Chapter Ten: A Night And A New Divide

Shortly after the end of the term, a group text involving the four girls was used to nail down the details of their sleepover. Firstly, even though Itsuki had been the one to suggest it, she wanted it to be at Mayu's house. This naturally drew a lot of flak from Michi, who was quick to point out that Itsuki should be the one hosting because it was her idea. However, before things could get really heated, Mayu stepped in and assured the group that it would be fine if they spent the night at her house.

The decision was made that the event in question would take place a week from the day of their discussion. Itsuki was quick to show her excitement and while Mayu was generally composed, it was clear that she seemed to be looking forward to it as well. And, for as much as she had pointed out the problems more than offering to help, even Michi showed some level of anticipation.

While three of the four girls were simply counting down the days, the one that wasn't was instead thinking about other matters. With her parents at work, Kanako sat alone in the living room of her house, the TV on only for background noise, as the current program airing was an infomercial about new cookware. Kanako was lost in thought, wondering and worrying about what she was going to do about the predicament she found herself in.

Going into summer break without fixing things with Haruna had left Kanako with a great sense of unease. The term had ended, and with it, the chances of her being able to do much of anything to undo the damage that had been done. Sure, they were next door neighbors, but to Kanako, the borderline of their property might as well have been an insurmountable wall. In the time that their deal had been in place, the two girls had only done anything akin to "hanging out" at each other's homes once or twice. Putting that on top of the awkwardness already in place, and Kanako felt that it would be very uncomfortable to just go over to Haruna��s house and act like nothing was wrong.

"Besides, what would I even say? 'Hey, sorry for wanting to know something about you?' No, that's not right. What about, 'Let's shake on it and let bygones be bygones!" Kanako paused. "...That's so corny..." she sighed tremendously. "But still... shouldn't I at least try?" Kanako knew that, and yet she didn't move from where she sat. Something kept telling her that if she didn't have the right words, it would all be pointless. "Knowing my luck, I'd probably just make things worse..."

Of course, trying to get back on good terms with Haruna wasn't the only objective. Kanako thought that if the two of them didn't do something couple-like together soon, the deal they had with Akio would be off. "He hasn't said anything like that as far as I know, but it still feels like a real possibility," the girl thought. Trapped in turmoil, Kanako only sank lower into the couch.

The time between then and the day of the sleepover was filled with nothing but worry and wondering for Kanako. When the day finally arrived, she discovered she had been so out of it that she hadn't even packed her bags yet. "Oh no!" Kanako exclaimed. "And Mi-chan is going to be here in an hour!" It had been decided in the same previous group discussion that Michi would give Kanako a ride and Itsuki would get one from her own parents, especially considering how much closer she was to Mayu's residence than the other two girls. They weren't neighbors per say, but it was about as close as you could get.

Luckily, by the time Michi arrived, Kanako had managed to throw together a few outfits and grab her necessities. "Ready to go?" Michi asked. "...Yeah..." Kanako said between heavy breaths from rushing around. Michi looked confused, but she ignored it and the two of them headed outside to get into Michi's car.

For a moment, Kanako stopped. "Huh? Did you get a new car?" she asked. "What? Of course not. This is just a rental service," Michi explained plainly. Before them parked on the side of the street was a sleek black, four-door sedan that appeared to be a little longer than the average vehicle. Not quite a limo, but definitely not standard. On the hood was a silver ornament displaying the logo of the car manufacturer. Standing outside was a gentleman in a suit. He didn't look imposing by any means, but it was clear he was there for business. At the sight of the two girls approaching him, he had moved to open the doors to the backseat.

"S-So... where are your parents?" Kanako asked, who had fully expected Michi's mother and/or father to be the ones to give her a ride. "My dad's out of town for some work trip, and mom had to go to some social event I guess, so they decided to just rent a ride for us," Michi explained. The way she spoke made it sound like she was annoyed by the whole ordeal, but Kanako was still more focused on the fact that she was going to be driven in such a nice car. "Come on. We shouldn't keep the driver waiting," Michi said as she walked to the car. "R-Right," Kanako said, following.

Handing over her luggage and climbing in, Kanako found out that the reason the car had looked long was so the passengers could have more leg room. The inside itself was a matte black interior with dark grey leather seats, and with so much space available, Kanako felt like she could really relax. "I know Mi-chan said she's not rich, but it's hard to imagine you can get this kind of luxury just from managing your money well..." Kanako thought, glancing over at the girl next to her.

