142 Chapter Eight: A Date With Consequences

The Sunday after Kanako's chaotic workday, she found herself at Haruna's house. While the two of them would've liked to be cuddling together, they unfortunately had something important to do. Specifically, the time of year had come when they had to fill out career path forms for school.

They had been given these forms around the beginning of the previous week (much to many students' dismay), and were told that the forms would be due by the following Monday. For the first and second-year students of Iwanai High, this tended to be a task filled with uncertainty, misery and guessing, but for third-years, that wasn't as much the case (though there were still some that had no idea what they were going to do).

However, for Haruna and Kanako, they both had a decent idea of what they wanted to do. And yet, despite knowing, they were both having a hard time filling out the rest of the sheet. "Ugh…" Haruna groaned. "Why do we have to put three options? It's hard enough to think of one." "Yeah," Kanako agreed. "I wish I didn't need to say other things I might want to do. It feels like I'm jinxing my first choice."

Glancing over at Kanako's sheet as they sat at the table, Haruna noticed that she already had the first two filled in. Naturally, the first said chef/higher education, but the second one surprised Haruna a little. "A… nurse?" she read aloud. "Why that?" "W-Well…" Kanako said, sounding a little reluctant to explain. "It's a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but… when you got hurt at that competition, I felt really powerless. I wished I could've done something for you right then and there. Maybe it's a really selfish reason, but I think being able to take care of the ones I care about might be nice. Though, I still want to be a chef more."

Haruna wasn't really sure what to make of that. "She'd want to put herself through medical school because of… me?" she thought. That sort of reason felt like it put some pressure on Haruna, but she quickly pushed it aside. "I'm sure her first choice will work out," she told herself. "And even if it didn't, it's not like I'd be the only person she would help if she became a nurse." Then, without really meaning to, the image of Kanako in a nurse's outfit floated into Haruna's mind. "That… might not be so bad…" she thought.

"Haruna?" Kanako said, bringing the girl back to reality. "Y-Yes?!" Haruna said loudly. For a moment, Kanako stared at her in confusion. "What were you thinking about?" "N-Nothing," Haruna said. "Anyways, what's gonna be your third choice?" "Hmm," Kanako let out, partly for her girlfriend changing the subject, but also out of genuine thought. "I really don't know. What about you? What do you have?"

Peeking at Haruna's form, Kanako saw the first choice said business owner. "Huh?" Kanako let out. "Does that mean you really want to do the bed and breakfast idea?" "Um, well, it's not like I really had any plans for my future," Haruna said sheepishly. "And… I think running a place like a cozy inn with you might be… nice…" "Aw, Haruna," Kanako said, feeling touched. "I'm glad I could inspire you. Oh, but why not put bed and breakfast instead of business owner?" "It's not like I'm going to be able to open my own business right away," Haruna said. "I'll have to go to school first to learn about how to even run a business, and then I'd need to get actual real-world experience. Although, that part shouldn't be too hard considering Hayashi-san did say I could work for her."

"Speaking of Hayashi-san," Kanako said. "Did you talk to her about a job?" In response, Haruna nodded. "I called her a few days ago. We talked, and decided it would probably be best after all if I waited until I graduated." "I see," Kanako said. "It looks like I might be the only one of us working…" "Huh?" Haruna let out. "Are you going to keep working for my aunt?" "She actually offered me a job," Kanako began to explain. "It would still be part-time, but I'd be a real employee instead of temporary."

"Are you going to take her offer?" Haruna asked. Kanako was silent for a moment. "...I want to," she finally said. "But I wanted to talk with you about it first." "Why?" Haruna said, surprising Kanako a little, so she went on. "Look, Kanako. I know how much you love cooking, and it's pretty clear that you want to make a career out of it. Getting a job at a cafe, a place where you'll get to learn a bunch of different stuff about cooking and how restaurants work, sounds like a good start to me. Then there's the fact that your boss would be Auntie Sara, who's bound to teach you a ton. I mean, she's been all over the world, and the one thing that was always consistent in her stories was her cooking something."

Haruna gently placed her hand on Kanako's over the table. "If you wanna keep working for my aunt and learn stuff, I think that's a good thing. You should do it." "A-Are you not worried about not getting to spend as much time together as we do now?" Kanako asked, but Haruna just shook her head. "It's true that it would kinda suck to lose some of my time with you, but it's also not like we're going to always be together. When we're both working adults, we'll both have jobs to do, so we'll only see each other when we're not working anyways." "That makes it sound like we might not ever see each other…" Kanako muttered.

