Chapter Twelve: The Night Brings Strong Feelings

When all of the second-years reunited at the hotel, they were abuzz with all sorts of stories to tell one another. In the end, they had all seen the same sights, but plenty of them seemed to have interesting stories to share nonetheless. For as excited as they were though, it was the teachers' job to guide them to the next item on the schedule. All that remained was dinner, which was next, and then bath times. With food being first, the teachers sent students up to their rooms to drop off any souvenirs they bought, along with changing their clothes if they so desired.

Considering they had made their own purchases, Kanako, Haruna, Chiyo and Hinami made their way up to their room. "Today was so much fun!" Chiyo commented as soon as the door opened. "I'm exhausted," Haruna said. "I-I'm pretty tired too," Kanako added, to which Hinami nodded along. "Yeah, I guess I'm beat too," Chiyo said. "A nice meal and a warm bath sounds totally perfect."

Once the girls finished, they headed back to the lobby. For the most part, hardly anyone changed out of their school uniforms, as it felt rather pointless to change when they were going to be taking a bath soon. After everyone was gathered again, the group made their way to the restaurant portion of the inn.

Compared to the lobby, the space they entered felt more simplistic in nature. The floors were a gleaning wooden surface, and while the walls still held true to the mismatching of designs, the lighting above made a big difference, making the whole room look bright. The table and chairs were basic enough, and once students had claimed their seats, they began to make their way to the main feature: the buffet.

Served in several sections, the counters were lined with a variety of foods. From left to right, there was a section dedicated to Japanese dishes, followed by a section for more Western foods. Then there was one for different cuts of meat that could be grilled upon request. Rounding it out was a salad bar, and of course a dessert bar.

"This all looks soooo good!" Chiyo drooled. "You look like a panting dog like that," a voice commented from behind. "Oh, hey Jas-chin- hey, I look like what?!" Chiyo said, greeting her fellow gal before catching the insult. "Yo," she said back with a quick wave. "Jas-chin, why do you have to be so mean to me?" Chiyo said with fake tears. "Oh hey, they have udon," Jasmine said, beginning to walk away. "And now you're ignoring me!" Chiyo whined, but she recovered quickly. "Wait a minute. If you're hear, then…"

Looking all around, Chiyo glanced at the many faces in the room. "Who're ya lookin' for?" Jasmine asked, her tone suggesting she had her own guess. "Mi-chan," Chiyo answered simply. "Figures," Jasmine said. "I mean, we're all here, so she should be… ah!" Chiyo said, suddenly exclaiming when she spotted the girl she was looking for. Immediately she began making her way through the crowd.

"Where is she going?" Haruna asked. She, Kanako and Hinami had been standing off to the side, taking in the sight of all the food that was being offered. "Apparently she spotted Fukuhara-san," Jasmine said, sounding a bit bitter. "Oh," Haruna said. Hearing that brought her back to her previous thoughts. Deciding to watch, Haruna's eyes followed Chiyo.

When Chiyo reached Michi, they appeared to talk for a minute. Or, more accurately, Chiyo tried to talk while Michi tried to push her away. At first, it looked like a normal interaction between the two, but as the seconds ticked by, Haruna began getting the feeling that something was going on. Michi seemed more annoyed than usual with Chiyo, and the gal herself was starting to look a little desperate. Before things could escalate any further though, Michi walked away, putting an end to whatever conversation they were having.

"What was that about?" Haruna muttered. "Who knows?" Jasmine shrugged. "I'm going to get some food." As Jasmine walked away, Haruna couldn't help but notice that Jasmine seemed bothered by something. "She's usually so calm and cool. I wonder if it has something to do with Chiyo?" Haruna thought. Before she could go any further, she felt a tug on her hand. "H-Haruna, come on. We don't want all the good stuff to get taken," Kanako said. "Right…" Haruna said, following Kanako's lead as she continued to worry about her friends.

As they made their way through the buffet line, all the girls filled their plates before taking them back to the tables they had claimed. Jasmine's group was sitting a little further away, and Kanako spotted Mayu and Ituski with her. The sight sent a pang of loneliness through Kanako. "I'm happy they get along, but…" she thought, remembering back to the previous year.

It had been around the same time last year that Kanako, Michi, Mayu and Itsuki had been talking about the school trip they'd get to take. They had no idea where they'd be going, but the four girls had still fantasized about it, dreaming about going to Tokyo, Okinawa or other hot spots. Of course, the main thing all of their daydreams had in common was that the four of them were enjoying everything together. And yet, a year later, that was hardly the case.

Mayu and Itsuki were in the same group, but with the addition of Jasmine, Kanako could tell that their dynamic was different from before. Then there was Michi. Kanako looked all around the seating area before she found the girl who had once been her best friend. She was sitting in a group of three other girls, but Kanako didn't recognize any of them. "Are they even in our class?" she wondered.

Ever since their last fight, Kanako had barely spoken to Michi. It wasn't like they were avoiding each other, but there certainly seemed to be an underlying understanding that the two had nothing to say to each other. Kanako wasn't sure how Michi felt, but she knew that in her own heart, she wanted to find common ground again with her. It felt like it might be an impossible task, considering the core of Michi's problem with Kanako was that she felt that Kanako had picked Haruna over her, but Kanako wanted to try anyways. They had spent so much time together. If she had to choose between trying to find a future with Michi or casting her away, Kanako much preferred the former over the latter.

