Chapter Thirteen: Two Versus One

"Well, here we are," Jasmine said casually. Having arrived back at the Kawaguchi residence, the two girls stopped walking. "Guess I'll like, see you at school tomorrow," Jasmine said. "Night, Mayu." But, as the gal went to turn away, Mayu stopped her. "Wait," she said suddenly. "Hm? What's up?" Jasmine asked, turning around. In response, Mayu said nothing. She didn't even understand why she had called out to Jasmine to wait in the first place. For some reason, she had a desire for her to stay, even if she knew she would be seeing Jasmine the next day.

Jasmine stared at Mayu for a moment before putting on a knowing smile. In a single stride, she was back to being right in front of the girl. "Did you want something, Mayu? Or were ya hopin' for something more?" Leaning in a bit, Jasmine looked right into the girl's eyes as she began to blush once more. "N-No… um, s-see you tomorrow!" Mayu said hurriedly. Quickly, she dashed up to the door, opened it carefully, then slipped inside. Once the door was shut, Jasmine laughed to herself. "Adorable."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Mayu's heart was beating rapidly. The thumping was so loud she was sure it would put her hard work to waste and wake up her mother. "What was that?" she wondered. "Something more? M-More what?"

It was true that when it came to romance, Mayu was fairly innocent, but thanks to her limited knowledge, along with spending more time with more experienced girls, even a girl like Mayu could guess at what Jasmine meant. Whether or not she was right, Mayu had no idea, but with even just the thought of "something more" crossing her mind, she felt her face get incredibly hot, and her heart somehow managed to beat even harder.

In an effort to calm herself, Mayu took in several deep breaths. While that seemed to help a little, the racing in her chest didn't cease completely. It was only when she got back to her room and laid down that she was finally able to bring her heart rate back down to normal levels. "Geez…" she thought. "What was that about?"

A part of Mayu wanted to think about it more, but she also knew she had more important things to deal with. Primarily, how to stop her mother from transferring her out of Iwanai Municipal High School. It was true that Ai hadn't explicitly said Mayu had to transfer, but her mother's words had been all too clear, conveying the threat of "if you don't listen, it'll get worse."

The biggest problem that Mayu saw at the moment was actually doing as she was told. Even if she wanted to, how could she? Not only were all of her friends in the same school building (which wasn't that large), but they had all even ended up in the same class. It wasn't in Mayu's nature to just flat-out ignore people, so if one of her friends spoke to her, she'd have to respond. Ai had to know that, so what exactly was she expecting?

Was Ai just being unreasonable, or was there more to the issue than what Mayu could see? She had a feeling it was the latter. Never once had Mayu known her mother to be so obstinate. Truthfully, she wanted to know why, but she also got the feeling that even if she asked, it probably wouldn't change her situation. Whether it was something as little as a basic dislike or something as large as a past trauma, none of that changed the fact that Ai was against two things: Mayu being friends with gyarus, and Mayu associating at all with Haruna and Kanako due to their relationship.

Considering four out of the seven girls she spent her time with were represented in that collection, it was only natural for Mayu to be opposed. But, just like always, a child's voice falls quiet in the ears of an adult. She could probably stand on the roof and throw a fit, and all that would result would be a serious scolding for her behavior.

Was there anything Mayu could do? She had been so bold as to say that she would make sure she didn't get transferred, but what did that mean if she couldn't back that up with action? For the first time in Mayu's life, she was faced with the task (or perhaps opportunity) to go up against her own parents while fighting for something she wanted. When put that way, it felt daunting… and a little exciting. A rebellious Mayu had never existed. Now, in the span of less than a day, she had fought with her mother and snuck out at night. Certainly, a part of her felt guilty for such things, but another part did find it all a bit fun.

Regardless of her feelings though, Mayu knew that her current situation couldn't last. With it being the beginning of the school year still, it was perfectly feasible for Mayu to be transferred for her third year. It wasn't as if Iwanai High was the only school in town, so it'd be a small matter to find a new one. If that all happened, Mayu would be spending the rest of her high school career alone.

