Chapter Two: Miracle, Girl

A dreadful groan greeted the day as Haruna Endo slapped her hand down on her alarm. It was the first day of the new term, but she had mixed feelings about it. She certainly looked forward to the chances she'd get to be with Kanako, but on the other hand, Haruna also wondered if those moments would be as lovely as they were in her head. Letting out a long sigh and heaving herself upward, Haruna stared up at her ceiling. "I bet it won't be that easy..." she muttered before beginning to get ready for the day.

Putting on her uniform and having a quick breakfast, Haruna left her house and went to the house next to hers. Of course, that house belonged to the Nakatomis and coming with it was none other than Kanako. Being next-door neighbors had made it easy to grow up together and be friends, but several years ago, the two girls had had a massive fight, leading to a lot of (mostly one-sided) resentment. However, those issues had been resolved, leading Haruna to her current situation.

As part of the deal she had made with Akio, she and Kanako were required to look like a couple as much as possible. This meant doing all of the typical couple-like activities, such as holding hands, eating lunch together, and going to and from school together. At first, Haruna had been quite averse to the idea of spending that much time with someone she claimed to hate, but as time had gone on, the process had somehow become routine.

As Haruna walked up to the front door, she laughed a little to herself. "Things sure have changed," she thought. Bringing her hand up to knock, her knuckles nearly hit the wood before it was suddenly pulled away. Instead, Haruna found her hand colliding with something, or rather someone, else entirely.

"Whoops."

"Owwie!"

Standing in front of Haruna, rubbing the spot that her head had just been hit, was Kanako. Completely clad in identical uniform to the taller girl, Kanako looked up with a sad face. "W-Why'd you hit me?" she squeaked. "I didn't do it on purpose. You're the one that flung the door open," Haruna retorted. "W-Well, that's true, b-but..." Kanako sulked. "C'mon, it's not like it hurt that bad," Haruna said. "Should I kiss it and make it better?" "Huh? What was that?" Kanako asked. "N-Nothing! I didn't say anything, stupid! Come on, we'll be late if we don't leave!" Haruna said in a huff, feeling overwhelmingly embarrassed at saying a line that not only was embarrassing in and of itself, but also went completely unheard. "Maybe it's better she didn't hear..." Haruna sighed internally.

Like it was second-nature, the two girls linked their hands together as they started heading to school. "Hey, how were you ready by that time I got to your house? Normally you're still asleep," Haruna pointed out. Between the two of them, Haruna had always gotten to school a few minutes before, while Kanako was typically late. When they had first started going together, Kanako's lateness had been a concern for Haruna, so she had tried every method of waking the poor girl each morning. However, after realizing her feelings, Haruna's wake-up calls had become much more gentle.

"Geez, you make me sound so lazy..." Kanako pouted. "But, the reason I was ready was because it's a new term!" she finished excitedly. "So you're making the effort to be on time?" Haruna asked. "Not only that, but I'm even going for the early start to the day!" Kanako said, clearly pumped up about her decision and success on Day One. "I can't wait to see how long that'll last," Haruna said, a bit of mocking in her tone. "H-Hey! You don't believe me do you?!" Kanako whined. Haruna laughed.

While they continued walking, both of them happened to notice something strange. "I'm surprised Chiyo isn't here yet," Haruna commented. Usually, the gal would join the two girls along the way. "Yeah, I wonder where she is... D-Do you think she caught a cold?" Kanako asked. "Isn't there a saying that says idiots can't catch colds?" Haruna said thoughtfully. "That's not very nice," Kanako said quietly. "Oh come on Kanako, you know I'm not actually insulting her," Haruna said, a little annoyed. "B-But what if she's actually in trouble? I bet you'd feel pretty guilty for saying such mean things," Kanako said, trying to sound pressuring. "Fine, fine," Haruna said. "Anyways, I doubt she's in any trouble. Plus, I can actually say that in the time I've known Chiyo, she's never once been sick."

