Juvia finally managed to escape the encirclement.
Of course, that didn't happen without her first spending an entire hour surrounded by questions coming from every direction, like arrows fired without any aim. The interest in the mission, in the supposed "unexpected events," in Natsu's whereabouts, in the reason for the delay… it was endless. And the less Juvia explained, the more they seemed to invent absurd theories to fill the silence.
But unanimously, everyone wanted to know how Natsu was doing and whether he had really changed, as many swore they had seen the day he came to pick up the job he ended up doing with Juvia. Even though it had only been for a brief moment and possibly something fleeting, that impression had stuck in the guild's mind. At least, that's what most of them believed…
Yes, everyone believed Natsu would soon return to normal, and that such unusual behavior was nothing more than a passing phase.
However, they couldn't have been more wrong.
She explained that he had, in fact, matured.
Even so, the Fairy Tail members reacted with disbelief and skepticism; few were willing to accept that the behavior she described could actually be true.
I mean… since when did Natsu act calmly and stop being impulsive?
Although many doubted Juvia's words, curiosity won out in the end. Deep down, everyone wanted to see the "new Natsu" with their own eyes.
When, at last, a small commotion started on the other side of the hall thanks to an argument between Jet and Droy about which of them had gotten stronger over the past seven years and was the only one capable of protecting Levy, attention scattered just enough for her to slip discreetly toward the bar counter.
Mirajane had been watching her ever since she approached.
With that gentle smile that seemed to see more than it should, the bartender placed a glass of pale blue liquid in front of her before she even asked.
"Here you go," she said, leaning her arms on the counter. "Something light to help you relax."
Juvia blinked, surprised.
"Ah… thank you, Mira-san." She took the glass with both hands and sipped it. The sweet, refreshing taste immediately soothed her chest.
Mirajane tilted her head slightly, studying her face. "Are you okay? You look a little tired."
"Juvia is fine," she answered at once—perhaps too quickly. "Just… overwhelmed by all the attention from the guild."
Mirajane let out a soft little laugh.
"You disappeared for two weeks with Natsu. And everyone was worried about him because of what happened on Tenrou Island. It was only natural they'd want to know what went on." She winked. "Besides, Juvia has always been popular here, even if she won't admit it."
Juvia nearly choked. "J-Juvia is not popular!"
"You are," Mirajane confirmed naturally, resting her chin on one hand. "You're beautiful and kind; people like you. And on top of that, most of them noticed what happened between you and Gray on Tenrou Island… or at least guessed something. You used to be so attached to him, following Gray everywhere. But after we got back, you could barely stay in the same room as him and always looked down."
She sighed softly, smiling gently.
"Everyone was worried, me included. That was one of the reasons I asked you to go with Natsu. And now we're all relieved to see you smiling again without that gloom that seemed to consume you ever since we returned…"
Juvia fell silent for several seconds.
Mirajane's words slipped past her defenses before she even noticed.
She lowered her eyes to the pale blue liquid in the glass, watching it tremble slightly between her fingers. When she spoke, her voice came out softer, almost shy.
"…Juvia didn't know… that everyone was so worried."
Mirajane smiled tenderly.
"Of course we were. You're part of Fairy Tail, Juvia. You're not just someone who's always around. You're one of us."
The water mage felt her face grow warm.
Juvia took a deep breath, gathering courage to lift her eyes.
"…Juvia is very grateful, Mira-san," she said with rare sincerity, gripping the glass more firmly. "For asking Juvia to go with Natsu-sama. If it weren't for that… Juvia doesn't know how she would be now."
Mirajane's gentle smile widened at the thanks, but it froze for an instant when a certain word echoed in her mind.
"Natsu…sama?"
Since she had been working as a waitress earlier, she hadn't been able to get close to the group surrounding Juvia to hear everything they were saying about Natsu. She had only caught fragments of conversation—nothing that revealed the new way the water mage was addressing him. That was why, as soon as she had the chance, she asked Kinana to cover for her for a few minutes (there were few orders at that hour) and brought Juvia a drink. She wanted to talk calmly with the girl and hear the details of the mission straight from her…
Her eyebrow rose slowly.
She leaned in a little, bringing her face closer to Juvia's, like someone who had just sniffed out a delicious secret.
"…Natsu-sama, Juvia?" she repeated with dangerously curious sweetness. "How interesting. You used to call only Gray that."
Juvia froze on the spot, her fingers tightening around the glass by reflex.
"J-Juvia… Juvia j-just… it's… respect! That's it!… Natsu-sama… it's just respect!" She waved her hands frantically, already turning red. "He's strong and kind and helped Juvia a lot, so—"
Mirajane didn't let it slide. Leaning closer, she pressed her lips into a little smile that said she had just put every piece of the puzzle together.
"You're not going to tell me that…?"
She left the sentence hanging on purpose, teasing.
Juvia almost fell off the stool.
"It's not what Mira-san is thinking!"
Mirajane crossed her arms, resting a finger on her chin, her expression now fully mischievous.
