"Did you hear about Endo-san and Nakatomi-san?"
"Yeah, someone said they saw them out together yesterday. And they were holding hands!"
"No way! I thought they hated each other! Did they go from that to being lesbians somehow?"
It was conversations like these that Haruna heard murmured as she walked through the halls to class Monday morning. Her only response was a roll of her eyes. She knew there was no point in telling them it wasn't true. Once a rumor gripped a school, there was no uprooting it. So instead, she ignored them. It actually wasn't that hard. Not because Haruna didn't care about what random people said about her, but rather because there was something else much more important on her mind.
"I need to talk to her..." Haruna thought, referring to Kanako. "I need to know if she was serious. If it really is over, then that means I can do my own thing again. Then again, if Miyashita-kun really meant what he said about us failing, he probably won't even give a relationship with me a second thought..."
There was a part of Haruna that felt relieved. If the deal was really done, then that meant she no longer had to spend time with Kanako and put on such a ridiculous charade. She felt like she should've been over the moon. And yet... there was this nagging feeling that Haruna had. The last time she had felt anything like it was after the two girls' fight several years ago. "Is it just guilt? No, it feels like more than that..."
It was like Haruna felt like she had messed up big time. She had no desire to be friends again with Kanako and in fact, she'd rather just cut ties altogether with her, at least that was what she kept telling herself. But the truth of the matter was that Haruna still harbored something for Kanako and it was that something that told her she needed to make up with her former childhood best friend.
While at lunch, Haruna kept thinking about what she would tell Kanako. "Oy, Haru-chi," a voice called, poking her cheek with chopsticks. "Huh?" she said in a daze. "Geez, you finally responded! I've been calling your name for a while now y'know!" Chiyo complained. "Oh, sorry," Haruna said in a distracted tone. "What's got ya down girl? You seem really out of it," Chiyo observed.
Haruna sighed. "That 'date' idea of yours didn't go so well..." "Huh? And you're actually upset about that?" Chiyo said, a gleam in her eye building. "Not exactly, it's just..." Haruna went on to explain everything that happened with Kanako. When she was finished, Chiyo just stared, then finally:
"Haru-chi, you really suck at this."
"Hah?! I don't suck! I did what you're supposed to do on a date didn't I?! If anyone sucks, it's Kanako! She's the one that threw the fit and left me!" Chiyo let out a long sigh. "You seriously don't get it Haru-chi?" "Get what?" Haruna growled, getting annoyed. "Kana-chan's a normal girl, which means a part of her expected a normal date," Chiyo explained. "Even if it wasn't real, she was still hoping to have a fun time. But instead, it sounds like all you did were things that you wanted to do. You didn't put in any effort at all! Of course she'd be upset! No one would enjoy that, not her..." Chiyo said exasperated, then tack on: "...and certainly not Akio-kun if you tried that with him."
Haruna flinched at that. Putting Sunday's whole ordeal into perspective like that made Haruna realize how bad things must've looked to both Kanako and Akio. "There's no way he's going to choose me is there..." she sighed aloud. "I don't think that's the bit you need to be worrying about," Chiyo said as she popped a shrimp into her mouth. "You need to put on a smile on Kana-chan's face!" the gal proclaimed, pointing a finger at Haruna.
"Why the hell do I have to make her smile?!" Haruna exclaimed, extremely confused. "Well, maybe not literally, but like, y'know, a figurative smile or something," Chiyo said vaguely. "I mean, the bottom line for you is to look good in front of Akio-kun right? So the best way to do that is make Kanako happy! Y'know what they say, happy wife, happy life!"
Haruna's face went red as a beet. "W-W-W-Wife?!" Practically shaking with rage after her initial shock, Haruna was silent before screaming: "LIKE HELL SHE'S MY WIFE!!!" and slammed her fist onto the top of the gal's head.
*****
Haruna fumed the rest of the day because of that comment. It wasn't really so much the comment itself that had made her so mad. It had more to do with the fact that that particular sentence had made Haruna remember something she was trying to forget: Her heart skipping a beat when she saw Kanako arrive for their "date."
