As the sun began to emerge through the slit of the curtains, a very dead-looking girl arose. The way her jet-black hair covered her face, combined with her slow movements and lifeless eyes might make anyone who walked in think they were seeing a zombie. However, nothing supernatural of the sort was happening. Rather, it was simply Haruna, feeling absolutely drained from a night of no sleep.
She had tried, endlessly, to find a deep state of rest, but to no avail. No matter how much she attempted to keep her thoughts at bay or her mind at peace, Haruna's mind had continued to race. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Kanako and the fact that they were sleeping next to each other. Of course, thinking only that would make someone sound awfully lecherous, but for Haruna, that hadn't been all. The other reason for her lack of sleep had been her own contemplation. Sure, sleeping next to the girl she liked was certainly stimulating, but it had caused Haruna to think more deeply about her own feelings and what exactly she wanted to do with them.
Ultimately, the girl had decided that while confessing might not be something she'd be up to yet, it was clear that she had to start taking action. Surely, Haruna thought, feelings this strong couldn't just lie dormant. Unfortunately, being as poor as she was at romance, Haruna didn't really have any good ideas for how to pursue her new drive. So, she had decided it would be better to ask rather than completely bomb on her own.
"I wonder if those two are up yet?" Haruna thought groggily. There was a fair chance that Chiyo was already awake. Weirdly enough, she seemed to be both a morning and night person. A sheer ball of energy, that was for sure. Jasmine, on the other hand... well, most of the time, you'd have better luck waking up a rock instead of her. If she wanted to sleep, she'd sleep, and there was nothing to be done about it.
Looking to her left, Haruna stared at Kanako. She was still happily asleep, dozing away with closed eyes and a slightly parted mouth. With the morning sunlight shining in, it helped to accentuate her features in a gentle glow. Although, while the scene was one Haruna did enjoy, she found herself feeling a little annoyed. "Look at you, snoring away," Haruna thought. "If only you knew how much sleep you made me lose last night." But, there was no way to fix that without going back to sleep. Considering she had already tried that approach countless times throughout the night, Haruna decided that she was tired of her futon and began to head downstairs.
As Haruna made her way down, she thought she heard whispers coming from some part of the first floor. Once she reached the bottom, she turned and to her surprise, saw not only Chiyo, but Jasmine as well. They were both standing near the table next to the kitchen, and they both had mugs in hand.
Seeing her friend, Chiyo gave a wave and then beckoned Haruna over with the same hand. "Morning Haru-chi!" Chiyo said in an excited but also quiet voice. "Morning," Haruna replied, then looked at Jasmine. She looked miserable as she held her mug in both hands and sipped at it. "I can't believe you're awake right now," Haruna said. "...That makes two of us..." Jasmine muttered, taking another sip. It was currently 7 a.m.
"Hey, Haru-chi, do you want any coffee?" Chiyo offered. "Is that what you've been drinking?" Haruna asked. "Yeah, can't you tell?" Chiyo asked. Taking a sniff of the air, Haruna instantly realized she had asked a dumb question. No matter how you looked at it, coffee generally smelled like coffee and nothing else. "No thanks," Haruna said. She didn't particularly care for the drink. "Suit yourself," Chiyo said with a shrug. "So anyways," Haruna continued. "How'd you get Jasmine-chan awake?" Jasmine decided to answer that one herself.
"...This stupid idiot wouldn't shut up until I opened my eyes. Then when I did, she just get pushin' me to get dressed... It was suuuuch a pain..." Jasmine finished, her eyes drooping even more than usual. "But isn't it nice to enjoy the sunrise and morning scenery sometimes?" Chiyo said optimistically. "No," Jasmine responded flatly.
Opting to ignore Jasmine's negativity, Chiyo switched her gears over to Haruna. "I gotta say Haru-chi, you're not lookin' so hot," she said. Haruna sighed. "Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night." "Ohhhh?" Chiyo said, a little mischievous sparkle in her eye. "Not like that," Haruna sighed again. "Wow Haru-chi, I'm impressed. You managed to not get all up-and-personal while being alone with the one you like," Chiyo teased. "Of course I did. I'm not like you y'know," Haruna fired back. "Ouch! No need to be rude Haru-chi!" Chiyo pouted, but she wasn't actually bothered by the comment.
