Chapter Four: Left Behind

If there was anything Michi could say she truly understood, it was being alone. From birth, her parents had hardly given her the love she should've gotten, being more in love with each other than caring for their own daughter. Growing up, she hadn't made many friends of her own thanks to the mix of her fancy arrivals by driver and blunt attitude. Even when she made it to junior high, little changed. She gained a few friends, but that was all.

However, perhaps that was why, for as harsh on the outside as she could be, Michi cared so deeply about her relationships with others. Forming bonds with others so much later in life had allowed Michi to understand just how much they added to one's life. For instance, a person could eat alone, but the food seemed to be much better with friends. It was things like that, moments like that, that allowed Michi to see what had been missing in her life.

It was also why she could get so angry with others. In the past, Haruna had obviously been terrible to Kanako, so that was reason enough to not like her for Michi, but her reasons went beyond that. Here were two girls who had grown up together. They had laughed, cried, shared memories and who knew what else. Their lives had become inexplicably woven together, and it should've been impossible for that bond to become undone.

And yet, it had. By choice, one of them cut that bond and abandoned the other. To Michi, a girl who had never really had the chance to spend significant time with someone who meant something to her, that was an unforgivable offense. In her eyes, Haruna and Kanako had had something beyond special, and then Haruna had thrown it away. She didn't deserve to be forgiven. She deserved to experience what it felt like to be alone.

Of course, that wasn't really the case. Haruna had other friends, even if they were the kind of girls that Michi despised. Although, knowing that she had other friends just made Michi more mad. Not only had she tossed Kanako to the side, but she was seemingly replacing her as well. How was that fair? How was that right? Did she feel nothing at all for what she had done?

Being unable to know what was in Haruna's heart, all Michi could do was seethe from the side while trying to be Kanako's support. If Haruna would so willingly abandon her position in Kanako's life, then Michi saw fit to take it for herself. She'd show Kanako just how valuable a bond with another truly was, and hopefully, make her forget all about the girl that had abandoned her.

That had been Michi's hope, but it somehow ended up being destroyed. To her shock, Haruna began to make an effort to be on better terms with Kanako. Worse yet, Kanako seemed to be open to the idea. Before Michi knew it, they were friends again. That was something that Michi had thought impossible. She had taken Haruna's place. She was all that Kanako needed. So how was it that Haruna had gotten back in Kanako's good graces?

Michi had no answer, but to be honest, she didn't really need one either. All she needed to know was that Haruna was trying to take back what Michi had felt she had earned. Wanting to defend that post, she tried everything she could think of, but in the end, it had all blown up in her face. Little by a lot then a little, Michi started to feel those pangs of loneliness again.

She began to feel bitter towards Kanako. The situation felt much the same as her parents. Here was this girl, who all she wanted was to be cared about and show that she cared, being left behind again as the one she cared about chose another. That couldn't have been right. Was the universe really so unfair? To have that happen once, with her parents no less, was a sadness of its own, but to experience it twice…

Unable to contain her anger, Michi had started to lash out at her other friends. Mayu and Itsuki mattered to her, of course, but because Kanako had been the first she shared a significant bond with, they were still lesser to her. It was something she'd never admit consciously, but it was clear in her demeanor just how the other two ranked when up against Kanako.

Regardless, friends were still friends. Michi still had two others she could count on, so she chose to vent her frustrations to them. Surely they'd understand. They were her friends. Their friendship united them. Perhaps a difference of opinion was possible, but for something so wrong, they'd have to agree with Michi… right?

Wrong, yet again. Instead of finding agreement, Michi found opposition. Becoming even more frustrated, she took it out on the few people left in her life, and in short order, they began to leave her too. It shouldn't have been a surprise, but to Michi, who believed wholeheartedly she was in the right, it was. Eventually, Mayu and Itsuki had come back around to her, but the damage had been done. The dynamic between the three was forever changed.

