Chapter Seven: Betrayal Of The Heart

If one were to try to find one word to sum up the person that was Chiyo Wakabayashi, the task would probably prove to be difficult. Would she be called energetic thanks to her bubbly personality? How about rebel, for seeming to always do things how she wanted? She could even be called reliable, at least from those that really knew her. Of course, the list could go on. Sexy, understanding, loud, kind, comedic, happy. These were all words that could describe Chiyo.

Yet, most notably absent from the list was anything truly negative. Sadness, anger or being rude in general were traits that some believed Chiyo didn't even possess. After all, they had never seen it. When could they think of a time that Chiyo had been fuming? Had they ever seen her cry? What about just being blatantly mean for no reason?

Naturally, the answer to all of those questions was no, and that was by the design of the gal herself. Why be sad when you can try to see the good and hope in things? Why be angry when whatever the issue is will be fleeting? Why be mean at all? To Chiyo, it made more sense to look in the opposite direction than to pursue such negativity.

Having such a mentality described, one might find it admirable. They may think "here's a girl who really knows how to live well." To a degree, perhaps they would be right. However, they would also be wrong. Chiyo strove to live her life that way, yes, but she was far from perfect. Despite her efforts, and being the emotional person that she was, it was impossible to quell her own building negativity entirely.

She had no real desire to keep those emotions hidden, but as time had gone on, she had found it harder and harder to really show them. People expected the fun and bouncy gyaru, not a girl who let out emotional outbursts full of anger. But, even if she wanted to meet people's expectations, there were simply times when she could not.

Just like anyone else, Chiyo had her own set of morals and rules. Always eat the cream on top of any dessert. Don't sleep with a guy who's friends with another guy you just slept with (wait at least two weeks). If you're going to put off doing homework, make sure your big sister doesn't know the deadline so she can't yell at you for not doing it sooner.

More seriously, Chiyo held the people close to her dear. Listen to Chitose, because she's probably right. Always make plans with Jasmine, because it's better that she's out of the house than in. Help out your friends, even if you have to cast aside the things you want. These were the things that Chiyo kept inside, using them as a guiding compass through her life.

But, the funny thing about guidance and direction in general is that it can easily be derailed. One wrong turn and one can find themselves in the bad part of town instead of the good part. A gust of wind can set a sailboat adrift, and walking to a destination with nothing but intuition often leads to mistakes.

Just as derailment was possible in reality, it also held true in a person's heart. For as much as Chiyo tried to live her life how she believed she should, a wrecking ball had come into her life to smash it all to pieces. She had tried to push back. Ignore it. Call it something else. But, no matter what she tried or told herself, it was impossible to deny.

At first, she had simply found Michi to be entertaining. Here was this girl, straight-laced beyond a doubt and more stubborn than a pack mule, and she clearly wanted nothing to do with Chiyo. For some reason, something had sparked within the gal. She just had to change Michi's mind. Why that was, even she wasn't sure. Was it because she wanted Michi to see that she wasn't a bad person? Was it because Chiyo just wanted to make a new friend? Or… had her heart already known something she hadn't?

Regardless of the reason, a relationship developed. Chiyo had gained a great friend, even if Michi wouldn't call her one. And yet… she wasn't satisfied. The more time she spent with Michi, the more she desired. There was something she wanted, but what was it? More time wasn't it, nor was it having fun. So what was it? It had to be some-

Love.

The word had burst into Chiyo's brain, and the moment it had, it made sure to never leave. For a time, she struggled. Being in love with a girl wasn't really an issue to Chiyo. Rather, it was because it was specifically Michi, a girl who had made it very clear how she felt about such relationships. Was there even a point to feeling this way? Why not just discard these feelings and be done with it?

She could not. For as much as tried, Chiyo simply could not shake the feeling of being in love with Michi. Once she accepted it, she decided that she would just keep her feelings to herself. It was better than telling Michi and having their friendship destroyed. Besides, this was what Chiyo was supposed to be good at, right? Keep up the happy facade, even if it hurts inside.

Underestimation was proving to be her downfall though. To keep something like anger in check, it could be easy enough as long as you reasoned with yourself. However, love is not reasonable. It's a strong, reckless emotion that wreaks havoc all along its traveled path. And, along with that havoc comes a stirring-up of other emotions, ones that were thought to be under control.

When Chiyo had gotten mad at Akio, it had been for the sake of her friends. When she lectured Michi, it was to try to get her to understand something. If Chiyo was going to get mad, then it needed to be justified. She couldn't just go around lashing out at people. What would that accomplish? Nothing but creating regret, she thought.