Hearing that, Haruna gave a light smile. "You're always telling me to believe in our love, Kanako," she said. "So believe in it for the future too. Believe that no matter what, we'll see each other plenty." "Y-You really think so?" Kanako asked. "Normally I'd be the one asking you that," Haruna laughed. "But yeah, I do." "Then I guess I will too," Kanako said, now smiling as well. "I'll tell Mori-san I'll take the job tomorrow."

"In the meantime…" Haruna said, looking back down at her sheet. "I still need two more options…" "You should just write, 'Kanako's wife,'" Kanako said. "As much as I'd like to, I don't think the teachers will be okay with that…" Haruna sighed. "O-Oh…" Kanako said, a little caught off-guard at Haruna's casual response. "I really thought she might get flustered by being called my wife… Instead I'm the one who's feeling red in the face," Kanako thought.

Thinking of marriage was something Kanako could spend hours on, but she did her best to focus instead. "Just one more option…"

*****

The next day after school, Kanako needed to speak with her club president, Rina Takano. A girl with glossy black hair usually tied into thin twintails with white and red ribbons, she had been made the president of the cooking club after Naomi Akiyama had graduated. Now in her third year as well, it wouldn't be long until Rina would need to make the same decision.

"Let's see…" she muttered to herself while leaning over a counter in the kitchen that served as her clubroom. "We managed to get a few first-years, but only one second-year. That means if I choose one of them, it'd be between the new girl and Saki… Neither of those are good options…"

"T-Takano-san?" Kanako said as she approached the girl.

"Would a first-year be better? They'd have longer to be president, so they'd get better experience…"

"Takano-san?"

"Then again, that can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure…"

"President Takano-san!"

"Uwaaah!"

Rina jumped at Kanako's sudden shout. "W-What's the big idea?!" she exclaimed. "You don't need to yell!" "I tried calling out to you normally, but you wouldn't respond," Kanako explained. "O-Oh…" Rina said, a little embarrassed. Then she cleared her throat and continued. "Fine. What do you want, Kana-chan?" "Um, I just thought I'd let you know that I'm going to be working from now on, so I'll probably only be at club now and then," Kanako said. "Working?" Rina repeated. "Where?" "At a cafe near the middle of town," Kanako said. "It's kind of hard to find, but it's pretty nice." "Well congrats, I suppose," Rina said. "I guess that means I shouldn't include you for any competitions then?" "P-Probably not, sorry," Kanako said, but Rina just waved her hand. "It's fine. You're doing more than most of us. You've got a job at a restaurant and a girlfriend. I'm almost jealous."

The two of them talked for a bit more, but as Kanako and Rina didn't really have much more than a business-type relationship, Kanako soon left the room. However, she was surprised to find someone waiting for her. "Kat-chan?" she said, staring at the girl who was leaning against the wall next to the door. "Hey, Kana-chin," she said calmly. "Ready to go home?" "A-Are you going to walk with me?" Kanako asked. "Of course!" Katsumi said happily. "Especially since I heard Endo-san was busy and had to go home right away." "Urgh…" Kanako groaned internally. "I knew I should've made sure Kat-chan wasn't nearby to overhear that…"

Overall, Kanako didn't mind Katsumi, even with her advances. But, most of those advances were made when Haruna or Chiyo were around, meaning someone else could step in and stop it. Now that it was just Kanako alone with Katsumi, she wondered how Katsumi would behave. "Sometimes she's just so clingy, but other times she's completely relaxed," Kanako thought. "I really don't get her…"

It was then that Kanako was reminded of something. "Actually Kat-chan, I had something I wanted to ask you." "If it's to marry you, my answer is yes," Katsumi said without missing a beat. "I'm marrying Haruna," Kanako stated. "But anyways, I wanted to ask you about your time at the cafe I work at." "So you're just going to gloss right over my acceptance to a proposal…" Katsumi sighed, but she allowed Kanako to continue. "I thought it was a little weird how calm you were. I honestly thought you'd cause a lot of trouble," Kanako admitted.

"Well, I suppose that's understandable," Katsumi said. "But I am the smartest person in our grade, Kana-chin. I know not to interrupt a person when they're working, especially when they're super busy. Besides, it was fun just watching you." "Y-You were watching me?" Kanako asked. "Mhm. I could stare at you alllll day, Kana-chin," Katsumi cooed. "T-That's nice, but please don't," Kanako said, feeling uneasy.