Although, she wondered if that was true. Even if she transferred, would she really never see her friends again? Itsuki came over regularly, so Mayu doubted her mother would suddenly ban Itsuki from their house. Not only was she Mayu's friend, she was Kanade's as well. While it may be possible for Mayu to understand why Itsuki wouldn't be able to come play anymore, Kanade would still be much too young. All she'd be able to do in response would be to throw a fit and cry.

Mayu would most likely be prevented from leaving the house if Ai was serious about separating her from her friends, so seeing Kanako, Michi, Chiyo, Hinami or Haruna would be unlikely. But, what about Jasmine? For a moment, Mayu imagined her sneaking up to the window and knocking on the glass, coming to whisk her away like some cinematic heroine. It made Mayu laugh, and truth be told, it was something she really could see happening. "Although, instead of carrying me away like a princess, she might just pull me along like a dog," she half-joked, half-pouted to herself.

Putting that imagery aside, Mayu got back to the main topic. Unfortunately, it seemed like no matter how much thought she gave to it, no solutions came to mind. It's not like she could stage some sort of a protest, and her words had already proven ineffective. "Maybe I should try talking to mother again…?" she wondered. At the current time, it was really all she could do. So, with that being the only course of action she was able to do, Mayu decided that she would try again. "I just need to choose my words carefully," she told herself. Then, she drifted off to sleep.

*****

When Mayu woke up, she heard the familiar sounds of breakfast being made. With it being Monday, both she and Kanade needed to get up for school. However, as Mayu rose out of bed, she thought she heard voices. Listening more closely, she realized one of them belonged to Ai, while the other belonged to Itsuki. "Itsuki-chan is here?" Mayu thought, confused. It wasn't necessarily unusual for Itsuki to come by in the morning, but it wasn't a regular occurrence either, as Mayu's house was actually farther from the school than Itsuki's.

Understanding her friend was in her home, Mayu quickly got ready, slipping on her uniform and tying her usual braids with practiced and nimble fingers. Once she slid on her glasses, she looked herself over once in the mirror in her room before walking out the door. When she did, she was greeted by a groggy "Morning, big sis."

Having also just come out of her room was Kanade, her black hair a mess and her yellow pajamas wrinkled from sleep. Rubbing one eye, she looked like she could fall back asleep in a second. Every time Mayu saw this sight, it always brought a smile to her face. Not because her little sister looked cute like that, but rather, because it was such a stark contrast to her energetic personality when she was fully awake. Though, it could be said that it was because she used so much energy that she had such sleepy mornings.

After a moment of enjoying the contrast, Mayu got back to her initial confusion. Walking down the hall, she heard the voices becoming clearer, until finally, she entered the kitchen. It was there that she found her mother and Itsuki talking, exactly what she thought. "Good morning," Mayu said hesitantly. Hearing her, the two ahead of her turned around. "Morning Mayu-chan!" Itsuki said excitedly. "Good morning dear," Ai said. Based on her tone, it felt as if the previous argument had never happened.

"I'm surprised to see you here Itsuki-chan. You usually let me know when you're going to come in the mornings. If you had, I wouldn't have kept you waiting," Mayu said, doing her best to overcome her confusion. "Yeah, sorry about that," Itsuki said. "I just needed to talk to your mom about something." "Oh?" Mayu let out, her confusion now growing again.

"What did you need to tell her?" Mayu pressed when Itsuki didn't continue right away. "Perhaps we should have some breakfast first," Ai suggested. It seemed she had wrapped up the rest of the preparations, but at the moment, Mayu didn't care what the food was. She wanted to keep pressing, but at the same time, she knew she wouldn't get anywhere like that. So, she took a seat at the table and ate.

The food was tasteless, whatever it was. Not because Ai was a poor cook, but because Mayu had no room in her brain for processing taste bud information. All she wanted was for breakfast to be over so they could continue their conversation. Feeling this much impatience was unusual for Mayu, but it felt warranted, considering the circumstances.

One, she had argued with her mother. Two, she had snuck out of the house. Three, she had met with a friend her mother told her not to associate herself with anymore. Four, Itsuki had appeared without notice. On it's own, that last one wouldn't normally be cause for concern, but paired with everything else, Mayu found herself to be more than a little on edge.

