Chapter Nine: The Girl's Turn

Leading up to the 22nd of September, Haruna agonized over several things. Firstly, she had no plan at all for what she would do with Kanako. Being in a small town drastically limited her options and even that list had gotten shorter. "We already went out shopping recently," Haruna thought. "There's no time for any sort of trip either... Not that my heart would be able to handle that anyways." The camping trip during the summer had been fine, but it had helped that it had been one big group. Just thinking about taking a trip alone with Kanako was enough to send Haruna's heart into a frenzy.

"Damn this stupid place..." Haruna muttered. She cursed her own city, but perhaps it would've made more sense to curse her own ability. Haruna had never been one to be romantically inclined. That issue had been the reason why it had taken her so long to realize her original feelings for Akio. Taking a guess, Haruna figured the only reason she realized her feelings for Kanako more quickly was because she'd already been through the process once. But, now that she was beyond that point, she had no idea what to do next. Nearly all of her outings with Kanako had been planned by others to one degree or another, leaving Haruna at a complete loss now that she was on her own.

It wasn't as if she couldn't ask for help, but with how things were between her and Chiyo, she felt like asking the gal wasn't the best option. Jasmine was available too (and arguably the better choice), but Haruna had already asked her about her outfit. That was the second thing Haruna had been agonizing over.

Thinking back, it was nearly impossible for Haruna to recall a time she had ever worried about what she would wear. Her choice of clothes were never bad, but it was hard to really call it a style either. Put simply, Haruna's outfits were bland, doing only what they needed to in the conventions of modern society.

However, the girl had found that the longer she had her feelings for Kanako, the more she thought about things she hadn't in the past. The primary concern had become her physical appearance. Clothes were a part of that, but looks were a factor as well. Haruna had found herself even brushing her hair more thoroughly in the mornings, something that would've taken only a few minutes before. It was a simple thing, and most of the changes that Haruna had made were so subtle that she only noticed them herself when looking back upon her past self.

For good or worse, Haruna was becoming more of a girl than she had been before, and with that came typical worries like what to wear on a date. It was in times like these that she was thankful for having gyarus as friends. "Seriously, I would've never thought of this as fashionable," Haruna thought, staring at the ensemble that had been put together after Jasmine had suggested it one day.

Satisfied as she could be with the outfit, Haruna went back to trying to plan her own "date" with Kanako. She wished she could call it a real date, but unfortunately it was only one-sided. To Kanako, it was just an outing with a friend on her birthday. "Even if that is how she sees it," Haruna thought. "I'm still going to try to top whatever Miyashita-kun does."

And that was the third thing Haruna had agonized about. What would Akio Miyashita do with Kanako during their time together? If recent events were any indication, Haruna felt like she had every right to be worried. After all, Akio was already in the lead when it came to the race for Kanako's heart. Just being around her was enough for Akio to push his lead even further ahead. If he actually began to put in effort and truly pursue Kanako, would Haruna even stand a chance? Chances were, if someone calculated the odds, Haruna would be classified as the longshot by a wide margin.

It was stark reminder of the gap Haruna had to bridge. To somehow get the girl she grew up with to fall in love with her, another girl, instead of following the path of a more "normal" love. "Who even decided boys and girls being together was what's normal anyways?" Haruna thought spitefully, lashing out pointlessly at the dictation of past individuals. Really, she wasn't mad at the notion. Rather, only how it applied to her current situation.

But even putting that aside, Haruna still worried about what Akio's plan was. Would it be romantic? Would he sweep Kanako off her feet and deliver some cheesy bit about how his love for her was his present? For a moment, Haruna laughed at the visual. She had a hard time imagining Akio doing anything so brazen. "He's never been that sort of guy," she thought. However, knowing that did little to make her feel better. Sure, Akio was no shoujo manga protagonist, but already having a special place in Kanako's heart made anything he did seem like major progress toward a potential relationship.

