112 Chapter One: We're Third-Years Now

On the Sunday following graduation, Chiyo had decided that she wanted everyone to get together for a celebration. The party was planned for the late afternoon, so with the free time until then, Haruna and Kanako wanted to spend the day together. Wanting as much time as possible, it was decided that Haruna would go to Kanako's house in the morning.

Of course, with it being a Sunday, Kanako's parents were at home. Haruna was a little worried because of that. She doubted anything… intimate would happen between her and Kanako, but with neither of their parents knowing about their new relationship, being caught in any awkward position stood to raise questions. "Although, I feel like both my parents and Kanako's would never even guess we're dating," Haruna thought. Her fears weren't entirely alleviated, but the temporary remedy would suffice for now.

Heading over to Kanako's house, Haruna knocked on the door. "Oh? What're you doing here Endo-san? You know it's not a school day, right?" Kanako's mother asked when she opened the door. "N-No, I know. Kanako and I made plans to hang out together… in the morning…" Haruna said, beginning to explain before realizing how weird that sounded. "Who plans to hang out on a Sunday morning? Doesn't that seem odd? Is Kanako's mom gonna wonder why I'm here?" Haruna thought, starting to go into a tailspin. However, her worries were for nothing.

"Huh. Well, she didn't say anything to me, but it's not like we're doing anything," she said. "Really though, a heads-up woulda been nice. I'm still in my pajamas." Sure enough, when Haruna took a good look, she noticed that Kanako's mother was wearing a white button-up long-sleeve shirt and pants to match, both of which looked rather silky. "I didn't wake you up did I?" Haruna asked, feeling guilty. "Oh, no, we've been awake. Well, two of us anyways. I'm afraid that daughter of mine is still curled up in bed, so like always, you'll have to wake her up," Kanako's mother explained with a sigh. "Sorry she causes you so much trouble." "It's fine," Haruna said back with a light smile. "I don't mind at all."

With their conversation over, Haruna headed up the stairs. The inside of the house was nearly identical to her own, with the only major difference being the stuff in the rooms. Past the entryway were stairs on the left wall, and to the right was a hallway that had entrances for the kitchen and living room. Going up and to the left, Haruna reached Kanako's room. She knocked, but got no answer. At this point, it all felt so routine to her that Haruna didn't even bother being cautious. She simply opened the door and walked in like it was completely natural.

Entering the space, Haruna always took notice of the fact that Kanako's room was much cleaner than her own. There was a piece of clothing here or there, and a few papers scattered on the desktop, but overall it was in much better condition. Just like her own room, Kanako's consisted of a bed alongside the far wall, a bookshelf in the corner and a desk next to it along the adjacent wall. For the most part, nothing much had changed, except for one thing. On the bulletin board hanging above the desk, Kanako had put up a bunch of pictures, most of which were of herself and Haruna. Plenty of them were from when they were kids, but a few were from more recently. Even on the desk, there were a few photos in frames, propped up to be looked at at any time.

In the center of it all was a girl that looked rather snug under her covers. Standing on the smaller side, she had plain, lightish-brown hair and blue eyes. Her looks were simple, usually wearing only a small amount of make-up and always keeping her hair in a ponytail unless she was sleeping. With her laying in bed, her hair loosened, it scattered in every direction, making for a beautiful mess to Haruna's eyes.

Smiling at the sight, Haruna reached out a shook Kanako gently. "Kanako, wake up. You told me to be here at 9:00 and you're still asleep." Yet again, there was no response. Wanting to tease her a little, Haruna leaned in. "If you don't get up… I-I'll kiss you."

"Mmm… that sounds nice," Kanako moaned. Then, before Haruna could react, Kanako's hand shot up and grabbed her arm. "Eh?" Haruna let out before being pulled down into the bed. "A-Ah! Hey, Kanako!" Haruna exclaimed. After recovering from the surprise, she found herself wrapped up in Kanako's arms, a mischievous look on her face. "So, where's my kiss?" she cooed. "You were awake this whole time weren't you?" Haruna sighed. "Maaaybe," Kanako said. "But isn't this so much better? See, we're both warm and cozy now!"

Haruna had to admit it was pretty nice, although she wasn't sure how much she could take. Feeling Kanako's body pressed up against her own, even with her pink pajamas on, felt very, well, stimulating. "She's so soft," Haruna thought. Then, Kanako placed her head onto Haruna's chest. "I can hear your heart beat," she said in a whisper. "It sounds like it's going pretty fast." "O-Of course it is, stupid…" Haruna muttered, not appreciating being the one being teased. "Why wouldn't it be? With you this close, I-I, um…"

"It's okay. You don't have to finish that sentence. I feel the same way after all," Kanako said, her voice not sounding as confident anymore. "Kanako?" Haruna said, looking down and seeing the girl's face red from ear to ear. "...Y'know, if it makes you that embarrassed to do stuff like this, then why do you do it?" Haruna asked. "I-I'm not embarrassed!" Kanako protested. "I-I'm just… well…" "Embarrassed?" "S-Shut up…" Kanako muttered, burying her face further into Haruna's chest. "Cute," she thought as she watched.