In the time leading up to the school trip, Kanako had thought that it would've been a good opportunity to approach Michi. But, so much time had already passed between the two, making it feel awkward to even do that much. Kanako wasn't even sure what she'd say. Then there was the issue that even if she did know, she wasn't sure if Michi would listen. Watching her interaction with Chiyo told Kanako that something had put Michi in a bad mood, and that the source probably wasn't just the gal.

From her seat at the table, Kanako stared at Michi. Her face displayed a mixture of bored and downtrodden, and it seemed like she hadn't made much progress in making new friends with her group members. Kanako knew that Michi wasn't the most friendly person, but she never thought the girl was anti-social. Although, guiltily, Kanako was a bit happy to see Michi look the way she did. Imagining her having fun with another group made Kanako feel sad herself, so knowing she hadn't been scooped up by others was a bit of a comfort.

When Chiyo returned to the table with her own plate, it was clear she was still thinking about whatever she had talked about with Michi. "I-Is everything okay Chiyo?" Kanako asked. "Hm? Yeah, everything's great! I'm having the time of my life!" she replied back happily. At that moment, Kanako noticed Michi look over at them. Kanako swore she saw Michi's eyes go wide for a second before she turned away with a pained expression and a small huff. "What was that?" Kanako wondered.

The rest of dinner time passed without much incident, though the uneasy surrounding the table was nearly palpable. Haruna kept thinking about her current relationship with Kanako. She had felt like things were awkward between them earlier in the day, but when they were at the chocolate factory, it seemed like everything was back to normal. They were laughing and joking around like nothing had happened. "I'm just so confused…" Haruna thought. "What are we even doing anymore?"

For Kanako, her mind was preoccupied by two individuals. The first was Hinami, as Kanako kept trying to figure out what it was about her that she didn't like. The second was Michi, and Kanako wondering how (if ever) they would make up. Sighing internally, Kanako stared down at her now empty plate. "How did everything turn out like this?"

Across from her, Chiyo was quieter than usual. She was still leading most of the conversation, but it seemed like she was lacking in her usual punch. The only one at the table seemingly not having any problems was Hinami, who had been silently making her way through her plate. By the time dinner time ended, it seemed that they were all ready for a much-needed hot bath.

Checking the schedule, Kanako saw that her group was last. "Why do we have to wait so long…" she complained. "I guess that's just how it is," Haruna said. "You almost sound relieved Haruna," Kanako said with an eyebrow raised. "Huh?! N-No, of course not! I hate waiting just as much as anyone else. It's just…" Haruna sputtered out as she glanced at Kanako while blushing. "Just what?" Kanako asked. "...never mind," Haruna said, letting out a breath and calming down.

It wouldn't be until 8 p.m. when the group would get to try the hot spring baths that the inn advertised, so in the meantime they sat in their room and went over their favorite parts of the day. Surprisingly, Hinami was the most talkative once Chiyo got her going on the historic village they had visited. The conversation served as a good distraction, and by the time their turn for the baths came up, they were all excited to see them.

As they made their way to baths, the group ran into Jasmine's. "Oh, Jas-chin's here!" Chiyo said happily. "Look out for this one," Jasmine warned Mayu and Itsuki. "She's a real predator in places like this." "Who're you callin' a predator?!" Chiyo exclaimed with a cry. "It's okay Chiyo," Mayu said gently. "I know you wouldn't do anything q-questionable to us. Actually, I think I might be more worried about Jasmine-chan." "Hey, that's not a very nice thing to say to your owner," Jasmine joked. "Owner?!" Mayu shrieked. "What do think I am anyways?!" "My cute lil' bunny rabbit," Jasmine answered easily. "B-Bunny?!" Mayu shrieked again as Jasmine let out a soft giggle. "Mmrgh! Stop teasing me!" Mayu pouted, bopping Jasmine on the arm with her fists.

"W-Wow, I never knew Mayu-chan could act like that," Kanako commented as she watched the scene. "Yeah, I'm kinda surprised too," Haruna said. "Boy, Jas-chin sure seems to have taken a liking to Mayu-chan huh?" Chiyo said with a smile, then clapped her hands. "Okay everyone! It's bath time! Let's get totally wet!" "Why do you have to phrase it like that?!" Haruna shouted.

When the group of them got in the changing room, they each picked a basket to put their clothes in. "Whoa! Jasmine-chan, I didn't know you had such nice skin!" Itsuki suddenly exclaimed. "Yours might look like this too if you didn't spend so much time in the sun, "Jasmine said. "Can't do much about that!" Itsuki said with a laugh. "But seriously, it looks so smooth! Can I touch it?" "Sure," Jasmine said.

Itsuki reached out a ran her hand along Jasmine's arm. "This is nice…" she said with awe. "Hey, I've got some nice skin too!" Chiyo said, bouncing over to make it a competition. Itsuki tried touching hers too. "Hey, you're right! How do you two do keep it like this?" "Oh? You wanna know our secret?" Chiyo said with a wry grin. Leaning into Itsuki's ear, she whispered something, causing Itsuki to suddenly leap back with a look of embarrassment. "I-I-I can't do that!" she yelled. Chiyo started laughing. "So I guess the tomboy has the heart of a maiden!"