"Are you sure? Because… the way you said his name… and that tone… It really sounds like someone who is… how should I put it… in love?"
Juvia squeezed her eyes shut.
But she didn't deny it.
When she opened them again, her deep blue eyes were soft and vulnerable in a rare way.
"…Juvia… believes… yes." Her voice came out like a thread—timid, but true. "Juvia has fallen… for Natsu-sama. He saved Juvia from sadness with his smile, saved Juvia from loneliness with his company. Natsu-sama is everything Juvia has ever wanted, everything she has ever wished for. Juvia has never felt like this about anyone… not even Gray-san. That's why… Juvia doesn't really know what to do…"
The memories came immediately, vivid and warm: Natsu laughing loudly as they walked an unknown trail; Natsu complaining in the middle of the night; Natsu asleep leaning against a tree, so close she could hear his breathing; Natsu calling her name in that hoarse morning voice; Natsu asleep in her lap…
Her chest warmed just remembering.
In that moment, she simply couldn't hold the words back.
Listening to every sincere word from the girl in front of her, Mirajane blinked and felt something tighten inside her own chest.
But not in the way she expected.
It was like a sudden snap— a thread pulled backward, like rubber about to break. A mild, strange discomfort… something she didn't recognize right away.
"Ah…" She smiled, though the smile wasn't as natural as she wished. "So you… really are in love."
Juvia nodded, blushing, but with a seriousness she hadn't had before.
"Yes…" she murmured, looking at the glass in her hands, her voice soft.
Mirajane took a deep breath.
That uncomfortable feeling returned— a strange tightness right in the center. As if some part of her hadn't liked the answer.
Jealousy?
Impossible.
Ridiculous.
She loved Natsu, yes, but the way you love a noisy, furniture-destroying, absolutely precious little brother. A protective love, from someone who watched that boy grow up, who knows every one of his smiles, every silly thing he does, every over-the-top act of courage. She would do anything for him, but it wasn't romantic…
It never had been.
So why… why did it bother her?
She took a deep breath, forced the smile back, and tried to push away the unexpected heat rising to her own cheeks.
She looked at the blushing Juvia in front of her and said, "Natsu is amazing. I… I'm happy for you."
And at the same time, deep down, that invisible rubber band pulled once more.
Just big-sister worry, of course.
Natsu had always been far too precious. It was hard not to feel your chest tighten when someone new entered the circle of people who loved him.
Or… maybe it was just surprise.
Yes… probably just that.
Probably.
For a moment the two of them stayed silent, just watching the movement in the hall. Shouts, laughter, glasses clinking on tables.
Juvia twirled the glass between her hands, the pale blue liquid rippling slowly, as if mirroring the exact state of her heart.
Mirajane, for her part, kept that calm smile… but there was something new in it. A glint hard to define. A discomfort carefully hidden behind her usual sweetness.
The silence between them lasted only a few seconds, but it felt far too long for Juvia, who took a deep breath and gathered her courage.
"…Mira-san."
Mirajane looked up immediately, gentle.
"Yes?"
Juvia gripped the glass tighter, looking away for a second. Then she met Mirajane's eyes again, now with shy but firm determination.
"Juvia wants… to ask something." She hesitated, bit her lip, blushed. "Since Mira-san is… popular… and understands these things… Juvia… would like to know how… how to win Natsu-sama."
Mirajane literally choked on air.
A tiny cough escaped before she could regain composure—quickly, but not quick enough to hide the surprise and the new, irritating squeeze in her chest.
"W-win… Natsu?" she repeated, almost in an incredulous whisper.
Juvia nodded, very serious but with burning cheeks.
"Yes. Juvia is certain Natsu-sama likes her. We just need to take the first step. And since Mira-san is a popular woman and has experience in these matters, Juvia would like your opinion…"
That really struck something in Mirajane.
As if an invisible needle had poked a far-too-sensitive spot.
She forced the smile back, even though she felt the back of her neck grow hot.
"Juvia…" She leaned in, resting her elbow on the counter, speaking with a sincerity that surprised even herself. "You don't need to do anything to 'win' Natsu."
Juvia blinked, confused.
Mirajane continued, softer.
"Well, he's always liked honest, straightforward people who treat others well… and you're exactly like that." She let out a slow breath. "If you just be yourself, Natsu will notice. And… he'll stay with you."
Saying it scratched something inside her.
But it was true.
And Mirajane would never be able to lie to Juvia.
Juvia turned an almost adorably deep shade of red.
"But should Juvia take the first step?"
Mirajane looked away for a brief second, as if she needed time to swallow something stuck in her throat. When she looked back at Juvia, the smile was there—perfect—but her eyes carried an emotion she herself didn't quite understand.
"In the past…" she began, her voice lower than usual, almost nostalgic, "Natsu understood nothing about romance. Zero. He'd look at a pretty girl and think, 'Cool, she looks strong—wonder if she'd fight me?' Just look at Erza, right? She's beautiful, and even so he only ever wanted to fight her… Happy was always teasing him, saying Natsu would only fall in love when someone landed a good punch on his face."