That left one person in Michi's life who was her friend and steadfast. The one individual, before she had known her and still currently, who was still the same. Chiyo. The gal Michi could count on. The person that Michi knew would be there for her because of Chiyo's bizarre fondness for her. Michi was certain Chiyo would never leave her, because for as much as she had wished for it in the past, that had never happened. Chiyo stuck to Michi like glue, never relenting despite Michi's protests.

In a way, that made Michi happy. Someone in her life was finally there for her. Not just to be her friend, but to be someone she was close with. Michi felt like she could share things with Chiyo she wouldn't with other people. She felt like she could let her guard down, if only a bit, even with her constant teasing. There was something about the gal that was comfortable to Michi, and it was in that comfort that Michi felt… safe.

She had started to believe that even without Kanako, or Mayu, or Itsuki, or anyone else, as long as Chiyo was there, the constant in her life, it would be okay. Chiyo came to represent a pillar of consistency in Michi's life, the one thing she could count on to remain just how it always was.

Until, that is, it all came crashing down.

As Michi had stood in the dining area of the Nakatomi household, she had had a realization. Kanako had changed. Haruna had too. Mayu and Itsuki even, to some extent. Jasmine, for as little as Michi knew her, seemed different too, and even Hinami had gained more confidence lately. The people around her were all changing, but that much had been obvious. All of them… except Chiyo.

She was always the same. Always revealing too much skin. Always teasing Michi nearly past the line. Always wanting her around. Chiyo did the same things, always. So that was why, when Michi had seen Chiyo's face earlier that day, it had been a shock to her system. Something… was obviously different now.

Because of that, Michi finally understood what was happening. With change as the commonality between them all, Michi realized that Kanako, Haruna, Mayu, Itsuki, Hinami, Jasmine and even Chiyo had all changed… and she had not. She was being left behind.

With her last constant gone, Michi was left alone again. Refusing to change (or admit to any that had occurred other than accepting Chiyo), she had ended up with no one left on her side. Most of these people were non-consequential for Michi. If they left, so be it. But, with Chiyo, it was different. She was different. And now that Michi had seen that, she couldn't go back. Whatever that was she had seen, what it meant, she would force it so far down inside herself that it would never see the light of day. Never acknowledge it. Never believe it. Bury it and hope it never resurfaces.

However, because of that, Michi didn't think she could go back to Chiyo either. The thought alone broke her heart. She knew it was for the best that she put some distance between them, and with how much Chiyo had actually changed, Michi was already being left behind anyway, so the amount of distance she added hardly mattered. But… it hurt.

Why? If it was for the best, then should Michi be bothered by her decision at all? Was it the fact that she had already been getting left behind by Chiyo that caused her pain? Or was it doubt in her decision? She had always been sure of herself in the past, so why was now any different?

One possible answer rose only a speck before being forced down immediately. Whatever it was, it wasn't an answer Michi wanted to hear. Not only did she not want to hear it, she also couldn't process it, accept it, or even acknowledge the existence of it. The key here was silence. If she silenced that part of herself, then perhaps she could find another answer that suited her better.

Being the only one who remained the same created mixed emotions for Michi. Adding in the pain of leaving Chiyo made it worse. Through it all though, one thing was clear: Michi would be alone again. Every friend she had gained, every pillar that had risen and every bond she had created had all vanished, all thanks to her mortal enemy: change.

Why did anything have to change? What was so bad about it all remaining the same? That was a constant question on Michi's mind. She thought about it so much it might drive a normal person crazy. But to Michi, stagnation was what should be normal. Nothing needed to change. Everything in her life had been going fine before her second year of high school. Then things changed, and now her third year was set to be full of unpredictable chaos.

Sitting on a bench outside of a business, Michi sighed, then sniffled. Having ran all the way from Kanako's house to downtown, she was pretty exhausted, so much so that her tears had mostly stopped. At the end of March and the early days of spring, the temperature in Iwanai was still closer to winter-like. "I should probably go back home before I catch a cold," Michi thought, but as she went to get up, she was stopped by someone calling out to her.