While they continued messing around, the others continued getting undressed. "Okay, let's go!" Chiyo suddenly said. "Wait, what?" Haruna said, turning around to see that everyone except for her and Kanako were naked. "How did you guys get your clothes off so fast?" Haruna asked, honestly baffled considering they had just been playing around a moment ago. "Oh, you wanna know our secret?" Chiyo said. "No more secrets!" Itsuki interjected, to which Chiyo laughed again. "We'll see ya in there!" she said with a wave, leading the rest of the girls into the bathing area.

Suddenly, Haruna and Kanako found themselves left alone. "I-I guess we better hurry," Kanako said. Neither of them had gotten much off yet, with only their bows from their uniforms removed and their tops loosened. "Y-Yeah," Haruna said, noticing the situation she was in. As Kanako began to move her hands, Haruna couldn't help but stare. She watched as Kanako slipped her fingers underneath her top, lifting it slowly as it slid up her thin frame. She continued bringing it up, revealing a pink bra that had a bit of lace in it, along with the breasts it was holding. Kanako didn't have a large chest by any means, but it was certainly noticeable. Haruna's eyes were drawn to them as Kanako pulled the top over her face before it popped loose over her head with the girl making a small "pwah!" sound.

Looking over, Kanako saw Haruna watching her. The cheeks of her face went bright pink, and Kanako quickly turned her eyes back to the basket in front of her as she unsteadily folded her top. "U-Um, H-Haruna… you're… kind of staring…" she said nervously. Kanako hadn't given much thought to it before, but she was going to be bathing with Haruna. Now that she was in the middle of changing, that fact was impossible to ignore. A flood of emotions ran through Kanako, making her feel hot. "A bath… with the girl I like…" she thought, her heart beginning to race.

Next to her, Haruna realized she had been caught. "S-Sorry!" she shouted, turning away. "I-It's okay…" Kanako said. Honestly, even though she was embarrassed, she was also a little happy. "I… kind of like that she wants to stare," Kanako thought, her mind starting to drift to lewder ideas.

"Hey, Haruna," Kanako said. Haruna turned an eye to her. "Y-You got to watch me, so… I should get to watch you," Kanako said, her face gaining a shade of red. "H-Huh?" Haruna let out. "I-It's only fair," Kanako said, trying to justify her request. "I, um, w-well…" Haruna stuttered, struggling to find words. "Why is she even saying something like that? What's gotten into her?" she wondered. But, because she seemed to have Kanako's attention exactly like how she dreamed about before, Haruna found herself saying, "okay."

She gave a nervous look to Kanako, then put her hands at the edge of her top. Grasping it, Haruna began pulling it upward, revealing her smooth stomach and slight formation of abs. As far as Kanako could remember, she hadn't seen Haruna naked since they were in elementary school. They used to take baths together as children, but once they grew up, the two had stopped. This was the first time Kanako was seeing the more grown-up version of Haruna, and knowing how she felt now, on top of knowing how Haruna felt, Kanako was sure her heart might burst out of her chest.

As Haruna's top rose, so did Kanako's pulse. Higher and higher the fabric went, eventually unveiling a simple black bra that was strapped flat on the girl's chest. Admittedly, it wasn't much to look at, but Kanako stared nonetheless. In contrast to the black bra, Haruna's pale skin stood out even more, creating a nice shine under the soft, illuminating lights of the changing room. Pulling the top up and over her head, Haruna gently slid her jet-black hair through the hole before finally dropping the top into the basket without folding it.

"...d-did you like that?" Haruna said, her face completely flush. "H-Huh?!" Kanako exclaimed, helping Haruna to regain her senses. "Ah! N-N-Nothing! Forget I said anything!" she said loudly. "...sure," Kanako said quietly, but inside, many things were racing, her heart and mind among them. "She asked me if I liked watching her take off her clothes… I wonder… what she would do if I said I did." The action alone had been enough to nearly put Kanako over the edge. Being able to take in so much of the girl she was in love with was exhilarating to her. As she continued to take quick glances at Haruna, one thought overrode all the others. "I never knew… it was possible to love someone this much."

After the small show the two girls had inadvertently put on for each other, they both quickly finished getting undressed. "R-Ready?" Kanako asked. "Yeah," Haruna said, looking a bit shy. Together, they made their way into the bathing area.

When they walked in, they were first met with a billowing of steam, but once it cleared they were able to see their surroundings. Inside was a warm atmosphere, both figuratively and literally. The wood paneling covering the walls gave the space a cozy, cabin-like feeling. Below was brown and gray-colored tile, almost looking like rocks. In a spot off to the side were the washing stations, where girls from several other groups were. Then there was the main feature. Three bathing sections were put in on the other side of the room, each one large enough to hold a group of eight people comfortably. Each of them had rock features that created the look of a hot spring, while the baths themselves were roughly circular in nature, helping to further simulate the hot spring-like experience.

"Ah, there they are!" a voice suddenly called. "Haru-chi! Kana-chan! Over here!" Looking around, it didn't take either girl long to find the one shouting their names. Chiyo was sitting in one of the baths, waving her arm in the air. Haruna and Kanako walked over to her. "Took you two long enough! We already washed up because we wanted to try these baths as quick as possible!" Chiyo said, explaining how they were already in the water. "How are they?" Haruna asked. "Sooo nice. Like, I think I could just spend the rest of the trip in here," Chiyo said, looking like she was melting into the bath.