"So, you said you wanted to make me breakfast," Haruna said, trying to get the day back on track. "Mhm, yeah," Kanako said softly. "I did, but… I kinda just wanna stay like this all day." Haruna laughed. "We can't do this ALL day. What would your parents think?" "That I'm lazy, which is nothing new," Kanako joked. "C'mon, I'm hungry, and your cooking is the best," Haruna said, trying to motivate her girlfriend. "It is?" Kanako asked. "Yep," Haruna answered affirmatively.

"The best you've ever had?"

"Mhm."

"Your absolute favorite?"

"My favorite ever."

"Well," Kanako said, finally sitting up. "If you're going to be that insistent about it, then I guess I must. After all, I can't let my cute girlfriend just waste away." Being called cute brought a blush to Haruna's cheeks. "R-Right…" was all she could muster in response.

Now both getting out of bed, the two girls made their way downstairs. "Well, look who's finally up," Kanako's mother teased. "Yeah, yeah," Kanako said, waving her off. "Is it okay if I make breakfast for me and Haruna?" "Sure, as long as you clean up after," Kanako's mother said, the usual attachment to granting permission for the kitchen.

"So what sounds good? We have basically everything," Kanako said as she looked at her supplies. "Pancakes," Haruna answered immediately. "Pancakes, huh?" Kanako said with a giggle. "Alright, then that's what I'll make. How about some eggs too?" "Now I'm feeling really western," Haruna commented. "They say it's a classic, after all," Kanako added.

As Kanako began pulling out what she needed, Haruna stood aimlessly. "Hey, um, should I do anything?" Haruna asked, a little fidgety. "Just sit and wait," Kanako said back with a gentle tone. "I just feel a little bad making you do all the work," Haruna muttered. "Well, unless you want charcoal pancakes, that's probably for the best," Kanako teased, drawing a pout out of Haruna. "C'mon, I can at least make something simple like that!" "When we tried to make them in cooking class, yours would've been used better as frisbees than food," Kanako pointed out.

Back during their cooking class together, every group had been required to make a small breakfast spread. Naturally, thanks to the time constraints, many people chose pancakes because they were fast. That included Haruna's group, who, by the time class was finished, had round black circles instead of fluffy ones. At the time, Haruna had tried to blame it on others, but that was hard to do considering everyone had seen her turn up the heat on the stove because they weren't cooking fast enough.

"Your group was so mad at you," Kanako said, stifling a laugh. "W-Whatever!" Haruna huffed. "Maybe the pancakes shouldn't have taken so long." "Pfft… So it's… the… haha… pancakes fault?" Kanako said, struggling to keep her laughter in. "It's not that funny," Haruna pouted. "S-Sorry. I've just never heard of someone blaming the food when it comes to cooking," Kanako said. "Well how about I prove it to you I can make them? Then you won't be laughing," Haruna said, getting competitive.

Suddenly, Kanako wrapped her arms around Haruna's waist, pulling her in close. "Hey, Haruna," she said in a whisper. "W-What?" Haruna stuttered, caught off-guard. "You wanna make me happy, right?" Kanako asked. "Well, yeah…" Haruna said quietly. "You know what would make me really happy?" Kanako asked. Haruna just stared. "If you sat at the table and waited patiently. I promise I'll make you the softest, fluffiest pancakes. They'll be so good you'll never even think about making them yourself again. How does that sound?" "T-That sounds good…" Haruna said. "Yeah?" Kanako cooed. "Y-Yeah…" Haruna said weakly. "B-But, can you let go now? I mean, your parents are right over there," she added, motioning to the living room next to them.

Letting go, Kanako made a thoughtful expression. "I guess I should talk to them, shouldn't I?" "Y-You're going to tell them?" Haruna asked. "Of course. I don't want to keep our relationship a secret. Do you?" Kanako asked in return. "No… I'm just a little nervous, is all…" Haruna said. "And… I kinda like only the two of us knowing right now." "Chiyo knows too," Kanako added. "Chiyo knows everything," Haruna joked. "Except what to do with her own feelings," Kanako said quietly. "What does that mean?" Haruna asked, but Kanako just shook her head. "It's nothing. Let's just save all of the worries for later. For now, it's pancake time."