Somehow though, the exact thing she had hoped to not do had come to pass. Thanks to the volatility that is love, the entirety of her emotions were becoming more and more out of control. Michi ignoring her was nothing new. All Chiyo needed to do was pester her enough until she relented and finally told Chiyo what was going on. That had been her plan when she saw Michi at the front gate. Just ask, and if she says no, keep asking until she gets so annoyed she gives a straight answer. Admittedly, it was an aggressive approach, but when dealing with someone as stubborn and not-honest-with-themselves as Michi, it was necessary.

She approached Michi as she normally did. In response, Michi was colder than Chiyo remembered. It was almost as if she had reverted back to her beginning-of-second-year attitude. That reaction had thrown Chiyo off, and it had turned out to only be downhill from there. What should've been a usual bantering conversation had turned mean, resulting in Chiyo saying something she really wished she hadn't.

What had led to such words coming out of the gal's mouth? Simply put, it was a build up of frustration. The frustration of keeping her feelings hidden away, because she thought they would never be accepted. The frustration that it appeared that there may be hope for her after all, making her hiding of her feelings completely pointless, along with the pain it created. The frustration of just starting to believe in that hope, only to be met with renewed anger and irritation from the girl she thought she had made significant progress with.

The words she spoke had been meant to hurt, and nothing more. Chiyo knew the limited number of friends that Michi had was a sensitive issue for her. She was a girl who had hardly had any friends until recently. Knowing that, Chiyo tried to fill that hole as best she could, but this time, she had turned around and used it as a weapon, digging at one of Michi's sore spots.

Based on her reaction, it had worked. Michi had been sufficiently hurt, and as soon as Chiyo saw that, she realized what she had done. The love she held for Michi had infected her entire being, anger included. The words had flown out of her mouth before she had had a chance to stop them. So, with the damage done, it was time to do repairs… right?

Her feet felt glued to the concrete. Her mouth moved, but whatever it said didn't register in her own ears. She hurt her. Chiyo had hurt Michi, for no other reason than to simply cause her pain. What could she say to fix that? "I'm sorry" seemed hardly enough. Should she chase after her? How could she, when her legs refused to budge, seemingly acknowledging her foolishness and punishing her for her actions. "Let her get away. This is your fault after all," it seemed they said.

With each passing day, the feelings Chiyo held for Michi grew, but with that meant the infection spreading further and further, worming its way into every part of the gal. What she once felt she had under control, she was beginning to fear that she didn't. What if she tried to make up with Michi and somehow made things worse? With a girl like Michi, Chiyo knew she'd only have so many chances.

In the end, it had been Kanako that had gotten Chiyo to move, not out of motivation, but simply because she had to if she was going to make it to the morning assembly on time. Chiyo did her best to put her face back on. She couldn't go around showing that to everybody. She had to be the gal everyone knew, regardless of how she felt.

Seeing Michi in the gymnasium, she had briefly thought Michi might come and sit next to her, but it was made painfully obvious just how unlikely that was. A bit of luck did enter the picture during the reading of the seating chart, but how far that luck could be taken remained to be seen. After all, if Chiyo never made up with Michi, then what was the point of being thankful for such luck in the first place?

When they were dismissed from class, Chiyo thought maybe she could talk to Michi, but before she could say a word, the girl in question dashed off, muttering something about how she had to help out the culinary club. There was really no reason to explain herself, so Chiyo thought perhaps Michi had said that for her benefit. Did that mean she could go to the club room and wait? "That might be a bit much… She could end up hating me even more than she does right now…" Chiyo thought sadly. So instead, she decided she would go home for the day, and hope that tomorrow would bring a good chance.

*****

"I'm home!" Chiyo declared as she entered through the front door. Surprisingly, there was no response. "Big sis?" she called out, but there was still no answer. "That's weird. She didn't text me to tell me she wasn't gonna be here," Chiyo said to herself. Wandering through the empty house, she found no sign of where Chitose could've gone. "Maybe she had to go do something."

Eventually, Chiyo landed on the couch in the living room. She flipped on the TV, but after going through all the channels, she turned it off. Really, she had no desire to watch anything. It had more to do with her feelings of restlessness. No matter what she tried telling herself, she just couldn't seem to shake it. Of course, she knew what it was, but perhaps that was what made it worse.

Michi was on her mind. She kept thinking about how she was going to fix things between them. "I feel like if I don't do something soon, Mi-chan might disappear…" she thought. Just how much leeway did she really have? Based on Michi's reaction that morning, it was likely that there was very little. Michi was a girl who held a lot of loyalty for her friends, but that loyalty was built upon fragile trust. In this case, Michi trusted Chiyo not to hurt her, but she had done exactly that.

Feeling regretful once again, Chiyo picked up her phone and scrolled through the contacts. When she reached the one she was looking for, she stared at it. All that was written was the name Michi with a red heart next to it. She stared and stared, going back and forth in her mind over the idea of calling her. "Then again, would she even answer?" Chiyo thought. Michi had definitely been in a foul mood, and it was entirely Chiyo's fault. If the girl causing the problems tried to talk to her, would Michi even want to listen?

