Zipper knew Kaida was there but thought she’d go unnoticed for whatever reason. Considering no one else was here, and Kaida had taken Zipper to the infirmary specifically (because they were both gay for one another), she should have known better. Frantically searching? Stupid… stupid!

Zipper leans back into the bed, pretending to be asleep, and then wakes up slowly after a moderately long, awkward pause.

“Nothing’s wrong beautiful,” Oh no. Mouth. What are you doing? “If anything were wrong, it’s that I don’t have you lying next to me.” Her eyebrows wriggle on their own. WHAT THE FUCK! “Thank you so much for taking care of me… but how about…” A wink. “I take care of you?”

She snaps out of it. Her face is red. Not flush, not reddish, but an entire block of red light with how embarrassed she was at herself.

“I’M SO SORRY!” Zipper’s lost it now. “It’s just I’m gay for you and you said you’re gay for me too and I never thought I’d get this far and I don’t know what to do I’m new to all this so I’m just trying to get you to like me and marry me but I don’t have a wedding ring so maybe I’ll get one for later and surprise you but I’m realizing we don’t really know each other so maybe we should take things slow and maybe just go on a date and kiss or something?” Yeah, that went worse than expected. “...I’ll pay?”

---

Rumor has it there’s a new head of the support department. They’re a prestigious, attention-seeking PR savant that chooses this field. They could be a model or movie star, but he uses his intellect and social know-how to pave a path forward for all awkward support students around Japan. Kei fits perfectly into that category.

When he’s not the center of attention, Kei is a fully functional human being. A bit skittish, but we all have our ticks. But when he’s in the spotlight he turns into a mess. The same man on the news for saving the day — because he wasn’t aware of the cameras — became an echo of himself. It wasn’t as bad as some of the performances at the showcase, but…

Hasani was the template.

And the kicker? He knew how to make hero costumes. Zipper didn’t want to be a support kid, nor did she want to become a professional suitmaker, but she did need to know the process enough to help brand her clientele.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

---

Everything Zipper knew had been reflected on her like a twisted mirror. She thought Kei delusional, pining over some fabricated girl that represented an unrequited love within his adolescence. But now, sobered by the revelation that these two are dating (and both aware of the fact), Zipper had to come to grips with the idea that this was another love lost. She thought back to the giantess at the grave and her red, flush face quickly paled as the creeping sting of rejection compounded upon itself.

Maybe she should’ve stayed het.


Her mood comes down and her grip weakens just enough to stave off the pain. Zipper thought herself unworthy of such luxuries.

“Not a fangirl,” Her voice is weak, raspy. The rebound from the high manifests in a zombie-like state. But instead of rotting flesh and incoherent grunts, you can see death in her eyes from another love lost. “I thought that’s what friends did.” Yaoyao could snap her neck and she’d let it happen. But, this time, she didn’t fabricate a universe where she writhed in pleasure. Instead, she saw it as an end to the heartbreak.

“Kei, I’m sorry for not believing you have a super hot, goth girlfriend.” Zipper was depressed but her words betrayed her tone. A single instance of rejection was hard enough, but the second multiplied infinitely. She wasn’t strong enough. “And I’m sorry for thinking you were a super hot, dream babe and not a real person, in a real bed, with real feelings.”

Zipper knew what good PR was. And for a moment, she kept things coherent enough to say something passable. But it was only for a moment as the depression spilled out of her and she confided in Kei — the one friend she’d made since being here.

“After the Kioko thing I…” Zipper finally made eye contact with Yaoyao and fell in love all over again. She bit her tongue, unsure how to process the whiplash of emotions. If she could give away her heart, too. If she could stomp away the feelings, she’d settle for that. Zipper was no stranger to feeling alone in a room, but it was the first time she looked at Kei with envy. “It doesn’t matter.”

---

“It’s very gay…” Zipper’s face is flush. “To meet… me?”

She points to herself with one hand as the other shakes Kaida’s. They maintain contact for eternity until Kaida eventually breaks off to speak to Jun. Hand still out, heart still pounding…

Doki.

---

It was difficult to tell when Kioko was annoyed. A scowl found its home on her face years ago, and any deviation only seemed to amplify her displeasure. To Zipper's relief, it seemed the flowers were the source this time. A thud resonated through the air marking the beginning of her trial — cleaning a graveside that belonged not to her parents, but another’s. And though the dissonance made her want to resist, being told what to do by a pretty, authoritative girl was like balm to her frazzled soul.

“Zipper,” She didn’t hesitate to get started. Between running a convenience store and managing hero students, she quickly adopted a ‘get to work’ mindset. Even though there was little work to be done, Zipper was diligent in her task. The only thing that could distract her from the voluptuous figure behind her was the monotonous rhythm of labor.

Her intrusive thoughts concocted more than a few terrible angles to prompt conversation. Bringing up her own dead parents would be a faux pas. And despite Zipper’s delusions, she could take a hint — Kioko wasn’t interested. Penance. A small, granule of hope hid deep in her psyche, thinking this was some elaborate courtship before being whisked away to her manor. However, she abandoned those wanton fantasies with a soft, momentary smile.

“Sorry,” It’s all she could muster. And despite wanting to say more, the tone of her voice implying more to be said, she said nothing.

---

Zipper should’ve gone over to the group. It was one thing to intrude on a few friends, but it was another to put yourself at the center of a mob and exchange contact information with everyone. She was far enough to hear bits and pieces of the conversation, but nothing coherent — not with everyone talking all at once. Even now, she held herself back on the account of avoiding Jun. She was not ready for that headache.

But, of course, with her back turned to the group, following her nose at the delectable scents wafting her toward the nearest confectionary station, Jun bumps into her. More than a bump, Jun tackled Zipper and almost brought her to the ground along with the weight of a comically large raffle bag.

Zipper’s already yapping a storm before Jun collects herself.

“Hey sorry I’m not gay Okay wait I am gay but I’m not gay for you Not that there’s anything wrong with you You’re not my type but It’s a me thing really Well it’s actually a Kioko thing I didn’t even know I liked girls until I met her and now I’m in love with her Not you so —” Zipper’s face is the reddest a face has ever been in the history of all things to have ever existed.

---