Laying on the couch in the living room, Haruna groaned, a sound she had been making for most of the week. It was currently the day before her "date." "...Why is this so hard?" she mumbled, asking a question she had yet to receive an answer for. "Actually, maybe it's better to wonder why I suck at romance?" Haruna sighed, bemoaning both her lack of ability and experience once more.

For a moment, Haruna thought about something else. "Do I even have to be romantic?" she wondered. She knew Akio would probably do something to swing things in that direction when he was with Kanako, so it made sense for Haruna to try to do the same. However, there was a critical aspect that seemed to be getting forgotten. "It's Kanako's birthday..." Haruna thought. "And me and Miyashita-kun are practically turning it into some sort of love competition." When putting it that way, Haruna felt a little guilty. "Honestly, I just want her to enjoy herself. I mean, it'd be great if we made some sort of progress, but as long as she's happy, that's all that really matters."

Haruna wondered if Akio considered any of that. "Sometimes I wonder how much he actually still cares about Kanako," she thought. Something about the way he acted just felt... fake. Then Haruna remembered that look that the boy had had when they had spoken in the classroom while waiting for Kanako. "Why did he look so uncomfortable?" Haruna thought. One comeback about falling in love with Kanako and Akio had looked like he had wanted to deny it immediately, at least that was how Haruna had seen it. And yet, Akio had said nothing of the sort, instead just going along with the conversation.

"I swear, I don't understand him at all anymore," Haruna said aloud as she rolled over. She still thought it was funny that Akio had seemingly created a love rival for himself, but after having a fair amount of time to process that idea, Haruna found it more and more odd. There were things that didn't add up. Making a deal to go out with either or her or Kanako instead of just rejecting them both. Not showing any real romantic interest until only very recently. Pained for just a moment, then back to his normal self the next.

"I had been getting the same feeling with Chiyo when she was acting weird," Haruna thought. As it had turned out, her intuition had been right and Chiyo had been hiding something from her. "If that's the case, then what's Miyashita-kun hiding?" It was purely speculation, but Haruna still felt like it was a valid question as it also seemed to be the explanation that made the most sense.

Sitting up, Haruna shook her head. "It doesn't matter how much I think about it. Besides, I have a feeling I'm not going to get any answers anytime soon." Coming to that conclusion, Haruna decided to focus on the present.

*****

When Sunday finally arrived, Haruna waited impatiently for her start time. Considering Akio had chosen the first half of the day, that had given him a timeframe of roughly late morning to mid-afternoon. Haruna knew that compared to a full 24 hours that wasn't a lot of time, but that didn't change the fact that time felt like it had slowed to a crawl. She kept looking at the time, with only a minute or two passing between each check. "Come on, where are they?" she asked to no one. Of course, the answer was that the boy-girl pair were still out, as there were still several hours to go until they'd arrive.

Constantly pacing in her room, Haruna stopped once more in front of the mirror to look herself over. "I really hope this look is good," she muttered for a countless time. Reflecting back to her was an image of a girl with her black hair combed so much it shined, glossing down her back. After was an outfit consisting of a light grey, thin-strapped top covered by a jean jacket, followed by a charcoal grey skirt and underneath, a pair of black tights. It was a simple look, and considering Jasmine had picked it out for her, Haruna knew that it probably looked fine. However, the clothes she was wearing were fairly out of the ordinary for her.

During the day Jasmine had suggested the combination, Haruna had pointed out that the only part she was sure she owned were the tights. Aside from her skirt for her school uniform, Haruna had very few others, and when it came to something like tops other than t-shirts or jackets that weren't made of basic fabrics, she was straight out of luck. In response, Jasmine had given her a sigh, followed by making a comment on Haruna's lack of fashion sense. Then, after school and practice, Jasmine had shown up once again out of the blue, this time with clothes for Haruna to borrow. "We're like, close to the same height, so it should work out," she had said.

Admittedly, there weren't really any problems, but Haruna did feel that the skirt was a little short, stopping above her knees at a point higher than the skirt for her uniform. The jacket felt a little tight on the shoulders, but considering the thick material, Haruna wasn't worried about it tearing. Otherwise, the outfit looked good.