"Seriously, why did it do that? I don't even have friendly feelings toward that girl, let alone romantic ones like I have for Miyashita-kun. It was definitely just surprise. That's it... surprise..." As Haruna kept thinking that, she could've sworn she felt the slightest of pangs in her heart. "Is that why this feels different?" Haruna wondered. It had been a long time since she had felt a pain in her heart. She had forgotten what it was like. And, a pain like that isn't easily pushed aside.
Haruna had already made the decision to herself that she would talk to Kanako after school to try to resolve the latest conflict between them. "Stay calm. Speak clearly. Stay calm. Speak clearly," Haruna continued to repeat as she made her way to the cooking club kitchens once classes had let out.
However, when Haruna arrived at the clubroom, she was stopped by a girl who was heading inside. "You're Endo-san, right?" she asked in an accusatory tone. The girl was shorter than Haruna, with her blond hair being tied into two buns with a noticeable long strand hanging from the bottom of each. "I think I've seen her with Kanako before..." Haruna thought, trying to remember if she even knew this girl's name or not.
"Look," the girl continued with a huff. "I don't know what your deal is with Kana-chan, but you should leave her alone." "Huh? What the hell? That's none of your business," Haruna said, finding herself suddenly on the defensive. "It is my business. She's my best friend after all," the girl said with a weird sense of pride, then followed that up with the point of her index finger practically at Haruna's face. "Just know that if you don't listen to my warning, I'll make you regret it." With that, the girl walked away, leaving Haruna feeling both confused and angry.
Knowing that marching in and demanding to speak to Kanako anyways would probably just cause more problems, Haruna decided that she'd call it quits for the day. As she walked back the way she came, she thought she heard raised voices coming from a side hall.
Getting closer to the source, Haruna could make out what the voices were saying:
"Hey Nakatomi-san, is it true that you went on a date with that brute Endo-san?"
"Oh my God, for real? That's totally gross!"
"Can't believe we go to school with a couple of lesbos now,"
"Wait a minute..." Haruna thought. "Naka...tomi-san?" Kanako. Whoever those girls were, they were talking to Kanako. Haruna swiftly but quietly made her way closer to the turn for the hallway to the side. Sure enough, there were three of them, all bearing down on the smaller girl pinned in the corner. She looked sad and helpless, at least to Haruna.
"I... It's not... I mean..." Kanako stammered, trying to defend herself. "Aw, look! She can't even deny it! That's hilarious!" one of the girls said mockingly. "B-But it's not like that..." Kanako finally managed to say. One of the other girls got more serious. "Not like that? Come on. Someone saw you two holding hands and doing date stuff. Sounds like a date to me." "But it wasn't!" Kanako cried. "Oh shut up. Hmm... y'know what? Why don't you get down on your knees?" the same girl said with a sneer. "W-Why?" Kanako asked, afraid of the answer. "Seriously? I have to spell it out for you?"
"I want you to blow me."
"Eww! Are you serious girl? I didn't know you liked it like that too!" one of the other girls said loudly. "Of course not! But, I don't see the harm in getting some free fun time, y'know what I mean?" the first girl responded, then turned to Kanako. "Hey. I said..." she began, then grabbed Kanako's shoulders. "...get down on your knees!"
Kanako found herself forced down onto the cold floor, wincing with pain when her knees made contact with the hard tile. "That's better... Now-" Before the girl could finish her sentence, she was abruptly cut off.
"Hey you sluts! Get your hands off of her!" Haruna yelled as she rumbled into the girl standing directly in front of Kanako. "Umphf!" the girl let out from the impact, slamming into the hardened plaster wall. The act distracted the other two, leaving an opening for Haruna. "Come on!" she yelled, grabbing Kanako's arm, pulling her up and dashing away with her in tow.
When the two finally stopped running, they found themselves outside of the school in the back. The specific location actually wasn't far from where they had both confessed to Akio. "What are the odds...?" Haruna absentmindly wondered. Before she could give further thought to that though, she felt Kanako's arm tear out of her grip. "Huh? What's the deal?" Haruna asked.