Kanako had known Michi for several years now, but thinking about it, Michi had never really revealed a whole lot about her personal life. All Kanako really knew was that both of Michi's parents had important-sounding jobs, and that allowed Michi to live on her own in a nice apartment Kanako had been to a handful of times. She had also met Michi's parents a couple of times as well, but due to the family not being all under one roof, it was usually only at school events when Kanako really saw them.

Continuing to look at Michi, it seemed like she was in a little bit of a bad mood. "Then again, these days it feels like she's always like this..." Kanako thought sadly. In a way, it reminded her of Haruna, pre-reconcile. Always on edge, always ready to say something mean. Kanako shook her head. "No, this is still better than that was. At least Mi-chan likes me."

The ride to Mayu's house occurred mostly in silence, though that wasn't a big deal. By car, their destination was only 10 minutes away. However, being a smaller town, it didn't take long for them to reach the city limits of Iwanai and go into a bit more of a country setting. Fields began to line the roads and the houses became far and fewer between. It was then that a question came to Kanako. "Hey, doesn't Mayu-chan usually walk to school with you and Itsuki-chan? This seems pretty far..." "I think she usually just walks to Itsuki-chan's house and then someone comes to pick her up," Michi answered while staring out the window.

"Actually, I don't think I've ever been to Mayu-chan's house..." Kanako realized. She knew she had been to Itsuki's a couple of times, and of course Michi, but never Mayu for some reason. "Although, if it's this far from my house, then that's probably why."

While Kanako thought, the driver made one final turn before pulling up to a closed-off driveway. "We've arrived ladies," he announced. Looking out the window, Kanako could see nothing but wooden fencing that blocked off any view from the outside. The two girls got out of the car and the driver joined them, grabbing their things out of the trunk. Then the group walked up to the gate and pressed a buzzer. On the intercom, a woman answered.

"Hello? Who is it?" she asked. "U-Um, I'm Kanako Nakatomi and this is Michi Fukuhara. W-we're friends of Mayu-chan," Kanako said nervously. "Ah, yes, of course. Please come in." With another buzz, the gate in front of them clicked open and the group walked inside.

Once through the entryway, Kanako had to stare. It wasn't like she had entered into some sort of complex or anything. More so, it was the traditional scene before her that made her stop. The house was completely wooden on the outside, with only different types of wood providing any change of color. The length of the building was a little longer than the typical single-story house, and a veranda wrapped around it, complete with slanted roofing and smoothly-carved wooden rails. Surrounding the house was a fair amount of landscaping, with various types and sizes of trees lining the fence and taking up a few spaces in the middle of the yard.

It was unlike anything Kanako had seen, at least in person. She knew about more traditional style houses from books and TV shows, but due to none of her relatives living in places like these, Kanako had never gotten the chance to see a building like this herself. "It's so... elegant," she thought.

While Kanako remained somewhat awestruck, two girls came running out of the sliding front door. "Kana-chan! Mi-chan!" one called excitedly. Turning their attention to the source, they saw Mayu and Itsuki coming up to them. "I'm glad you could make it," Mayu said with a kind smile. "T-Thanks for having me," Kanako said, still trying to take in the sight. "I know Mayu-chan said her family was more traditional, but this was more than I was expecting," she thought.

"It's been a while since I was last here," Michi said. "Huh? Mi-chan, you've been here before?" Kanako asked, surprised. "Yeah. You haven't?" Michi responded. "Huh?" "Huh?"

"..."

"Oh my goodness!" Mayu said, a rare exclamation for her. "I'm so sorry Kana-chan! I never realized I had never invited you over here." "I-It's fine," Kanako said, unsure of what to say to that. "Let me make it up to you. I'll give you the grand tour," Mayu said, quickly returning to her more common composure. "Sure," Kanako agreed. Once the driver had dropped off Kanako and Michi's bags, he said his farewells and left, and with that, the four girls headed inside.

To Kanako, the interior was just as amazing as the exterior. The bottom half of the walls were paneled with wood in a vertical fashion, and the top half was a flat, faded yellow, almost beige sort of color, contrasting nicely with the deep brown of the wood below it. The floors were wooden as well, but they were slightly brighter than their wall counterparts. As it was still afternoon, most of the light inside was being provided naturally, but the walls still had old light fixtures attached to them. They were the kind that went out from the middle, with a rod curving out on either side and then up and ending with a cloudy glass covering for the bulb. It reminded Kanako of the kinds of fixtures one would see in old Western mansions.

