“Please, Momo. You don’t even have to talk to her. Just help me hold the class. Please.” Lisa even tried giving her some sort of sorrow-y puppy eyes.

Momo sighed, stopping herself from fiddling with her shoelaces. Maybe Lisa was right. It’s just a dance class. It’s not like she would have to interact with Mina. Maybe she should face her fear and act like she isn’t even here anymore. That would be better for everyone, including her own sanity, no matter how much it would pain Momo.

“Okay.”

She took in a deep breath. The next two hours are going to be difficult, but Momo will get through it. She always got through hard things. This isn’t going to be different. And it’s not like Mina was here to kill her or anything.

And even if she was, would it really matter?

Not to Momo.

So she lifted her head up and walked out of the door, into the dancing studio with Lisa following closely behind. The loud ‘bang’ of the door colliding with the wall made all the ladies jump a little. Momo caught their attention.

“Hello. Since for some of you this is our first class together I’ll introduce myself. My name is Momo Hirai and I’ll be your dance teacher along with Lisa. I’m guessing she already told you all who she was.”

Lisa nodded. So Momo went on.

“If you have any questions or need help then just go ahead and ask us. Now I think we should start the class since we wasted enough time already.”

Momo would be lying if she said that she was even a little comfortable. She knew Mina’s eyes were on her and it felt like her stare was burning through her skin. And it was suffocating her. She looked at Lisa one more time, searching for a form of comfort. The younger girl gave her a reassuring nod, gesticulating for her to go on.

They got in place quickly. Momo and Lisa delivered the choreography easily, making some of the students gawk in awe. The dance in itself wasn’t that hard but the duo made it look like art, that only a select few could master. Momo was still tense though. She just hoped that it didn’t show through her dancing.

Everything went smoothly. They repeated the choreography a few times, then they started doing it slower, deconstructing it move by move. The students seemed to understand fairly easily, for which Momo was thankful. She really wasn’t in the mood for extensive explications.

But it had to happen. At one point the choreography got harder and the moves needed some more polishing. So Momo put on a smile, knowing well that Mina was watching every single one of her movements. And when the students couldn’t to the right movements even with an explanation, she offered physical help. A gentle hand on the waist and the repositioning of the feet, and it went fluently again.

That is until that voice hit Momo’s ears.

“I don’t get that movement. Can you help please?”

It was still familiar in her ears. A quiet, calm and sweet voice. But that sweetness felt more like something bitter to Momo. Like those candies that were sweet at first, then became sour and hurt your teeth. That was how Mina felt as a whole to Momo.

Stop lying Mina. You’re one of the best dancers I know. But Momo didn’t say that out loud.

No way she was just going go over there in front of Mina and act like nothing is happening. Hell, if she got even a little closer, Mina would probably hear how fast her heart was beating. So she sent a distressed glance to Lisa. It took her a few moments to receive Momo’s signal. The Japanese girl probably looked like a deer in headlights right now.

Lisa got it though. She rushed over to Mina, saving Momo from the current situation. She let out a quiet sigh. Her heart was still thumping loudly. She went over to another student asking for help, as far away from Mina as she could.

When done with the finishing touches, Momo and Lisa gathered up at the front again.

“Alright. Let’s try it together.”

They got back in formation, and Lisa played the music again.

It went over smoothly. While there were some messy movements and some timing errors with the synchronization, it was overall solid for the whole group.

Momo hummed, turning away from the group as Lisa spoke to them. She was breathing heavily. Her heart never really slowed down since Mina solicited her attention. Was it that she was too stressed or too tired? Momo hoped for the first. She was an almost professional dancer. It would be weird to get tired after only a few movements.

“I need to take a break.” She whispered into Lisa’s ear, before leaving the room hastly.

This was pitiful. The fact that Mina still had this effect on Momo. It only angered the girl even more. She stormed into the bathroom, with the same heavy breathing.

The first thing she did as she entered, was to splash a handful of water onto her face. At least three times. The almost icy water gave her goosebumps on her skin, but the effect Momo wanted was there too; she no longer felt that suffocated. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at herself in the mirror.