Originally, Haruna had considered going with make-up on, but she lacked the skill set to do a good job herself. She had tried asking Jasmine, but it had turned out she had plans. The gal had then suggested trying Chiyo, but Haruna had danced around that idea, instead deciding to forgo make-up altogether. "I wonder if I should've called Chiyo after all..." Haruna thought as she stared at herself in the mirror. However, while the two girls had been able to have something close to conversations recently, their relationship was hardly back to the level that Haruna felt like she could ask for help for an outing with her crush.

Putting those concerns out of her mind again, Haruna went back to pacing. She was sure if she put any more mileage onto the carpet she'd burn a hole in it, but back and forth she went anyways, watching as each hour-long second ticked by.

And then, finally, after what had felt like an eternity, she heard a ping from her phone. Rushing over to her bed to check it, she saw she had a message from Akio. It said that he was on his way to drop off Kanako, and he had also added a comment saying, "Do your best." with a winking smiley face. "...I feel like he's making fun of me somehow," Haruna grumbled. But, even that wasn't enough to ruin Haruna's mood. Her outfit was ready. Her plan for her time with Kanako was finished, with Haruna finally managing to put together something that she felt like (or more accurately, hoped) would leave some sort of impression on Kanako. There was nothing else left to do but to wait out the final few minutes remaining.

Assuming they were nearly at her door, Haruna decided to wait for them outside. And, sure enough, in the distance a boy and a girl were approaching. Getting closer and closer with each step, Haruna couldn't help but think the first thing that sprang to mind: "Kanako looks cute today." For as warm and fuzzy as that thought made her though, there was something else to be noted. Kanako seemed to be practically beaming as she walked side-by-side with Akio. The sight alone was enough to send beats of pain coursing through Haruna's chest. She so badly desired Kanako to look at her like that.

"No, come on, focus," she then told herself. "Today's Kanako's birthday and a good chance to show her my feelings. I shouldn't get distracted by Miyashita-kun and whatever he did." After psyching herself up, Haruna waited patiently on the sidewalk. When Akio and Kanako saw her, they both waved, and Haruna gave a short wave in return.

"H-Hi Haruna," Kanako said, still smiling, but also looking a little uncertain. Haruna knew Kanako had the impression that the reason for her having to spend time with each of her childhood friends separately was due to Haruna and Akio fighting. "Well, she's not entirely wrong," Haruna thought. Although, because of that impression, Haruna was sure that was why Kanako now looked a little uneasy. She was afraid Akio and Haruna would start arguing right there on the spot.

An uncomfortable air began to form between the three individuals. "Have fun you two," Akio said pleasantly. His tone suggested no malice, and yet Haruna could swear that she heard at least a little. "Come on Kanako," she said roughly, breezing past the boy. "R-Right. See you later Akio-kun. Thanks for today," Kanako said as she followed after her new escort.

Once some distance was put between the two girls and the boy, Kanako walked next to Haruna in silence. Currently, Haruna was focused on her plan of action, but it was impossible to ignore the quiet. "I feel like I should say something," she thought. "Maybe, 'you look nice' or 'are those clothes new?'��� Haruna was almost tempted to ask about what Kanako did with Akio, but she thought better of it. "No, it's better if I don't ask. After all, I don't know if I could-"

"I-I had a lot of fun with Akio-kun today," Kanako said, talking about the last thing Haruna had wanted to hear. The rest of her previous thought would've been "-handle it," but now that Kanako had spoken those words, Haruna's mind ached. "We went out to eat, a-and then we went to the elementary school. W-We talked about all sorts of things too, like-"

"Can we not talk about Miyashita-kun?!" Haruna suddenly exclaimed. The words had popped out of her mouth harsher than she had meant them to, and honestly, she wasn't even sure if she had meant to say them at all. Regardless, those words hung in the air, leaving Kanako speechless. "...S-Sorry..." Haruna muttered. "It's just... this is supposed to be our time, okay?"