Kanako just stood there, holding that same arm with her other hand and shaking like a leave. "This is the worst..." she said weakly in a low tone. "Isn't the worst part over idiot? I just saved you!" Haruna said in a raised voice. "I shouldn't have needed saving in the first place," Kanako continued in the same tone of voice, keeping her eyes toward the ground. "This is all your fault."
Haruna stared blankly at the girl in front of her. "My fault?" she repeated. "If we had never gone on that fake date, that never would've happened. Those girls... they had been pestering me all day. And then they almost..." Kanako paused to take a small breath. "But you're right. You did save me. You must feel so proud of yourself," she said in a tone that was far from praise. "However, there's something you seem to fail to understand, Haruna."
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Haruna pressed, finding her own anger rising once again. "Saving someone from a situation that you caused, directly or not, isn't some grand gesture. It's just selfish..." Kanako sighed, finally looking right at Haruna. Two tiny tears were budding in the corners of Kanako's eyes, but she managed to hold them in. "It took me until now to realize this... to be willing to actually admit it... but I finally know how I feel about you Haruna..."
"I hate you."
The force of those words caused Haruna to take a step back. "She... hates me?" she repeated in her head, baffled by the statement. Kanako continued: "I hate you so much. You're just... I can't take it anymore. I can't... hold onto this hope for you anymore..."
Each syllable spoken hung in the air with an icy coating. Haruna could hardly process what she was being told. As she tried, it appeared that Kanako had said her peace, because she began to walk away. It was a scene that Haruna was becoming all too familiar with.
In the entire time the two girls were friends, and even after they went their separate ways, Haruna had never once heard Kanako use the word hate toward anything, especially another person. Yet, there she had just been, saying that exact word right to Haruna's face. The pain that she already felt from the failed date doubled in size due to that phrase. "I can't believe it..." Haruna thought. "She actually... hates me..."
*****
It was a couple of days later that Kanako found herself having an odd encounter. Due to recent events, Haruna had avoided her, so that meant that both morning and late-afternoon walks to and from school had gone back to being fairly normal. Today though, Itsuki had track practice, and Mayu and Michi both had other things to do, so they had both skipped club. That meant that Kanako was left to walk home alone that day. Or at least that's what she had thought.
Leaning against the gate was a girl that Kanako was beginning to become more familiar with. She stood there, bag in hand, with her voluptuous figure highlighted by the beginning-to-fade sunlight. The color that was beginning to be created in the sky blended into the girl's hair, which always shown a brilliant shade of auburn and gold.
It seemed to Kanako that the girl was lost in thought, but it took only a glance to her left for her to switch into an excited mood. "Heya Kana-chan!" she called, her breasts bouncing with her movement. Kanako somewhat reluctantly walked over to her. "H-hey, Wakaba-, I-I mean Chiyo," Kanako corrected herself, remembering that the gal had said to "keep it informal" when they had lunch that one time. Kanako shook her head to erase the memory of that day, then looked at the flashy girl with both concern and anxiety written all over her face.
As if reading her mind, Chiyo smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not here because Haru-chi sent me or anything. And I'm not here to lecture you either. I just wanna talk!" Kanako still felt unsure, but she decided to go along with her.
Chiyo Wakabayashi. She was pretty notorious in school for being extra popular with the guys. Because of that, there were quite a few girls that didn't like her and would spread nasty rumors. One such girl was Michi Fukuhara. She didn't take part in the rumor-spreading, but she was never one to hide her disdain for the girl whenever she walked by. Kanako had heard plenty about Chiyo because of comments like that, but she herself had only ever interacted with the girl once before and it was back in junior high.
Though the time spent between them had been very limited, Kanako didn't really understand why people didn't like Chiyo. She thought the girl was nice and fun. Sure she was a little frisky, but was that really all that unusual? Kanako had certainly heard a few other girls bragging about their times in bed in the bathroom on occasion (not that they knew she was there).