As they walked through the long hallway, Kanako quickly noticed something. The walls weren't decorated with framed photographs, but instead several paintings of very traditional Japanese scenes. Filling the remaining spaces were banners that contained the kanji of old wisdoms or poems. When she asked about it, Mayu said, "Yes, mother does really enjoy her art and poetry."

Once they finally reached Mayu's room (which was at the other end of the house), Kanako and Michi set down their stuff and took a seat while Mayu went to prepare tea. Immediately once she touched the floor, Kanako noticed the material had changed from wood to tatami mats. Looking around the room, there appeared to be a lack of décor. That could partly be attributed to the wall with the sliding door being made up of washi in a wooden lattice, but that still left three other walls. Aside from a few poems hung on the walls and an old desk in one corner and an old dresser/styling station in another corner, the room was essentially devoid of personality. However, in a way, it was fitting of Mayu. She was a simple, kind girl who rarely showed anything to anyone other than a pleasant aura. Her black hair had been kept in a common double braid for as long as Kanako had known her, and she had the perfect circle glasses to match.

When Mayu returned with the tea, it was only seconds later that a small girl burst into the room. "Mayu-nee-chan, who are these people?!" she yelled loudly. "Come now, you mustn't shout at our guests," Mayu said calmly. "You already know Itsuki, and I think you've met Mi-chan before. The other girl is Kana-chan. They're my friends at school." "H-Hello. I'm Kanako Nakatomi. It's nice to meet you," Kanako said to the small girl. She stared back. "Tell her your name as well," Mayu said to her. "U-Um, I'm Kanade. My friends call me Kana-chan at school too..." the girl named Kanade said. "She's my little sister," Mayu explained. Kanako smiled at Kanade. "It's pretty cool that we have the same nickname right?" "Y...Yeah! It is!" Kanade replied excitedly, any uncertainty she had now washed away.

Taking a closer look at Kanade, it was clear that she was Mayu's sister. She didn't wear glasses, but her hairstyle was almost the same, except Kanade had one braid instead of two. She was also pretty small, even for a child. It turned out that she was 8 years old, a fact revealed to Kanako after only a bit of conversation. "Hey, Itsuki-nee-chan, come play with me!" Kanade said, trying to pull Itsuki up from her seat. "H-Hang on Kanade! I'm still holding my cup!" She tried to sound concerned, but Itsuki was laughing the whole time she spoke. "So they're pretty close huh?" Michi commented. "Yes. Itsuki is over here nearly every day she doesn't have practice, so Kanade has gotten fairly attached to her."

During all of the commotion, another figure stepped onto the scene. "My, my. It's quite lively in here," a woman said gently. "Oh, mother." "Mama!" Both the Kawaguchi sisters spoke. The woman that was standing in the doorway was a short one indeed, with her height not surpassing even five feet. Her black hair was kept bound tightly together and pinned in the back. For clothes, she wore a floral-patterned kimono that seemed to represent summer.

"It's pleasure to have all of my daughter's friends in our home. I'm Ai Kawaguchi, Mayu and Kanade's mother as you may have guessed." She spoke formally and completed her introduction with a bow. Kanako and Michi followed suit. They had both met Mayu's mom before, but considering she rarely made appearances at school events, Michi was rarely at Mayu's house and it was Kanako's first time, plus with it basically being an event, (re)introductions seemed to be appropriate.

After exchanging names, Kanade kidnapped Itsuki, dragging her off to play a game. "H-Hey, Kanade, wait! I'm hanging out with my frieeends!" she yelled as she was taken. "Well your sister is certainly livelier than I remember," Michi said. "Yes, she has gotten pretty spirited these days," Mayu agreed. "I'm surprised by how traditional everything is here," Kanako chimed in. "Ah, that reminds me. I still need to show you the rest of the house," Mayu said. With that, Kanako and Michi followed Mayu out of her bedroom and went through the rest of the building. The house itself wasn't particularly large, just long, so it didn't take much time to go through. After showing the more common features such as the kitchen and bathroom, Mayu exhibited the dining room. The dining room was done in the same fashion as the rest of the house, except instead of more casual items like couches or a TV, the room had a shining, rectangular oaken table in its center. It was also surrounded by six chairs at the moment, but Mayu said there were extras in a storage closet. Finally, to wrap up the tour, Mayu showed the back of the house. Naturally there was the veranda, which had continued to follow the sides of the house, but beyond that was a very small pond.