She just couldn't take it. With each word Kanako had said about her time with Akio, she had seemed to look happier and happier. The things she talked about were coated in glee, and it was clear that Kanako had thoroughly enjoyed herself. It was good to see Kanako that full of joy. It was good, but... Haruna also hated it. She hated how it had been Akio to make Kanako look that way instead of her, and she hated that Kanako had apparently loved her time together with the boy. Most of all, she hated how hearing all about it made heart her hurt like none other. Haruna knew her feelings were true. They weren't some fleeting notion, nor were they any sort of phase. They were the real deal and she knew that. But, it was in moments like these that reminded her just how real and how strong those feelings really were.

For a moment, Kanako stared at Haruna, surprised by the outburst. Then, giving a strained smile, Kanako nodded. "Sure," she said softly. Seeing that look on her face made Haruna feel bad. She didn't want to take away any of Kanako's happiness that she had gained, but... "I want her to smile for me like that too..." Haruna thought.

Going along for a bit longer, the two girls remained in silence. "Say something you idiot!" Haruna yelled inside at herself. She wished she wasn't such a lousy conversationalist, if only for the day. Luckily, Kanako was there to pick up the slack. "S-So," she began, "Where are we going?" "Oh, right, I guess I haven't told you," Haruna said, relieved to have a topic to talk about. "There's this café nearby and I, well, I-I thought we could try it out together..." "A café? I didn't know you liked places like that Haruna," Kanako said. "I-I mean, I don't really mind them. It's just, um, this is for your birthday. You told me a long time ago you liked sweets, a-and I heard this place has pretty good pastries..." Haruna stumbled through her explanation. "You remembered something like that?" Kanako said, mild surprise on her face. "Of course I remembered," Haruna said, then, audible to no one other than Kanako, she added, "How could I forget when it's about you?"

Shifting her eyes just enough to see Kanako's face, they widened at the sight. Kanako had stopped, bringing Haruna to a halt as well. Spread across both cheeks was a faint, but still visible blush. "B-Because it's about me?" Kanako breathed. "Ah, well, um, I mean...!" Haruna sputtered, feeling entirely embarrassed about what she had just said. "C-Come on, we better hurry! Don't want the café to run out of cakes!" she said as she marched off. "Run out of cakes...?" Kanako repeated before realizing she was being left behind. "W-Wait, Haruna!"

Truthfully, Haruna had had to scour the depths of her memories to come up with any of the parts of her plan for the day. Part of that had been remembering when the two girls had gone out years ago and went to an old café now no longer in business. When picking what each of them wanted, for some reason, Haruna specifically remembered Kanako telling her she liked sweet things. Deciding to take that memory and run with it, that had been the basis for the first part of Haruna's plan.

When they arrived at the café, the atmosphere between Haruna and Kanako had relatively returned to normal. Going in and walking up to the counter, they stared at the selection of pastries. "Which one do you like Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Hmm. I don't know. They all look good," Haruna said as she looked at each option. "Oh wow, this one is triple chocolate!" Kanako said excitedly. "Is that the one you want?" Haruna asked. "Um, I don't know..." Kanako said uncertainly. "It sounds really good, but it also sounds like a lot of sugar." "What, you on a diet or something?" Haruna said, poking Kanako on her waist. "You know, you do feel pretty soft right here." "H-Hey, cut it out!" Kanako said, playfully swatting Haruna's finger away. "Besides, it's my birthday today, so I'll eat what I want even if I was on a diet, so there!" Kanako said, halfway pouting.

"Oh, did someone say it was their birthday?" a woman behind the counter asked. "Uh, w-well, yes, it's mine..." Kanako said, suddenly bashful. "That's wonderful! Happy birthday dear," the woman cooed. "T-Thank you," Kanako said back. "Since it's such a special occasion, why don't I give you a deal? Buy whichever piece of cake you like and I'll throw in an extra for free," the woman offered. Kanako's face lit up. "Okay!" she said immediately.