Finally, once all of the plates were taken care of, and Kanade was sent on her way, the two girls and one woman sat back down at the same table. With the positioning of Itsuki and Ai on one side and Mayu on the other, it was beginning to feel more like Mayu was being interrogated more than just them all having a conversation.

"So," Ai said, breaking the silence. "Itsuki-chan told me something interesting." "O-Oh?" Mayu said nervously. Ai nodded. "She told me she saw you last night." At those words, Mayu froze. "She… what?" the girl thought. "Itsuki-chan saw me? When? How? I never saw her." It had been a first for Mayu to so blatantly break a rule her parents had set, and now she was caught. All she could do was internally panic as the evidence was laid out before her.

"It appears that last night, Itsuki-chan had an engagement to attend, and on her way back, she saw you out in town," Ai continued. "Curious as to why you'd be out so late, she followed you. Now, I don't condone such behavior, but I appreciate Itsuki-chan's efforts, because what she found is most upsetting."

Sweat beaded on Mayu's forehead. Her heart was pounding, but unlike last night, where it raced for reasons unknown, this time, Mayu understood. She swallowed hard, fearing and dreading what her mother would say next.

"Itsuki-chan saw you with Hiraoka-san. Now, Mayu, didn't I just tell you not to associate with her anymore?"

The words were like a shot to the heart, serving as a fatal wound to the hopes that Mayu held. From Ai's perspective, it looked like Mayu had snuck out with the express purpose of meeting up with someone she was told not to. With that betrayal now firmly rooted in her mind, there was no way Ai would consider another possibility. "Mayu," she said sternly. "Please explain."

However, instead of explaining, Mayu turned her attention to Itsuki. Meeting her gaze briefly, the tomboy-ish girl quickly turned away, almost looking ashamed. "Why…?" was the first question to slip out of Mayu's lips. At first, even she didn't understand why she said it, but then it clicked. Just as Ai felt betrayed by her daughter, Mayu felt the same about Itsuki.

If Mayu had simply been caught sneaking out by her mother, then that would've been that. The only fault would lie with Mayu, and she could accept that. But, that was not the case. Instead, she was face with her best friend telling on her to her mother. Not only that, but Itsuki had seen Mayu and Jasmine together. Having no way to know about the argument between mother and daughter, Itsuki told Ai about what she had witnessed.

And yet, there was more. A question burned in Mayu's mind. Just as she had asked, it was the question of why. Why did Itsuki say anything? Had she simply wanted to know why Mayu had been out so late? If that was the case, why not just ask Mayu herself? Then, there was the girl's reaction to consider. It wasn't one of innocence. It was as if Itsuki understood what she did. That by telling Ai about what she had seen, repercussions would emerge from it. But why? Why do such a thing? Mayu couldn't think of any reason for Itsuki to do something malicious toward her.

Of course, with that ashamed look on her face, Itsuki didn't respond, and instead, Ai glossed over her daughter's question and repeated her own. "Answer me Mayu," she demanded. "What were you doing out last night with that Jasmine-chan?"

Telling the truth would sound more like a lie, but Mayu decided to try it anyways. "It's true I snuck out," she admitted, "But it wasn't to see Jasmine! I just wanted some fresh air, that's all. And when I was out, I happened to see her."

As Mayu spoke, she swore she saw Itsuki flinch at the sound of Jasmine's name. However, she had no time to give it thought as Ai continued. "Am I supposed to believe you just ran into each other right after I told you not to see her?" "It's the truth," Mayu said, though her weak tone failed to support her words. In response, Ai sighed. "Well, it's good to see I raised a poor liar." "I-I'm not lying!" Mayu protested, but Ai put up her hand. "Enough," she said sternly. "It's clear that more drastic actions needs to be taken. I'm going to start filing your transfer paperwork today."

Now, it was Itsuki's turn to blanche at Ai's words. "Trans...fer?" she repeated hoarsely. "I'm sorry Itsuki-chan, but it's for Mayu's own good," Ai said, not sounding quite genuinely apologetic. "W-What are you talking about?" Itsuki sputtered. "M-Mayu-chan, what's going on?" But, instead of receiving an explanation, Itsuki got something completely different. It was a new face she had never seen on Mayu before.