"Maybe I should give her a call, just in case," Kanako said, pulling out her phone. Not more than two rings in, there was an answer. "H-Hello? Chiyo? A-Are you sick?" Kanako said nervously. "She's not gonna know what you're talking about. Give me the phone," Haruna said, taking the device out of Kanako's hand. "Hey Chiyo, it's Haruna. Kanako's over here freaking out, thinking you died or something because you're not here."

"Hm? Really? I'd love to see that! I bet she looks adorbs right now! Oh, I bet you could tell me Haru-chi. Well, then again, you're so head over heels for sweet little Kana-chan that I bet you think everything about her is super cute!"

Haruna hung up, a dead look on her face. "She's fine," she said flatly, handing the phone back to its owner. Suddenly it vibrated. Kanako checked the message, then giggled. "What?" Haruna asked. "Chiyo says to tell you you're a meanie," Kanako said.

However, while she certainly seemed fine, Haruna couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. "If she's going to be late or something, she usually tells me," Haruna thought. The fact that she hadn't heard a thing made Haruna wonder if maybe things weren't as fine as they seemed. "I'm probably just overthinking it. Knowing Chiyo, I bet it just has to do with some guy." Deciding on that to be a proper explanation, Haruna let it go.

When the two girls arrived at Iwanai High, they found Mayu changing her shoes. "G-Good morning Mayu-chan," Kanako said, greeting her friend. "Morning Kawaguchi-san," Haruna said in turn. To their surprise, Mayu not only looked startled, but after giving her response, she scurried away like they'd never seen before. "She's not normally like that, is she?" Haruna asked. The question was practically required for her. After all, it wasn't as if they were particularly close. Other than the camping trip, Haruna's only time spent with Mayu was in one big group while eating lunch. "N-No, she's usually pretty calm," Kanako said, feeling confused herself.

It made Haruna wonder if maybe Mayu was feeling the burden of keeping her secret. "Honestly, if I could just tell Kanako my feelings myself, this wouldn't even matter," Haruna thought, sighing at her own cowardice. She didn't really mind that Mayu knew about her crush. The bigger problem was keeping that knowledge from Kanako. "It would totally suck if Kanako found out about how I felt second-hand..." Haruna thought.

While lost in her own head, Haruna suddenly felt a big weight hit her on the shoulders. "What the he-" she began to complain as she turned around, only to find Chiyo standing behind her with one arm on Haruna's shoulders and the other on Kanako's. "Morning girls!" she said cheerfully. "Good morning Chiyo," Kanako said with a smile.

"Hey, Haru-chi," Chiyo said sternly. "You really shouldn't hang up on people. It's preeeetty rude, y'know?" "I wouldn't have hung up if some weirdo hadn't been babbling on about stuff that was none of her business," Haruna said back. "Weirdo?! Ah, so cold Haru-chi. You wound my heart," Chiyo said, pretending to be hurt by her friend's words. The three girls then began to make their way to their classrooms.

Along the way, they were stopped. "Hey Haruna-san!" a playful voice called as the owner to it bounded toward her. "Oh, hey President..." Haruna said without enthusiasm. "Hey, hey, you should be happy to see me y'know? After all, you know what it means don't'cha?" the girl said. Haruna sighed. "It's time for club activities to start again?" she guessed. "Bingo!" the girl said with a dramatic point of her finger. "I hope you're ready, because we're training harder than ever this year!"

The girl standing in front of Haruna was none other than Izumi Komatsu. She was the current president of the girl's side of the snowboarding and skiing club and also a third year. For someone in Izumi's position, it seemed unusual that she'd still be president. Normally third year students aren't around enough to manage a club, plus they have future college duties to worry about. However, Izumi insisted she wanted to be around for as long as possible, so she had yet to hand over the mantle to anyone.

As for her appearance, Izumi was easily one of the shortest girls in school. But, even with her remarkably small stature, that wasn't what made her stand out. "Hey look, it's the miracle girl!" Chiyo said excitedly. "Hm? Miracle girl?" Izumi repeated, tilting her head. "Yeah, she thinks it's a miracle you don't trip over your own hair," Haruna answered, exasperated.