Unable to come up with any answers of her own, Chiyo decided to call Jasmine. Despite her supposed disinterest in most things, she was usually a good person to talk to and offered decent advice. After the phone rang a few times, the other gal finally answered. "...whaddya want Chiyo?" a groggy voice said through the speaker. "Just wanted to talk. Did I wake ya up?" Chiyo asked. "Yeah…" Jasmine sighed. Faintly in the background, Chiyo heard someone yell. "Great, now I really wish I wasn't awake…" Jasmine groaned. "Do you wanna come over here?" Chiyo asked. "Nah, it's fine. I'll just go back to sleep once we're done," Jasmine said.

"So? What's up? You worryin' about Mi-chan?" she asked, straight to the point. "Are you like, a mind reader?!" Chiyo exclaimed. "It's not too hard to read someone's mind when they're only thinkin' about one thing," Jasmine pointed out. "Hey, I think about other things," Chiyo said. "Like what new makeup I want!" "Makeup you wanna show to Mi-chan right?" Jasmine pressed. "...Yeah," Chiyo admitted.

"So what happened between you two?" Jasmine asked. "...Basically, I picked at a sore spot for her, and now I'm not sure if she'll talk to me," Chiyo explained. "Yeah, she probably won't," Jasmine said immediately. "You're totally not comforting me!" Chiyo cried. "Well, Mi-chan is pretty stubborn, so like, you might just have to wait for her to come to you," Jasmine said. "That doesn't happen very often…" Chiyo sighed. "Sorry, but that's probably what it'll take. Now, I'm going back to sleep," Jasmine said, hanging up.

Staring at her screen again, Chiyo decided she wasn't satisfied with only one person's input. Scrolling down, she called Haruna. That usually would've been the first person she called, but she was afraid of interrupting her best friend's personal time with her girlfriend. "But I could really use her right now, so…" Chiyo thought as she pressed the Call button. After a couple of rings, she got an answer.

"Hey Chiyo," Haruna said pleasantly. "Hey Haru-chi," Chiyo said. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" "What would you be interrupting?" Haruna asked, confused. "Y'know, you and Kana-chan's sexy ti-" "W-We're not doing that!" Haruna exclaimed, cutting Chiyo off. "God Chiyo, you could've just said 'alone time' or something." "Is Kana-chan with you?" Chiyo asked. "...No," Haruna said after a brief moment of hesitation. "That sounds suspicious!" Chiyo said. "She's not here, okay?!" Haruna shouted. "Then why didn't you just say no normally hmm?" Chiyo asked. Haruna was silent. "Haru-chi?" Chiyo said, starting to get a little worried.

"...We basically got told by the principal today that we have to tell everyone about our relationship," Haruna said. "Wow," Chiyo said, surprised. "Was that why you two got called to the office?" "Yep. That and to get yelled at, apparently," Haruna said, sounding bitter. "Yelled at?" Chiyo repeated. "Yeah, all the teachers in the room yelled at us about how they didn't like or understand our relationship or how we have no future." "What the hell?!" Chiyo shouted. "That's so mean!" "It really sucked," Haruna said. "Kanako didn't seem too bothered by it, but I can't stop thinking about what they said about the future. I mean, I wanna have a future with Kanako, but I guess I never really realized how difficult it would be."

Chiyo had called with the intention of asking for help with her problems, but instead she was hearing about Haruna's. "She's got things to worry about too…" Chiyo thought. "I shouldn't bother her with mine." So, deciding to put her own concerns to the side, Chiyo switched into her usual best friend mode. "You've got a future, Haru-chi," she said. "Kana-chan is head over heels for ya, and you're basically the same. Sure, like, it won't always be easy, but that's the case with any relationship, ain't it? What's important is that you rely on each other. At least, that's what I think."

Over the phone, Chiyo swore she could hear Haruna smile. "Thanks Chiyo," she said. "That makes me feel a bit better." "Hey, what're friends for?" Chiyo said happily. "So, was there a reason you called?" Haruna asked. Chiyo froze a bit. "Uhh, nope! Guess I was just bored!" she lied. "Seriously?" Haruna said with a laugh. "Oh, but since we're talking, I should probably tell you. Earlier today, Fukuhara-san-" "Ah, my big sis just came home!" Chiyo lied. "Sorry Haru-chi, gotta go!" Then she hung up.

"Ugh, why did I do that?" Chiyo thought to herself. "That could've been something important." Unfortunately, knowing that hadn't stopped her fear. Chiyo had thought that maybe Haruna would tell her something Michi said about her, and if it was something bad, Chiyo really didn't want to hear it. With the way her emotions were at the moment, that seemed like something she didn't really need to risk knowing anyways.