Honestly, Haruna agreed easily enough. She didn't particularly feel like thinking about anything serious at the moment. With a brand-new relationship, all she wanted to do was enjoy it. Adding her hunger into the mix also helped to persuade her. So, Kanako guided Haruna over to the table and had her wait.

While she did, Kanako's parents struck up conversation with her. "So Endo-san, are you excited to be a third year?" the father of the Nakatomi household asked. "I guess so," Haruna shrugged. "It'll be nice not having to worry about attendance as much anymore." "Well, that's true. Are you going to do anything with that extra time? Maybe check out some colleges?" he asked. "I'm not sure," Haruna said. Admittedly, she was beginning to lean toward not going to college, but what she would do after high school was anyone's guess.

"Say, Haruna-chan," Kanako's mom chimed in with a friendly tone. "Are you dating anyone?" At that, a huge clang and clatter rang out from the kitchen. "Kanako? What're you doing in there?" her father asked, curious. "N-Nothing! Just dropped something!" Kanako called back. In reality, she had been surprised by her parents' question. "I wonder what Haruna will say?" she thought.

"U-Um, well…" the girl in question stammered. "Sorry, did I put you on the spot?" Kanako's mom asked. "A little, yeah," Haruna admitted. "Well, I remember how it is. High school makes you feel all sorts of things. Ain't that right, husband of mine?" "Yeah, that was rough," Kanako's father said, seeming as though he was recalling a trauma. "But, if you're not dating right now," the mother continued, ignoring her husband. "What about Akio-kun? I know Kanako used to be crazy about him, but it doesn't seem that way anymore. After all, you grew up with him too. It'd be a good fit."

Haruna grit her teeth so hard together she thought they might shatter. Even just the suggestion of Akio as a romantic partner made her angry. Of course, it was also a little ironic, considering she used to have such feelings for the boy. However, after what he did to Kanako, along with all the poking, prodding and twisting he did to Haruna herself, she felt nothing but bad things toward him now.

In Kanako's case, it was even worse. Not only had she been manipulated by Akio in a similar manner as Haruna, but he had gone as far as to pretend to accept her feelings before turning around and crushing them underfoot. To her, Akio was the worst of the worst, maybe even lower if that was possible. Whenever Kanako saw him in the hallways at school, she glared at him the whole way until he was past her. It was an uncharacteristically mean thing for Kanako to do, and to most people watching, they always thought it was odd, especially when they had all known how much Kanako had had feelings for Akio. But, for those who knew about what had happened between them, it seemed perfectly justified. If anything, he was getting off easy.

So, having Akio brought up dredged up a myriad of bad feelings for both girls. At first, neither was sure how to respond, but before Kanako could manage to find the words to defend Haruna from what she practically viewed as an attack, Haruna spoke. "With all due respect Nakatomi-san," she began. "I never want to hear you suggest me or Kanako date that damn jerk ever again."

Her stern words brought surprise onto the Nakatomis (minus Kanako, of course). "O-Oh, um… okay," the mother said. "That's not really the way to talk about a friend," the father pointed out. "He's no friend of mine. Or Kanako," Haruna said sharply. "Honestly, I just wish all three of you could be friends again," Kanako's mother sighed. "If you two girls aren't fighting, then you're both mad at Akio-kun. I just wish you could all get along like you used to." "That's never going to happen," Haruna said, putting an end to the conversation.

There was a part of her, a very, very, small part of Haruna that was thankful to Akio. In truth, without his intervention, Haruna probably still would've been fighting with Kanako even now. The fact that they had managed to become a couple was a great thing. That too would've never happened without Akio. So, when looked at that way, Haruna did feel a little grateful.

However, there was just simply too much bad. Vague answers. Lying. Manipulation. Toying with others' feelings. The list of offenses went on, and Haruna certainly had no plans to forgive any of them, regardless of what role the boy had played in her new relationship.

The mood had soured quite a bit, but after a few more minutes, Kanako came out of the kitchen, plates in hand. "Food's done," she said, though she lacked the enthusiasm she had before. As she set the dishes down, Haruna pulled her aside. "Hey, did the stuff your parents said bother you?" "A-A little…" Kanako admitted. "But as long as you're here, I'll recover soon enough." "I think I feel the same," Haruna said, giving a small smile.

Looking down at her plate, Haruna's eyes widened. "Whoa! This looks amazing!" Poking at the pancakes, Haruna laughed. "Haha! They're so fluffy they bounce! That's awesome!" Seeing how much Haruna was appreciating the food's appearance, Kanako smiled. "Don't forget to taste it too," she said. "Right," Haruna said, grabbing the fork given to her. Cutting into the golden brown circles (buttered and drizzled with syrup), she scoop up a bite and brought it to her mouth. "Mmm!" Haruna exclaimed. "Sho good!" "I'm glad you like it," Kanako said happily as she sat down next to her. "This is seriously awesome!" Haruna said as she continued to eat. "Like, it's better than a restaurant!" "Is it? I added a bit of cinnamon, so I was hoping they'd turn out well," Kanako said, propping her face up with her hand as she rested her elbow on the table. "God, I love your cooking," Haruna sighed in satisfaction as she tried the eggs too, which were, of course, perfectly yellow, salted and fluffy.