Long, very, very long blue hair hung from Izumi's head. It was so long that it came all the way down to the floor, with just the tips barely resting on the surface of the tile. The length of it went so far that it could easily slip under her feet if she wasn't careful. And yet, despite that fact, Izumi never once got caught on it. With each of her movements, her hair seemed to follow her every command, never tripping her up, never getting caught on her or her surroundings, not even getting tangled. It was like the mane had a life of its own. Because of this, students at Iwanai High had begun taking bets about when the day would come that Izumi would trip over her own hair.

To go along with her stand-out appearance, Izumi's personality was bright and loud, with a tone of forcefulness added in for good measure. Needless to say, she was a girl that was very hard to say no to.

"Miracle girl huh? I like it, I like it!" Izumi beamed. "Right?!" Chiyo said. Izumi put her hands on her hips and posed triumphantly. "Izumi Komatsu, miracle girl of Iwanai! Hahaha!" she proclaimed. "God, I wish your ego wasn't justified..." Haruna muttered. Truly, Izumi had every right to act the way she wanted. Beginning to snowboard at a very young age, she had quickly mastered the sport. And, thanks to her small size, she easily flew through the air. Watching Izumi soar through tricks on a halfpipe as her blue hair waved was really a sight to behold. Haruna couldn't deny that it had captivated her more than once.

With Izumi's skills, she had quickly risen up the ranks not only in high school sports, but internationally as well. Upon winning the finals last year, she had been approached by members of the recruiting staff for Japan's Olympics team, and at another meet, she'd been offered a full-ride scholarship to a well-known university.

Unfortunately, her accolades weren't enough to bring about admiration as a whole. When Izumi wasn't on a slope, Haruna thought she was pretty annoying. "I always get dragged along by her," she complained internally. It had seemed to Haruna that she'd become Izumi's personal target of "affection." If there was something to be done for the club or extra practice to be squeezed in, Haruna was often the first person Izumi called on.

"Geez, you're just the cutest Izumin!" Chiyo squealed. "Right back at ya Chiyo!" Izumi said happily. "They're like two peas in a pod..." Haruna sighed. "T-They're so lively," Kanako commented. "Hm? Oh, oh, who's this, who's this?" Izumi asked as she bounced over toward Kanako. "U-Um, hello. M-My name is Kanako Nakatomi." "Ohhhh, so you're Kanako huh? I've heard a lot about you! Hey, hey, wait, wait! Haruna-san, I thought you said you hated this girl?" Izumi said. "Y-Yeah, well, I changed my mind!" Haruna responded with a huff. No one noticed, but Kanako looked down a bit and smiled when she heard that.

Overhead, a bell sounded over the intercom. "Oh shoot! See ya guys later, don't wanna be late! Don't forget to be at conditioning in a few days Haruna-san!" Izumi said before rushing off. As she dashed up the nearby stairs, two boys watched. "Come on, come on," one said lowly. "Dude, it's not going to happen," the other boy said next to him. "But I win 10,000 yen if she trips on her hair while going up the stairs!" he pleaded. The other boy sighed. "It's honestly sad that you're cheering for a girl to fall..."

"Wow. Some people have no shame," Chiyo said, shaking her head. "You're one to talk," Haruna said, looking over Chiyo's appearance of a very high skirt and a collar pulled down so low it was surprising it was holding back anything at all from popping out. Chiyo closed one eye like she was winking and stuck out her tongue. "Hey, what is the most popular bet anyways?" she asked suddenly. "I think... it's for graduation day," Haruna said, trying to remember. "If she fell then, t-that would be so embarrassing," Kanako said quietly.

Once their conversation concluded, Kanako split off from Chiyo and Haruna to go to her own classroom. "There she goes... Try not to miss your girlfriend too much okay?" Chiyo teased. "S-She's not my girlfriend!" Haruna fired back. "But you want her to be, don't'cha?" Chiyo pointed out. Haruna shrank, feeling her face redden. "W-Well, I mean... yeah..." Chiyo smirked. "You are just Too. Cute," she said, bopping Haruna on the nose with her finger. Haruna's mood instantly shifted to one of annoyance. "Don't do that," she said. Chiyo just laughed.