Wanting to join her and the others, Kanako and Haruna were about to go to the wash stations when someone stopped them. "E-Excuse me!" Hinami said. Kanako and Haruna turned around. "U-Um, I was w-wondering if maybe I could w-wash your back for you Endo-san?" Haruna opened her mouth to respond, but before she could get a word out, Kanako spoke. "I'm already here, so there's no need for that." Her words were so sharp that they made Hinami flinch. "O-Oh, r-right. O-Okay, well I'll just wait in the baths for you two then."

As Hinami walked away, Haruna went to say something to Kanako, but the expression on her face stopped her. Kanako looked like she was feeling bad about how she had just acted. "Kanako?" Haruna said the girl's name, which seemed to bring her face back to a more natural look. "Come on," she said, walking over to the washing stations. "If she feels bad about what she said to Yamanre-san then why did she say it in the first place?" Haruna wondered.

When they got to the stations, each of them took a seat, and then looked at each other. "So who's first?" Haruna asked. "How about you?" Kanako suggested. "Alright," Haruna agreed, then turned her back to Kanako. Because of their height difference, Kanako had to stand back up before she could start shampooing Haruna's hair. As she did, she let the long strands run through her fingers like silk. "Her hair is so beautiful," Kanako thought as she lovingly stroked it.

Continuing, Kanako finished with Haruna's hair, giving her a warning to close her eyes before splashing her head with water. Moving on, Kanako went to wash Haruna's back. She had only been in a sports club for a short time, but the work she had put in was clearly defined in her muscles. Her back was strong and toned, and Kanako was entranced by it for a moment. Her fingers ran down along the surface of Haruna's skin, causing the girl to give a little yelp. "K-Kanako?" Haruna said, wondering what she was doing. "Sorry!" Kanako said, suddenly realizing what she was doing. Then she continued with washing Haruna's back.

When she finished, the girls switched places. Haruna remained seated as Kanako sat down in front of her. "Hey, Kanako, you forgot to take out your hair tie," Haruna said, noticing Kanako's hair was still in her classic ponytail. "O-Oh, oops," Kanako said. She had completely forgotten thanks to Haruna's… display. "C-Can you do it for me?" she asked. "Sure," Haruna said. Moving her hand up, she grabbed the hair tie with the tips of her fingers and pulled gently, allowing the tie to slide down the length of the ponytail before releasing Kanako's hair like a cascade of water. "Ah…" Haruna let out.

The girl stared for a moment, taking in the rare sight. She hardly ever got to see Kanako without her ponytail. Her light brown hair hung down to just past her shoulders, shining softly thanks to the lighting and moisture in the air. "Haruna?" Kanako said, noticing the pause. "Sorry. It's just so different seeing you without a ponytail," Haruna explained. "O-Oh, is it?" Kanako said. "Yeah. You almost look like a different person," Haruna said. "I-Is that good or bad?" Kanako asked nervously. "Hmm. I don't think it's really either, but if I had to say, I guess good?" Haruna said. "You don't sound too sure of that," Kanako said with a small laugh. "Well, I guess I just like the normal Kanako the best, that's all," Haruna said casually, but then thought about the implications of such a statement. "No, wait, I mean-"

But before she could rush to explain herself, Kanako spoke. "That's good to know." Her words, carrying an air of sincerity and kindness, silenced Haruna. All she could do was work the shampoo into Kanako's hair. "Why…" she thought. "Why do you say things like that? Do you realize that you might be giving me the wrong idea? Or… is it the right idea?" Haruna's mind felt like it was running a mile a minute before it abruptly stopped on a singular question. "Why can't… you just give me an answer?"

It felt like the more time Haruna spent with Kanako, the more her heart ached. She had confessed, and while it hadn't happened as romantically as she would've liked, Haruna had put her feelings out there. Ever since then, she had been waiting. Waiting for Kanako to give her even just a simple yes or no. And yet, she had been silent. Haruna had asked about it once before, shortly after her confession, but Kanako had only said she didn't know. Now that over a month had gone by, Haruna wondered if maybe now Kanako knew. "Maybe… I should ask her," Haruna thought. "But I don't want to just spring it on her, so I'll wait until tomorrow." Part of it was procrastination, but mostly, Haruna wanted to make sure the mood was right. On the off-chance that Kanako said yes, Haruna didn't really want the setting of that memory to be in an inn hot spring bath.

"Um, Haruna? Y-You know that there's more than my hair, right?" Kanako said, bringing Haruna back to reality. Looking at her hands, she saw that she had been running them over Kanako's hair the whole time she was thinking. "Sorry. I got distracted," Haruna said, finally moving on to Kanako's back.

As Haruna began to approach, she paused. It had been quite some time since she had seen Kanako without clothes on, and just like the girl in front of her earlier, she also couldn't help but stare a bit. The back before her was smooth and narrow, almost giving off a fragile air. The way it looked, Haruna had to resist lunging forward and pulling Kanako in. Comparing their body sizes, along with remembering past hugs, Haruna was sure Kanako's back would fit perfectly against her front.