She gave a little laugh, but the sound came out a bit forced.
"After Happy was gone… I saw him here in the guild when he came to take that job. He was different. Quieter. More… whole. As if he had grown up all at once without telling anyone. I thought maybe, just maybe, he had started to understand things that used to fly right over his head."
Mirajane drummed her fingers on the counter, pensive.
"But you know, Juvia… some things don't change even with the worst pain. You can't assume he'll suddenly want to date someone…"
She took a deep breath, as if gathering courage to say something she didn't want to.
"So yes… if you wait for Natsu-sama…" she mimicked Juvia's reverent tone with a playful little smile, "to take the first step, you'll be waiting until the day the Master retires. Meaning never."
Juvia's eyes widened, her face on fire.
"Y-You mean… Juvia has to…?"
"She does," Mirajane confirmed with a certainty that surprised even herself. She leaned in a little more, lowering her voice to an almost conspiratorial whisper. "If you want Natsu, Juvia… you'll have to grab him by that pink hair and look him in the eye and say: 'Hey, you blockhead, I love you, got it? Now kiss me before I drown you.'"
Juvia covered her face with both hands, dying of embarrassment, but through her fingers you could see she was smiling—a huge, silly, impossible-to-hide smile.
"M-Mira-san… that's… way too direct…!"
"It's the only language Natsu understands," Mirajane shrugged, trying to look casual, but her heart was beating strangely. "Or at least it used to be. Trust me. I've known him since he wore dragon diapers."
A short silence fell, full of unspoken things.
Juvia slowly lowered her hands, her eyes shining with a new, almost frightening determination.
"…Juvia will do it," she declared, voice trembling but resolute. "Juvia will tell Natsu-sama everything. Even if he runs away. Even if he turns red and bolts screaming. Juvia will go after him. Because… because this time Juvia no longer wants to run from her own feelings."
Mirajane felt that invisible rubber band inside her chest stretch until it almost snapped.
She smiled. A beautiful, perfect big-sister proud smile.
But inside, something hurt in a way she refused to name.
Because deep, deep down…
…maybe she was discovering that big-sister love can sometimes have edges dangerously similar to jealousy.
And that terrified her more than any demon she had ever faced.
The creak of the heavy door diverted half the guild's attention for a moment. The cold wind came in before he did. Gray crossed the threshold with his usual relaxed posture—hands in pockets, neutral expression—but his eyes scanned the hall attentively.
Mirajane automatically lifted her head.
Juvia, by reflex, also glanced over—but only glanced.
It was just… a casual look. Almost empty, as if she were looking at someone who no longer had the power to stir storms inside her.
Then she calmly took another sip of the pale blue drink, as if nothing had happened.
Mirajane blinked once.
Then raised an elegant, slightly suspicious eyebrow.
"You two… worked things out?" she asked, voice light but sharp enough to cut the silence between them.
Juvia gently set the glass on the wooden counter.
"Yes," she answered with impeccable serenity. "A little while before Juvia arrived. We talked. Everything is fine now. We're just guildmates."
Mirajane took a full second to absorb that answer. The smile returned, but smaller than usual—curious, investigative.
"I see," she murmured, looking at Juvia as if seeing a once-turbulent water surface now completely still—so calm it was almost unsettling, as if it hid unfathomable depths.
Before she could say anything else, a loud crash echoed from the other side of the guild.
"ARE YOU CRAZY, JET?!" Droy roared. "Levy DOES need protection!"
"AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FROM YOU!" Jet shot back, pointing, hopping around like an angry stick.
Their argument dragged in other members, and as always, a fight quickly broke out…
Gray took two steps—just enough to reach the central table, trying to ignore the brewing brawl. But it took only a second—one single second—for someone, of course, to bump into him.
Elfman shoved him with a forearm the size of a tree trunk.
"GRAY! YOU OWE ME A FIGHT, YOU WIMP!" the man bellowed, chest puffed out, voice explosive. "A REAL MAN DOESN'T RUN FROM RESPONSIBILITY!"
Gray nearly stumbled forward, catching his balance with a heavy sigh.
"Tch… you're delusional again?" he snapped, irritated, adjusting his open shirt collar. "I don't owe you anything, you gorilla."
"GORILLA?!" Elfman roared. "I AM A MAN!"
"Then act like one," Gray retorted, raising his fist without a second thought.
Before the first punch could fly, a third voice cut in—rough and dripping boredom.
"You two are too damn loud…" Gajeel leaned his chair back, hands behind his head. "If you're gonna fight, do it properly. The way you're going, it's not even worth watching."
"Gajeel-kun!" Levy jumped up from the table, trying to grab his shoulder before he fully joined in. "Please don't encourage them! There's already enough chaos!"
"Relax, Shrimp," he replied without moving a muscle. "I'm bored."
In less than five seconds: Gray was ready to punch Elfman. Elfman was flexing, roaring like a bear. Gajeel pushed his chair forward just to provoke. Levy desperately tried to stop all of them at once, because if they broke anything the Master might actually have a heart attack considering the current state of the guild…
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