The two of them walked into their classroom, sitting down just in time as their homeroom teacher quickly followed. "Okay class, I know it's a new term, but let's get down to business," the teacher began. As she spoke, it didn't take long for the class to start murmuring to each other about various things. After all, they all still had plenty of stories to tell to their fellow classmates about what they did over summer break. The teacher, seeing she was losing the class, began to speak faster so she could wrap up announcements and let them be. But, just as she was finishing, she had saved the best for last. It was an announcement that got everyone's attention.

"Don't forget that for you second-years, the school trip will be coming up soon, so be sure to tell your parents as a reminder," she said. "Oh yeah, the school trip!" one voice exclaimed. "I wonder where we'll go?" another asked. "That hasn't been decided yet, but I wouldn't expect anything fancy. The budget isn't exactly flexible this year, so there's a high chance we'll stay in Hokkaido," the teacher explained.

"Whaaat?! That's so lame!"

"We're not even leaving Hokkaido?!"

"This sucks."

"Alright, alright!" the teacher yelled back, then under her breath, "I knew that wouldn't go over well..." Even with the comments being made, it wasn't as if everyone was against it. "Hokkaido is pretty big. Maybe it'll be interesting?" one suggested. "I think it might be nice to spend a few days in Sapporo," another said.

While the other students exchanged their opinions on the location of their upcoming class trip, Haruna was focused on another aspect. "A school trip..." she thought to herself. Of course, being both second-years meant that Haruna and Kanako would be going together (in a sense; being in different classes would keep them apart somewhat). Regardless, to Haruna, together was together, which made her wonder how a trip like that would go. "I think I did well enough to hold back on our camping trip," she thought. Her concerns derived from her desires. Wanting to be with Kanako in a romantic sense made Haruna want to do more than she had ever really considered. In the past when she had had feelings for Akio instead, the most she had given thought to were things like holding hands and dates. However, with Kanako, Haruna found that her mind tended to delve even deeper, noticing every single detail about the girl and wanting to make all of it hers and hers alone. She wanted to be as close as possible, and even... even...

Haruna began to feel hot and put a stop to that line of thought, although, it did bring about a question. "I wonder why my feelings for Kanako feel so much stronger than my feelings for Akio ever did." Was it because they were newer? Was it because her love was so different from the norm? Or maybe it was something else completely. "I wish I knew," Haruna thought. "I mean, it's not like it's that big of a deal, but it's just kinda weird. Why is there such a difference?"

Before Haruna could find an answer, she heard a bell ringing. "Huh?" she let out. "Haru-chi, aren't you coming?" Chiyo asked. "Coming where?" Haruna asked as she looked at the clock. "It's already lunch?!" As it turned out, Haruna had gotten so lost in thought that she had spent the entire first half of the day just thinking. Turning her eyes downward, she stared at the blank pages of her notebook. "Great. I hope we don't have a test coming up," Haruna muttered as she stood up.

In following with the routine that had come about last term, Chiyo went to each classroom to gather everyone as Haruna stood out in the hallway. Luckily, the three rooms that the group resided in were all in a row, with Chiyo and Haruna in one, Kanako and Michi in another, and Jasmine, Itsuki and Mayu in the last one. Once they were all together, Chiyo clapped her hands. "Alright! Food time!"

While she had said that in a cheery voice, the mood surrounding the group was less than happy. In particular, Haruna seemed to be in a deadlocked glaring contest with the girl across from her. Standing about the same height as Kanako, her golden hair was tied into two buns that sat on the upper-side parts of her head, but for some reason, a long strand that came down to just above her waist hung from each bun. Naturally, she wore the same uniform as the rest of the girls around her, but it seemed to match well with her purple eyes and soft face. With just her looks alone, some would say that the girl named Michi Fukuhara would pass as cute in a quirky sort of way.