The body of water measured about seven feet across, and it was surrounded by smooth rocks of different sizes. In between were some flowers, and toward the back of the water appeared to be... "Why is there broken bamboo in your pond?" Kanako asked with a tilt of her head. "Oh. That's where the shishi odoshi used to be, but one night last year Kanade had complained that it was keeping her awake, so she got out of bed and kicked it. She didn't realize it would be so fragile, and when it snapped, she tried to hide it. Of course, mother found it quickly and gave Kanade a harsh scolding and grounded her for a month." Mayu smiled at her own story, seeming to enjoy the memory. "Why not replace it?" Michi asked. "I'm not sure. I thought we would, but for some reason mother seems to be content with leaving it the way it is."

Water running into a broken bamboo pipe was certainly the most unique thing about the backyard, as the rest of the space had a few trees, flowers and grass filling it. The only other object to catch someone's eyes was a laundry line, but no clothes or sheets were hung on it at the moment.

With the tour complete, the three girls went back to Mayu's room. "Should we get Itsuki-chan?" Kanako asked. "I'm sure she's fine. This happens a lot," Mayu said. "So what should we do then?" Michi asked. "Hmm. Well, it's not long until dinnertime. Maybe we could just talk?" Mayu suggested. "Talk about what?" Michi asked. Before anyone could answer, Kanade burst into the room again. "Does anyone else wanna play?!" she shouted.

Having no other plans, Kanako, Michi and Mayu agreed to join Itsuki and Kanade. The result was a grueling two hours of various card and board games. It would've been fun, had it not been for the fact that Kanade not only dominated, but was obnoxious about it as well. By the time Mayu's mother came around to announce that dinner was ready, the group of girls were very thankful.

The girls made their way to the dining room, where plenty of steaming hot food was waiting for them on plates and in bowls. "I do hope I haven't made anything in poor taste," Ai said. "Wait, you made all of this?!" Michi exclaimed. It really was quite the spread. There were soba noodles, white rice, some type of clear soup, buns, and a stack of egg rolls. "I did. I enjoy the kitchen," Ai responded with a smile and nod. "Is that why you joined the cooking club Mayu-chan?" Kanako asked. Mayu nodded. "My mother had already been teaching me, so it seemed like a natural progression." "Mama's cooking is the best!��� Kanade declared as she climbed into her seat. The rest of the people present followed her example and sat down as well, gathering around the table and creating a very homely scene.

"S-So I was wondering," Kanako began to ask cautiously. "Where's your dad?" Mayu smiled, understanding why Kanako seemed nervous about asking such a question. "Don't worry. He'll be home late is all. It's not like he's missing." "O-Oh, that's good," Kanako said, now feeling a little embarrassed. "This is seriously great!" Itsuki suddenly exclaimed, changing the topic. "I think it's even better than Naomi-senpai's cooking!" "Don't let her hear you say that," Michi said. The four club members shared a laugh.

"I take it things are going well at school then?" Ai asked. "Oh, yeah, it's all good! Everyone managed to pass their finals too, even Kana-chan!" Itsuki said. "Geez Itsuki-chan, you don't have to make it sound like I'm a problem student or something!" Kanako protested. "I usually do fine on tests, but this time I just couldn't focus..." "I know what the problem is. Or more accurately, who," Michi said under her breath, but no one else heard other than Kanade, who could only offer a look of confusion in response.

"I have to admit, I'm relieved to hear things are going so well. Honestly, after those rumors I heard, I was a little concerned," Ai said. "Huh? What rumors?" Kanako asked. "Did you not hear?" Ai asked. Kanako shook her head. "Another parent had told me a month or two ago that there had been rumors that you, Nakatomi-san, were... engaging in an illicit relationship with another woman." "Mother!" Mayu cried. "It's what I heard dear. And when I did, I had become very worried. After all, I would hate it if my daughter were associating with someone doing something so unsightly."

"...Huh? Un... sightly?"

Kanako repeated that last word in her head. "What does she mean by that? What would be so unsightly about it?" She began to feel distressed. "Haha, yeah I guess you wouldn't. Don't worry though, Haruna and I were only holding hands for a silly bet. I'm sure that's where those rumors you heard came from." Kanako said that as light as she could, but inside, she felt sick. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. If it would've been true, that would've made matters rather difficult. I mean, my own daughter, getting caught up in that nonsense? It would be terrible for our family."