She wasn’t exactly in her best state. There were dark circles under her eyes, droopy eyelids, hanging half open and the usual pink tone of her cheeks was absent. She looked almost dead. Her hand ran through her soft hair, groaning as her eyes dropped from the mirror to the sink.

A faint creak of the door, and she was alert again.

And the scent engulfing her indicated the person entering. Of course, that expensive smell could only be attributed to one person.

“Hey.”

Mina’s voice was quiet, as always. But it was loud enough for Momo to hear. And loud enough to send shivers down her back. Momo tried to ignore her by splashing another handful of water onto her already wet face, then burying it in a towel laying near the sink.

It didn’t work though, as Mina only got closer by now. Momo lifted her head up, looking at the dark haired girl through the mirror. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say, actually (except maybe ‘get the out of my life’).

“Momo? Can we talk?” Mina continued, in the same voice.

No, we can’t. There is nothing to talk about. You broke my trust and then ran away to Japan to escape your problems.

But Momo was perhaps too cowardly to say that out loud.

“What do you want.”

She felt her voice waver a little bit. She was afraid that Mina would notice. But thank god, she didn’t. Mina swallowed quietly, taking a step closer to the brown-haired girl. Momo wishes she hasn’t, as the tension only grew stronger the closer she got.

“I want to- uh, apologize and clear things up with you.”

Mina scratched the back of her neck. She was just as uncomfortable as Momo, but probably less angry. Seeing as Momo was close to ripping the sink off with how stressed she was right now. It would’ve probably been better to stay home. Momo practically felt that something unpleasant was going to happen as soon as she left her bathroom.

“Apologize, huh.” Momo scoffed. “There is no point in doing that.” She turned around, now facing Mina. Funny, how little Mina had changed. Almost the same as last year. A sense of nostalgy and melancholy took over her, as she remembered those times. But she quickly snapped back to her senses and her previous anger. “And it’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?”

“Momo please. You didn’t even let me explain what happe-“

“What happened is that you played with me and when I found out you ran away to Japan and left me to rot!” Her words came out harshly, and a little raspy, before Momo could even register what she just said out loud, tears formed at the corner of her eyes. She almost choked on her breath when she did. Mina was quite shook, and Momo could read it on her face. She rarely snapped like that, so of course it took Mina by surprise.

The other girl was puzzled. She didn’t know how to respond to that. Momo had hit home, as what she said wasn’t entirely wrong. Mina did cheat on Momo, and she did leave to Japan, but she’s had her reasons. For her defense, she did feel guilty. And it’s not like she had a choice whether she could leave to Japan or not. It was just a big coincidence that her father decided to send her back to her homeland exactly at that moment. A sigh escaped her lips.

“Listen, Momo…” Mina paused. “It’s a big misunderstanding. I couldn’t talk to you beca—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Momo interrupted her hastly. Her voice was still rough, her fists balled up but well, it was better than slamming said fist into the mirror because she really felt like she was about to if Mina would speak again. Honestly, she was tired. She took so much time to forget about her, and now she wants to step back into her life just like that.

Momo wanted to finally lash out on Mina and let out all the anger she bottled up months ago and then storm out of the room, and never see her again.

But she couldn’t. She would hate to lose it right in front of Mina. It could show that she still cared, and that was a very dangerous territory for Momo. She’d rather have Mina believe that the only thing she felt was indifference and mild resentment. So far it hadn’t really worked. Momo wasn’t exactly the best at handling hard feelings.

“You should leave.” Said Momo. But she was the one turning around, and walking towards the door, trying to ignore Mina’s presence. But the dark haired girl’s hand reached for Momo’s, making her halt in her steps. As soon as Momo felt Mina’s soft skin on hers, she flinched away, almost like Mina’s touch was burning her.

She glanced back at the girl. Perhaps she shouldn’t have. Mina looked so fragile, biting her lower lip. Almost exactly the same as when she confessed and the first time they got together.

No, she shouldn’t think of that. “It’s useless. You should really go.” Momo repeated. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It would be better for her to just think of the present and not get carried away with what had happened between them. The past stays in the past and she has moved on, right?

“Momo. I’m begging you, just let me tell you what happened.” Mina tried once again.