"But for real, why're lookin' like a zombie? You've totes got dead eyes," Chiyo went on. "It's because... I couldn't stop thinking about my feelings..." Haruna answered shyly. "Hm? Your feelings, not Kanako?" Chiyo asked. "I mean, I was kind of thinking about her too, but it was more like, how I felt, I guess?" Haruna said. "You guess?" Jasmine repeated, jumping in. "God, I don't know," Haruna moaned as she hung her head. "This stuff is just so confusing!" "What's confusing about it?" Chiyo asked. "You're in love with Kanako, so go after her." "That's where I get confused..." Haruna said, feeling a bit helpless.
"I just don't get this romance stuff at all," she went on, "Like, I might know my feelings, but honestly, in between the time I realized I liked Miyashita-kun and the time I confessed, I didn't really do much to help my case." "Yeah, I guess that's true. You were like a floundering fish outta water," Chiyo pointed out. "Now who's the one being rude?" Haruna said, looking at Chiyo. "Is it rude if it's true though?" Chiyo asked. Haruna sighed, deciding to sit down instead of offering a verbal response.
"I thought about it a lot last night. About my feelings and about what I should do," Haruna said. "Right now, I think c-confessing might be too much for me, but maybe... I can at least get Kanako to be aware of me..." She was talking more out loud than specifically to Chiyo and Jasmine, but the two were listening anyways. "Can't confess, but wanna get closer huh?" Chiyo said. "Do plans like those ever work?" Jasmine asked bluntly. "Gotta admit Haru-chi, that sounds like a cliché bit from a manga," Chiyo added on. "Ugh, shut up! You know I suck at this, so just leave me alone," Haruna said.
The three of them were silent for a moment in thought. "How 'bout this," Chiyo began. "Let's come up with an actual plan of attack for you Haru-chi.��� "Plan of attack? What am I, a wild animal?" Haruna said back, confused. "No, no!" Chiyo exclaimed, then cleared her throat. "All right, let's try a different approach. Haru-chi, what's the first thing that you can think of to do to get Kana-chan's attention?" Haruna began thinking, but as the seconds ticked away, the other two girls could see their friend's face twist more and more. Eventually, Haruna let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know..." she moaned pitifully.
"Exactly!" Chiyo said with a point of her finger. "And that's why you need a P-L-A-N!" "Fine, whatever," Haruna muttered. "So what's the plan?" "Hm? I dunno," Chiyo said with a shrug. "Huh?! But you just said I need one!" Haruna yelled back. "That doesn't mean I can just pop one out," Chiyo replied, still shrugging. "I don't even know why you're asking her Haru-chi," Jasmine chimed in. "After all, Chiyo doesn't know anything about relationships." "What? I do too!" Chiyo protested. "Really? When was the last time you were with a guy for more than a night?" Jasmine asked. "Well actually, there was this one time where me and this guy-" "Never mind, I don't wanna know," Jasmine said, cutting off Chiyo's story.
Jasmine turned to Haruna. "Let's try this. What do you like about Kana-chan?" Haruna stopped, looking surprised. "What do I... like?" she repeated. "Yeah. Don't tell me you've never thought about that?" Jasmine said. Haruna went back to thinking, going over everything she knew about Kanako.
"U-Um, well, h-her eyes are pretty..." Haruna said shyly. "Try again," Jasmine said flatly, not impressed by Haruna's easy answer. "Umm... Kanako has a really nice smile," Haruna said. "What does that mean?" Jasmine asked. "I-It's hard to explain..." Haruna said, but tried anyways. "It's like... when I see her smile, my day is just... better... And it's not just any smile. It's the simple ones. The ones where her lips go up, but she doesn't have her mouth open or anything. It's just really nice and simple, but just getting to see that immediately makes my heart race. And when it's paired with her eyes, it's even better. The way her blue eyes sparkle in the sunlight is amazing, and it's like I can't stop staring into them. I love it too when they look at me gently, like Kanako's gaze is trying to hold me."
Haruna went on. "I love... how kind she is. Honestly, ever since I realized my feelings for Kanako, I'm thankful every day that she never gave up on me. That kindness is just so beautiful to me. And then she can also be so sweet. Like earlier this summer, we just sat and talked for hours and I wished it would never end. Kanako didn't have to stay that long at all, but she did anyways. Looking back, it's hard to remember when I had ever felt that happy. Just being with her makes me feel so light."