Kanako's head was spinning. "E-Excuse me. I need to use the restroom," she said as she abruptly stood up. Then before anyone could say anything, she sped off. Out of the room and rushing down the hall, Kanako ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, being sure to lock it behind her before partially collapsing on the sink in front of her. Kanako's breaths were heavy. She felt like she was going to throw up. "What's... going on with me...?" she thought. "Why am I... reacting this way? My chest... my heart... it hurts..." Kanako's mind was racing, but through it all, three distinct memories came into focus.

The first was of her mom's passing comment during the sports festival, about how while their experiences had been similar, Kanako could never hope to perfectly replicate it because unlike her parents, she and Haruna couldn't date. The second was when Michi had asked Kanako if she liked Haruna. Kanako had said no, and she meant it, but the way Michi had talked about that sort of scenario had left Kanako feeling hurt by it. Finally, there was the time when she had gotten cornered by those three girls at school. They had accused Kanako of being a lesbian and then nearly assaulted her for it, even though it wasn't true.

Combining all of this with Kanako's current experience made anger well up inside her. "What the hell... is wrong with people...?" she muttered, then thought, ��Would it really be so wrong if Haruna and I were actually dating? When other students see us together in the halls, are they also thinking we're 'unsightly'?"

Kanako took a deep breath and then let it out. "Why do I care so much about this?" she wondered. "I mean, it's not like Haruna and I are a real couple or anything. Honestly, right now I'm pretty sure she kind of hates me. But still..." Her thoughts trailed off, eventually falling onto a suggestion that had been made to her.

"Just cut ties with Miyashita-san and Endo-san."

Those had been the words of Michi after being told about the deal Kanako had made. "Maybe she's right..." Kanako thought. "I hate feeling like this. I want it to go away. But..." But she couldn't. For as much as she disliked her current situation, Kanako had a feeling that cutting ties wouldn't resolve the core issue. Although, knowing that didn't necessarily prevent Kanako from disregarding Michi's suggestion entirely.

While she stood in place, still leaning on the sink, Kanako heard a knock at the door. "Hey, Kana-chan? Are you okay in there?" It was Mayu, coming to check on Kanako, who had already been gone for 10 minutes. Unlocking the door, Kanako gave a weak smile to her friend. "I-I'm fine," she said unconvincingly. "I think something I ate just didn't agree with me." "Okay," Mayu said, accepting the lie. "I do hope it's not my fault," another voice said. Looking over, Kanako saw that Ai had come to join them. "Mayu, could you go check on Kanade? I would prefer she not be unsupervised with food." "Of course mother," Mayu said with a bow, then left.

"Did I say something to upset you?" Ai asked point-blank. "Wait, did she know what I was thinking somehow? Was I that transparent?" Kanako panicked. "N-No, not at all! Maybe I just ate too much instead or something." "I see. Well I'm happy to hear it's nothing too serious. I'd hate for one of my daughter's precious friends to be hurt in any way."

Mayu's mother spoke those words, but to Kanako, she could've sworn she heard a hint of malice in them. It felt as if she was being treated with wariness. "Did she not believe me earlier?" Kanako wondered. "I-I'm glad that Mayu-chan's mom cares so much about all of us," she said aloud. Acknowledging the remark with only a nod, Ai walked back toward the dining room, leaving Kanako feeling shaken.

The rest of dinner was somewhat uncomfortable, but once it was over and the group of girls had gathered in Mayu's room, it was like the tension had never been there. "Man, was it just me, or did things get weird back there? Like, Mayu's mom seemed bothered by something," Itsuki thought out loud. "I know what you mean. I was afraid to say the wrong thing," Michi said. "R-Really? I didn't notice at all," Kanako lied. "That's because you're so oblivious Kana-chan," Michi said.

The night went by relatively quickly, and it wasn't long before all the girls had bathed and changed into their pajamas. "Ohhh, those are so cute Kana-chan!" Itsuki said as she stared at the nightwear Kanako had brought. She was wearing a long sleeve pink shirt and pants to match, all silky smooth and decorated with a petal pattern to match. "I wish I could pull that off," Itsuki sighed. She was wearing a thin-stringed, green tank top and black short-shorts. "Maybe if you tried to be a little more feminine," Michi commented. She was wearing a purple t-shirt and grey sweatpants. "Right, because you're the definition of femininity right now," Itsuki snarked. "Now, now, let's not fight before bed," Mayu said. She was wearing a simple pair of pajamas. Long-sleeve top and pants, all matte navy blue. Climbing into their sleeping arrangements, which was Mayu and Itsuki in the bed and Michi and Kanako in futons, they all got cozy before Itsuki started speaking again.

