tell me why you didn't tell me about it yourself, Madoka?” mama asked me, with a tinge of hurt in her voice.
“Well, Sayaka and I...” I began uneasily, “We've only been girlfriends for a few days, mom! There just wasn't yet a good opportunity for me to tell you about it.”
“Did you think that your father or I would be upset about it?” mama asked me.
“Well, I didn't know for sure, so...” I began in answer.
“Neither of us are upset about you being in that sort of relationship with another girl.” mama said, interrupting me, “Besides, I've had my suspicions. especially as it pertains to you and Sayaka.”
“You did?” I asked, a bit surprised by mama's words here.
“Sayaka and you have always been closer than most pairs of friends are.” mama replied with a smile, “And truth be told, there was a girl I liked
that way when I was your age.”
“Really?” I asked, shocked to hear this.
“Yes.” mama replied with a smile, as she sat down on my bed, “Here, come sit next to me. I think it's time we had a good heart-to-heart conversation.”
“Ok.” I replied, as I moved over to sit next to her.
“Madoka, I'm very glad I met your father, because I now have a great family thanks in large part to him.” mama began, “But when I was fourteen, there was an active and sporty girl in my class that I had a crush on. Her name was Ringo. You could say that she was the apple of my eye.”
“That's... a very dry pun, mom.” I said nervously over that joke, but still I couldn't help but to smile at it.
“It's more than just a pun.” mama replied, “I was in love with her, and she with me. But her parents were strongly against their daughter being in that sort of relationship, so it never worked out for her and I. Remind you of anything?”
Hearing mama's story, and the way she presented it, made me feel kinda sad.
“Now, don't get me wrong.” mama continued, “Maybe it'll work out between you and Sayaka. I honestly hope it does, for your sake and her's. And your father and I will support you in that relationship if that's what you truly want, Madoka. I have no doubt that you and Sayaka really do care about each other a lot. But just be prepared...”
“I'm not going to let that happen to Sayaka and me.” I said, surprising even myself with the boldness and strength of my words here, “I... I don't mean you any disrespect, but I'm not...”
Mama then leaned over to hug me.
“If that's your choice, then I'll support you in it, Madoka.” mama said, “But it has to be Sayaka's choice as well. You'll need to determine soon if it is or not. And don't blame her if she doesn't go through with it, given the family issues it's now causing her. Ringo wasn't able to go through with it herself...”
Mama was right. This really wasn't my decision to make. It was Sayaka's. And I didn't know how rough things were for her now. But I would know by tomorrow.
Sayaka had decided to not meet up with Hitomi and me at our usual spot on the way to school. I could tell that Hitomi wanted to ask me about that, but had decided not to. I'm glad she did, because I didn't really want to talk about it myself.
When I arrived at class for the morning, I saw that Sayaka was already there, sitting at her desk with a somber look on her face. I felt such a great need and desire to reach out to her right now! So I skipped over to her, and put on the biggest smile that I could while I greeted her.
“Good morning!” I shouted to her.
“Hi.” Sayaka replied, forcing a smile.
I could tell that Sayaka was really hurting right now, though.
“Are you Ok?” I asked her with a whisper, as I leaned in close to her.
“As well as can be expected...” she answered weakly, “We'll talk about it lunch-time, Ok?”
“Ok.” I replied.
While I had this brief conversation with Sayaka, I think I saw Homura's eyes fixated on us. That wasn't terribly unusual for Homura, but there was a look in Homura's eyes that suggested to me that maybe she knew about the new romantic relationship between Sayaka and I. But that was a passing concern for me right now. The main thing was helping Sayaka, and doing what I could to ensure that our romance worked out!
With these goals taking precedence for me, I walked alongside Sayaka to our usual spot for lunch-time on school days. Sayaka sat next to me, a bit tense in her posture as she held her knees in her arms, lurched over a bit. I was sitting in a more relaxed posture, though my heart was no less tense.
“Sorry about how my dad called your mom.” Sayaka said, breaking the ice for our conversation, “I tried to talk him out of it, but he didn't listen to me.”
“It's Ok.” I replied, while I smiled reassuringly at Sayaka, “Mama and papa took it really well!”
“That's good at least.” Sayaka replied, “At least
your parents won't cause any problems for us, Madoka.”
“And what about your parents, Sayaka?” I asked, in a starkly serious tone, preparing for the worst.
“Well, you heard dad yesterday.” Sayaka began in answer, “I don't think it bothers him that much. He just dislikes the headaches he blames it for, since him, mom, and I all had a big argument over it last night.”
“...And what came of that argument?” I asked.
“Mom was pretty incensed with me.” Sayaka said, “Most of the argument was her and I shouting back and forth at each other, while dad tried to play peacemaker. Mom really had it out with both dad and I. Him for getting laid off, and me for, well, you know.”
“Did anything concrete come from the argument?” I asked.
“You probably should know, Madoka, that mom had intended to forbid me from ever going over to your place again, or ever having you over to my place again.” Sayaka answered, “In fact, I think she wanted me to... to stop even being friends with you. Dad thankfully considered that very extreme, and pushed for a compromise. So I ended up agreeing to not go over to your place anytime soon, in return for mom agreeing to let me have you over to my place, as long as her or dad are there.”
“I see.” I said, in a low and dejected voice, “Of course, Sayaka, if that's how your mom feels about me now, then...”
“I know.” Sayaka replied, while sighing, “It might not be the best idea if you came over to my place anytime soon.”
“...So what are we going to do, Sayaka?” I asked, as I felt deeply concerned, “Are we... are you and I going to have to break...”
“
No.” Sayaka said firmly, “I'm not going to let it come to that! This is
my decision, it's not mom's!”
Tears of hurt and frustration started to rush to Sayaka's eyes as she said that.
“I-I'm sorry, Madoka.” Sayaka said, “It's your decision as well, of course. I meant no disre...”
“I know.” I said, “And my decision is the same as yours, Sayaka! I don't want to lose you either!”
Sayaka and I were both crying now. In a flash, we'd find ourselves hugging each other, trying to take comfort in each other's arms. Attempts to reassure one another was garbled and rendered a bit inaudible by our sobs. But we both knew that we were going to do whatever we could to overcome the trials and turmoils thrown against us and our relationship. We had no intention of giving in to them!
“Madoka, I have an idea.” Sayaka said, while she held my shoulders in her two hands and looked me in the eyes.
“What's that?” I asked.
“Why don't I ask Mami if you and I can meet at her place sometimes?” Sayaka asked me, “That way we can get around the obstacles that's been put in our path.”
“Ok.” I replied, “That's fine with me if it's Ok with you and Mami!”
So during lunch-break, Sayaka called Mami and explained the situation to her, as briefly as possible. Sayaka then asked Mami if we could make use of her home at times when she was out doing Puella Magi-based activities. Mami agreed to it!
That was a big relief to Sayaka and I. At least the two of us would now have a place that we could relax at, other than just various restaurants and stores around town.
I could tell that there would be a lot of challenges facing Sayaka and I as romantic partners. But I was willing to face them alongside of her, with the help of our mutual friends, and my parents!
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Madoka Stands Alone Chain
[Cont'd in next post]