"Mi-chan?" the woman said. Turning, Michi saw Chitose coming out of the business behind her, a convenience store. "What'cha doin' here?" "I, um…" Michi sputtered. She certainly wasn't going to tell Chitose about how she had run away from Kanako and Haruna because she didn't like how things in her life were going. "I just… went for a walk," she lied. "Right…" Chitose said, definitely not believing her. "Y'know, it'd be great if ya came back with me. Chi's been kinda worried about ya since ya left in a rush an' all." "It's only been a few hours," Michi muttered. "When it comes to you, that might as well be a few days to Chi," Chitose said back. "Eh?" Michi let out, but Chitose didn't elaborate any further. Instead, she chose to sit down on the bench Michi had just risen from. "Why don't'cha sit?" she asked. "I was about to leave," Michi said. "Take a seat, Mi-chan," Chitose said, now sounding more like she was giving a command. "O-Okay…" Michi said, irritated once again by the fact that Chitose seemed to be able to order her around.

"Ya left in quite a hurry today," Chitose said once Michi sat down. "I just wanted to get home, that's all," Michi half-lied. "Y'know, I like to think that I'm pretty good at knowin' when people are lyin'. If I wasn't, I probably wouldn't have caught on to the things Chi used to do," Chitose said, giving Michi a knowing look. The girl shrunk away a little. "I-I'm not lying. I can only take so much of Chiyo, so I wanted to leave." "Well, Chi can be a real handful," Chitose said with a small laugh.

Hearing her say that, Michi thought of something. "Back at your house, you said something to your parents. You said you were the only one that cares about Chiyo. I'm pretty sure she told me but… you've taken care of her for a while, haven't you?"

Chitose stared at Michi for a moment before looking ahead. "A while, huh…" she muttered. "Feels more like a lifetime." "Does it really feel like that?" Michi asked. Chitose nodded. "Yeah… I love my little sister, but for a stretch, I have to admit that I started to feel the same as our parents. I just didn't know what to do with her, y'know? How do ya keep a teen girl from having sex? I mean, when I was her age, I was kinda like that too. Not nearly as much as Chi, but still… It just felt wrong for me to criticize or judge her life choices. I just figured I'd let her live her life, and if she ever needed any help, I'd be there for her."

"Honestly though, her comin' here from Tokyo, we all thought it'd be different. That maybe she'd straighten out a little, but, well, that obviously didn't happen. I remember thinkin' 'here we go again.' But then one day, somethin' weird happened. Chi always thought her sex life was some big secret of hers, but I always knew. It wasn't hard to figure out what she was doin', especially in such a small town. But, I noticed after a week or so that she stopped going out all the time. I thought it was just some dry spell, or maybe she ran outta guys, but that wasn't it."

Turning to face Michi, Chitose smiled. "When I asked her about why she stopped going out all the time, y'know what she said?" Michi only sat in silence, staring at her knees. "She said it was because you told her to. Then after that, she just kept tellin' me about you. I'm pretty sure you're the only thing in Chi's head most of the time-"

"Stop."

Michi shook a bit. "I don't want to hear that." "Oh yeah?" Chitose said, a little confused. "Then what do ya wanna hear?" Surprised a little by the question, Michi looked up at the woman next to her. "I…" she began. "…I don't know." "You don't know," Chitose repeated. "Then what do ya know?"

Michi was quiet. How should she answer that? After giving it some thought, she settled on just telling Chitose how she felt. Michi felt like the woman was sure to drag it out of her anyways, so it was probably better just to be honest.

"I hate change," Michi started. "Every time something changes, it only brings me pain." Checking to see that she had Chitose's full attention, she continued. "Personally, I think nothing should change. I think it should all remain just the way it was. That way, we can all be happy. No one has to worry about someone suddenly hating them, or their lives getting turned upside-down just because someone decided to do something differently. We could all just be content. Is that so wrong?"