"I also love that I'm able to hold her hand. I know it's only because she thinks it's for our deal with Miyashita-kun, but to me, it's great. Feeling her small hand in mine, I can tell how soft it is. It also makes me wonder if it's fragile too, but I know that's not the case. Kanako's strong. She doesn't show it, but when she's passionate about something, a side of her comes out that just can't be beat. It's scary when you're at the mercy of it, but watching it in action is almost awe-inspiring. I kinda don't get how Kanako doesn't understand that part of herself, but I think that's kinda cute too."
Haruna stopped, and when she did, she saw Chiyo and Jasmine both staring back at her slack-jawed. "W-What?" Haruna said, now feeling a little uneasy. "Wow... Haru-chi, I didn't think you could talk like that," Chiyo finally said, breaking free from her stupor. "Yeah, that was like, totally unlike you," Jasmine said. "W-Whatever. You asked what I like about her, so there," Haruna said with a pout and now feeling embarrassed. "Hey, we're not trying to give you a hard time Haru-chi! We're just surprised, that's all!" Chiyo said hurriedly. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like there's anything wrong with what you said. It just shows how much you like that person," Jasmine said. Haruna glanced at them. "...Really?" Haruna said quietly. Jasmine and Chiyo both nodded. "Totally. It's great that you're that head-over-heels Haru-chi," Chiyo reassured her.
Feeling less self-conscious now, Haruna smiled a bit. "Thanks. I'm glad you guys have my back on this." "Sure. We're best friends, aren't we?" Chiyo said, beaming. "I guess, but just because we're friends doesn't mean I thought you'd be so supportive," Haruna said. "Haru-chi, are you forgetting that I basically had to spell out your own feelings to you?" Chiyo asked, slightly annoyed. "I would've gotten there on my own eventually," Haruna muttered. "Yeah, maybe in a million years," Chiyo shot back. Haruna only grunted in response.
"I have been wondering though, how come you're into this Jas-chin?" Chiyo asked. "Who, me?" Jasmine said, having zoned out during Chiyo and Haruna's back-and-forth. "Yeah you. See any other Jas-chins here?" Chiyo said. "Hey, no need to get so snarky," Jasmine said. "Anyways, I just think it's interesting, that's all." "Seriously?" Haruna said. "Sure. I've never known a girl that went out with another girl before. It sounded like fun to me," Jasmine said casually. "Besides, I'm with Chiyo on this one. You can't help who you fall in love with, so why fight it?"
Hearing all this made Haruna happy. She knew that Chiyo had helped her out in finding her feelings and that Jasmine had been along for the ride, but there had still been a part of Haruna that just wasn't sure if their support was genuine. After all, it's not like you can have high expectations from people like Jasmine and Chiyo, who change out boys as often as they do clothes. That's what Haruna had thought anyways, but now she really felt like she had people looking out for her. They had been all along, of course, but now that Haruna felt ready to at least take the first few steps forward, she was really seeing that she wasn't alone in this.
Knowing all of that made Haruna begin to feel excited. "So Chiyo, what was that plan idea again?" she asked. "Well I think Jas-chin figured it out better than I had," Chiyo said, turning to her fellow gal. "For starters, I asked for what you like about Kana-chan so that way we can use that to plan your approach. Going in blind only works in movies. Nine times out of ten, if someone tries to ask out a complete stranger, they'll probably bomb," Jasmine explained. "Lucky for you, you and Kana-chan have been friends for years... well, kinda anyways. You at least don't have to start from scratch, so you got that goin' for ya. But, you're both still girls, so it's not like the difficulty went down or anything."
Haruna looked down. That was a fact she was well aware of. She knew it'd be the highest and hardest hurdle to clear too. Suddenly, Chiyo patted Haruna on the shoulder. "Don't look so down Haru-chi. We'll figure it out together." Haruna looked at Chiyo. "Thanks." Jasmine took that as a sign to continue. "I know I said it's not any easier, but it's also not impossible. Honestly, I think Haru-chi had the right idea earlier." "Huh? What do you mean?" Chiyo asked. "Normally, when one person has interest in another, they either come on too strong or not strong enough. Eventually, the other person either gets tired of their antics, or they never notice, so they move on. However, that only applies to male-female relationships. There's an expectation for the opposite genders to get together, but there are also a lot of viewpoints to take as well. For instance, a girl might view a boy more as a brother than a love interest. Stuff like that. So it gets all messy and complicated."