For a while, Chiyo laid on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. She had no idea what to do. Pestering Michi honestly seemed like it would make things worse at the moment. And yet, she wanted nothing more than to talk to her. If she could just apologize and show Michi she hadn't meant what she said, Chiyo felt like they'd be able to continue on like normal. The problem was, that meant Michi giving Chiyo a chance to explain herself. A chance that seemed unlikely to come anytime soon. "Maybe Jas-chin's right," Chiyo thought. "I might just have to wait for Mi-chan to come to me."

*****

Earlier that day, while Haruna and Kanako had been called to the principal's office, Michi had gone to her club. Truthfully, she didn't really care much at the moment about helping with recruitment and getting new members. All she really wanted was to get away from Chiyo. "If I stick around for too long, I'm sure she'll just start bothering me again," she thought. Ignoring the pangs of guilt that thought brought, Michi stepped into the club room.

It wasn't required for club members to show up yet, so Michi wasn't surprised when she only saw two of her fellow members. The first was Rina Takano, a girl with average height and bust size who kept her glossy black hair tied in thin twintails with red and white ribbons. Being a third year like Michi, she also had a lavender bow on her uniform, and she was also now the current president of the Cooking Club.

The small girl happily standing next to her was Saki Uchida, a second-year and currently the only underclassman of the club. Short and cute like a bunny, her hairstyle was similar to Rina's, but instead of black twintails, it was green and short, fluffy pigtails. Usually the airhead of the group, Rina tended to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't burn more than the food in her pan or cut anything other than what was on the cutting board.

"Huh. So you're the only one who's going to show?" Rina scoffed, being sure to remind Michi of her distaste for the girl. "You should be grateful I'm here," Michi shot back. "Now somebody who's competent is in the kitchen." "If you're so confident, then why am I president and not you?" Rina said. Michi shrugged. "I guess you just don't have anything better to do." "Like you do either!" Rina shouted. "You two get along so well," Saki said pleasantly. "We do not!" the other two yelled in unison.

"Haaah. Whatever. Just start going over those recipes on the table over there. We need to be able to tell and show people exactly how they're done," Rina ordered. "Tch. Fine," Michi said, moving toward the papers. Picking them up when she reached them, she went over the dishes. Most of them were pretty simple, which made sense considering they were for demonstrations and showing new people how to cook. That was why, because of how simple they were, Michi found her mind drifting.

She thought back to the morning, and Chiyo telling Michi she didn't really have any friends. "I already know that," she thought, irritated. "But it's not like you have a bunch of friends either." Then again, when Michi thought some more, she realized that wasn't exactly true. When comparing the people they both knew, Michi found that she was, in fact, on the losing end. Haruna was Chiyo's best friend, and Michi hated her. Kanako was good friends with Chiyo now, and Michi was… something. It was hard to say what their relationship was anymore. Mayu and Itsuki weren't exactly close with Chiyo, but that was essentially the case now with Michi thanks to her own self-inflicted damages. Jasmine was just another gyaru, so Michi hardly cared for her, and Hinami was someone that Michi didn't have a problem with, but that didn't necessarily make them friends.

Sure, it wasn't as if Michi didn't have any other friends. There were the ones she made from the school trip, although… it seemed like she was seeing less and less of them. Then there was… who? Definitely not Rina, and not really Saki either. So that left… no one.

If Michi were to count the people she had as real friends in her life, people she could count on and talk to about her problems, the number she'd arrive at would be quite small. It would be one, in fact.

Chiyo.

In the past, it had only been Kanako, but thanks to the way things had changed over the past year, Michi wasn't sure if she could really count Kanako anymore. But, just as Kanako had begun to go out of her reach, Chiyo had come into it. Before she knew it, she had started spending more and more time with the gal. And then she started thinking more about her. And then… she got this weird feeling, and weird things kept happening.

How defensive Michi felt of Chiyo. The kiss on her cheek after Chiyo's song. The song lyrics themselves and how they made Michi feel. The moment only a few days ago that their faces had been so close to each other they could feel the heat of each other's breath. All of these things were things that Michi classified as weird, not because they were truly weird experiences, but because she simply could not understand them.

It was because of that lack of understanding that she wanted to distance herself from Chiyo, but she had hardly expected Chiyo to lash out like she had. Perhaps it was a bit conceited of her, but Michi was beginning to feel like nobody else (expect Chitose) knew Chiyo like she did. With that knowledge, Michi thought that if she earnestly told Chiyo to stay away, she would listen. Instead, she had ended up getting her feelings hurt, perhaps because she had hurt the gal's in kind.