"Oh, you have something on your cheek," Kanako said. "Huh? Where?" Haruna said, reaching up to grab the speck on her face. "I'll get it," Kanako said. Lifting her hand, she slid her finger gently up Haruna's cheek, getting the bit of pancake before then bringing it to her lips and licking it off her finger. "Mm, this did turn out good," she said. Next to her, Haruna blushed profusely. "Hm? Haruna, your face is red," Kanako said with a slight smirk. "Y-You-!" Haruna exclaimed. "J-Just eat the food on your own plate, damn it." "But it's so much tastier this way," Kanako joked. "Geez, when did you become such a tease?" Haruna sighed.

"You two sure are close," Kanako's mother suddenly commented. "H-Huh?!" the daughter let out. "W-Well, I think that, b-but, does it really look that way? I-I mean, not that way, but, like, I don't know, u-um-" As she sputtered, Kanako's mother watched on in confusion. "Why're you so flustered dear?" "I-I'm not flustered, I-I'm just, uh… hungry!" Next to her, Haruna let out a snort. "Not so smooth now are you?" she teased. Turning back to Haruna, Kanako gave a pouting glare.

The rest of their breakfast passed without further incident, and when they finished, Haruna helped Kanako clean up. "You know you're the guest. You don't have to help," Kanako said. "It's fine. I want to," Haruna responded. Together, they did the dishes, with Kanako washing and Haruna drying. After, they just sat on the couch, now vacated by Kanako's parents.

"We still have a lot of time until we have to meet up with the others," Kanako said. "Is there anything you wanna do until then?" Haruna asked. In response, Kanako snuggled up next Haruna. "Staying like this would be nice," she said softly. "Yeah, but I don't know if we can do that for several hours though," Haruna said before continuing. "Actually, now that I think about it, you've been really, um… aggressive since we started dating." "Do you not like it?" Kanako asked, sounding a little disappointed and pulling away. "N-No!" Haruna said a little louder than she meant to. Instinctively, she reached out and pulled Kanako back in, surprising her. "H-Haruna?"

"It's not that… I don't like it," Haruna mumbled. "You just keep surprising me, that's all." "Ah," Kanako said, a knowing smiling appearing on her face. "Well, that's because you kept preventing me from giving you my answer for so long. I have to make up for lost time y'know?" Haruna had nothing she could say in response, feeling a mix of guilt and embarrassment.

As they sat cuddled together, Kanako's mother came back into the room. "My…" she let out. "You two look pretty cozy. Although…" "W-What?" Kanako said, putting a little space between herself and Haruna. "It's nothing really. I was just thinking that with the way you two were, some people might get the wrong idea, that's all." "Wrong idea?" Kanako repeated, understanding what her mother was getting at. "You know… two girls, dating," she said, clarifying her words.

Kanako could feel herself beginning to fume. It was a similar feeling she had gotten when Ai (Mayu's mother) and Michi had both been critical, to say the least, of girl-girl relationships. "Who cares if they get the wrong idea?" Kanako muttered bitterly. "Kanako…" Haruna said.

She understood her girlfriend's frustration. The obvious solution to their current problem was to just tell Kanako's mother that they were actually a couple, but that wasn't going to magically fix her mindset. There was also the problem of Kanako's mother having already said that people might get the wrong idea. That meant she was already thinking like that in the moment. If Kanako or Haruna were to drop the bomb on her that they were dating, there seemed to be a fair chance she wouldn't be as accepting as opposed to if Kanako approached her for a serious conversation where she'd be mentally prepared.

Instead of being able to fully tell the truth and vent her opinions, all Kanako could do was mutter under her breath. Luckily, her mother didn't hear, and when she asked, Kanako just shook her head and told her she didn't say anything.

After she walked away, Kanako sighed. "If you wanna tell her, you can," Haruna said, trying to offer a solution. "If she's going to say stuff like that, I kind of don't want to," Kanako said back. "But we'll have to eventually... right?" Haruna asked reluctantly. It was almost as if she was asking for herself more than asking Kanako. "Yeah… eventually."