Jasmine paused and saw Haruna and Chiyo with confused looks on their faces. "You're... not following this at all, are you?" she sighed. "Nope! But it's sounded super smart Jas-chin!" Chiyo said. "I think I get it... maybe..." Haruna said. "Well, I haven't really made my point yet, so just keep trying," Jasmine said, then continued. "Boys and girls associate with themselves differently from boys with other boys or girls with other girls. That dynamic between opposite genders is what ends up creating so many misunderstandings and ill-feelings, along with the expectation of them getting together and the people around them telling them that they should."
"For girls, it's different. To start, trying to apply the idea of treating another girl like a sibling doesn't really work in my opinion. Girls are just naturally closer to each other, so one girl labeling another as a sister might work for some, but for others it just doesn't fit right. However, because of that natural closeness, a barrier is also formed. It's like, 'we're super close, but absolutely not like lovers.' So, in exchange for not having the surrounding pressure of people telling you to go out together, you instead have to find a way to convince another girl to see you in a romantic light in the first place. Does that, like, make any sense?" Jasmine concluded with a question.
"I think I get it," Haruna said. "So you're saying that because I'm a girl who likes another girl, it's both easier and harder than if I liked a boy?" "More or less, yeah," Jasmine said. "Why didn't you just say that?!" Chiyo whined. Jasmine ignored her. "Here's my point," she said. "The reason I thought Haru-chi had the right idea is because it's going to take a slow approach. Taking normal plans like constantly pestering Kana-chan with your feelings could have horrible repercussions, and of course, not doing enough will very easily result in Kanako just thinking you two are good friends. Unfortunately, you can't just find a balance between these two extremes either. The balance would be something like asking the person you like out on a date, which, for example, a boy doing that to a girl would also demonstrate his feelings. For you, Haru-chi, calling an outing a 'date' wouldn't be that unusual for a girl to say that to another girl."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Haruna asked. "You have to find a way to take action in a form that's both subtle and assertive," Jasmine said. "...Wait," Chiyo said, finally getting her head around Jasmine's words. "Isn't that like, totally seduction?" "Is it?" Jasmine asked. "So you just want Haru-chi to be like you?" Chiyo asked in a confronting tone. "Nope. But, I guess my approach and the one Haru-chi will have to use are similar," Jasmine said. Chiyo sighed. "I hardly see the difference."
Then, turning to Haruna, Chiyo offered her own thoughts. "Really though, I think Jas-chin is on the right track. It's not as if you can just pull a bunch of rom-com stuff and expect it to work. It's probs gonna take some finesse." Now it was Haruna's turn to sigh. "I feel like we've accomplished nothing." "That's not true! We found out that Jas-chin can be smart when she wants to be!" Chiyo said. "Wow, rude. I'm always smart, thank you," Jasmine said. "I'm sorry, what was your score on our literature final?" Chiyo asked smugly. "It may have been lower than yours, but if memory serves, all my other finals were better," Jasmine retorted. "To think, all that studying and help from Mayu-chan, wasted on you." "Ugh..." Chiyo sulked.
"Can we get back to my problem?" Haruna asked, getting annoyed. "Right, sorry!" Chiyo said. "So like, what if you tried giving her flowers?" "Flowers?" Haruna repeated. "I'm not sure that would work outside of holidays or birthdays in this instance," Jasmine said. "How about some chocolates?" Chiyo suggested. "Now you're just thinking of Valentine's Day," Jasmine said. "How about some alone time?" Chiyo said in a sultry tone. "And now you just sound like yourself on a Saturday night downtown," Jasmine sighed. "None of this is helping..." Haruna said with a hand to her forehead.
Both of the gals looked at Haruna, seeming to come up with the same thought at the same time. "Say, Haru-chi, what do you want to do?" Chiyo asked. "Huh? Didn't I already say I didn't know? That's why I'm asking you two for advice." "Well, yeah, but like, what do you WANT to do? Like, just in general?" Jasmine asked. "What do I... want to do?" Haruna repeated. She had thought the answer to such a question would be obvious, but the more she thought about it, the more she was unsure. "The easy answer would be to say 'I want to go out with her,' but I feel like that's not what Jasmine-chan means..." Haruna thought.
"Do I need to know what it means to like someone?" Haruna wondered. "No, that's probably too deep. Is it what do I want out of a potential relationship? Probably not. After all, we're not even dating... I already said what I like about Kanako, but that doesn't really have to do with what I would want aside from personal preferences..." Haruna kept thinking trying to come up with an answer that would be suitable. But, in the end, she realized something. "I... don't know what I want," Haruna finally said. "But, I do know one thing for sure. I'm in love with Kanako, and I want to do everything I can to be with her one day." Chiyo and Jasmine seemed to like that response, but before they could say a word...