A glare.

Mayu was glaring at Itsuki, clearly angered beyond belief. "Mayu-chan?" Itsuki said unsteadily. Abruptly, Mayu stood up. "I'm going to school," she said without looking up. Then, she marched off to her room. "Ah, Mayu-chan, wait!" Itsuki called, standing up to chase after her. At the table, Ai sighed again.

Reaching her room, Mayu hurriedly grabbed her things and went to leave, but she was too slow. Itsuki was standing in the doorway, blocking her path. "Move Itsuki-chan. We shouldn't be late," Mayu said with bitterness. Her tone froze Itsuki for a moment, as she had never heard Mayu speak like that. "C-Can't we talk about this Mayu-chan?" Itsuki asked.

Now, Mayu stopped. She looked at Itsuki, a fair amount of irritation still within her gaze. "You didn''t answer my question earlier," she said. "Why? Why did you tell my mother you saw me?" "I just thought it was weird, that's all…" Itsuki said quietly, but Mayu could tell that wasn't the full truth. "Who's the liar now?" she muttered.

For a moment, the two girls stood in silence. "…Look Mayu-chan," Itsuki said, now also beginning to get angry. "I didn't know that your mom was planning on transferring you. Why would she anyways?" "She thinks Jasmine, Chiyo, Endo-san and Kana-chan are all bad influences. She told me to stay away from all of them, and if I didn't, she would transfer me," Mayu explained. "Then why did you go to meet with Jasmine-chan last night?" Itsuki asked, which earned her a shout from Mayu. "I didn't!"

"It was coincidence! But, of course neither you nor my mother will believe me." "Honestly, whether it was coincidence or not doesn't really matter to me," Itsuki said. "It's just…" "What?" Mayu asked harshly. "Hey, Mayu-chan," Itsuki said softly. "Why do you want to call Jasmine-chan by just her first name and not me?"

The question surprised Mayu, and for a moment she forgot her anger. "You… know about that? B-But how?" "I… kinda heard some of your conversation last night," Itsuki admitted. "How did you… wait, were you eavesdropping?!" Mayu exclaimed. "I'm sorry, okay?" Itsuki pleaded. "But I just wanted to know what you two were talking about! After all, you guys looked so chummy sitting together like that…"

Mayu stared at Itsuki. "Is she… jealous?" Mayu wondered. It certainly seemed that way to her. "Itsuki-chan," she said. "Do you want me to just call you Itsuki?" For a moment, Itsuki tensed up, but she seemed to shift into irritation. "No," she said. "It would just feel like a consolation prize." "Consolation prize?" Mayu repeated. "Well, if that's how you feel about it…"

Itsuki's expression darkened. "Of course you'd say that…" she muttered. "Why change the status quo with me, right?" "Itsuki-chan, what are you talking about?" Mayu asked. "Nothing," Itsuki huffed. "Anyways, all I wanted to say was that I didn't mean to get you into trouble, okay? But…" "But what?" Mayu asked. "...Now that I think about it, maybe your mom is right."

"...What?" Mayu let out, shocked. "I mean, think about it," Itsuki went on. "You get way more flustered than you used to, your grades have dropped a little bit, and you're even starting to break rules. Maybe getting away from those girls will be good for you."

"Those girls…?" Mayu repeated, aghast. "Those girls?! Itsuki-chan, they're my friends! They're OUR friends! Chiyo, Jasmine, Endo-san, Kana-chan… all of them are important and mean a lot to me! Don't you feel the same way? Can you really throw those relationships aside so easily?" Itsuki shrugged. "Why not? Mi-chan did."

At first, Mayu had no response. After all, Itsuki wasn't wrong. Michi had cut off everyone. Even with their friendship repaired, it felt more like standing on an unstable bridge with loose ropes more than it did a sturdy foundation. But, at least Mayu and Itsuki had that much. Kanako had ended up with nothing to stand on, and now, it seemed like Michi was even distancing herself from Chiyo. There really was no way to deny Itsuki's statement.