"Hey Mi-chan, ya like honesty, right?" Chitose asked. A little nervously, Michi nodded. "Then I'm just gonna say this. Can ya skip all of the philosophical bullshit ya wanna see in the world and just tell me what's goin' on with you?" "U-Um…" Michi sputtered, stunned by Chitose's pure bluntness. Considering the way she said it, a part of Michi, the stubborn part, wanted to refuse, but she knew that wouldn't work on Chitose.

"...Everyone around me is changing, and I don't like it," she said. "I know that sounds childish and selfish of me, but it's how I feel. First Kana-chan starts being nice to Endo-san again, then they're somehow friends again. Mayu-chan and Itsuki-chan don't seem to see the problem with it, but they spend most of their time with Hiraoka-san anymore anyways. And Chiyo… Chiyo…" Michi trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"What about Chi?" Chitose asked, curious. "She's… different from what I thought she was," Michi finally said. "Or maybe I should say, she's exactly who I always thought she was before I knew her." "What's that supposed to mean?" Chitose said, furrowing her brow. "Sorry, I know that doesn't make sense," Michi said. "I'm having a hard time understanding it myself. All I really know is that she's… different. Being at your house earlier told me that."

"Different how?" Chitose pressed. "I don't know, okay?!" Michi exclaimed. "It was the way she acted! The way she spoke! The way… s-she looked at me… ugh, whatever! I'm leaving!" Standing up, Michi went to do just what she said, but before she could, she felt a hand grab her wrist. "Mi-chan," Chitose said, concern in her tone. "Do you seriously not understand what's happenin' here?" "...I-It doesn't matter…" Michi muttered. Irritated, Chitose stood up as well, not releasing Michi.

"It doesn't matter?" she repeated. "Like hell it doesn't! Something important is happenin' here Mi-chan, and you're just gonna ignore it like it's nothing?! And for what, just because you don't want things to change? That's stupid! Not only are you gonna pretend what's happening isn't really happening, but you're also gonna ignore those involved? What about them? What about Chi?! Do you really think that's fair? You asked just before if not wanting things to change is wrong, but I think the question you should be asking is if it's actually okay for you to ignore everything!"

"Just shut up!" Michi screamed, wrenching her wrist free. "Shut up, shut up! I know I'm right! Look around me! Everyone in my life, every friend I made, are all leaving me behind just because they're changing! They didn't care if my feelings got ignored or hurt, so why should I?! Before this past year, everything was fine, and then things changed! Even when it looked like I could at least count on Chiyo, now that's gone too! I just keep losing things, so why is it so wrong for me to hope for the past?!"

Michi was shaking as a storm of emotions coursed through her. "Mi-chan," Chitose said after taking in Michi's words. "Do you really think Chiyo is abandoning you?" All Michi could do in response was look away. Chitose sighed. "Geez… That's not what's happening at all. You know she'd never do something like that to you, don't you?" "…What do I know? She's already changed," Michi mumbled stubbornly. "Why are you so hung up on that?" Chitose asked. "It's like you're afraid of it or somethin'."

Michi continued to look away. "Is that it?" Chitose pushed. "What're you afraid of Mi-chan?" "...Chiyo," she said quietly. "Whatever changed in her, I… don't like it. And… I think it would be better if maybe I put some distance between us…" "Distance?" Chitose repeated, surprised. "You just said a few hours ago that you'd protect her! How is making you guys farther apart going to help at all?" "It'll help both of us!" Michi shot back. "That way… we can get back to how we should be…" "Haaah… this again?" Chitose sighed, her irritation rising once more. "It all comes back to going backwards with you, doesn't it?"