To most people, Chiyo was a happy and bubbly person all the time, but Michi knew better. Underneath that fake smile she showed to people was a girl who was scared and sensitive. It was somebody who, maybe because she expressed so much emotion, was more prone to getting hurt herself. But, Michi had thought, even with that being true, it wasn't like just pushing her away a little should've done much damage. So why had Chiyo reacted so poorly?

Once again, she didn't understand, and that frustrated her. Picking up a green pepper, she slammed her knife into it harder than she meant to in one solid chopping motion. Upon impact, juices from the vegetable went spurting out in all directions, while the pepper itself sat cleaved in two. "Whoa!" Rina exclaimed as she witnessed the action. "Chill out Fukuhara-san! If you're going to swing a blade around like that then just go home!" "I'm fine," Michi said strongly, not leaving room for debate.

"Is this because of those rumors?" Saki asked. "What rumors?" Michi asked. "Y'know, about how Kana-chan and, um, Endo-san? That they're going out," Saki explained. "Ha!" Michi snorted. "That's obviously not true. Besides, people have been saying that since last year, so it's hardly worth getting mad about." "Yeah, but this new rumor came from a girl who said she saw them kissing and stuff on the pier uptown," Saki said.

Michi froze. Slowly, her head turned to face Saki. "...what?" she uttered. "Look, see. She posted it online," Saki said, showing her phone screen to Michi. Sure enough, there was a picture of Haruna and Kanako, with seemingly the only logical conclusion being that they were kissing. "T-That can't be…" Michi muttered, staring wide-eyed at the screen in front of her. "I think it's nice," Saki said happily, failing to read Michi's mood. "I'm happy for them!"

"H-Happy… for them?" Michi repeated, her voice getting dangerously low. "Yeah, aren't you?" Saki asked innocently. "OF COURSE NOT!" Michi screamed suddenly, causing Saki and Rina both to flinch. "T-This is… this has to fake! Or, or, someone just edited it! It's just some sick prank! There's no way it could be real!" "Fukuhara-san, get a grip," Rina said, regaining her composure. "Kana-chan is obviously happier when she's with Endo-san. Everybody can see that. If they're really a couple now, that should be a good thing. Aren't you her friend? You should be happy for her."

"This is wrong…" Michi muttered darkly. "It's wrong. It has to be wrong…" "M-Mi-chan?" Saki said, nervous and concerned. Abruptly, Michi darted out of the room. "Ah, hey!" Rina shouted, but Michi wasn't listening. "There's no way," she thought. "Something isn't right here. I have to be missing something! It's a joke, right? It's fake, isn't it? It's wrong… isn't it? It has to be. It has to be! Or else, if it isn't, then I… I…"

Her mind a scattered mess, Michi raced through the halls. She was hoping that maybe Haruna and Kanako hadn't left yet. If she could just ask them about it, hear their usual denials they gave people, then she could just move on. It would be just another rumor with no real proof to back it up. "They'll tell me it's just someone making things up and that'll be that. Yeah, that's how it'll go. I know Kana-chan, she'd never do something like this."

Then, just as she approached the front doors, she spotted two figures outside. They were about halfway to the gate, holding hands like they usually did. "Found them!" Michi thought. Bursting through the doors, she called out to the couple. "Endo-san! Kana-chan!"

Hearing their names, both girls stopped and turned around. "M-Mi-chan?" Kanako said, surprised. "What the hell?" Haruna said. "Were you running after us?" "I need… to ask you… something," Michi said in between breaths, her lack of athleticism catching up to her. "A-Ask us what?" Kanako asked, not having any guesses as to what it could be. Finally having caught her breath, Michi stood up straight, though her expression hardly conveyed confidence.

"Are you two… are you… and Endo-san… a couple?"

Kanako stood still, stunned by the question. To this point, she had been asked this exact same question several times, but never before could she recall the question coming from Michi. "W-Why are you asking that Mi-chan?" Kanako asked. She wanted to just say yes, but Michi was a special exception. While Kanako was perfectly willing to admit to anybody that she and Haruna were dating now, there were three individuals she wanted to approach with special care: her father, her mother and Michi. With that opportunity for Michi now gone, all Kanako could hope to do was choose her words very carefully.

"T-There's this picture going around. It shows both of you on a pier outside of town. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it looks like you're kissing. I mean, somebody obviously faked that picture, right? There's no way you'd do something like that. You're both girls. Girls don't do that stuff with other girls. Everybody knows that. It would just be wrong otherwise, right?"

If Michi could've seen her face in a mirror, it would've been easy to believe she had lost it. The look in her eyes was borderline crazy, with plenty of desperation mixed in. Her voice trembled with nearly every word, and the way she added the word 'right' to the end of sentence, it was like she was looking for confirmation, not for what she was asking, but for herself.