Considering everything she knew, Kanako had come to the conclusion that if Chiyo wanted to talk, she was going to do it because she wanted to, not because someone like Haruna commanded her too. As if they were on the same wavelength, Chiyo suddenly said: "Besides, it's not like Haru-chi would ask me to do something like this anyways. She too bull-headed for that, haha!"
Kanako had to stifle a laugh. Chiyo was right on the money. "Can you really say that about your best friend?" Kanako asked. Chiyo looked surprised. "Best friend huh?" she repeated thoughtfully. "Hmm... I guess you could call me Haru-chi's best friend. I mean, there's no one else to fill that slot. Although, I bet Jas-chin wouldn't be too happy to hear that!" she giggled to herself.
Then Chiyo's full attention went back to Kanako. "I think... it's because I'm her best friend that I can say that," she explained. "I mean, it's kinda like when someone says they don't like a certain food after trying it. Because they tried it, they have an opinion that counts for something." Kanako couldn't hold back her laughter this time. "That's such a weird analogy," she said as she wiped away a tear. Chiyo smiled again. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now shall we?" she said, motioning toward the road that led home for Kanako.
"Wait," Kanako began. "Do you go this way too?" she asked. "I guess you never saw me and Haru-chi walking together," Chiyo said with a slight laugh. "I live this way too!" Kanako certainly thought it was odd. What were the chances that her, Haruna, Akio and now Chiyo all lived relatively close to each other? "Then again, this place is pretty small," Kanako reminded herself.
As the two began walking, Kanako couldn't help but stare at Chiyo's body. It was just so... appealing. In a way, Kanako understood why guys flocked to her. Those big boobs of hers certainly did a lot for her, but there was more than just that. Chiyo also had an ideally-sized waist, and her thighs curved out in a way that made every step she took feel alluring. Then of course, looking past the physical, there was her personality too. Warm and gentle, but at the same time, fun and exciting.
"Like what you see?" Chiyo joked, catching Kanako staring her up and down. "Huh?" she said in a daze. In a split-second, Kanako realized what she had been doing, and her face became redder than a perfectly ripe tomato. "S-S-S-Sorry!" she stuttered immensely. Chiyo laughed. "It's okay Kana-chan. I'm glad you're enjoying the view," she said with a wink. It wasn't real, but Kanako could've sworn she felt a puff of steam escape her ears from embarrassment.
Quickly trying to change the subject, Kanako thought of a question she wanted to ask. "Hey Chiyo? Why do you insist on people not using honorifics with you?" It was a question that Kanako had had the first time she met Chiyo, and was reminded of it again when she was reintroduced to the girl. Meanwhile, Chiyo started thinking. "Umm... Well, there's not really much of a reason," she began. "I just think that there's no harm in people being close like that, y'know. Like, if everyone in Japan gave up all the formalities and just talked to each other normally with first names, maybe we'd all get along better because we'd feel a little closer. I don't know, something like that, I guess?" Chiyo finished a bit sheepishly.
"So everyone can be closer together huh?" Kanako said quietly. "I wish it was that easy..." Chiyo became more serious. "That was about Haru-chi, yeah?" she asked. Kanako nodded. Chiyo had an unusually quiet moment, then kept talking. "It's kinda funny that you said that. I mean, you two have known each other for so long and you don't use any sort of special form of address. You're just Kanako and Haruna to each other," she said simply.
Kanako looked at Chiyo, surprised at how easily she put that bit of information into perspective. However, Kanako quickly went back to being dejected on the topic. "That may be true, but... There's just so much distance between us. Weird, right? We grew up together, yet we can't even have a conversation without arguing." "Yeah, I have to admit, seeing both the furies of Haruna and you was a little scary!" Chiyo said with a weak laugh. Kanako felt embarrassed again. "Sorry. Mi-chan has told me that when I really want to, I can be pretty intimidating, not that I'm aware of it." "She's got that right!" Chiyo agreed.