...there was the sudden sound of glass shattering on the floor.
"What the-" Jasmine let out, turning to find the source. "What happened-" Chiyo said. Haruna just stood up and looked in silent alarm. There, standing behind the three of them a short distance away, was Mayu. Looking toward her feet, the thing that had caused such a noise was a mug, now in many faded-white colored pieces. It had apparently been empty, as nothing was spilled on the wooden floor. However, after giving the broken glass a brief look, all eyes turned to Mayu, wide with shock at her sudden arrival. Jasmine, Chiyo and Haruna had had their backs to the stairs, so they hadn't seen her coming, and being so engrossed in their conversation, none of them had even heard the stairs creak as Mayu had made her way down.
However, while the three girls were shocked, the one that was most shocked of all was standing before them. Mayu's eyes were practically bulging out of her head, and her face had gone as white as a sheet. Her hands were shaking, and while her lips kept moving, nothing audible was coming out. All Mayu could do was stand in place, frozen stiff from the words she had just heard.
"M-Mayu... chan?" Chiyo said uncertainly, gradually making her way toward the girl. It was the first time any of them could recall seeing Mayu in such a state of... well, anything other than calm. At the prompting of Chiyo's voice, Mayu regained a bit of her regular composure, but only enough to speak. "Y-You're... in love... with Kanako...?" she squeaked out. Her question had been directed at Haruna. For a moment, Haruna became flustered. "What should I say? She definitely heard me, so I can't really deny it. Besides... I don't really want to deny it either." That thought was enough for Haruna to find her answer.
"Yeah, I am. So what?" Haruna said stoutly. Mayu continued to stare, her only response being a few blinks. "I... see..." she finally said, though it was hard to tell whether or not Mayu had actually understood what Haruna had said.
While she tried to process, Chiyo reached Mayu. "You okay Mayu-chan?" Chiyo asked tentatively. "Yes... I mean... no... I mean..." Mayu struggled to find words. Turning from Chiyo to Haruna, all she managed to say was, "With Kanako?" Haruna could tell what she meant, so Haruna nodded. "I won't deny it," Haruna thought resolutely. But while her resolve was strong, the girl across the room seemed to be on the verge of falling over, lacking both the physical and mental fortitude to keep herself going. "Come on Mayu-chan, let's sit you down," Chiyo said, leading Mayu over to the couch. Haruna and Jasmine followed.
Once Mayu was seated, Chiyo quickly went over and grabbed another mug and filled it with coffee. She wasn't really sure if Mayu drank coffee, but when she handed it to the girl, she took it and began to sip from it. "Well, either she likes it, or she's in too much shock to realize what it is," Chiyo concluded. After a couple more sips, Mayu finally seemed to be coming back to herself. She looked at Haruna again. "Is it really true?" she asked. Haruna sighed, getting aggravated. "Yes. I'm in love with her. How many times do I have to say it?" "S-Sorry. It's just... I can't believe it..." Mayu said quietly.
Chiyo, Jasmine and Haruna all looked at each other. There was a question to be asked, but they were all a little afraid to ask it. After exchanging glances, Chiyo decided to be the one to find out. "Hey, Mayu-chan," Chiyo began. "Do you... have anything against girls dating other girls?" The question seemed to freeze Mayu again. It only lasted momentarily though, with Mayu proceeding to give her answer.
"Earlier in the summer, when Kana-chan, Mi-chan and Itsuki-chan all slept over at my house, there was a weird moment between Kana-chan and mother," Mayu said. "What do you mean?" Chiyo asked. "Well, we were eating dinner, and mother asked about the rumors about Endo-san and Kana-chan dating," Mayu explained. "She said that she wouldn't want me being around something so unsightly. Kana-chan seemed kind of bothered by that." "Mother of the year," Jasmine commented sarcastically under her breath. Chiyo shot her a look before asking Mayu to continue.