*****

Morning turned to afternoon, as soon enough it was time to meet with everyone at a family restaurant. "I guess we better get going," Haruna said as she stood up from the couch. "Yeah…" Kanako said sadly. "Are you still bothered by what your mom said?" Haruna asked. Kanako nodded. "It bothers me to hear her talk like that, but more than anything, it makes me worried." "Worried?" "Yeah. If she's already thinking stuff like that now, then how will she be when I tell her we're dating?" Kanako explained.

Haruna didn't have an answer. She wanted to come up with something, anything to tell Kanako to alleviate her concerns, but nothing was coming to mind. "...Maybe it'll work out better than you think," was what she settled on, but it was clear her words did little to lift Kanako's spirits.

"C'mon, let's just go see Chiyo and everyone else. I'm sure that'll make you feel better," Haruna suggested. "When Chiyo told us about this, you scoffed and said it would be a disaster," Kanako said flatly. "O-Okay, that was because she expects me and Fukuhara-san to get along," Haruna said. "That goes for both of us I suppose," Kanako muttered.

Calling this party a potential disaster was fairly accurate. Within the group of eight that would be attending, there was decent amount of tension. Haruna, Chiyo and Jasmine were all already friends before they knew the others and hadn't had any issues, but most of the other connections did.

Chiyo was in love with Michi but there was no way she could tell Michi because Michi was so against girls dating other girls. Jasmine and Mayu had developed a good friendship, but Itsuki was starting to get jealous and hate Jasmine. Jasmine noticed, making her wonder if she should stick around. Kanako and Michi's friendship was still very rocky as they tried to fix it. Haruna and Michi had never gotten along since day one. Lastly, Haruna and Kanako would have to try to keep their relationship a secret from Michi for as long as possible until they found a way to deal with the situation because if Michi knew, it would ruin the chances of ever repairing Kanako and Michi's friendship, among other things. In the end, the only one with no problems was Hinami, who was really only aware of Kanako and Haruna dating.

Now, added to all of that drama was Kanako's worry about her parents' possible reaction to being told about Kanako's new relationship. Truly, she was very much not in a party mood. "Can't we just stay home?" Kanako asked. "If it was up to me, I'd totally say yes," Haruna said. "But you know if we don't go Chiyo will never let us hear the end of it. After all, it's supposed to be a celebration for all of us making it to our third year of high school."

So, Kanako begrudgingly went up stairs to change out of the t-shirt and sweatpants she had put on. As for Haruna, her outfit was nothing more than a black t-shirt for a band she liked and a pair of jeans. The simple look suited her tall and slender frame, all being completed by her long, jet-black hair.

A few minutes later, Kanako came back down wearing a white blouse with wavy frills at the top, and underneath was a light brown skirt that stopped just at the knees. In an effort to deal with the lingering cold, she also wore a pair of black tights.

"How do I look?" Kanako asked as she gave a little spin. "Cute, like always," Haruna said as she watched her. "Good," Kanako said, beaming. That compliment, apparently, had been enough to make her feel at least a little better. "Let's go."

Walking out the door, Haruna threw on her black coat quickly. "I wish it would get warm already," she said. "For someone who was in a snowboarding club, you sure complain about the cold a lot," Kanako said. "Just because I liked to snowboard doesn't mean I enjoyed the temperatures that came with it," Haruna declared. "Well, not that it matters anymore," she added, motioning down to her forever-ruined ankle. "S-Sorry…" Kanako apologized. "I-I didn't mean to make you remember that..." "It's fine. I've made my peace with it," Haruna said as she took a step forward. Turning back, she held out her hand. "You comin'?" Seeing that, Kanako reached out her own hand and took the one offered to her. "Yes," she said as their fingers intertwined.

*****

When they arrived at the family restaurant, it turned out they were the last. Spying a group in the back that had pushed two tables together, the couple headed over toward them. Overall, the restaurant itself was typical in its appearance, with its beige walls, magenta-ish colored booth and light-brown colored wooden tables. At the moment, they didn't appear to be too busy, and yet there was still plenty of noise, the main source of it being Michi yelling at Chiyo again.

"Stop poking me! Geez, you're like a child today!" she cried. "But your reactions are adorable Mi-chan!" Chiyo said with glee. Sitting at the table, she was easily the one that stood out the most, wearing a bright red sweater that cut down low on her large chest, a black skirt that only came halfway down her thighs, long, fluffy white socks that reached halfway up her shins, and of course her auburn hair, which was tied in its usual high, side ponytail with its gold highlights at the tip. Even her face was a highlight of its own, with her deep brown eyes and noticeable makeup, along with a pair of gold hoop earrings.

In stark contrast to Chiyo was Michi, who was just wearing a basic pair of jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt. Considering she had no chest to speak of, the only notable thing about her appearance were her blond buns, on at each upper side of her head, with one long strand hanging off of each one.