"Hey, Kana-chan," Chiyo went on, her cheeriness switching to seriousness. "I know that you probably won't say, but... What happened between you and Haruna?" Kanako was caught off-guard, but it wasn't like she hadn't been asked that before. "I don't really want to talk about it..." she said darkly. Chiyo picked up on the vibe quickly and was about to change the topic, but Kanako continued. "I'm surprised Haruna didn't tell you..." "Oh, well..." Chiyo said. "Haru-chi tells me a lot of stuff, but that's like, the one thing she won't tell me. I wanna let it go, but, well... Y'know what they say, curiosity kills the cat!"
"But, while she won't tell me about that, she did tell me about everything else," Chiyo went on. "Like how badly your fake date went, and that after bailing you out from a couple of bullies, you said you hated her." Kanako looked away, filling her gaze with passing houses. Chiyo kept talking. "Haru-chi also said it was the first time she could remember you ever saying you hated anything or anyone."
The guilt that had risen within Kanako since she had uttered those words went up another level. In the heat of the moment, it was something she had said. Most likely, at least a part of her meant it. But still, there was a part of her too that wished she could suck those words back into her lungs and brain. If only...
Along the way to school from Kanako (and Haruna's) house was a small park. All it had was a two person swing set, a faded-yellow horse ride on a spring, and a bar that the neighborhood kids would sometimes use to try to do pull-ups (though the best Kanako had ever seen one manage was one good pull-up). Without realizing it, the two girls had turned into the deserted park. Chiyo sat down on one of the swings, so Kanako opted to sit in the other.
Moving just enough to create a back and forth motion, Chiyo picked the conversation back up. "Y'know Kana-chan, I feel like I've known Haru-chi for forever. We've done all sorts of things together since we became friends. It's been a blast. But..." Chiyo trailed off, stopping to slide her feet in the dirt and end her motion. "...I've really only known her for a couple of years. It's not a lot of time, but I feel like within that, I've gotten to know the real Haru-chi pretty well. It's definitely true that she's rude and hard-headed and brutally honest. She's also annoyed by almost everything and hardly ever seems like she's having fun."
"But, she's kinda like one of those candy suckers with a sweet center." Chiyo said with a smile. "There she goes with food analogies again," Kanako thought, but kept listening. "Her exterior is hard, and if you grabbed a flavor you don't like, you might rather spit it out than keep trying to get to the middle. But, if you stick with it, you eventually reach that centerpart that's all soft and gummy. That's my favorite part," Chiyo said, starting to gently swing again.
"Umm, where is this going?" Kanako asked, beginning to get lost in the analogy. "The point is," Chiyo started to answer. "Haru-chi's just like that candy. She's got all these hard walls up, and they can be pretty tough to crack. But if you work at it, eventually you get to see the nice parts of her. Unfortunately, I haven't broken through all of those yet, but I know I'm close!"
Chiyo stopped swinging again and looked at Kanako. "I've got a front row seat to Haru-chi's heart, and in these last couple of weeks, I've noticed something." "What?" Kanako asked curiously. "Hardly anyone would notice. I'm sure you didn't and I barely can either. But, if you reeeaally look, you can tell. The tinyest cracks have begun to form on those walls. They're thinner than hairs, but they're there. And it's because of you, Kana-chan."
"Because... of me?" Kanako had to think about that. She couldn't believe any sort of change for the better would occur within Haruna because of her. "No, that can't be right," she said, shaking her head. "It's true though. You really can't see it? She's started using your name again. That's progress, isn't it?" Chiyo pointed out.
There was no denying that. Of course, it made Kanako happy to not be called 'idiot' or 'stupid mouse girl' all the time anymore (though it still happened a lot). And yet, having this pointed out to her, she felt her heart begin to ache. It was a familiar pain, one that she had felt lots of times, both in the past and recently. It was the pain of loss and regret.
"You're not wrong..." Kanako said in a barely audible voice. "And... I know what you mean. Haruna does have a good side... I've seen it. That's the side that I always liked. That's the side that I chose to put my hope in." The more she spoke, the more her voice shook. Water was beginning to overlay her eyes, blurring her vision. "I didn't... I didn't mean to say that I hated her! I didn't mean it at all! All I've wanted... all this time... is for Haruna to be kind again! To be like how she was when we were kids! I just... I just want to be friends with her again!" Kanako yelled with a broken voice, her tears streaming down her face.