After a bit more thinking, Kanako decided on a piece of vanilla cake with lemon frosting. In addition, the woman behind the counter gave her a standard piece of chocolate cake as well. "Do you know what you want Haruna?" Kanako asked as she slid her order over to the cash register. "I think I'll have that one," Haruna said, pointing to one of the options. ��My, that's... a good choice," the woman said, having difficulty praising Haruna's pick. Haruna scowled a bit, but decided to let it go. "Key lime pie with coconut shavings..." Kanako said as she read the description. "H-How exotic."

Haruna paid for both orders, with Kanako protesting at first before Haruna insisted it was fine because it was Kanako's birthday. Finding a table, the two girls sat down, Haruna with her one plate and Kanako with two. Grabbing a fork and taking a bite of the vanilla-lemon slice, Kanako squealed with glee. "It's so good!" Haruna smiled, basking in the other girl's delight. Kanako quickly tried a bite of the next one, which resulted in much the same expression. "Try yours Haruna!" she said excitedly.

Picking up her own fork, Haruna gave her slice of pie a taste. "It's pretty good," she said. "Do you mind if I try it?" Kanako asked. "Go for it," Haruna said, sliding her plate over a bit so Kanako could reach better. Scooping some up, Kanako brought it to her mouth. "...I-It's good," Kanako said, trying her hardest to be nice. "L-Lime flavors aren't really my favorite..." "Your palate just isn't refined enough to appreciate it," Haruna said, pretending to act superior. "I think your palate might be broken," Kanako joked back. The two girls stared at each other before breaking into a laugh.

For a while longer, Haruna and Kanako stayed at the café, both of them enjoying their deserts and talking about random things. While they conversed, Haruna couldn't help but smile the whole time. Truly, it had been so many years since she had been able to just enjoy time with Kanako the way she was doing now. Ever since their deal with Akio had started, and now even after it had ended, Haruna had found that the times like these that she got to spend with Kanako had become more and more something to look forward to. Each one seemed to build on the last, both making progress toward bringing their friendship back to what it once was and Haruna hoped, toward Kanako's heart.

Once they finished, they left the café and began to walk north, with the setting sun highlighting the left-side features of both girls. The cool air felt pleasant, with the fall breeze blowing gently, carrying both Haruna's jet-black hair and Kanako's light brown ponytail along with it for a time before giving its release. Both of them were silent, but unlike before, the silence was comfortable. They walked next to each other, simply enjoying the other's company. Earlier, Haruna had felt so compelled to speak, but now, the quiet was welcoming. "This is so nice," she thought. "It's really peaceful."

As they traversed to their next destination, Haruna couldn't help but wonder if it'd be possible for every day to be like now. For her and Kanako to be side by side, content to just be. Taking the current reality and turning it into a daydream, Haruna took it a little further. "After a day like today, we could just walk through the city like this. We'd hold hands and just smile at each other. And then, when we'd get home, we could sit together on the couch in our own apartment, drinking tea and watching a movie. Kanako would fall asleep, lying her head on my shoulder, and I could put my head on hers."

Taking in the imagery in her head, Haruna was briefly surprised at how easy it came to her. Maybe it was because of the relaxing atmosphere she was in, but she found that while she used to panic over even imagining something like that, now it just made her feel at ease. Where there had once been panic, it had been replaced by longing.

As the two girls continued north, Kanako once again inquired as to where she was being taken. "It's a surprise," Haruna said, quickening her pace a little. The sun was continuing to set, and she didn't want it to go to waste. For a bit longer they kept walking, until finally they came out through a couple of building and onto the shoreline.

Being as close to the water as Iwanai was, getting a water view wasn't all that difficult. Go far enough up a map and you'd be bound to hit the sea at some point. But to Haruna, just this sight alone wasn't enough. "Come on," she said, giving Kanako's sleeve a little tug. The two kept going until they hit the edge where land met water. In front of them, extending out over the blue, was a pier.

This pier held no particular significance. In fact, on most occasions, it'd be rare for anyone to see it unless they sought it out. There were no stories of romance attached to it, nor did it hold any special meaning to Haruna or Kanako. Built long ago and with wood that had long since lost its shine, the pier stood firm and strong as it offered up the one thing it could: a view.