"There's not really anything else. But, I guess it makes sense now. Kana-chan would be bothered by a comment like that if she was dating another girl." The other three girls in the room paused. "...Hang on Mayu-chan," Chiyo said. "I think you might be misunderstanding something." "Huh? What?" Mayu asked. "Do you think Haru-chi and Kana-chan are dating?" Chiyo asked. "...Um, well, Endo-san said she was in love with Kana-chan, and they're always holding hands and, um..." Mayu trailed off. Haruna decided to be the one to break the news. "We're... not dating," she said, then thought, "That hurts a little to say out loud."
Mayu looked at the faces of the people around her. "...Oh. Then it's all a misunderstanding?" "Not all of it. Haru-chi's totally over the moon for Kana-chan," Jasmine said. That seemed to cause Mayu to regress a bit. "But... you're both girls," she said. Haruna sighed. "I feel like I've heard that way too much recently," she thought before responding aloud. "I know," was all Haruna went with. "Then, how are you in love with Kana-chan?" Mayu asked. "What? How?" Haruna said, confused. "Yes. Girls can't date other girls, so how can you say you're in love with one?"
Haruna had to stop to think for a moment. "What is this girl even saying?" she thought. "A moment ago, she seemed to have been convinced Kanako and I were dating and that would be that. Now that I've told her we're not a couple, it's suddenly impossible? What the hell?" Chiyo and Jasmine seemed to be picking up on the same thing, because they both turned to Mayu.
"Hey, so listen Mayu-chan," Chiyo started. "It kinda sounds like if Kana-chan and Haru-chi would've already been a couple, you'd be fine with it, but since they're not, you're not okay with it?" Mayu thought for a moment. "But mother always says that it's wrong and impossible whenever stuff like that comes up in the news." "So she's not okay with any of it?" Haruna wondered. The way Mayu said that had also bothered everyone. It was like she had simply parroted words spoken to her rather than said them herself. Hearing them spoken with such blank expression almost made the other girls think she was brainwashed.
"Mother knows best," Jasmine muttered sarcastically. "You're. Not. Helping!" Chiyo harshly whispered. She wanted to get to the bottom of this. "Is that what you really think?" Chiyo asked. "That's what mother always says," Mayu basically repeated. "What? Can you not think for yourself?" Jasmine said angrily, snapping Mayu out of her blank state. "J-Jas-chin, hang on," Chiyo said. "No way. This girl needs to be taught a life lesson."
Suddenly, Jasmine bent over and grabbed Mayu by the collar. "You listen to me. You need to think for yourself. Don't spout out garbage that you don't believe. Especially not when it comes from some parent like that." Then, Jasmine roughly let go of Mayu, causing her to flop into the back of the couch. Apparently satisfied enough, Jasmine walked away and went upstairs.
"Sorry about that Mayu-chan," Chiyo said once Jasmine was gone. "Parental guidance is kinda a touchy subject with Jas-chin." "I-It's okay. Actually, I think I feel a little better now," Mayu said. "Seriously?" Haruna said with doubt. Mayu looked up at Haruna. "I... don't know if I can accept how you feel about Kana-chan, Endo-san," she said. "But, I do understand that mother has provided me with most of my opinions on matters such as these. So, I think maybe... it's time that I try to form my own opinion, at least on this." It was hard to tell what Mayu was really feeling. However deep Ai's roots went into Mayu, neither Haruna nor Chiyo could tell, but they were both happy to see that at least Mayu was willing to consider issues herself rather than only taking the opinion of someone else.
Seeing that the mood of the room was trending up, Chiyo wanted to make sure of one last thing. "You can't tell anyone else about this, okay?" she told Mayu. "Not even Itsuki-chan?" Mayu asked. "Not even Itsuki-chan," Chiyo repeated. "Oh dear. I���ve never been good at keeping secrets from her. She always finds a way to get them out of me," Mayu said. Then, Haruna approached her. Just before she spoke, she bowed. "Please, Kawaguchi-san. Don't let anyone else know. I need Kanako to hear about my feelings from me and me alone." "Wow, Haru-chi bowing? Now you really can't say no Mayu-chan," Chiyo teased. "O-Okay. I'll do my best," Mayu agreed. "Remember Mayu-chan. It's a secret!" Chiyo put out her pinky finger. Mayu did the same, linking it with hers. Haruna joined in too.
Then, in sync: "Secret, secret, tell no one," they all said as the shook their interlocked pinkies once. "Wow, I haven't done that since I was little!" Chiyo said, giggling. "I feel so lame now..." Haruna mumbled. However, while the two of them made their remarks, Mayu found that she suddenly had a lot to think about.
End of Chapter Twenty.