However, her personality was another story. She wasn't inherently a bad person, but she did have a bad habit of being stubborn and getting defensive quickly. Having those two traits together made it difficult for some people to get along with her.

Currently, the non-verbal aggression between Michi and Haruna had to do with the last time they had spoken to one another. Michi had said she'd do everything she could to keep Haruna away from Kanako. On the other side, Haruna decided nearly the same, with both parties essentially concluding that the opposing side was bad for Kanako.

The two girls stood across from each other in the gathering, building pressure upon pressure with each second that ticked away. "S-Should we h-head to the roof?" Kanako suggested nervously. "Sure," Haruna said, not taking her eyes off Michi, who only let out a small "hmph!" in response. Relieved that a potential crisis seemed to have been averted, Kanako relaxed her shoulders a bit and began to walk toward the stairs. The rest of the group followed, but they all still seemed wary.

Their wariness turned out to be warranted. While there wasn't an actual fight between Haruna and Michi, the air was so thick with their outward aggression that it was easily making the others in the group uncomfortable. "What's the deal with those two?" Itsuki whispered to Mayu. "Don't you remember the camping trip?" Mayu said. "Ohhh, right," Itsuki nodded.

"So, how's everyone's first day back so far?" Chiyo said, trying to lighten the mood. "I couldn't focus at all..." Itsuki moaned. "Me either..." Kanako sighed. "What about you Mayu-chan?" Chiyo asked. "I believe it's been fine. Perhaps you should ask Jasmine-chan what she thinks," Mayu said with a giggle. "Lemme guess. She was asleep, right?" Chiyo asked. Mayu nodded. Chiyo turned to Jasmine, who only shrugged in defense. "Class is boring. Besides, I can just use Mayu-chi's notes if I miss stuff," Jasmine said. "Hey, you shouldn't use- wait, Mayu-chi?" Chiyo stopped her complaint upon noticing the nickname. "Yep, and I'm stickin' to it," Jasmine said. "I don't mind, so if you wish to call me that as well, I won't protest," Mayu said to Chiyo. Chiyo looked at Mayu, then Jasmine, then back at Mayu. "Nah, I'll let Jasmine have it allllll to herself," she said with a laugh. "What's that supposed to mean?" Jasmine asked, annoyed. "Hm? Well it just kinda seemed like you wanted to keep your precious nickname for Mayu-chan for you only," Chiyo said smugly. "Fine by me," Jasmine shrugged again. "Aw, c'mon Jas-chin. Can't'cha play along at least a little bit?" Chiyo whined.

Unfortunately, while part of the group was having fun, the other clearly was not. Kanako had thought that they had avoided any conflict, but it hadn't taken her long to realize that only moving locations wouldn't fix the problem. Currently, she found herself stuck between Michi and Haruna, with both of them feeling like they were primed to pounce should anything happen that they didn't like. To Kanako, she felt like she was in the middle of a "who will blink first" contest. "Should I try to help them?" Kanako wondered. "...Actually, I might just make things worse. Besides, it's not like me and Mi-chan are on the best of terms right now. But, I really don't want to see them fight again..."

Luckily for Kanako, the tension that had formed between Haruna and Michi remained only that, and by the time the bell rang to signal that lunch was over, the time they had all spent together managed to pass by without incident. The rest of the day too turned out to be uneventful, with most of the material being covered being either review or what to expect for the new term. With classes out of the way for the day and Kanako's cooking club meetings not starting back up again until next week, Haruna was sure to rush Kanako out the door so she could avoid Michi and walk home together in peace.

"A-Are you sure everything is alright? You really seem to be in a hurry Haruna," Kanako said with concern. "Yeah, I already told you. Everything is fine. I just... wanted to get home, that's all," Haruna said. It wasn't entirely a lie. Wanting to get home quickly after school was fairly normal among most students. But in Haruna's case, she also wanted something else. Being able to get away from Michi was the first thing, but the other was simply being able to hold Kanako's hand.