"Hey, we should talk about something fun!" she suggested. "Like what?" Michi asked. "Ooh, I know! How about crushes!" Itsuki announced. "Boring," Michi said back immediately. "We already know who Kana-chan likes, and I bet the rest of us don't have anyone, right?" "W-Well, I guess that's true..." Itsuki said in a disappointed tone. "You know, I actually have a fiancé," Mayu said casually. "What?! Since when?!" Itsuki yelled. Mayu laughed. "I'm kidding. Fooled you," she said with a wink. "Whoa, the rare joke from Mayu-chan!" Itsuki said. "You had me for a second too. You've really been opening up more lately it seems like," Michi said. "You think so?" Mayu said thoughtfully.

While they all spoke, Kanako took in the scene. "There's someone else around me who's changing," she thought. The worries that she had had before this night were still with her, and they didn't leave even when the conversation died out and the others began to fall asleep.

The other three girls were lying still with their eyes closed, most likely having kind dreams. But for Kanako, she was still plagued by the thoughts that kept her awake. Her worries about not changing, her current problem with Haruna, the comments that Mayu's mother had made. All of it was compounding on top of each other, and it was beginning to make Kanako feel dizzy. "I need some air," she thought, sliding out of her futon and walking out of Mayu's room.

Carefully and quietly, Kanako made her way down the hall and into the living room. Through there was an entryway to the backyard. Slowly sliding the door open, Kanako walked out into the open air and took a seat on the edge of the veranda.

As she sat, she stared up at the night sky above her. Not a cloud was in sight, leaving all of the stars out for all to see. The view gave Kanako a sense of comfort. "At least this isn't different," she thought. Lately, it had felt like so much had changed around her, whether she had realized it at first or not. And now adding on top of it was the uncomfortable feeling Kanako had gotten from the words Mayu's mother had spoken. "...I just don't know what's going on with me anymore," Kanako sighed.

It was all a lot to process. Everything seemed like it was just piling on top of each other and Kanako kept getting more and more confused. "When did my life get this complicated?" she wondered. "I just used to be a regular high school girl with a crush, and now I'm pretending to fake date a girl to try to be with the guy I like. That did lead to restoring a friendship, kind of, but it was a weird way for it to happen. I keep getting bothered so much by what people say about girls dating each other too. I mean, it doesn't really have anything to do with me... or does it? I guess in a way it does, but it's not the same. Still... I get more and more irritated every time I hear some say something like 'it's wrong' or 'it's unsightly.' Even though I'm only faking it, should it really bother me this much?"

Kanako didn't have an answer to that particular question, but putting it all in perspective like that, she could recognize that she had changed, a least a little. It was more than she had initially thought. But, those changes didn't occur by choice. It was more like they had been forced onto her. "Does that really count as change?" Kanako wondered.

"What's the matter? Can't sleep?" a familiar voice said. Kanako turned around. "Oh, it's you Mi-chan." Michi got closer and sat down next to Kanako. "I kept trying to sleep but all I could do was toss and turn. Maybe it's because I'm in an unfamiliar place. What about you?" Michi asked. "I just have a lot on my mind," Kanako said quietly. "Oh yeah? Wanna talk about it?" Michi asked.

Kanako wasn't sure if she should mention what she was thinking about to Michi. "I used to feel like I could talk to her about anything, but now, it seems like whenever things get serious, we end up fighting..." Kanako thought. However, after going back and forth with the idea, Kanako decided there was at least one thing she thought would be good to get a second opinion on.

"Mi-chan, do you think... people change?" Kanako asked tentatively. "Well that's a random question," Michi said. "I-I know. It's just... lately, it's felt like everything and everyone around me is changing. It's made me think a lot about my own life," Kanako said. Michi stared at her for a moment, then looked back out at the pond. "I... don't think people change," she answered. "It just doesn't happen. A person will always stay who they are."

"Do you really believe that?" Kanako asked. "Huh? Yeah, of course I do. I've seen it constantly in my life. People who are good do good things. People who are jerks stay jerks. What's the saying? A zebra can't change its stripes?" Michi said. "What about me?" Kanako asked. "What? You think you need to make a change or something? How about your hairstyle? You've been wearing that ponytail for as long as I've known you," Michi said. "That's not what I meant," Kanako said, then thought, "Why does it sound like she doesn't like my ponytail?"