Taking Kanako along, Haruna went all the way to the end. Once there, she stood quietly, allowing Kanako to take in the sight. "Wow..." she breathed. The orange-red sunset, combined with the water and its gentle waves, made for a spectacular sight. "This is beautiful..." Kanako said in admiration. "How did you find this place?" "Chiyo showed it to me," Haruna said, pleased that Kanako loved the picturesque view as much as she had hoped. "Apparently some guy showed her first, and then she shared it with me."

It had been a random day like any other about a year ago, but Chiyo had insisted that Haruna had to come with her. Begrudgingly, Haruna had agreed, and had proceeded to follow Chiyo all the way from her school to the pier. She had complained the whole time about the distance, but when Haruna had seen what Chiyo had wanted her to, Haruna had felt that it had been worth it. Recalling that event, she thought it would be perfect for Kanako's birthday. At the same time, she felt a little regretful for using what Chiyo had shown her when the two still hadn't officially made up.

Kanako continued to stare, drinking in the entirety of what she was seeing. As she did, Haruna slowly pulled something out of her pocket. "So, um, Kanako," she began, drawing the girl's attention. "I... Well, I got you something," she said nervously. "I-It's not much, but I hoped you'll accept it." Holding out her hand, Haruna revealed what her present was. It was a small, purple bottle, and inscribed on the outside was the word "Lilac."

As the days had passed and Sunday had drawn closer, Haruna had been trying and trying to come up with a present. But, try as she might, nothing had to come to mind. Eventually, she had landed on a bottle that appeared in several of her memories. With that being the best she could think of, Haruna had gone out and bought it.

"Oh, my perfume!" Kanako said happily. "This is great! I was almost out and I wasn't sure when I could go get more!" Taking it gratefully, Kanako smiled at Haruna. "Thank you Haruna." Those words alone, along with the sincerity contained within them, made Haruna feel warm and giddy inside. "I'm so glad she likes it," she thought with relief. "I thought she might think it was dumb if I got her something she already had."

While still holding the bottle, Kanako remembered something. "I'm surprised you'd get something like this for me Haruna. I thought you hated perfumes." "W-Well, I do, but this one is... different," Haruna answered, averting her eyes. "Different?" Kanako repeated. "Yeah... it just... is..." Haruna muttered, feeling the heat rising on her ears. It wasn't much of an answer, but Kanako decided to accept it anyways.

The sun had nearly disappeared behind the horizon, giving way to the moon as it made its appearance known. Night had nearly arrived, and as it was on the doorstep, Haruna had a thought. "I just gave her a present and she loved it. The lighting... is still pretty good..." Her heart raced. "If I... told her my feelings now... would she...?"

Haruna's heart was thumping so loudly that she was sure Kanako could hear it. And yet, the girl made no movement to even suggest that she did. The longer Haruna stared at her, the more her heart beat quickened. She was sure within moments, her heart would burst out of her chest and her feelings would spill out into the air. "I love you," Haruna thought. "I love you so much Kanako."

Turning, Kanako saw she was being stared at. "W-What is it Haruna? I don't have something on my face do I?" Haruna continued to keep her eyes locked onto Kanako. Gathering her courage, Haruna opened her mouth.

"Kanako, I..."

Haruna's mouth was dry. Her breathing felt erratic. The pace of her heart, which already felt beyond normal capabilities, quickened even more. Her hands shook. Her whole body trembled. Was this what it was like to confess? Haruna didn't remember feeling even close to this level of anxiousness when she confessed to Akio.

"I..."

She tried to speak. She wanted to form what she wanted to say, but it refused to come to fruition. Instead, the words were trapped in her throat, lodging themselves steadfast to be sure not to come loose. Haruna thought if she could just get one more word out, just one, then surely all the others would come pouring out after. Like a hole in a dam, the blockade would burst, and Haruna's feelings would finally be free.

"I..."

Her next attempt came out softly and it was with that tone that Haruna came to a sad realization. In the moment, where the mood was right, the spirits were high and romance practically injected itself into the air... Haruna couldn't say the words she wanted to speak the most.