"I get that," Jasmine chimed in as she watched. Being Chiyo's gal counterpart, she did plenty of teasing herself. With her wavy, pink hair that came down to almost her shoulders, her drooping eyes that seemingly always remained in the position of a seductive gaze, and her cool and smooth personality, she drew plenty of attention herself. Although, despite their similar physiques, she kept her demeanor on the quieter side, unlike Chiyo. "Mayu can be pretty cute too."

"I-I wish you wouldn't say things like that," Mayu said nervously. Before meeting Jasmine, she had never thought much about her looks, opting for the more conservative double-braid for her black hair and simple, round glasses. Her fashion style tended to follow that thinking as well, being shown currently with an, evergreen-colored long-sleeve shirt that had faint, grey swirls on the edges, almost like vines. To complete her outfit, she wore a black skirt, but unlike Chiyo's, it went well past the knees.

"U-Um, Yukimura-san?" Hinami said. "A-Are you okay? You look a-a little angry." The concerned girl, Hinami Yamane, was the newest addition to the group, and easily the shyest. Her looks were average, with her black hair cut in a bob. As for her outfit, for some reason, she had worn her school uniform. With it still being in its winter version, that meant a sailor-type uniform with a navy blue, patterned, pleated skirt, and a white, long-sleeve top. To finish the look, each girl had to wear a bow that showed which year student they were. For one whole year, it had been a deep green, but in only about a week's time, that color would change to lavender.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Itsuki said, although her words didn't sound very convincing, especially since she was still scowling at Jasmine. The last of the group, she was a bit tomboy-ish and certainly the most athletic of the group. She was in both the track and field club and cooking club, which she usually used as the reason why her grades weren't that high. As for her looks, her hair, also black, was cut much on the shorter side, and her chest was noticeable, but not so much so to get in the way of her track activities.

"Looks like everyone's already here," Haruna said. Like she had been heard, Chiyo turned around. "Finally!" she yelled. "You guys are like, totally late!" "I'm pretty sure you all got here early," Haruna said as they approached. Unsurprisingly, Michi was already glaring at them. "Why'd you show up together?" she asked strongly, motioning to Kanako. "W-We're neighbors, Mi-chan. We walk to school together too, so why wouldn't we come together?" she tried to explain. "What's it matter to you anyways?" Haruna added, giving a glare back. "Tch. Typical Endo-san," she muttered. "What's that supposed to mean?" Haruna said, her anger rising. "Being rude of course," Michi said plainly. "Rude?" Haruna repeated. "You literally glared at me as soon as you saw me!" "That's because seeing you hurts my eyes!" Michi shot back. "You bi-"

Before Haruna could finish that sentence, Chiyo quickly stood up and clamped her hand on the girl's mouth. "Haru-chi!" she whispered harshly. "C'mon, there are kids here!" Looking around, the minimal other patrons did appear to have a child or two with them. Understanding, Haruna gave Chiyo a small nod to show she did. Seeing that, Chiyo released Haruna and then bent down toward Michi. "And Mi-chan, we talked about this! You promised you wouldn't pick any fights with Haru-chi!" "I didn't promise anything…" Michi muttered, but looking back at Chiyo, her stubbornness wilted. The gal was giving her a very stern, scolding look. "No. Picking. Fights," she said, poking Michi's forehead with each word. "Alright, alright!" Michi shouted, pushing Chiyo's finger away.

"There, now that that's settled," Chiyo said, sitting back down. "We already grabbed two chairs for you guys, so take a seat!" Seeing the spots available, Haruna and Kanako went to them. Starting with Chiyo and going clockwise, the seats were Chiyo, Michi, Mayu, Jasmine, Itsuki, Hinami, Kanako, Haruna.

"H-Hello Kana-chan, Endo-san," Hinami said, finally able to give her greetings. "Hi Hinami-chan," Kanako said. "Hey," Haruna said before taking a good look at Hinami. "Um, why're you wearing our uniform?" "W-Well, I wasn't sure w-what to wear to something l-like this, so I just thought w-wearing my uniform would be safest," Hinami explained.

"It looks fine Yamane-san," Michi said. "I'm sure Endo-san is just picking on you to be mean." "I wasn't picking on her!" Haruna exclaimed. "It was just a question!" "It sounded pretty judgmental to me," Michi scoffed. "That's rich, coming from you," Haruna retorted. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Michi shouted. "Seriously? Have you never listened to yourself talk?" Haruna said. "Of course not! I'm not some narcissist, unlike you apparently," Michi snapped back. "I never said I was!" Haruna yelled. "God, you just always twist my words don't you?!" "I don't really have to do much twisting. It's more like clarifying," Michi said. "No one asked for your 'clarity' or whatever!" Haruna shouted. "I can't help it if my services are needed, especially for someone like you!" Michi shouted back. "Who would need anything from you, you pipsqueak?" Haruna said. "At least I'm not a tall, lanky board!" Michi yelled. "You're as flat as I am!" Haruna shouted, much louder than she meant to.