After that, the two of them walked as far as they could together before Katsumi had to split off. After she did, she thought back on the conversation she had just had. "Kana-chin noticed my behavior at the cafe… Doesn't that mean she's starting to pay attention to me more? I mean, you only ever say things like what she did when you're really looking at someone, right? If that's the case… then that would mean I really am making progress."

As far as Katsumi was concerned, she had just gotten great news. "She's beginning to notice me…" she thought with glee. "It really won't be long now…"

*****

At the cafe the next day, Kanako officially accepted Sara's offer to be a part-time employee. "That's great!" Sara said, pleased. "Happy t'have ya Kana-chan!" "T-Thank you!" Kanako said with a bow. "So, what now?" "Uh, well, I don't really have anything fer ya to do at the moment," Sara said. "So, I guess I could teach ya some stuff if ya want." "Really?!" Kanako exclaimed excitedly, drawing a laugh out of Sara. "Alright, teachin' it is then. Come over to the kitchen kid, and I'll really show ya somethin'."

So for the next several hours, Sara taught Kanako various cooking techniques, cementing Kanako's belief that accepting the job was definitely the right decision.

*****

"I'm so excited!" Kanako squealed as she and Haruna arrived in Niseko. It was now Saturday, May 15, meaning the day had finally come for their date. The two girls had just been dropped off by their ride right at the heart of the area they'd be spending their time. Kanako was wearing a light, gray jacket that was zipped up, a somewhat frilly, yellow skirt, and a pair of black tights with tennis shoes at the bottom. As for Haruna, she just simply wore a off-blue t-shirt with a black jacket zipped up over it, and a pair of jeans.

All around Kanako and Haruna were buildings of different designs, with some looking quite modern, while others gave off an older, woodsy feeling. However, despite the differences in appearance, nothing looked out of place.

With the season being well into spring, there was no snow on the ground as one would usually expect in Niseko. Instead, there were clear streets and sidewalks, and for the smaller paths, cobblestone, providing more to the feeling of being in a village. There weren't many people around either, though there were still some that were out and about as they perused the goods of the various shops.

"Yep, it looks just like how I remember," Haruna said. "But without the snow." Tempering her excitement, Kanako looked up at Haruna. "A-Are you sure you're okay with this? I know you already said, but…" "It's fine, Kanako," Haruna said with a smile. "Honestly, when I was here to compete, the only thing I could think about was doing well in my competition. But, now that I'm here as a tourist, I'd really like to look around. I know I said I've been here before, but I didn't really get to see much, y'know? So it'll be like it's new to both of us."

That explanation seemed to make Kanako happy, as she took Haruna's hand into her own. "Shall we?" she said happily. "We shall," Haruna said back, and so the two of them began their adventure through Niseko. Luckily, the advantage to their date being just a day trip was that they didn't need to worry about checking in or carrying luggage, so they could get right to it.

However, as they walked through the streets, Kanako began to notice a trend. "I-It's like it's all sports stores…" she said. Haruna laughed a little. "Well, this is a place known for winter sports and activities, so it's not surprising." "But when I looked it up on my phone, it seemed like there was a lot more than that…" Kanako sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if Niseko was the best choice…"

Seeing her girlfriend getting down, Haruna had an idea. "Hey, come with me," she said, pulling Kanako along. To Kanako's surprise, they went into one of the aforementioned sports stores. "H-Huh?" she let out. "H-Haruna, what are we doing in here?" "When I used to compete, I loved places like these," Haruna said with a hint of nostalgia. "It hasn't been that long since I was able to snowboard, but it already feels so far away. And, of course, no competing meant I had no reason to go into stores like this, so I haven't been in one in a while."

"I-I don't want to sound mean, Haruna, but… if you can't snowboard anymore, then why are we in here?" Kanako asked. In response, Haruna got a mischievous grin. "Oh, we're not in here for me." "Eh?" Kanako let out. "What do you mean?" To answer her question, Haruna started grabbing equipment. "Hmm… This, this and this… oh, and this too…" "H-Haruna?" Kanako called out, but the girl just kept grabbing stuff. Then, once she was done, she dragged Kanako over to the changing rooms.

"Alright, put this stuff on," Haruna said, shoving the huge pile all into Kanako's arms. "Wah!" she cried as she tried to catch it all. "W-W-What's going on?" "It might sound a little silly, but… I kinda wanted to see what you'd look like wearing the equipment I used to…" Haruna explained sheepishly. "Sorry, I got a little carried away, didn't I? We can put it back if you don't want to."