"God, I feel so lame and stupid when I think that," Haruna told herself. "It's not like holding hands is that big of a deal." However, even if she knew that, Haruna still couldn't help but feel a little giddy. After all, she was getting to hold hands with her crush without them even dating. Of course, Haruna wanted them to be an actual couple, but if she could at least have this much without them being official, it was certainly a nice benefit.

Linking their hands together like it was second-nature, the two girls walked home. As they did, Kanako let out a little laugh. "What?" Haruna asked. "I just find it funny," Kanako said. "This time last term, you were yelling at me up and down. Now we're just walking in comfortable silence hand-in-hand." Haruna felt a little embarrassed, both at having the hand-holding openly pointed out, but also at being forced to remember her not-so-nice moments. "I wish you'd just forget about that stuff..." she muttered. "Like I could," Kanako said with another laugh. "You were awful, you know." "I know, I know!" Haruna shouted, feeling worse. It was clear Kanako was enjoying poking fun at the girl beside her.

There was a brief silence between them before Kanako spoke again. "Haruna, I really am glad we became friends again." "You've already told me that..." Haruna said softly, but her thoughts began to sink once more. "There's that word again," she noted. "Friends..." Haruna couldn't deny it. To anyone looking at the two girls walking down the street, they'd just think they were good friends. "Of course they would," Haruna thought. "That's normal..."

Haruna knew that normalcy had gone out the window the moment she had admitted her feelings for Kanako to herself. But, remembering how everyone else saw her relationship with the girl she grew up with did sting a little. All they'd ever think was that the two of them were friends, or maybe even sisters. But love? To imagine that one of those girls could be in love with the other was probably a thought that crossed no one's mind, first and foremost Kanako herself.

Noticing Haruna had gone quiet, Kanako looked up at her. "Um, Haruna? Y-You're squeezing my hand pretty tight..." "Huh? Oh, sorry," Haruna said, letting her grip loosen. She hadn't even realized she was tightening it at all. Kanako looked like she wanted to ask something, but appeared to think better of it, because she gave a slight shake of her head before setting her eyes forward again.

"It's beginning to get cold again, isn't it?" Kanako said, changing topics. "Yeah. I can't believe they make us wear the summer uniform all the way until October. We live so far north. Don't they know it gets cold earlier in the year?" Haruna complained. Really, the only difference between the summer and winter uniforms was that the girls wore long sleeves and the boys were long sleeves plus a navy blue blazer, but the extra warmth the winter uniforms provided was certainly welcomed.

The two girls continued to have small conversations like this one all the way until they got back to their homes. Once they arrived, they parted ways and each went inside. For Haruna, she went straight to her room, closing the door behind her before collapsing on her bed. Pulling her pillow close to her chest, Haruna felt her insides tighten. "This sucks..." she muttered into the fabric.

For so long, Haruna had believed that falling in love was something that could only be described as exciting. When she first realized her feelings for Akio, that's exactly how it had gone. And yet, Haruna couldn't deny that a sense of realism had been missing. It was like her feelings were more like a fantasy seeping into reality than being truly real themselves.

When it came to Kanako, Haruna knew her feelings were stronger and more concrete, but she also found that the excitement she had felt before was missing. Instead, she always seemed to feel anxious or worried. The littlest comments from Kanako could make her feel down too, like being called a "friend."

And yet, Haruna knew she wanted to be with Kanako more than anything else in the world. Her heart yearned for it, so much so that it could've bordered on obsession had it not been for Haruna's more down-to-earth attitude. Knowing her own feelings as she did though, it made Haruna feel confused most of all.

How could it be that she could be so in love and yet have so many mixed feelings? Did it mean that her feelings weren't as strong as she had led herself to believe? Or perhaps it was just an indicator of Haruna's inexperience? "I don't get it..." she mumbled, burying her face into the pillow she was holding. "Why can't this be as easy as it is in manga?"

While Haruna mused on her own wonderings, she heard her phone vibrating. "Huh? Why is Chiyo calling?" Haruna asked aloud as she check the caller ID. "Hello?" "Oh, good, you picked up!" Chiyo said happily. "Now I'm starting to think I shouldn't have," Haruna commented. "Oh trust me Haru-chi, you'll be glad you did," Chiyo said proudly. "Because I've got a plan that'll guarantee you'll win Kana-chan's heart by tonight!"