"...God, what am I thinking about…?" Haruna said to herself. "If Kanako knew what I was just imagining, I'm sure she'd be bothered by it." Here she was, visualizing a very intimate scene, as Kanako, the girl she was in love with, sat right in front of her. "I need to get it together," Haruna thought. So she got to work, scrubbing Kanako's back with the proper amount of focus.

When she finished, the two girls each went on to wash the rest of themselves separately. Once they were done, they left the washing stations and were finally able to join the rest of their friends in the bath. Haruna slipped one leg in, then the other before slowly lowering herself into the warm water. "Wow… this does feel nice," she said. "Right?" Chiyo agreed. "Hey Kana-chan, get in already! ...Kana-chan?"

Looking behind her from her spot, Chiyo saw Kanako standing in place. While the steam might've been playing tricks on her eyes, and while the room's temperature was certainly high, Chiyo was sure of what she saw: Kanako, standing in front of the bath with her towel covering her front, her face flushed red after watching Haruna get into the bath.

"Hmmm?" Chiyo cooed, standing up and heading toward her. While Kanako was still in a daze, Chiyo got up close to her face. "Hey Kana-chan, ya wouldn't happen to be thinking about Haru-chi would'ja?" In response, Kanako nodded vaguely. Chiyo giggled. "Do you wanna like, do something naughty with her?" "Yeah…" Kanako breathed before realizing what she just admitted. "I-I-I-I m-mean no! No, no, no!" "Pfft, ahahaha! You're amazing Kana-chan! Who knew you could admit something like that out loud?" Chiyo said, laughing. "Y-You tricked me into saying it! Just forget you ever heard it!" Kanako cried. "No way!" Chiyo said, still laughing. "Alright, how about this? Your big sis Chiyo is gonna give ya an opening, so have at it!" "W-Wait, an opening?! H-Hey, Chiyo, come back!" Kanako shouted after her.

When Chiyo got back to the bath, she dashed over to a side and abruptly jerked Hinami out of the water. "Wah!" she exclaimed. "C'mon Hinami-chan, let's go try the steam room!" Chiyo said excitedly. "H-Huh?! C-C-Chiyo, w-wait! I-I'm going to slip and fall!" Hinami cried, stumbling behind the gal.

After watching the exchange, Jasmine smirked. "Guess I'll go try it too," she said. "I think Itsuki-chan and I are going to get out," Mayu said. "It's not like you have to follow after me," Jasmine said. "I'm not. I'm making sure Itsuki-chan doesn't pass out," Mayu said, pointing to the girl next to her. Itsuki's eyelids seemed to be flickering, and her face was all red from the heat. "She's never been good with heat for a long amount of time like this," Mayu said. She stood up and helped Itsuki up after her. "Sorry to leave you after you just got in," Mayu said to Haruna. "It's fine. We were being slow anyways," Haruna said back.

Mayu smiled, then took herself and Itsuki to the changing room. Jasmine watched them go, then looked at Haruna. "Have fun Haru-chi," she said with a little smirk. "Huh? What does that mean?" Haruna said, but Jasmine left without saying another word. Haruna kept wondering, but she didn't have to for long, as Kanako appeared beside her.

"I-I'm coming in," Kanako announced. She slid her right foot in, then her left. Sinking slowly, Kanako's body submerged beneath the surface until only her chest and above was out of the water. "Ahh…" she let out. "This feels nice." "I know. It's so comfortable," Haruna said. Then, the two girls looked at each at the same time and realized the situation they were in. Alone. In the bath. Together. Simultaneously, Haruna and Kanako had the same reaction.

"Ah."

*****

With more speed than she probably should've been using in a bath area, Chiyo dragged Hinami along. Just as they got to the steam room, Hinami managed to escape Chiyo's grasp. "Do you not want to go in?" Chiyo asked. Hinami shook her head. "A-Actually, I was ready to get out, s-so I think I'll just head back to the room," she explained. "Oh, alright. Sorry to have dragged you over… here…" Chiyo said, trailing off as her eyes drifted. Hinami wondered what could cause Chiyo to stop talking so suddenly.

As Chiyo's gaze had bounced around, it had landed on one spot in particular. Inside the bath area, next to the door for the steam room, was a bench. On that bench sat a singular girl. Her blonde hair was down from her usual twin buns, allow the thin strands that usually hung loose to blend in with the rest of her hair. Wearing a white towel around her torso, her expression looked forlorn as she stared down at her feet. "Mi-chan…" Chiyo breathed.

To Hinami, who had only know Chiyo for a short time, even she could hear the amount of affection that the gal put behind that name. Something about the way Chiyo said it told Hinami that it was best for her to give them space. Quietly, she slipped away, leaving Chiyo a mere few meters away from Michi.

Slowly, she approached the girl. After the conversation in the dining hall, Chiyo wasn't sure how best to get her attention. Should she just act like normal? Be more playful? Or should she be serious? By the time Chiyo stopped in front of Michi, the best thing she had managed to come up with was a simple greeting. "Hi Mi-chan," she said, a tinge of worry in her tone. Finally, the girl looked up, scowling as soon as she saw who had said her name.