Putting that random thought aside, Kanako continued. "Recently, I keep thinking that if I don't change how I'm doing things, or maybe even how I'm living my life, I'm just going to get left behind. Everyone will go on to live their lives to the fullest, and I'll still be stuck at square one." "...Where is this coming from?" Michi asked, her tone rising. "N-No real reason..." Kanako answered, afraid to tell the full truth. "Does this have something to do with Miyashita-san and Endo-san?" Michi guessed correctly. "W-Well..." Kanako mumbled. "God, then this whole conversation is ridiculous," Michi said harshly. "You don't need to change for their sake, or anyone else's for that matter. You can stay exactly how you are. Honestly, I think you're perfect this way. Besides, it's not like anything good will come from trying to force yourself."

Kanako looked down. "But that doesn't seem right. How can I hope to stand next to Akio-kun or with Haruna if I just stay the way I am? They both keep making strides to get better, and I'm just sitting here..." "Ugh, who cares!" Michi exclaimed in a loud whisper, standing up. "Why do you even bother with either of them anyways?! Haven't we already gone over this? Just let them go! I mean seriously, look at yourself right now. You're moping around because of them!"

"B-But I... I care about them!" Kanako said, standing up to face Michi. "And I want to be able to be with both of them in the future. I've had these feelings for Akio-kun for so long, and when I once thought Haruna would never be a part of my life again in a good way, here she is. She's made an effort to improve. Haruna-" "Shut up about her will you?!" Michi nearly yelled, cutting Kanako off. "I just don't understand why you even want to be around someone like Endo-san! All she does it treat you like garbage, and yet you just keep going back for more." "She's changed Mi-chan. If you'd just give her a chance-" "That's bullshit," Michi spat. "I already said it once. People don't change, especially not people like her."

"That's not fair Mi-chan," Kanako said. "No, you know what's not fair? The fact that I was the one that helped you bounce back from her bullying all the time. I was the one that was always sticking up for you. I was the one who's been there for everything, and now it's like all of it was for nothing! Endo-san this and Endo-san that. I'm sick of it. Next time you need someone to comfort you, don't come running to me."

With that final tirade, Michi stormed off. "Mi-chan!" Kanako called as loud as she could in a sleeping house, but it was no use. Her friend went out of sight, leaving Kanako by herself again. Her shoulders dropped along with her head and hand that had reached out for Michi. "What am I going to do now..." she muttered to herself. Awkwardness with Haruna, a fight with Michi, conflict within. All of it was beginning to mix together to create the worst summer ever.

Knowing she could solve nothing alone in one night, Kanako decided to go back to her futon. When she went back into Mayu's room, she found Michi turned away from the door and the covers pulled up nearly over her entire head. Slowly and quietly, Kanako climbed back into her bed and laid down, facing away from Michi, and soon fell into what would turn out to be a restless slumber.

*****

When morning came the next day, Kanako awoke to find no one else in the room. Groggily, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, taking a second look just to make sure she was really alone. After confirming as much, Kanako got out of her futon and made her way outside of where she was and went down the hall. Once she hit the dining room, the sound of conversation caught her attention.

"Oh, good morning Kana-chan," Mayu said pleasantly as Kanako walked into the room. "Would you like some breakfast?" "Um, sure..." Kanako answered as she looked around. The only people she saw were Mayu and Itsuki. "Hey, where's Mi-chan?" Kanako asked. "She said she suddenly had somethin' to do, so she left about an hour ago," Itsuki explained. "Oh..." Kanako said, turning her eyes downward.

After breakfast, the three girls hung out for a little longer before it was time for Kanako and Itsuki to go home. Kanako's ride arrived first, with her mom coming to pick her up. "Thank you so much for having me," she said with a bow to Mayu and her mother Ai. "Oh, no, it was our pleasure," Ai said, also bowing. "Please come again soon," Mayu said. With formal goodbyes exchanged, Kanako left the Kawaguchi residence.

While riding in the car on the way back, Kanako wondered about how she was going to fix all of her problems. However, no matter what she thought of, no easy solution came to mind. Staring out the window, Kanako had one final and frustrated thought before just letting her mind go blank:

"This sucks."

End of Chapter Ten.