"Ah…" Kanako thought. "I see." She had thought that she'd need to watch what she said, and make sure that Michi understood. Kanako knew how Michi felt about the kind of relationship that Kanako was in, but she had thought that maybe if Kanako could explain it, then Michi could at least say she understood. However, it was clear from her demeanor that that was impossible. Michi wasn't looking for an answer to the question "Are you two a couple?" She was looking for the answer to the question, "You two aren't a couple, right?"

She didn't want to hear that Kanako and Haruna were dating; she wanted to hear that it was just another rumor. That way, she could still be right. Right about Kanako still maybe being the girl she knew. Right about rumors just being rumors. Right about girls not being able to date other girls. On that point, she needed to be right. She HAD to be right. Otherwise…

With the previous shock worn off, Kanako straightened her back. She took in a breath, then slowly let it out, before finally facing Michi. With Haruna's hand in hers, Kanako spoke. "It's true. We're dating. Although, that picture isn't right. It was a kiss on the cheek, not the lips."

Had it been possible for Michi's eyes to go wider than they already were, they would have. She stood still, frozen to the core and completely shattered inside. Everything around her was crumbling. Everything she believed was seeming more and more like a lie. But… if it was a lie, then she'd feed it. Nurture it. Keep it alive, because surely if she let go of that one lie, she would break, with no one around to help her pick up the pieces.

"Um, Mi-chan? Y-You don't look so good," Kanako said, slowly approaching her. When she got close enough, she reached out her hand, but Michi smacked it away like a rabid animal with a grunt. "You're lying," she said harshly. "You have to be lying!" Hearing her, Kanako sighed. "It's hopeless with you, isn't it Mi-chan?"

"Eh?" Michi let out, confused by Kanako's words. "H-Hopeless?" "Yeah, hopeless," Kanako reiterated. "First, you didn't want me and Haruna to become friends again, claiming that I was choosing her over you. Now, I tell you that we're dating, and you refuse to believe me even though we're right in front of your eyes. Honestly Mi-chan, are you really that stubborn?"

"I'm not stubborn…" Michi muttered, looking down at the ground. "I'm right." "Mi-chan-" "I'm right!" Michi shouted, glaring daggers at Kanako. "You're the ones who are being stubborn, insisting you're dating! How can you be?! Two girls can't do that! It's wrong! It's gross! Who would ever want to be apart of something so perverted?!" "Hey, that's enough!" Haruna yelled, but Kanako put up her hand. Looking back, she gave a small smile to Haruna with a shake of her head. It was like she was telling her, "Thanks, but don't bother."

Taking at step back, Kanako stared at the wreck of a girl named Michi. She was shaking, and her eyes looked like they were searching for something. "How could you do this?" Michi said, her voice now much quieter. "How could you do something so awful?"

Kanako had no response. It wasn't because she couldn't give one. Rather, she simply chose not to. Regardless of what she said, Michi would counter with her own beliefs and brand of logic. With that being the case, there was no point in wasting any more words. "If you're done Mi-chan, I'm leaving," Kanako said definitely.

Hearing that, Michi looked at her. "B-But we're not done," she said desperately. "Yes we are," Kanako said. "No!" Michi cried. "You still haven't explained yourself! Come on, this is just a big joke, right?"

Right?

Right?

Right?

Where was the confirmation that Michi was looking for? Was it with Kanako? Chiyo? Herself? And why was it she needed that confirmation? To keep things they way they were? To keep the hope alive that maybe, one day, she could get back what she had lost? No matter the question, Michi wasn't finding the answer she wanted.

"Let's go Haruna," Kanako said, turning her back on the girl she once called her best friend. "W-Wait…" Michi weakly called, but her cry wasn't heard. Instead, she was left standing alone in front of the school, feeling a storm of emotions.

*****

By the time Michi got home, she was lifeless. Entering her apartment, she shut the door behind her and stood still. Her bag slowly slid off her shoulder, landing with a loud thud on the tiled floor of the entryway. Shallow breaths went in and out of Michi's chest. Her mind, so overwhelmed with impossibilities, did it's best to process, resulting in Michi thinking about nothing for a while.

Eventually, her brain caught up, but for some reason her body remained still. It was almost as if walking any further in meant moving forward, moving ahead. As if by taking those steps, she was acknowledging a change she refused to accept was real. Michi didn't want to move forward. Doing so would surely mean she lost something.

But if she wouldn't walk in the direction in front of her, then what direction could she go? To her sides were walls, and behind her was a wooden door, with beyond that being a hall of sorts. If Michi went that direction, then what would she find? It wasn't as if there was anything or anybody there. Everybody else had moved away from her and toward others. She had been left behind. Betrayed, even.