Turning her eyes away, Michi remained silent. Chiyo decided to sit down next to her. "I know what you said earlier, but I-" Before she could finish, Michi cut her off. "I saw you." "...huh?" Chiyo said, unsure of what she meant. Michi faced her. "I saw you in the dining hall earlier. You were wearing that stupid fake smile again." "Ah…" Chiyo let out, understanding what Michi meant. After the conversation they had had, Chiyo had tried to act like everything was okay around Kanako, Haruna and Hinami, but Michi had seen right through it. "So you saw that…" Chiyo mumbled. "Yeah..." was all Michi said.

Sitting in silence for a moment, the gap was filled by memories of dinnertime. When Chiyo had gone over to Michi, she had tried to get the girl to agree to go with her somewhere during free time for the next day. Before they had left on the trip, Chiyo had tried then too, but she decided to try again. That decision turned out to be a poor one, as Michi had met her with harsher words than normal. She had said that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with the gal during the school trip, and that she hated even having to talk to Chiyo as it was. Lastly, she told Chiyo to stay away like always, but there was a bitterness to it that cut Chiyo deeply. It wasn't so much that she felt hurt as much as it hurt her to know something was hurting Michi so much it caused her to act like that.

"About earlier," Chiyo said. "I told you to stay away, didn't I? Some listener you are. Maybe you should get your ears checked," Michi fired off, but Chiyo let the words roll off her. "I know what you said, but I still want to hang out with you tomorrow Mi-chan. It'll be fun, I promise!" Chiyo said, trying to remain positive. That proved to be Michi's breaking point.

"Fun? Fun?! With you?! Why the hell would I want to do anything with you on this trip?! Why does it have to be you!" Faintly, Chiyo could see tears forming in the corner of Michi's eyes. "Mi-chan…" she said with concern. "What's going on?" Michi looked at the gal, at first looking ready to shout some more. Instead, she bit down hard on her bottom lip, turning her gaze downward. She was quiet, but after a moment, she spoke. "It wasn't… supposed to be like this…" she muttered.

"Like what?" Chiyo pressed. Michi looked up at her. Her anger had disappeared, and what was left was an expression of sheer loneliness and pain. "This school trip," she began to explain. "I wasn't supposed to be alone. I wasn't supposed to be stuck with girls I don't know. I wasn't supposed to be spending my time with you… instead of them…"

At once, Chiyo understood. The reason why Michi had been so distant and meaner as of late had nothing to do with her specifically. It was because Michi had been planning on spending the school trip with Kanako, Mayu and Itsuki. Now, none of them were around, leaving Michi by herself.

"We talked about it all through our first year," Michi continued. "We joked around about going to Tokyo or Okinawa, and we dreamed about all the stuff we'd do together. I still remember it all. Mayu-chan wanted to check out some traditional shrines. Itsuki-chan wanted to go to a sweets shop. Kana-chan had kept saying she was fine with whatever, as long as it was something we could all enjoy…"

As she spoke, Michi's eyes remained fixed on Chiyo's, like she was searching for answers in them. "And now, look around. Instead, we just went to stupid Sapporo. I got stuck with people I don't even know. All of my so-called friends are off having fun… without me…"

Chiyo wanted to say something, but she didn't get the chance. "So why, Chiyo," Michi said. "Tell me. Why am I here, talking with you, instead of spending my time having fun with my friends like I had imagined." Desperation swam in Michi's eyes as she placed all of the weight of her question on Chiyo. In a rare moment, Chiyo didn't have the words to respond. All she felt she could do was raise her hand, bringing it up to Michi's cheek.

"Don't touch me," Michi said quickly, smacking Chiyo's hand away. But the gal persisted. She brought her hand up again. "I said don't touch me…" Michi said weakly, pushing Chiyo's hand aside with little resolve. For a third time, Chiyo raised her hand, and finally, it landed on Michi's cheek, caressing the girl's face in her palm. "Don't…" she protested feebly, but she did nothing to stop Chiyo.

"Hey, Mi-chan," Chiyo said softly. The girl looked at her, as if her eyes had nowhere else to look. "You're not alone y'know. I'm here." Michi averted her eyes, feeling as though her previous words had had no impact. "I understand what you're talking about," Chiyo said, dropping her hand. "You wish Kana-chan, Mayu-chan and Itsuki-chan were all here with you right now, but instead you have to settle for me." Michi continued looking away, guilt appearing in her eyes. "I know I'm not a substitute for them. Really, I'm not even sure if you think of me as a friend. But… I think of you as one, Mi-chan. A dear, precious friend like none other I've ever had. So, for this school trip, I want nothing more than to spend time with you."

Slowly, Michi brought her eyes back up to Chiyo. She tried to hold her gaze, but faltered, ultimately looking away again. "...fine," she said quietly, but stubbornly. "I'll hang out with you tomorrow." "Really?!"Chiyo exclaimed, her eyes beaming. "Awesome! This totes rocks!" "Stop getting so excited! You're gonna blow out my eardrums!" Michi complained. "Oh?" Chiyo said, then she leaned in close. "I can speak softer," she whispered into Michi's ear. "I'll be as gentle as you want, Mi-chan."

"Gah!" Michi shrieked, quickly putting distance between her and the gal. "I'VE TOLD YOU TO STOP DOING THAT!" "Aw, but your reactions are just so cute," Chiyo said smugly. "Gh…! Forget it! I'm not going anywhere with you tomorrow!" Michi declared.