"Itsuki-chan," Mayu said. "Do you really think that none of them have been worth having in our lives?" It was the first question Mayu could come up with, but she felt it summarized her feelings the best. To her, all of the people she had come to call friends had made an undeniable impact on her life. She believed that her life was better for having met them. Naturally, Mayu had assumed that Itsuki felt the same way.

"...They are," Itsuki admitted, "But what if their presence is doing more harm than good now? I mean, look at all of us. Kana-chan can't find Haruna-chan. Mi-chan hasn't been to school in days, and Chiyo is obviously bothered by it. And now, Jasmine-chan has you sneaking out to do things." "I told you, she didn't make me do that!" Mayu insisted. "Even if you didn't," Itsuki went on. "You still met up with her, didn't you? It's not like you had to do that. As soon as you saw her, you could've just walked away. So why not do that instead of going against what your mom told you?"

Mayu thought for a moment. "There's… just something about her," she said quietly. "I don't know what it is, but something draws me to Jasmine. If she were here right now, she'd probably joke that it's because I'm her pet or something, but… I don't think that's too far off the mark either. It's as if she holds some sort of key, and a lock inside of me is pulled toward her. I'm not sure if that quite makes sense though…"

"Then why don't you just make her your best friend?" Itsuki muttered. "Itsuki-chan?" Mayu said. "If you feel so attracted to her, then just go spend all of your time with her instead!" Itsuki shouted. Then, before Mayu could get the chance to say anything more, Itsuki ran off. With a mix of anger and confusion swirling inside her, Mayu decided the only thing she could do was go to school. "Perhaps I'll be able to talk to Itsuki more there. I need to get to the bottom of this," she thought.

There had to be more to the story. Something told her that Itsuki was hiding something deep inside of her. Until Mayu could figure out what that was, the rift that was starting to form would only continue to grow.

*****

"Haaah…" the teacher at the front of the room sighed. "Seriously, where are all of the girls going? Is my face scary or something?" "Maybe you just give off a bad vibe or something, teach," Jasmine joked, but all she got was another sigh from the teacher. Really, his current mood was warranted, as his class seemed to be shrinking by the day.

Along with Michi and Haruna being out, now Chiyo was gone too. Luckily, not too long after class started, Itsuki showed up. The teacher didn't even lecture her for being late, being more thankful than anything that one less student was missing from his class. But, in contrast to the teacher's relief, another individual sat in the room not knowing what to feel.

In all the time Mayu had known Itsuki, she couldn't recall ever getting in a fight with her. Then again, when Mayu really thought about it, she couldn't really recall getting into a fight with, well, anyone. Thanks to how she had been raised, even the thought of arguing wasn't one that crossed her mind. She disagreed with people, sure, but it never escalated to the point of raised voices. Looking back on it now, it was beginning to occur to Mayu just how irregular that was.

She had always believed herself to be a fairly normal girl, but if she wasn't experiencing a full range of emotions, could she really say that? It wasn't as if Mayu wanted to get in fights with people, but as she was becoming more aware of her lack of self, she was starting to feel like parts of herself were missing. Although, lately, it seemed like she was getting more of those experiences she never had.

Part of the reason for that was Jasmine. Through her poking and teasing, she had managed to get a variety of reactions out of Mayu. Those reactions had caused new feelings to sprout within Mayu, but what exactly those were, she couldn't entirely tell. Irritation and joy made up some of those feelings, but there was still more that was left unidentified. Regardless, it was undeniable that Mayu had gained more because of her interaction with Jasmine.

It was precisely because of that, that Mayu wanted to protect that friendship she had built. And not just that one. The other part of her reason for her new experience lie simply in the interactions and associations she had with the other people around her. Each one had brought something to her attention. Whether it was the freedom of choice that the gyarus had taught her, or what it meant to love so passionately like Kanako, Mayu had gained valuable things from them. So, why did it seem like others wanted to take that away from her?

With the opportunity to now look back on herself, Mayu was completely disappointed. Forget about being an average girl, she was hardly even a person. All that made up Mayu were the things she was told to do and be. Do your homework on time and study. Be kind, but also modest. Be understanding. In her life, Mayu had done all of those things and more, but never once could she say she had actively made that decision in the first place. She had been filled with personalized ideals and a mindset that wasn't her own. In the end, while she wasn't truly empty, she felt no different than an empty shell.