"I want to!" Kanako exclaimed, surprising Haruna. "I think doing this… might help me understand you better. After all, this was something you loved right? And now you're showing it to me. It makes me happy to do that with you," Kanako said. "Ah… o-okay then, in you go," Haruna said, trying to hide her embarrassment as she sent Kanako along to the changing room.

As Kanako changed, Haruna stood outside and waited. "It makes her happy to do this with me, huh…?" she thought. "Geez, how does she say stuff like that so easily?" But, as Haruna began to feel embarrassed again, she heard Kanako call for her.

"U-Um, Haruna?" she said.

"What?"

"I-I'm not sure I know how to put this on right…"

"Huh? What are you putting on?"

"This… long-sleeved shirt… whatever it is. I don't know, it just doesn't feel right…"

"Do you… want me to help you?"

"...s-sure…"

Tentatively, Haruna stepped into the changing room. Inside, she found Kanako half-undressed, with her bottom half covered in thick, black pants, but her upper half completely bare other than a light blue, slightly lacy bra. Kanako currently had her hands and the beginnings of her forearms inside of what looked like just a plain, black, long-sleeved shirt. Lightly holding up her arms, Kanako looked at Haruna helplessly.

"H-Help me…" she whimpered.

"So cuuuuuuute!" Haruna screamed inside. "Oh my God, this is adorable! Having her try this stuff on was the best decision I've ever made!" Given, this outcome hadn't been Haruna's intention, but she certainly wasn't disappointed.

"H-Hey…" Kanako said weakly. "I-It's fine if you want to stare, b-but… m-maybe when we're somewhere a little more p-private…" "R-Right…" Haruna said, coming back to the issue at hand. "Um, so… here. You put it on like a normal shirt." Kanako did as she was told. "Then you have to adjust the padding inside. It's a bit of a pain, but it helps keep you warm, plus adds a bit of protection when you fall. Oh, and you don't want to miss the zipper in the back. That'll help keep things nice and tight."

Once she was done helping, Haruna stepped out to let Kanako finish putting the rest of the equipment on. It didn't take long for Kanako to do the rest, and once she had, she came out so she was in full view. "H-How do I look?" she asked. Wearing a black coat over the shirt she had put on, she had black pants underneath, plus a set of orange goggles sitting on her forehead. "Looks great," Haruna said. "Just missing one thing."

Quickly, she grabbed a random snowboard and handed it to Kanako. "W-Whoa!" she let out as she struggled to hang on to it. "Yeah, that one's a little big for you, but it helps you to look the part," Haruna said, then she pulled out her phone. "Now smile, Kanako!" "Y-You're taking pictures?!" Kanako exclaimed. "Of course! I wanna remember this for a while!" Haruna said happily. Seeing how happy she was, Kanako decided to let her… on one condition. "Take one with me!" Kanako demanded. So Haruna did, squeezing together and getting a picture of the two of them.

*****

"That was fun!" Kanako said after they left the store. "Yeah, but the workers in there didn't look too pleased," Haruna said with a laugh. "They probably thought we were just goofing around." "Is that why you bought those goggles I had?" Kanako asked. "Well, that's part of it, but, I guess you could say it's also just a memento of today," Haruna said. "It helps make being here a little less bitter too." "Bitter?" Kanako repeated. Haruna was quiet for a moment, then spoke.

"Honestly, I thought it'd be fine for me to be here, but once we actually arrived, I started to get all these bad feelings. It was like I was being hit by all the negativity I held toward not being able to snowboard anymore. I said I was fine with it, but… I guess I really wasn't. Having you dress up for me was kinda a bit of therapy for me too, I guess. I thought, 'Well, I can't do this anymore, so let's have someone else do it for me.' I know that's pretty selfish of me, but in the end, it turned into a good memory. I helped you feel better about taking me here, and I helped myself too. Now, whenever I come here or think of this place, I'll have this memory to fall back on."

"Haruna…" Kanako said. Hearing Haruna say something like that really made her happy. "I'm glad we came here after all," she thought.

*****

As they continued to wander around Niseko, they made a few stops at various stores. Because of how small Iwanai was (and with it not being as much of a tourist spot as Niseko was), the few convenience stores they had back home didn't have much variety. As for the ones in Niseko, they seemed to have all sorts of things, which drew out a bit of envy from Haruna and Kanako.