*****

Meanwhile, two girls sat in silence in the bath, feeling incredibly awkward. Being apart of the last group to get in the baths, most everyone else had left. Even people in their own group were gone, and soon enough, it was just Haruna and Kanako in the whole bathing area.

"So, this is nice," Kanako said for the fourth time. "Sure is…" Haruna said back, then silence fell again. Neither of them had any idea what to talk about. "I want to say something, but honestly I'm too focused on keeping my breathing under control," Haruna thought, worried her pulse was going entirely too fast. Next to her, Kanako had a similar thought. "I feel so hot right now that I think I could make the water boil!"

While they sat there, each trying to come up with a topic, Haruna eventually became the one to speak first. There was something on her mind, and although she was reluctant to ask and bring the mood down, she needed to know. So, gathering her courage and taking in a deep breath before letting it out, Haruna turned to face Kanako.

"Hey," she began, causing Kanako to give her attention. "Does… does bathing with me bother you?" "Huh?" Kanako let out, genuinely confused. "Well, it's just… you know how I feel about you… and… we're both girls, so I thought, maybe, you might be uncomfortable sharing a bath with me…" Haruna explained. Kanako stared at her for a long second before turning to look straight ahead. "Nope. Doesn't bother me at all," she answered simply. "R-Really?" Haruna asked. "Yeah, why would it?" Kanako said back, like there was no reason in the world that it should. And to Kanako, that was what made sense. She was in love with Haruna. Of course she wanted to share a bath with her.

But, next to her, Haruna sat with a new sense of relief. She didn't know what Kanako felt about her. All she knew was the weird feeling of distance between them and the sudden jumps over it that Kanako would make. To hear that she was fine with them bathing together was a comfort, but it also made Haruna wonder if it meant anything either.

"I'm glad to hear that," Haruna let slip out, but Kanako didn't react. She seemed perfectly content in the moment. Little did Haruna know that it was basically a facade. Next to her, Kanako was doing her best to hold herself back and remain calm on the surface. "Geez, how cute can she get?!" she squealed inside. "She was worried about us being in the same bath? That's so maiden-like!" Perhaps it was due to the heat, or the fact that she was naked with the girl she loved and had been in close proximity to her for a while now, but Kanako's head was beginning to take an unfamiliar turn.

"I love that we can share a bath together! If I still loved Akio-kun, there's no way we'd do this! This is great! And I can get as close as I want without anyone wondering why we're so close together! I could hold her hand under the water. I could even touch her if I wanted to…"

Slowly, Kanako started to come down from her euphoria. What helped with that was the remembrance of a certain girl. For as much as Kanako wanted to do all of the things she just thought of, there was a major blockade in her way. All of that stuff was stuff that lovers usually do, not friends. And to become lovers, that meant confessing or answering a confession. And for Kanako to do that, she needed to clear the hurdle in her way.

Whatever it was that Kanako felt toward Hinami, she knew it was something she had to deal with before she could give Haruna a proper answer. If she didn't, Kanako thought her answer wouldn't be as sincere as it should be. Sitting next to Haruna in the bath made Kanako desperately want to do all sorts of lover-like things with her, but she knew she couldn't. Not as long as she had this unnamed feeling.

"Kanako, you okay? Your face looks pretty red," Haruna said, suddenly close. "I-I'm fine!" Kanako said, getting caught off-guard. "And you're one to talk! Your face is all red too!" "M-Maybe we should get out then," Haruna said, going to quickly rise from the water. She turned and went to stand up, but suddenly, she was pulled back down. "Whoa!" she let out, nearly falling. In the end, she ended up on her knees.

"Hey, Kanako, what the hell-" Haruna began to complain, but then a warm embrace wrapped around her midsection. Something soft pressed up against her back, and in a split-second, Haruna figured out what was happening. "K-K-Kanako?!" she said in a high pitch. At first, it was silent.

"Hey," Kanako finally said. "Can we… stay like this for a little while?"

Haruna had no idea what was going on. Kanako was hugging her from behind out of nowhere. With no way to process, all Haruna could do was let out a little "sure."

When Kanako had seen Haruna move to leave, she knew that it would also mean the end of their time together in that moment. She had been doing so well to hold herself back, but Kanako just couldn't take it anymore. As soon as Haruna had gone to stand, Kanako had lunged forward before she even knew what she was doing. Once Haruna was in her arms, a peace came over her. "This… is perfect."

Together, the two girls sat in the warm water, one holding the other gently. While Haruna could feel two somethings very noticeably poking her back, there was something else standing out even more. Haruna was sure she felt something beating rapidly against her. At first she had thought it was her own heart, which was racing, but after checking, she knew that wasn't quite right. No, it wasn't her heart. With only one other person in the room, that left only one option. It had to be Kanako's.

"Is Kanako's heart… really beating like that?" Haruna wondered. "I wonder… if she can hear mine." The more she thought about it, the more the pace sped up. Faster and faster Haruna's heartbeat went as the seconds ticked by. "I don't know how much more of this I can take…" she thought, her head beginning to feel dizzy. "Kanako's body against mine… feels so nice, but… I…"

As Kanako continued to hold onto Haruna, she noticed a sudden difference in weight. It felt as if Haruna was now leaning up against her. "A-Ah! H-Haruna, hang on! I'll let go, okay? Don't lean back like that!" Kanako said, but she didn't get a response. "Haruna?" Managing to get the girl more upright, Kanako swan around to look at Haruna's face. Before her was a very unconscious Haruna. She had fainted.