It was the people around her who truly filled her up. Kanako, Jasmine and all the others showed her things that for Mayu, were life-changing. Perhaps to an outsider, her experiences would seem small. And, perhaps they'd be right. But, the funny thing about small actions is that, like a pebble in a lake, the ripples those actions create can have major impacts.

The bonds Mayu formed, the experiences she had and the effect it's all had on her were all precious things to her. And now, her mother Ai, and her best friend Itsuki, wanted to take that away. What did that mean? Did they truly believe Jasmine, Kanako and the others were bad influences? Did they think the changes Mayu was making were bad? ...Did they want Mayu to be like how she used to be?

Without asking, Mayu had no way of knowing. A part of her was scared to ask. What if the answer to all of her questions was yes? If that turned out to be the case, Mayu would be at a complete loss. Of course, she was more than just scared. She was also angry. Ai was being unreasonable and stubborn, and Itsuki had taken her side. Mayu felt like there was probably more to Itsuki's choice than the reasons she had given, but it still didn't change the fact that what had resulted was a two versus one situation, with Mayu in the minority.

And yet, no matter how angry or scared she felt, ultimately, Mayu just felt helpless. If she couldn't convince her mother not to transfer her, that would be that. However, any attempts to persuade her otherwise hadn't worked at all. Then again, Mayu wasn't really sure how many genuine attempts she had made. Most likely, if someone was keeping count, the number would probably be pretty low. So if that was the case, then Mayu just need to try more, right? "Then again, I doubt repeating myself over and over will have much impact," Mayu thought.

Unfortunately, aside from using her words, there wasn't anything Mayu could do. Maybe she could run away, but all that would do is worry her family. Perhaps it would even make the transfer more certain. She could also just try to be a shut-in, although one of her parents would probably drag her out eventually. So with no actions she could take, what more could Mayu actually do?

On top of that, her best friend was taking Ai's side. While Mayu stood a better chance at convincing Itsuki, that wasn't really the issue. It didn't matter if Mayu could convince Itsuki transferring was a bad thing. But, even if she could, Mayu was more curious about the underlying reason instead. Although, Mayu got the feeling that her words probably wouldn't reach Itsuki at this point either.

Two against one, and both parties Mayu was up against were refusing to listen. How could it be that they both wanted Mayu to do something, but they also didn't want to hear what she had to say on the matter? "This… is really unfair," she thought. Feeling bitter, she turned to look at Itsuki. The girl was laying on her desk with her head down, presumably asleep. "Why did you have to tell my mother what you saw Itsuki-chan?" Mayu wondered.

That question was also unfair, as Itsuki had no way of knowing about anything else that had happened. And yet, Mayu couldn't help but feel frustrated with her. If she had just not said anything, then at least the situation wouldn't have gotten any worse. In a way, it was funny that Mayu was getting upset with Itsuki now of all times.

When they had first meet, Mayu had immediately noticed just how energetic Itsuki was. She worried that she wasn't going to be able to keep up with Itsuki, but whenever Mayu fell behind, Itsuki would stop and wait, seemingly not bothered at all about having someone slow down her pace. As time went on, Mayu learned to simply accept that kindness rather than feel bad for making Itsuki wait. With that time also came the formation of Mayu's "personality," the kind, gentle girl, who was now always with the energetic tomboy.

Their friendship had worked out better than Mayu could've possibly imagined as a child, but now it seemed to be getting challenged. Funny enough, it wasn't outsiders challenging it so much as it was themselves. Mayu's changes and whatever reasons were behind Itsuki's behavior. Together, they were causing all sorts of problems, along with the ones that were already present in Mayu's current situation.

She kept thinking and thinking. There had to be something she could do to remedy everything. Then, as her eyes ideally drifted through the room, her gaze stopped on Jasmine. She stared for a moment, then suddenly, her eyes widened. "That's it!" she thought. "I know exactly how to solve this!"

End of Chapter Thirteen.