That was the breaking point for two other individuals. Perfectly in sync, both Chiyo and Kanako stood up. With the same very disapproving expression, they each stared down at one of the girls bickering. Then, they spoke at the same time.

""Outside. Now.""

With Chiyo dragging Michi and Kanako doing the same to Haruna, they both went out the door. The front of the restaurant had big glass windows, so while the others couldn't hear the conversations, they could watch as those conversations unfolded, appearing to be quite one-sided based on the expressions each person was making. Chiyo was standing in front of Michi, and it seemed like every time Michi tried to defend herself, Chiyo put a stop to it and lectured her even further. On the opposite side, Kanako was doing much the same to Haruna, except Haruna couldn't even get a word in. The little-known fact about Kanako was that when she got angry, there was no stopping her. Each of her words would cut straight to the point and the person's heart, rendering them incapable of mounting any sort of defense. Haruna had experienced this several times, and it had been the only way she had ever been shut down in her days of pushing Kanako around. Weirdly enough, Kanako herself never had any idea she got like that.

"Great party guys," Jasmine said as she sipped her tea. "D-Do you think they'll be o-okay?" Hinami asked. "Well, I don't know about Chiyo and Fukuhara-san, but I'm sure Haru-chi will come out of this with some new trauma," Jasmine joked. "Kana-chan can get pretty scary when she's mad," Itsuki said, shuddering a bit. "I-I hope I never have to d-deal with that," Hinami said nervously.

A few minutes later, the lectures outside concluded and both pairs came back in. Taking their seats, Jasmine looked at all of them, and it took everything in her to not bust out laughing. Chiyo and Kanako looked particularly satisfied, while Michi and Haruna looked completely exhausted, with the latter seeming especially decimated.

"Hm? Jasmine-chan? What's so funny?" Mayu asked. "It's… *snort*… it's nothing…" Jasmine said, covering her mouth as she tried to hide her laughter. "Fukuhara-san and Haru-chi totally both just got ripped apart by their girlfriends!" she thought, finding the whole situation hilarious.

"Okay!" Chiyo said suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. "Now, the whole point of this party was to celebrate all of us making it to our third and final year of high school! Isn't that cray? It totally is, right?" Chiyo said, already getting sidetracked. "Like, how is it already almost the end?" "Chiyo, we still have a whole year," Jasmine pointed out. "I wouldn't call that the end." "But it's not like you have to keep attendin' classes, so what if we never see each other?" Chiyo said. "Uh, I'm pretty sure ya do," Jasmine said back. "You have to attend enough days to meet a certain threshold of attendance or else you won't graduate," Mayu added.

"Oh…" Chiyo said. "Wait, did ya seriously not know that?" Jasmine asked. "I-I knew that! I was just testin' Mayu-chan, that's all!" Chiyo stammered. "Right," Jasmine said, giving a not-convinced nod. "Anyways!" Chiyo said loudly. "We're here to celebrate, and that means toasting!" "Isn't it bad luck to toast with water?" Itsuki asked. "It'll be fine!" Chiyo insisted. "Everyone raise your glasses!"

Following Chiyo's command, everyone took up their drinks. "To our final year! Let's make it awesome! Cheers!" With a resounding "Cheers!" from everybody else, the glasses all clinked and clacked together.

For a while after that, conversation happened amongst a couple groups. It essentially divided up as expected, with Mayu, Jasmine and Itsuki talking, Hinami joining Haruna and Kanako, and Chiyo and Michi. Thanks to the lectures they both got, it seemed the fighting between Michi and Haruna was done for the day, but that didn't mean all problems were solved. While they were talking in separate groups, one thing was painfully obvious to both Michi and Kanako: they were avoiding each other. Neither of them had said a word to the other since Kanako had arrived.

Being in the awkward state that they were in, neither of them really knew what to say to the other. Honestly, they were both thankful that they were in a group setting. If it was just them alone, it was sure to be uncomfortable. "Although, not saying anything almost feels just as bad..." Kanako thought.

She wanted some way to just hold a decent conversation with Michi, but in the few chances that she had, most of them had ended in failure. "But, recently, it seems like maybe it's getting better?" Kanako thought hopefully. And, now that she was finally dating Haruna, fixing her friendship with Michi was next on her to-do list, so to speak. "This year for sure, we'll make up and be best friends again!" Kanako told herself.