There was no response from the other party. Somewhere deep in her, she knew Chitose was right. Backwards. That was the only direction that could be assigned to Michi's way of thinking. Usually, if a person realized that, they'd try to reverse course. After all, going backwards would get you nowhere. However, for Michi, that suited her just fine. Better to go nowhere than forward and wounded. With that line of logic, and her constant willingness to bury things she'd rather ignore or refuse to accept, she would keep going in that same direction.

"Can I go now?" Michi asked, although it wasn't much of a question. "Fine," Chitose said. "But ya better not start causing a bunch of problems for Chi." "Or what, you'll never forgive me?" Michi said mockingly. She was hardly in the mood for threats. Surprisingly, Chitose just shook her head. "No, it's not that. Chi's heart… it's pretty fragile. So, if ya start causing problems, and you break it… she'll be the one that'll never forgive you."

A stinging sensation shot through Michi, but she did her best to push it down. If she wanted to have any hope at all of successfully putting some distance between herself and Chiyo, she had to ignore feelings like those. "I just want everyone to be happy," Michi said weakly. "Can I give you some advice?" Chitose said. "Stop thinkin' so much with your head, and start listenin' to your heart a little more. You might actually find something out about yourself."

Michi took the advice, but she didn't plan on following it. After all, she was pretty sure her heart was a big reason why she felt this way in the first place. With nothing else to say, she breezed by Chitose. As she went, the woman watched her go, until finally she was out of sight. Flopping back down onto the bench, Chitose let out her third sigh of the last few minutes.

"Geez, Chi… why'd ya have to pick such a difficult girl to fall in love with?"

*****

The next day, Haruna was sitting in her living room when she got an unexpected guest. Upon hearing someone knock, she got up and answered the door, finding Chiyo. "Uh, hey Chiyo," Haruna said. "Hey, Haru-chi," she said, sounding kinda out of it. "Did we… make plans for today?" Haruna asked, confused. Chiyo shook her head. "Nope. Just felt like hangin' out. Is Kana-chan here?" "No, she had something to do today… So you just decided to show up with no warning?" Haruna asked. "Sorry, guess I shoulda texted ya or something huh…" Chiyo said, still sounding odd. "No, it's fine. It's not like you're the first person to do that this week," Haruna said, still a little irritated at Michi's sudden appearance yesterday. "Come in, I guess."

Moving aside, Chiyo walked in, Haruna shutting the door behind her. "You okay?" she asked. "You don't seem like yourself." "I'm… not really sure," Chiyo said slowly. "Like, I feel… groggy?" "Then you should sleep," Haruna said flatly. "Not like that," Chiyo said. "I mean like, I don't know… My head feels all messy." "Messy?" Haruna repeated, getting more confused. Chiyo nodded. "Let's move to the table. I'll make some tea," Haruna said, but Chiyo put her hand up. "I'll make the tea," she insisted. "Your tea always tastes bad Haru-chi."

Haruna wanted to defend herself, but even she had to admit that her terrible cooking skills applied to essentially every endeavor involving a kitchen. The tea she made was drinkable, but it wasn't exactly what one would call good. Sitting at her own table, Haruna waited as Chiyo brewed the drink, then brought out two cups and poured it. "I could've at least served it. This is my house after all," Haruna pouted a little. "Don't worry about it," Chiyo said, offering a weak smile in return.

Once the tea was taken care of, the two girls sat in silence as the steam wafted up from their cups. "So…" Haruna said, deciding to break the silence. "Did you wanna talk about something?" Chiyo was quiet, but eventually she spoke up. "...Alright. Listen Haru-chi. I gotta tell ya something, but I want you to promise me ya won't freak out." "You're kinda starting to make me nervous," Haruna said, uneasy. "Please Haru-chi?" Chiyo pleaded. "Okay, okay, I promise," Haruna said, not wanting to be begged. "Okay… here goes."

"I'm in love."

"...huh," was all Haruna managed. "That's it?!" Chiyo said back. "No questions, no reactions, nothing?" "Well, it's just, you've been with plenty of guys before, so it's not like it's that crazy for you to eventually fall for someone," Haruna explained. "Ah, I guess I left out an important detail," Chiyo said, realizing something. "What detail?" Haruna asked.