Was that too dramatic? Michi thought it might be, but it also felt like it fit. Perhaps she was just playing the victim too much, but she couldn't help her feelings. Kanako had betrayed her by choosing Haruna. Mayu and Itsuki had betrayed her by hanging out with Jasmine all the time. And Chiyo, she…

Michi had to think. That morning, what Chiyo had said hurt, but when she stopped to think about it, she knew Chiyo. Would the gal really ever say something so mean like that? Maybe Michi had just misheard her. Chiyo hadn't spoken very loud in that moment after all. And if she had misheard, then it was just a simple misunderstanding, which was easy enough to forgive. "Then everything's fine," Michi thought. "It's all fine."

With the build-up of mind-spinning stress came self-created delusions. Some part of Michi knew that wasn't true. Chiyo had said what she had said. There was no way to mistake it. However, she was desperate. So desperate that she'd lie to herself just so she could create a chance to hang onto the last person in her life that she could count on. "Chiyo could never be so mean," she'd tell herself. "Chiyo's my friend, isn't she? She's always there for me, right?"

It was all too much for Michi to handle alone. She understood that. So, the easy solution was to talk about it with someone. Objectively, that wasn't really an option. If Michi was thinking clearly and accepted what Chiyo had said, she'd simply remain stubborn, although she'd probably forgive Chiyo eventually. But, there was no objectivity available. All Michi could see at the moment was what she wanted to see, and in that moment, she wanted to see Chiyo as the last person who was on her side.

"I should go talk to her," Michi thought. "She'll understand, unlike Kana-chan. Chiyo's always nice. She'll understand." Shuffling her feet, Michi turned back to the door. Without even taking the time to change out of her uniform, she left. If she was in a right state of mind, she definitely wouldn't have, as it had gotten drastically darker than when Michi had come home. Not realizing due to how lost in her mind she had become, hours had passed, and it was around 11 at night.

Walking through the dark streets of Iwanai, Michi's eyes looked clouded over. Her steps were unsteady as she struggled to avoid tripping over cracks in the road. It was as if a huge fog had formed over her mind, preventing her from functioning the way a fully conscious person would. She teetered and tottered, giving the appearance of a drunk. Although, even a drunk might be more coherent at this point.

The thoughts that ran through Michi's head were few, but they played on loop like a broken record. "She'll understand. She'll believe me. She's my friend." Over and over again, Michi thought those phrases. It was really all she could manage. She wasn't really thinking as much as she was trying to piece together scattered thoughts.

Alongside those thoughts were the burning feelings Michi had felt when arguing with Kanako. "It's wrong. It's impossible. It's disgusting," she told herself. There was no way she could accept what Kanako had told her. Dating Haruna? Ridiculous. Insulting,even. How could Kanako say something like that, something that was such a blatant lie? Did she really think Michi was stupid enough to believe it?

...No, that wasn't quite right. In the nearly silent, more understanding part of Michi's mind, she knew it wasn't hard to believe at all. In fact, she had known for quite some time, all the way back during the camping trip. When Haruna had physically attacked her, that was when she had figured it out. At the time, she had pushed down the conclusion she had made, but with a current lack of control, the old thought bubbled to the surface.

"Ah, I get it. She's in love with Kana-chan. Why else would she react so strongly?"

It was such an easy conclusion to draw, but considering how drastically it clashed with Michi's beliefs, she had wholeheartedly ignored it and pretended she had never thought such a thing. Although, it was nearly impossible to ignore that now. If Michi was thinking clearly and wasn't so stubborn, maybe she'd accept that.

Alas, that wasn't the case as she continued her stumbling toward the Wakabayashi household. Somehow, she managed to make it there without falling over, soon finding herself a short distance from the front door. Finally seeing how late it was, she decided to text Chiyo instead of knock on the door. All it was was a short message that said "come outside."

A few minutes later, the gal emerged, wearing a thin, pink tank-top with barely-there straps and leaving her midriff uncovered, while underneath was a pair of very short white shorts. "Mm, Mi-chan?" she groaned as she rubbed one eye. "What're ya doin' here? It's like, pretty late, y'know?" "I didn't think you went to bed so early," Michi commented with no emotion. "Well, not usually, but I just felt real exhausted from today. I guess those speeches made me sleepy," Chiyo tried to joke, though she got no response. "Geez, it's totally freezin' out here. Mi-chan, you wanna come inside and-"

"Did you know?"

The question came so abruptly that Chiyo stopped. "...Did I know what, Mi-chan?" she asked, not knowing what she was getting at. "Did you know… that Kana-chan and Endo-san are saying they're dating?" Michi asked flatly. "Ah…" Chiyo let out, now a little worried. Knowing how Michi felt about romantic relationships between girls, she had hoped that Michi wouldn't find out second-hand. "Looks like that ship has sailed," Chiyo sigh internally. All she could do now was try to not make Michi's reaction any worse than it probably already was.