She hadn't planned to confess. All she had wanted was to get Kanako to see her own feelings a little bit. However, even if she hadn't planned on saying her true feelings, it still felt disappointing to not be able to give voice to them. Haruna almost wanted to run away, but she stood firm. "Even if I can't tell her how I feel right now, that doesn't mean I should just give up entirely on this moment." Haruna gave herself encouragement. The way she saw it, the day still wasn't over. There was still some time she had left with Kanako, and before it was over, Haruna decided to make sure she'd leave an impact to be remembered.

Quickly and awkwardly, Haruna took Kanako's hand and intertwined their fingers, then looked straight ahead. Kanako was surprised, but over the past few months, she had gotten used to holding Haruna's hand, so she adjusted quickly. It was quiet between them, with only the sound of waves washing ashore filling the air.

Finally, Haruna spoke. "Kanako," she began. "Right now, in this moment, I couldn't be happier. And, looking back on my past self, I feel like such an idiot." "Haruna?" Kanako said, but Haruna continued anyways. "I can't believe I ever tried my hardest to hate you. I'll spend the rest of my life thinking of that as my biggest mistake. Really, Kanako, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry for that, and... I'm thankful that you were so willing to give me another chance."

Kanako stared, wide-eyed, before breaking into a big smile. Haruna went on. "I want us to stay together like this. Now, and in the future. I want to be able to keep holding hands with you just like we are now. When we get older, I want to still be able to go out for cake and tea and laugh at stupid things. I want us to have fun together. I want us to cry together. I want us to be able to lean on each other, because... more than anything, I want you with me Kanako."

Where these words were coming from and how they had come were mysteries to Haruna. They flowed so easily out of her mouth she could hardly believe it herself. It wasn't a confession, but it was about as close as she could get. What impression that would give Kanako, Haruna couldn't say. All she could do was look at the girl next to her and wait for a response.

Still smiling, tears had formed in the corners of Kanako's eyes. It was clear she was the happiest of all, and with the moonlight now highlighting her features, it was the most beautiful expression Haruna had seen yet. "Yes..." Kanako uttered. "That's truly... truly... what I want too... most of all."

Was that an almost answer to Haruna's almost confession? She had no idea. But, in that moment, it hardly mattered. Haruna felt like she and Kanako were the only two people in the world. Alone, they stood on the pier, hand in hand and looking into each other's eyes. The pier, which had once held no significance, now held great meaning for both of them.

After a moment of staring at each other, the two girls turned their eyes toward the sky. "The stars are beautiful tonight," Kanako said. "Yeah, they are," Haruna agreed. "Sometimes I hate living in this small town, but it's times like these where it's nice to not have all the big-city lights." As they continued to watch the stars, Haruna glanced at Kanako. Their time together was nearly over, but Haruna still had one last thing in mind.

"Hey, Kanako, look over there," Haruna said, pointing up to a random spot in the sky. "What? What am I looking at?" she asked. "That star there. Do you see it?" Haruna said, getting closer. "Umm, I'm not sure. Which one is it Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Just keep looking," Haruna said softly, nearly in Kanako's ear. Then, as Kanako kept her eyes glued to the starry night sky, Haruna moved in...

...And gave Kanako a kiss on the cheek.

It lasted for several seconds, and when Haruna was done and she pulled away, Kanako turned to look at her in wide-eyed shock. "H-H-H-Haruna?! W-W-What did you just-" she stammered, unable to put together a sentence. But, from the girl next to her, there was no panic. Haruna's face looked lovely beneath the stars, and under those tiny lights, she smiled gently.

"Happy birthday Kanako."

Kanako was speechless. Her cheeks were red, her mouth agape and all the while, her mind was blank. "We should probably be getting back. I wouldn't want your parents to worry," Haruna said, pulling Kanako along as their hands were still connected. "R-Right," she said absentmindedly. Slowly, they walked back down the length of the pier, going down one step before returning to solid ground. Then they made their way back to their homes, which like them, were side by side.