"I'm in love with Mi-chan."

"…"

Now Haruna was silent, although her expression said it all. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open, and she stared at Chiyo in complete disbelief.

"Y-You're in love…?"

"Mhm."

"With… Fukuhara-san?"

"Yep."

"This is the same Fukuhara-san, right? Short, blond, super annoying?"

"I disagree with that last part, but yeah."

All Haruna could do was put a hand to her forehead. "Wow…" she groaned. "You're kinda actin' like I did something terrible Haru-chi…" Chiyo said, a little miffed. "Of course you did!" Haruna exclaimed. "If you wanna fall in love, great! Guy, girl, I don't care! But out of all of the people you could've chosen, you picked the one girl who's not only a thorn in everyone's side, but is completely against the idea of a girl dating another girl. You'd have to be an idiot to let that happen!" "Hey!"

Letting out a long, loud sigh, Haruna covered her face with her hands. "…Is it really that bad?" Chiyo asked timidly. Haruna looked up at her. She could tell her friend was pretty worried. "I wonder if she was hoping for my approval or something…" Haruna wondered. She decided to ask. "Chiyo, why're you telling me this anyways? I mean, I know we're friends, but was there a reason besides that?"

Chiyo went quiet again as she thought. "...I just figured," she said. "since like, you fell for a girl, you'd understand… and I… wanted someone to talk to…" Now it was Haruna's turn to fall silent. She had no idea what to say to that. It was true that she was probably the only one in Chiyo's life who would understand her feelings, but Haruna was also having a hard time feeling sympathetic when the person who was on the receiving end of those feelings was someone Haruna couldn't stand.

"Why her, Chiyo?" Haruna finally asked. "Why Fukuhara-san?" "She's honest," Chiyo immediately replied. "Sure, that may get her in trouble sometimes, but it's something I really love about her. She'll never hold back with me or be afraid to tell me what she thinks… well, unless like, it's something tsundere-ish." "Tsundere-ish?" Haruna repeated, confused at first, but when she thought about it, that descriptor seemed to fit Michi.

"Is there anything else?" Haruna asked. "She's cute?" Chiyo replied, phrasing it like a question. "If you're asking me, the answer is no," Haruna responded. "...She's a good person, y'know," Chiyo said quietly. "I know it can be hard to see it sometimes, but Mi-chan really is kind." "If you say so…" Haruna muttered, not believing that for a second. "But, even if she is, that doesn't change the fact that she probably won't respond to your feelings. I don't think any amount of kindness in Fukuhara-san will change that."

"That's what I thought too…" Chiyo said. "But yesterday… something happened. "What'd you do, kiss her?" Haruna joked. "O-O-O-Of course not!" Chiyo shouted, becoming surprisingly flustered. "Um…" Haruna let out, completely surprised by the gal's reaction. "I didn't even think it was possible for Chiyo to react like that," she thought.

Across from her, Chiyo's face was turning redder by the minute as she remembered the previous day's events. "B-But we… almost did…" "…HUH?!" Haruna exclaimed after a moment of processing. "What do you mean you almost kissed Fukuhara-san?!" "It just happened!" Chiyo cried. "She went to leave, I pulled her down, and then next thing ya knew, we were face-t'face!" Her interest piqued, Haruna pushed Chiyo to continue. "So like, I thought she'd just push me away and tell me I was too close, but then… she didn't move." "What?" Haruna said. "She just sat there. Right in front of me," Chiyo stated.

"We stared into each other's eyes just like a movie scene, and before I knew it, we were… g-gettin' closer…" "Look at that. The gyaru with the reputation of an easy girl is acting like a maiden," Haruna teased. "Shut up, Haru-chi, I'm tryin' to be serious here!" Chiyo cried. "Just thought I'd get a jab in for all the ones you took at me in the past," Haruna said.