The pain felt like it was too much. "I miss her! I miss the old Haruna! The one that would laugh and play with me! The one that I always wanted to be with!" Kanako wailed. The tears kept coming, running down like waterfalls. It was impossible to stop them. But then...
There was a sudden soft sensation pressed against Kanako's face. She hadn't even heard her get up, but there Chiyo was, embracing her and cradling her head against her chest. The feeling she gave off was so warm, and it wasn't just body heat. It was so... comforting. Like a big sister consoling her younger one.
Kanako was surprised, but only for a moment. Her eyes welled up once more. She tried to hold it in, gritting her teeth and squinting to keep the liquid from spilling out. But she couldn't. It was impossible. So Kanako sobbed, pressing her face into Chiyo's chest and stomach. "There, there," Chiyo cooed, stroking Kanako's head as she balled like a child. "I hate this! I hate it so much! I just want everything to go back to normal! Why can't it?!" Kanako screamed into Chiyo's shirt. "I wish it was that easy, Kana-chan. I really do..."
*****
The rest of the walk home was a mix of sniffles and awkward silence. Kanako's eyes had become puffy from crying, and the front of Chiyo's uniform was dirty now too. When the two of them arrived in front of Kanako's house, she gave a pitiful smile and wave to Chiyo before heading up to her door. Before she could reach it, Chiyo spoke.
"Hey, Kana-chan," she began. "Like I said, I didn't come here to defend Haru-chi or anything. But even so, I think... I think it'd be good if you gave her another chance." Kanako stared at the girl who almost had a look of desperation on her face. "M-maybe..." Kanako said softly, then turned around and went inside.
"Oh, good timing Kanako, dinner is just about-" her mom began to say, then stopped when she saw her daughter. "Are you okay sweetheart?" she asked in a worried tone. "I'm fine. I'm not really hungry though," Kanako answered. "Do you want to talk about it?" her mom asked. Kanako hesitated to respond. "I..." she said with a shaky voice. "I don't..." With that, she headed up the stairs in silence.
When she got into her room, Kanako shut the door and then leaned against it. "Give her another chance huh..." she repeated the final words Chiyo had told her. "I'm not sure... if I can." Moving from the door to her desk chair, Kanako sat down and pulled open the bottom draw of the storage unit next to her. In it were a bunch of loose photos and what would looked like random knick-knacks to the eye of an outsider. But to Kanako, these were all precious memories.
Reaching in, she took out one of the pictures near the top. Looking over the captured moment reminded Kanako of the day it was taken. Most of the photos in that draw were the last ones taken of Haruna and Kanako together, but because of their fall out, Kanako had never gotten around to putting these ones in an album. She had actually planned to do that on the day the one she was holding was taken.
Kanako had been on her way to a nearby store that sold empty albums when she suddenly tripped on a crack and her knee collided with the unforgiving pavement. A terrible bruise had formed almost immediately and the wound had oozed blood. Kanako remembered that it hurt a lot, and being by herself, she wasn't sure what to do. It was in that moment that Haruna appeared. She had apparently followed Kanako out to keep an eye on her. So, after seeing her injury, Haruna picked the girl up and had Kanako latch onto her back, then carried her home.
"In a way, she saved me then too..." Kanako thought, thinking back to the events of earlier. "I should've thanked her at least... I was just... so frustrated..." Kanako let out a long sigh. "How did my life get this difficult?"
*****
The next morning, Kanako was immediately hounded by a teacher she didn't know very well that she needed to go to the faculty office. So after quickly changing her shoes and putting a couple more things in her locker, Kanako rushed to where she was suddenly required to be.
"E-Excuse me," she said as she knocked and opened the door. There were still a few teachers left in the office, but most had already headed to their classrooms. One of the ones that was still present however, was Miss Yuki-nin. "Oh, Nakatomi-san, you're here," she said with a bit of a start. "I'd like to talk to you about something I was told."