"Harunaaaa!"

*****

When Haruna next opened her eyes, she saw she was in a room that wasn't the baths. "What the…" she mumbled. The room she was in appeared to be her hotel room. "Oh good, you're awake!" a cheerful voice greeted her. "Uhn… huh? Chiyo? What happened?" Haruna said. "You passed out in the bath, so we brought you back to the room. The teachers were a little worried, but I told 'em I could get ya back to full health, so they let me take care of you," Chiyo explained.

Hearing that she had been removed from the bath, Haruna looked down and saw she was now in a plain black t-shirt and black basketball shorts, the clothes that usually served as her pajamas. "Um, Chiyo?" she said. "Yes my Haru-chi?" Chiyo said. "Who, um… who dressed me?" Haruna asked, afraid to know the answer. "What would you do if I said it was Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked wryly. "I think I'd die," Haruna answered flatly. "Well, then you have nothing to fear, because I took care of everything!" Chiyo said proudly. Relief washed over Haruna. "Thanks Chiyo." It was still weird knowing her friend dried her off and put clothes on her like a doll, but it was certainly better than knowing her crush did it.

"So what happened in there anyways? Kana-chan stimulate ya too much?" Chiyo joked. "Urk…" Haruna groaned, considering the gal pretty much nailed it. "Wait, for real?! Aw man, and I missed it!" Chiyo cried. "Why do you think I'd let you watch?" Haruna asked, baffled. "Besides, didn't you go check out the steam room or something? How was it?"

Chiyo went quiet before answering. "Well, I went to the room," she said, playing coy. "What does that mean?" Haruna asked. "Hm, what indeed?" Chiyo said, trying to dodge the question. This time though, Haruna wasn't going to let her. She had begun to notice a certain pattern emerge. It seemed like whenever Chiyo wouldn't give a straight answer, it had something to do with Michi.

"Did you talk to Fukuhara-san?" Haruna asked. Chiyo twitched. "Ahaha… man, you sure are sharp, huh Haru-chi?" Chiyo said. "Why do you think you have to hide it? It's not like I'm going to get mad or anything," Haruna said. "Yeah… it's just… right now I'm tryin' to figure out things myself. Like, I'm almost afraid that if I let someone else in on this, it'll break, y'know?" Chiyo said. Haruna stared at her. "I guess I get it… I think. But, if something's bothering you, you can talk to me. You're always telling me to do that with you, but it goes both ways. We're friends aren't we?" Haruna said. Chiyo looked surprised at first by this assessment, but then she was all smiles. "We're besties!"

After that, Haruna and Chiyo talked for a bit. Chiyo explained what had been going on between her and Michi, and Haruna talked about what happened in the bath, filling in the details that Kanako had left out and couldn't possibly have known. Near the end of their conversation, Kanako and Hinami both returned to the room. Hinami had gone out to talk with a friend of hers in a different group, while Kanako had been clearing things up with the teachers, which meant getting a lecture.

"Geez… I'm exhausted," she groaned. "Was it rough with the teachers Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked. "Kind of. They just kept going on about the recklessness of youth or something… I got so confused…" Kanako sighed. "Sorry…" Haruna apologize meekly. "It's fine. It's not like it's your fault. I probably should've let you get out of the bath when you tried to before," Kanako said. At the mention of that moment, both Kanako and Haruna blushed, while Chiyo giggled at them. Watching the trio, all Hinami could do was cock her head in confusion.

With everyone gathered in the room and all officially worn out, they called it a night. Kanako and Hinami got into one bed, while Haruna and Chiyo got in the other. As they laid there, Chiyo poked Haruna's chest. "If you try anything, I swear I'm going to smack you so hard the next town over will here it," Haruna threatened. "I was just seeing if you were still awake!" Chiyo whisper-yelled. "You can have such a violent streak sometimes Haru-chi. Although, now that I think about it, you don't hit me as often as you used to." "You want me to start again?" Haruna asked. "No!" Chiyo cried. "But is there a reason why?" "Maybe you seem more mature now," Haruna suggested. "Or maybe I decided you're just a lost cause." "Was that second comment really necessary?" Chiyo said, a little miffed.

"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Chiyo asked randomly. "Why?" Haruna asked. "Tomorrow is our free day Haru-chi! Don't tell me you haven't planned anything with Kana-chan?" Chiyo said. "Oh, right. Um, well, I might have something," Haruna said. "Oooh, tell me, tell me," Chiyo said, nearly bouncing. "Nope. I'm keeping it a secret," Haruna said, eliciting an "Aw, no fair," out of Chiyo. "What about you?" Haruna asked. "Yeah, I've got a little something on the books," Chiyo said cryptically. "Are you going to tell me what it is?" Haruna pressed. "Nuh-uh. Mine's a secret too," Chiyo said, finishing with a wink.

Soon enough, the girls' conversation sputtered out, and they both fell asleep, anticipating the events of day two of their school trip.

End of Chapter Twelve.