Haruna's immediately sat up. "T-T-Tonight?! What kind of plan is this?!" she yelled. "Okay, here's what you do. First, go over to her house," Chiyo explained. "Okay," Haruna said, following along. "Then..."

"..."

"Chiyo, that's a horrible plan," Haruna said after hearing it in its entirety. "Whaaat? C'mon, I know it'll work," Chiyo said. "There's no way. No one would fall for that," Haruna said, continuing to voice her displeasure. "But won't you just try it?" Chiyo pleaded. "No. There's just no way-"

"JUST TRY IT!"

Haruna froze at the shout. Hearing Chiyo's voice filled with genuine frustration was super rare. "Please, Haru-chi..." she said meekly, in complete contrast to her tone a moment ago. "...Chiyo, are you okay?" Haruna asked, feeling worried. She was beginning to get the same feeling she had had in the morning. "That's just the question of the day isn't it?" the gal muttered in response. Deciding she wouldn't get an answer, Haruna went for another question. "Why are you so sure your plan would work?" "... Because it has to. A miracle like this is the only way..." Chiyo said cryptically. "Well good luck!" Then Chiyo hung up the phone, leaving Haruna very confused. "She's usually weird, but that was on a different level," Haruna said to herself.

For a few minutes, Haruna gave some thought to Chiyo's plan. "It's just so bold and forward. I don't think I can do it," she said. But, the longer she thought, the more Haruna felt that she at least wanted to see Kanako. "We just saw each other, so it might be weird, but..." Making up her mind, Haruna headed downstairs. "I'm going next-door!" she called. "What? Dinner's almost ready, can't it wait?" Haruna's mom yelled back from the kitchen. "I'll be back quick!" Haruna said before going out the door.

Swiftly she made her way around the fence that divided the two properties. Reaching the front door, Haruna knocked. When it clicked open, she was greeted by a very surprised Kanako, who was also still in her uniform just like Haruna. "H-Huh?! W-What are you doing here Haruna? Did you need something?" Kanako asked, a little shocked. "W-Well, no, I just..." Haruna started. One of the things Chiyo had mentioned was to flirt, a skill that was nowhere within Haruna's wheelhouse. Although, when presented with such a perfect set-up, Haruna nearly blurted out, "I need you."

Thankful her own awkwardness prevented her from saying such a thing, Haruna searched for the right words to say instead that would make the most sense. However, instead of something sensical, Haruna went with something else that surprised herself the most.

"I just..." Haruna said as her hand slowly rose. Rising high and higher, it eventually reached the height of Kanako's head. Gently, Haruna's hand moved inward, soon cupping the cheek of the girl in front of her. Kanako stared back, eyes a bit wide as she felt her face redden a touch. "H-Haruna...?" she said softly. At that call of her name, Haruna suddenly realized what she was doing. "I-I... I just wanted to say good night!" she yelled before dashing away. Within seconds Haruna had made her way back to her own side of the fence before disappearing behind a door.

Kanako was left dumbstruck. "But didn't we say good night to each other earlier?" she said to no one. While pondering that, she couldn't help but notice that her own heartbeat seemed to have gotten faster. "For a moment, I thought Haruna was going to..." Kanako thought. Placing a hand to her heart, she took in a deep breath and let it out. "No, she'd never. Just because we're pretend dating doesn't mean she'd do something like that just for the sake of our deal." Content with her own reasoning, Kanako shut the door and went back to the living room that she had come from.

Meanwhile next door, Haruna was freaking out. "What the hell was I about to do?!" she screamed inside. "I don't even know! I bet I completely confused Kanako too!" Taking a second to take a breath, Haruna calmed down a bit, then looked up at the ceiling. "I may not even understand what I was going for, but I did learn something. Kanako's cheeks... are pretty soft."

End of Chapter Two.