It was unbelievable to see Chiyo in this state. She was blushing plenty, clearly flustered and acting nothing like the girl Haruna had known for the past five years. "So what happened next?" she asked. "My bis sis walked in…" Chiyo said with a sigh. "Pfft," Haruna snickered. "That sucks." "Kinda," Chiyo agreed. "After that, Mi-chan sorta stormed out." "Then she came here later," Haruna added. "Mi-chan was here?" Chiyo asked. "Not here, here," Haruna said. "I was at Kanako's house when she just showed up, kinda like you today. Of course, it all turned into one big fight, and then she ran off in tears after she was about to say something about you."

"About me?" Chiyo repeated. Haruna nodded. "She said your name a couple times before freaking out and crying. Before me or Kanako knew what was going on, she was gone." "I wonder…" Chiyo muttered. "Chiyo?" Haruna said. "Sorry, it's just… what you said kinda adds to my theory… or calling it hope is probably more right," Chiyo said.

After pausing for a moment, she went on. "Once I realized my feelings for Mi-chan, I decided I'd keep them to myself. I knew she'd never feel the same way, so I thought it would be best if I never said anything. But now… I'm starting to think that maybe it's not so hopeless. I'm not gonna like, go confess right now or anythin', but… maybe, despite what she says, Mi-chan's changed more than she thinks. More than I thought too."

Naturally, Haruna was surprised by all of this. In the grand scheme of her life, she hadn't necessarily known Chiyo that long, but it felt like she had known the gal for quite some time. In that time, she never once heard Chiyo ever talk about love for herself. She would poke fun at the constant stream of boyfriends Jasmine had, or she'd try to nudge Haruna forward in her own love life, but she had never mentioned ever being truly interested in someone. The furthest that ever got was if Chiyo slept with the same guy more than once.

Now though, she was laying out her feelings. It wasn't as if Haruna thought Chiyo couldn't fall in love, but she had to admit, it was a bit weird seeing her in the state she was in. On top of that, she had fallen for one of the people Haruna liked the least, which made her acceptance a little more difficult. She knew that Chiyo and Michi got along well enough, but she never really considered the idea of one of them falling for the other. Then again, perhaps it had been more obvious than she realized, and she simply hadn't noticed because she had been so absorbed in her own love life.

"How long… have you felt this way about Fukuhara-san?" Haruna asked. "I'm not sure," Chiyo said as she tried to remember. "I think maybe it might've been like, when I told her about my past." "You told her?" Haruna asked. "Yeah," Chiyo said. "And Mi-chan… comforted me. I really didn't think she would, but she did." Chiyo turned to Haruna. "I know you don't see what I see. All you see is a mean girl who doesn't like you. But, to me, Mi-chan is a totally great girl, and… I'd appreciate it if… y-you could support me and my feelings…"

It was hard for Chiyo to ask. She was sure Haruna would say no. How could she expect her best friend to support her in her pursuit to love someone Haruna hated? It was quite a selfish request. And yet… "Alright," Haruna said. "R-Really?" Chiyo uttered. Haruna shrugged. "Well, it's not like it'll mean much, but yeah. I won't help you get together with her or anything, and you'll have to be the one to change her mind about girls dating girls, but… if you need someone to talk to, I'll listen. After all, you helped me plenty with Kanako, so it's only fair."

Chiyo let Haruna's words sink in. "Thanks, Haru-chi," she said with a smile. "I appreciate it. For real." "Sure," Haruna said back. "Now you just have to tell Fukuhara-san how you feel." "It's… probably going to be awhile before that happens," Chiyo said, adding a dry laugh at the end. "Really, just like, being with her is enough to make me happy right now."