Across the table though, Michi wasn't nearly as optimistic. "I wish Kana-chan and I could talk," she thought. "But with Endo-san around, there's no way that's possible." Really though, the reality was that even if Haruna wasn't around, Michi would still probably fail to keep a good conversation going. It seemed like every time she tried, it devolved into some sort of argument. "We used to get along so well," Michi thought. "But now it's like Kana-chan is a completely different person."

In a sense, she was right. Kanako was different than she had been before. If she really thought about it, Michi would see that she was different too. While she was loath to admit to change, even she couldn't deny that her feelings about certain things or people had changed. However, it felt like those changes weren't compatible with the ones Kanako had made. It was that point that Michi struggled to understand.

Making a comparison, Michi had come around to Chiyo like Kanako had to Haruna, so that at least should've been similar. And yet, somehow, it wasn't. While it was a good comparison on the surface, underneath, it felt completely different to Michi. But, the question was why?

Unfortunately, she had no way of answering. The other parts of her that had changed were most likely where the answer could be found, but until she learned to accept those parts, she was stuck. The best she would be able to manage was partial answers and awkward conversations.

Looking at Kanako, she saw how much she seemed to be enjoying herself. "I don't know if I ever saw Kana-chan look like that when we hung out," Michi thought. "Is Yamane-san really that fun?" It was the only question she could think to ask. Surely it wasn't Haruna making Kanako that happy. "There's no way. I get that they're friends again or whatever, but she's still Endo-san. I doubt that much has changed."

Yet again, the theme of change arrived in Michi's mind, and before she knew it, her eyes had drifted to Chiyo. "Then again…" she thought, not finishing the sentence. Whether she admitted it or not, it was true that some amount of change was possible for people. If it wasn't, then Michi would never be sitting next to Chiyo like she was. "And it's almost been a whole year…"

Michi almost felt like thinking back on it all, but before she could, Chiyo turned around from talking to Jasmine and saw Michi staring at her. "See somethin' ya like?" she said in a soft but teasing tone. "N-Not really," Michi muttered. "Hmm? You suuure?" Chiyo cooed, leaning in. "H-Hey! Don't get so close!" Michi protested. "But if you mutter like that, how am I supposed to hear you?" Chiyo asked in a sultry tone. "I-It's not like you have to hear every word I say!" Michi said. "But I want to," Chiyo said quickly. "Every single word."

"Eh?" Michi let out. Right in front of her, Chiyo was blushing slightly and smiling gently. "Ahem!" a voice suddenly said. Looking up, Chiyo saw Jasmine standing next to her, along with Mayu and Itsuki. "So like, we're gonna go," Jasmine said. "Already?" Chiyo said, sad. "It's been like, two hours girl," Jasmine said. "Besides, even if I don't see ya soon, we only have a week until school starts again." "That's true. Well, okay, see ya later!" Chiyo said, waving as they walked away.

Not long after that, Hinami left as well, and it was around then that Chiyo decided to call it quits too. Leaving together with Michi, Kanako and Haruna were left alone. "Last to arrive, last to leave huh?" Haruna said idly. "I guess so," Kanako said in agreement. "Should we go as well?" "Yeah, I'm kinda tired of sitting here," Haruna said. So, after paying their bill for drinks they had ordered, the two girls left.

"It was bit rough at first, but that party was fun," Kanako said. "Rough is an understatement. I could've lived without a reminder of your wrath," Haruna said. "Wrath?" Kanako repeated. "All I told you was to be nice and do your best to not fight with Mi-chan." "You said way more than that," Haruna said, shivering at remembering. "Seriously, you get scary when you get like that." Next to her, Kanako pouted. "I don't know why everyone says that. I just get mad like everybody else, so why do they all say I'm so scary. That's not nice, you know?" "I sincerely hope one of these days you understand, for everyone's sake," Haruna said with a sigh.

Changing the topic, Kanako thought back to the party. "S-So, um… was it just me, or did Itsuki-chan seem a little upset?" "I didn't really notice," Haruna said. "Oh…" Kanako said quietly. "Is there any reason for her to be upset?" Haruna asked. "N-Not that I know of, but she looked like she was annoyed by Hiraoka-san or something," Kanako said. "That's weird. Aren't Itsuki-chan and Jasmine-chan friends?" Haruna asked. "I thought so, but…" Kanako said, trailing off. "Well, I guess if there's a problem, we'll find out soon enough. These kind of things tend to not stay secret for very long," Haruna said.

"I-It would be nice if our third year wasn't as dramatic as our second year…" Kanako said. "Yeah, I agree," Haruna said. "I just want to be able to enjoy this year, the rest of high school, and my time with you." "I-I feel the same," Kanako said, smiling bashfully.

Walking home hand in hand, they both hoped for the best for their future.

End of Chapter One.