Walking closer to the girl, Chiyo stood directly in front of her as she spoke. "Yeah, I knew," she said. "Then you agree, right?" Michi said in a dark tone. "Agree about what?" Chiyo asked. "That it's wrong," Michi said, looking Chiyo dead in the eyes. "W-What's wrong, Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked, fearing the answer. "That they're dating!" Michi exclaimed, finally showing her emotions again.

"It's wrong! It's ridiculous! How can two girls even date?! How can you even claim something like that? Are you really so pathetic that you have to resort to looking at girls with leering eyes instead of boys? I mean, who does that? Why would someone do that? There's no point! It's not like someone of the same gender can make your heart skip a beat, let alone actually provide a good life! What, they'll just live together? Why?! What's that going to accomplish? That isn't love, it's just friendship! Oh, but I guess if they claim to be a couple, they're going to try to act like a normal couple would, huh? That means sitting all close together, and k-kissing and… a-and… and sex! Gah, that's sick! It's so gross! Don't you agree with me Chiyo? Two girls going out is so absolutely disgust-"

SLAP!

The sound of Chiyo's hand crossing Michi's cheek echoed into the night. After a moment of pure shock, Michi turned to look at Chiyo. What she saw was the gal standing there as her arm dropped. Tears had formed in the corners of her eyes, and the look on her face showed she had been deeply hurt by Michi's words. "W...Why?" Michi uttered, at a complete loss.

"You're… awful, Mi-chan," Chiyo managed to choke out. At first, when Chiyo had seen a text from Michi, she had thought that maybe Michi really had come to her. Then, they could make up and go back to being the way they always were. But as soon as Michi had begun speaking, Chiyo realized that wasn't the case. A small part of her had hoped that she could use Haruna and Kanako's relationship to show that love between girls was possible, but Michi's words had destroyed that hope. She wasn't looking to understand, she was just looking to be justified.

That in and of itself wasn't new to Chiyo, but what was was the sheer amount of vitriol and hate that spewed out of Michi's mouth. Not only was it just hurtful in general, but it especially hurt Chiyo. As the girl who was in love with the girl who was saying such terrible things, she felt incredible pain. When Michi finally asked Chiyo to agree with her, she just couldn't take it anymore. Of course she wouldn't agree. How could she?

Not that Michi knew that, or if she had any inkling of why, she chose to ignore it, all for the sake of being right. She had really believed, with Chiyo being the only friend she had left, that the gal would believe her. That she'd understand. And yet, she had ended up with a slap on the face.

Slowly, it all began to set in. She had been wrong. Not about her beliefs, but about Chiyo. The gal had said what she said in the morning. Now, she had struck her. Truly, a betrayal. Michi could see it no other way. The one person left in her life had officially betrayed her.

"I'm going back inside," Chiyo said coldly, turning around to leave. When Michi saw that, something in her chest ached. She felt like she shouldn't let Chiyo leave, but she had no idea why. However, before she could come up with an answer, her body moved on its own. Michi's hand reached out and grabbed Chiyo's. "W-Wait!" she cried.

But, where one might find romance, Michi found rejection, as Chiyo tore her hand away from Michi. With a harsh expression of pain, anger and sadness, Chiyo looked back at Michi. "Stay away from me," she said, her voice shaking. Before Michi could say anything else, Chiyo resumed walking. "Just go home, Mi-chan." Then, she got to the door, went inside, and slammed it behind her.

Stunned by these developments, all Michi could do was listen to Chiyo and go home. Her mind was a total blank, infested entirely by confusion. She didn't understand. She couldn't understand. Why had that just happened? Why would Chiyo do such a thing? As Michi asked more and more of these questions and got no answers, her confusion slowly morphed into anger.

*****

Hearing the door slam, Chitose got up out of bed in a hurry and rushed to the front of the house. "Who's there?!" she shouted, but when she looked, she spotted her little sister in the dark, crouched down in front of the door. "Chi?" Chitose said, baffled. She flipped on a light to see. "Turn it off!" Chiyo shouted immediately, so Chitose did. "Chi, are you alright?"

Crouching down next to her, Chitose put her hand on Chiyo's head. "Hey, c'mon. Look at me." Reluctantly, Chiyo did as she was told. Even in the dim lighting, Chitose could see that Chiyo was crying. "What happened?" she asked. "M-Mi-chan, she," Chiyo began. "She just kept saying that my feelings for her were gross… a-and then she expected me to agree with her. So I… ugh… hic… I really messed up… W-Why did I… snf… why did I do that?!"

The tears flowed from Chiyo's eyes. Chitose hugged her tightly. "It'll be okay Chi," she said softly. "Uhn… gh… ahhh…!" Chiyo cried. As she held her sister, Chitose felt her frustration rising. "Did you ever really want to protect Chi, Mi-chan?" she wondered. "Because it looks a lot more like you're just protecting yourself."

End of Chapter Seven.