*****

When they arrived back, Haruna released Kanako's hand. "Did you have fun?" she asked. "Y-Yeah," Kanako said, still in a daze. "I'm glad," Haruna said, smiling once again. Kanako felt her heart skip a beat. "Well, good night," Haruna said, walking toward her own house. "G-Good night," Kanako replied, though it was practically a robotic response.

In accordance with her other plans, Kanako's parents had agreed to celebrate with their daughter later. When she walked in through the front door, she was greeted with poppers and whistles. "Happy birthday Kanako!" "Happy birthday sweetheart!" Her father and mother called happily. However, Kanako only stared blankly at them. "Hm? What's wrong? You catch a cold or something?" her father asked, putting a hand to his daughter's forehead. "N-No, I'm fine," Kanako said unconvincingly. "Come now dear, she's been all over the place with her friends today. I'm sure she's just tired," her mother said. "I guess we'll just have a quick piece of birthday cake with you so you can get some rest." Kanako nodded, following her parents to the kitchen.

In the kitchen and on the counter was a cake that read "Happy 17th birthday!" Seeing that usually would've made Kanako excited, but this time she just stared at it. Her parents were both concerned, but they continued anyways as Kanako kept answering their questions when they asked. If she could do that much, they assumed she was fine. Overall, it wasn't a poor assessment, but Kanako still had a haze over her mind, and it clouded over the following events as well.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on her bed. She remembered eating cake and climbing up the stairs, but as for the conversation, she had no idea what they had all talked about. Now though, she finally had the time to process everything that had happened that day. It was a lot, so she chose to stick mostly to the highlights.

"Akio-kun and I sure talked a lot today," Kanako thought. "It was so much fun. We talked about stuff in school, some of our hobbies and even joked around." The memories of spending time with the boy seemed to clear some of the haze from Kanako's mind. "We went to the elementary school and shared all of our fond memories. I even heard a couple of stories about Akio-kun that I never knew."

All in all, it had felt like it had been a pretty successful day for Kanako. She had gotten to spend so much time with the boy she was in love with, and the whole time it had felt like her heart was going to explode with excitement. "Akio-kun was with me on my birthday," Kanako said aloud, letting out a giggle at the end. She had had birthday parties with Akio present in the past, but with them being older, it being just the two of them, and adding in Kanako's own feelings, the whole situation was much different from when they were children.

"And, best of all, he actually agreed to call it a date!" Kanako squealed, rolling around on her bed. It was one of the best things she had ever heard. Akio, who had so quickly said the two of them being out together during the summer was NOT a date, had now seemingly changed his tune and agreed that this time, it was in fact, a date. "Maybe I really am winning him over!" Kanako thought hopefully. "And without the deal we used to have, both Haruna and I can..."

As soon as she thought about the girl next door, Kanako felt the haze that had dissipated return once more. She thought back on all of the things that she had done with Haruna, and in particular, the end of their time together. To Kanako, that had been the best part. Haruna had said exactly how she felt about Kanako and their relationship. The words she had spoken had filled Kanako with so much joy that she had hardly been able to contain it.

For years, Kanako had wanted nothing more than to be friends again with Haruna. After so much fighting, and then thanks to Akio's intervening, they had managed to accomplish just that. Haruna meant a lot to Kanako. They were best friends growing up. Not having her around had hurt more than anything. And now she was back, and after recent events, Kanako felt like they were nearly at where they were before all of the fighting. Back to being close friends.

However, thinking that somehow felt not quite right. Going a little further into her memory, Kanako landed on the biggest moment of all that had taken place: Haruna's kiss on Kanako's cheek. It had caught Kanako completely off-guard and the action was something that had seemed very not-Haruna. If it had been Chiyo, Kanako would've probably only raised her eyebrows, but from Haruna, it was a complete blindside. "Why did she do that?" Kanako wondered, her mind growing ever-more hazy. "Is that... something friends do?" Kanako kept thinking about it, unconsciously bringing a hand up to her the spot she had been kissed.

"Haruna's lips... felt really soft on my cheek."

End of Chapter Nine.