That sounded nice, but Haruna wondered just how happy Chiyo actually was. Her words and actions seemed convincing enough, but having been in her position before, she knew it had to be killing Chiyo inside. "Those kinds of feelings will eat you alive if you keep them in," Haruna thought. She remembered the days of not telling Kanako how she felt. Of course, her situation had been a little more extreme considering a boy was threatening to take Kanako away from her, but the core of the idea still held.

Regardless of circumstance though, unrequited love was unrequited love, and if there was anything that remained consistent, it was the pain it wrought on a person's heart. Chiyo may have been smiling now, but Haruna felt certain that once she was alone, the facade would fade, leaving a gal that no one would recognize.

"Just… make sure you tell her someday, okay?" Haruna said suddenly. Chiyo looked surprised, but then smiled again. "Y'know, you and Kana-chan really think alike sometimes." "What does that mean?" Haruna asked, but her question was ignored as Chiyo transitioned. "Hey, speakin' of Kana-chan, how far have you two gone?"

In the midst of asking her question, Haruna had picked up her glass to drink from it. However, the moment she heard Chiyo's question, she immediately choked. "*cough* *cough* W-What the hell Chiyo?!" Haruna shouted hoarsely. Next to her, the gal laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't think that would startle ya so much!" "Of course it would!" Haruna yelled. "Where did that even come from?!" "I'm just curious," Chiyo cooed. "Go be curious somewhere else," Haruna said back, quite irritated. "Aw c'mon, don't be like that!" Chiyo said, clearly enjoying herself. "I know it's only been a few days, but all that pent-up frustration that built-up for months between you two has to be drivin' ya both wild!" "Stop, stop!" Haruna cried. "God Chiyo, not everyone are sex-crazed beasts like you!" "Sex-crazed beast?!" Chiyo exclaimed, pretending to be hurt. "I take offense!" "To which part?" Haruna asked. "Calling me a beast," Chiyo said easily. "So you have no problem with the sex-crazed part?!" Haruna exclaimed.

The two of them broke out into laughter. "Geez," Haruna sighed as she wipe a tear from her eye from laughing. "Only you would ask something like that out of nowhere." "Ya still haven't answered me yet y'know," Chiyo pointed out. "We haven't done anything yet, obviously," Haruna said matter-of-factly. "Booo," Chiyo booed. "Don't boo me!" Haruna yelled. "We JUST started dating! It's not like I'm gonna turn to Kanako all of sudden and say, 'hey, you wanna make out?' That'd be awful!" "Well duh, ya gotta put some spice into it. Maybe ask her while wearing something hot," Chiyo joked. "That's not the point!" Haruna shouted.

After taking a breath, Haruna continued. "Look, I'd be lying if I said… t-those things never crossed my mind… but I don't want to rush her." "I guess that makes sense," Chiyo said. "I mean, you've had feelings for Kana-chan longer than she has for you, so you probably wanna do it more than she does." "You're right, but I really don't like how you said that," Haruna said.

"So what're ya gonna do?" Chiyo asked. "What do you mean?" Haruna asked back. "Well like, ya can't just sit an' snuggle all the time. That'd get boring. But, if ya aren't gonna have fun in the bed, then that means ya gotta find fun elsewhere," Chiyo explained. "So what? Ask her on a date?" Haruna said, getting the point Chiyo was inferring. In response, the gal nodded. "Exactly! Ask your cute little girlfriend on a romantic day and night of love and smooches." "I don't think I'd describe it that way," Haruna said. "But… a date huh?"

Thinking back, Haruna had asked Kanako on dates before, but none of them had gone particularly well. It made her a bit nervous to try again. "But, we are a couple now, so it should be fine, right?" she thought. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself looking forward to the idea. "A date with Kanako…" she muttered, some excitement in her tone. "I'm sure it'll be great for you two," Chiyo said. "You can hold hands, feed each other, and if the day goes really well, find a nice quiet spot, strip off your clothes and- mmph!" "Just stop talking Chiyo," Haruna sighed, clamping her hand over the gal's mouth.

End of Chapter Four.