38 Honoka's feeling

Ayaka was stunned and smiled happily when she heard that from her girlfriend. She nodded and felt grateful for having a caring and kind, lovely girlfriend like Hanayo because it's rare for someone to be like the brown-haired rice-loving girl.

'I am happy to be Hana's girlfriend and have her at my side. I guess I will trust her with that secret of mine without doubting and hesitation. It was on my plan from the beginning, anyway.'

The orange-haired girl thought before realizing something, then chuckling and replying with a whisper to Hanayo as she flashed a teasing smirk. She wants to at least do it with her beloved girlfriend since Ayaka knows what kind of person Hanayo is.

"Really? How about your family, Hana?"

"A-Ah! No, it's not like that, Aya-chan… my family also important, but, um… how should I say it…?"

The brown-haired girl went into a panic when her girlfriend asked that and did not realize Ayaka's teasing face as the orange-haired girl found it amusing, but what they did catch the attention of the other member of μ's. So knowing that, with curiosity currently on herself, the orange-haired leader of μ's known as Kousaka Honoka asked Ayaka and Hanayo what they did.

"Hey, hey! Ayaka-san, Hanayo! What did you do just now?! Can I be included too?!"

"Ah, Honoka-senpai. Uhm… it's nothing important. It's only a small talk I did with Hana."

"Heeeeeh? So I can't join the talk? Please, it seems interesting—aw! Aw! Umi-chan! Don't pull off my ears!"

Before Honoka could finish what she said, the orange-haired leader yelled out in pain as her ears were pulled by Umi, who had an angry tick mark on her face and glared at Honoka with a sharp and terrifying glare.

"You shouldn't do anything stupid with them. Although we're friends, they have their own privacy since they are a couple, and if both don't feel like sharing it, don't force them! You get it, Honoka?"

"Aw! Aw! Yes, yes! I know, so please don't pull my ears! It's hurt, okay!"

"Hmph. As long as you understand and won't do it again, I will not do that, ever."

Umi replied Honoka's plea as she stopped pulling off her brown-haired childhood friend's ears. When her ears went free, Honoka rubbed them and tried to lessen the throbbing pain left on the ears from what Umi had done earlier.

The dark blue-haired yamato nadeshiko turned to Ayaka and Hanayo while bowed with an apologetic face on herself.

"I'm genuinely sorry for my childhood friend's ignorance and stupidity as she didn't know about personal space and privacy. And that always happens, which makes me tired of handling it."

"No, no! It's okay, Umi-senpai! That bad thing is also what defines Honoka-senpai as who she is. Although we would be grateful if she could… be considerate sometimes."

Umi's face changed as she heard that from Ayaka; her eyes squinted since the last sentence said something hard to promise since knowing what kind of person Honoka is. Her hazel eyes could see that Ayaka—Hanayo's girlfriend, waved off her hands to the dark blue-haired yamato nadeshiko when saying that to her. She let out an exasperated sigh and responded to Ayaka.

"I will try, but I doubt that… Honoka would stop doing something like that again in the future."

"It's understandable, but at least it is worth the try, Umi-senpai. If it worked, I'm sure that Honoka-senpai would be more impressive and charismatic. After all, that is what Honoka-senpai want, right? She wants to be respected and mature, even though I already did that to her."

Ayaka said with honesty and optimism as she tried to cheer her orange-haired senpai, who heard it and had her cheeks flushed in an embarrassment at how her kouhai cared that much for her despite having only known for several days. She feels her stomach having a butterfly when Ayaka encourage and cheers for her like that.

'Ayaka-san believe in me that I will be like that in the future…? She is putting so much trust in me, so I will not betray her expectation! I will try to be dependable and respected, as she has said! I will work hard to achieve that and make Ayaka-san proud of me!'

She clenched both hands with determination showns on her eyes. Although sometimes it could be seen as a lie, it's not for Honoka, since she would do that and worked her way to achieve the goal she wanted no matter what, as she is not giving up. That's why μ's could be born, because of her stubbornness and not giving up so easy.

And her goal, for now, is to impress Ayaka and make her kouhai to be proud of herself. She felt happy whenever Ayaka gave her compliment and showed how much her kouhai cared for her. Honoka also likes how optimist Ayaka is despite what happens to her life.

'She is always bright and looks at the bright side of everything. I know that Ayaka-san tried to cheer me up by saying all of it, but I like, no, I love it. Even though she is my underclassman, my kouhai—she is more mature than I am. I want to be someone like her, or maybe better!'

The orange-haired second-year girl nodded subtly at that thought on her mind. Her chest suddenly felt a warm feeling, the same one when her stomach has a butterfly. She closed her eyes and put a hand on the chest, trying to feel it further deeply. A warm and soft, gentle feeling she's not hating.

Her heart was beating up so fast, not because of pain or similar things. It's excitement and something she wanted to feel more than ignoring it. Honoka felt that Ayaka would become her favorite person since she reacted happily whenever Ayaka was around her.

'I really like Ayaka-san. I want to know her more, comfort her, and help her whenever she needs it. As a friend and maybe something more than that.'