Kanako was offered a chair, and she took a seat. Miss Yuki-nin went on. "Yesterday after school, the principal said that Haruna Endo came to his office to report that three girls had assaulted you after hours on school grounds. Is that true?" Kanako stared blankly. "Huh? Did Haruna seriously tell the school about that?" Then she spoke aloud. "W-Well, that sounds a l-little aggressive, but I guess it is true..." Kanako said in a voice as small as a mouse. "I'm very sorry to hear that. You must've been scared," Miss Yuki-nin said. "I-It was scary, but Haruna helped me out, so..." Kanako explained. "I see. Well, luckily Endo-san recognized two of them, so it seems that we have all the details we need now. Thanks Nakatomi-san," Miss Yuki-nin said with a smile.
When the conversation concluded, Kanako was dismissed to go to her class. It would be later on that she'd hear a couple of students talking about how they overheard two teachers discussing three girls getting suspended. Hearing that did provide some relief to Kanako. She was certainly in no rush to encounter those bullies again. She didn't even know who they were. The only detail Kanako had were the ribbon colors: 2 were lavender (third-years) and one was yellow (first-year). But apparently Haruna had known a couple of them, or at least knew who they were, which is what made it possible for them to be suspended.
"I really was terrible to her, wasn't I?" Kanako thought, then shook her head. "No! I mean, yeah, I was in that moment, but she's been so much worse! But..." Kanako's emotions were all twisted together, causing quite a bit of internal conflict for her. On the one hand, she knew she should at least say a thank you to Haruna, but on the other hand, Kanako wanted to be stubborn and avoid the issue altogether.
But as Kanako's day went on, she noticed more and more a lack of the tall, black-haired girl. She looked all around her as she went through the halls and made sure to double-check everyone's faces in her cooking class, but Haruna Endo was nowhere to be found. When it was time for lunch, Kanako headed up to the roof to find Chiyo.
Coming through the door, Kanako did find the person she was looking for, along with one other girl she didn't know. She had wavy pink hair that came down to her shoulders and a sort of permanently fixed seductive gaze. Her body was similar in shape to Chiyo, but it appeared to be on the leaner side. "Who is that?" Kanako wondered as she approached the two girls.
"Hm? Oh, hey Kana-chan!" Chiyo said happily upon the girl's arrival. "Ah, so this is the girl that Haru-chi always complains about," the other girl said with a small smirk. "I-I'm Kanako Nakatomi. It's a p-pleasure to meet you!" Kanako introduced herself nervously. "I'm Jasmine Hiraoka. The pleasure's mine," she said smoothly. Kanako felt her face heat up a little. "So, were you looking for me?" Chiyo asked. "Um, no, I... I'm a-actually looking for Haruna," Kanako said meekly. "I haven't seen her all day, have you?" Chiyo asked Jasmine. "Nope," the other girl answered simply. "Sorry, Kana-chan, looks like she isn't here today," Chiyo said. "T-That's okay," Kanako said, then began to walk away.
"I'm kinda worried about her," Chiyo said once Kanako had left. "Hm? Why? You barely know her," Jasmine pointed out. "I know, but... there's just something about her that makes me want to protect her, y'know?" Chiyo said. "Can't say I do," Jasmine said flatly. "Well, that's probably because you've never had any meaningful relationships," Chiyo said snyly. "Says the whore," Jasmine retorted. "What'd you say?!" Chiyo exclaimed.
*****
It was at the end of the day when Akio Miyashita suddenly found himself face-to-face with one of his school's top gals. "You're... Chiyo Wakabayashi, right?" he asked for clarification. "Yep, that's me! And just call me Chiyo!" she said cheerfully. However, that pleasant mood quickly changed.
"Listen, I know about that deal you made with Haru-chi and Kana-chan," Chiyo said. Akio began to feel a little on edge from the girl's intensity, but he held his ground. "What about it?" he asked. "Look, I'll admit, I don't really get it at all, but I have my own ideas on what this could be about. So, you and I..." Chiyo paused as she leaned in closer to Akio, nearly touching noses.
"...are gonna have a little chat."
End of Chapter Nine.