The two girls also tried out one of the clothing stores there, which was filled with plenty of tourist shirts for Niseko, along with some other, more normal clothing. Although, while they were there, Haruna had thought of something. "People are going to want souvenirs, right?" she asked Kanako, to which she gave an uncertain look. "We're not that far from Iwanai, but… I guess they probably would." "Then how about this for Chiyo?" "Pffft!"

In Haruna's hands was a shirt that was bright yellow, with the design on it being a pair of skis, each one having a cartoonish, smiling face. They were speaking to each other, and what they said made for a terrible pun. "I don't know why," Haruna said. "But Chiyo loves these kinds of shirts for some reason." "Yeah, you've shown me some of the ones she's given you from trips," Kanako said with a bit of laughter. "I'm sure she'd love the one you're holding." "Then I'll get it for her," Haruna said.

After that, they went to a couple of other places that caught their eye, but there wasn't really anything else that happened. Though, all that walking caused both girls to work up quite an appetite. "What is there to eat around here?" Haruna wondered aloud. "A-All of these places look pretty expensive…" Kanako said as she took glances at each of the windows they walked by. Sure enough, most of them were filled with dim lights, deep tones and people in fancy clothes.

"Hey, what about that place?" Haruna said, pointing at one toward the end of the street. It was a little separated from the rest of the buildings by it, making the place look especially small. Compared to its fellow restaurants, the place looked a little run down, with faded, wooden walls, yellow lights both inside and out, and an interior that, from what Haruna and Kanako could tell, seemed like it only held about five tables.

Deciding to check it out, the two girls went over to the small establishment, and when they went inside, it turned out they were right. Aside from having a small bar for a little extra seating, the place had only a few tables, along with faded white walls and an eclectic gathering of winter equipment hanging up all around. Behind the counter was a singular, brawny old man who was balding and couldn't possibly be any younger than 65.

"Welcome," he grunted, then went back to scrubbing away at a pot in the sink. "Take a seat anywhere." Haruna and Kanako looked at each other uncertainly, but they decided to stick around. "Maybe it'll actually be good," Haruna thought. Once they sat down at the bar, the man, without turning around, pointed up above him. "Menu's up there," he said.

Browsing the options, Kanako and Haruna were both a little surprised to see how many choices there were. "They have steak here?" Haruna said. "That what ya want?" the man asked. "Oh, n-no, I was just commenting on it," Haruna said, feeling uneasy from the man's tone. "Everything he says sounds so rough," she thought. "It's kinda intimidating."

After looking for a few more minutes, the two girls made up their minds. "U-Um, excuse me," Kanako said. Finally, the man turned back to face them. Though he looked like someone who belonged out in the woods, his tight, white outfit gave him a bit of a pseudo-chef appearance.

"C-Can I get the oyakodon (chicken, onion and egg, with a Japanese sauce, served over rice)?"

"Sure. And you?" the man said to Haruna.

"Uh, I'll get the potato stew."

"Alright."

And with that brief exchange, the man went back to the small area that served as the kitchen. Haruna and Kanako could hear the sizzles of the stove as the man cooked, and in a short time, he was done, serving up the orders they had asked for. "Enjoy," was all he said before he went back to cleaning.

Hesitantly, both girls scooped up a bit of their food, gave it a few blows, and then took a bite. Immediately, their eyes went wide at the flavor. "This is amazing!" they said in sync. Despite how hot the dishes were, the two of them continued to eat at a rapid rate, until before they knew it, their meals were finished.

"Wow," Haruna said. "I think that might've been the best stew I've ever had." "Everything was cooked to perfection," Kanako said in awe. "We'll have to remember this place." "Agreed," Haruna said, satisfied. Then, after paying, the two of them prepared to head out. As they did, they saw the man had turned to face them. With a gentle smile, he said, "Come again."

"I guess that guy was nicer than we thought," Haruna said. "Y-Yeah, he was kind of scary," Kanako admitted. "But I suppose that's why you shouldn't judge someone at first glance." Pleased with what had been their lunch, the two of them had to decide on what to do next.

"What should we do?" Haruna asked. "There are still a couple of shops nearby. Or, if you want, we could go get some sort of dessert, or-" But as Haruna was talking, she was cut off by Kanako grabbing her arm. "U-Um," she said. "I-I want… to go to the hot springs…" "...Hot springs?" Haruna repeated. Kanako nodded shyly. "There are a lot of them nearby. I thought it might be nice… i-if we could go to one together…" "We did that on the school trip though, didn't we?" Haruna said, causing Kanako to pout a little. "But we weren't a couple then… and there were our classmates around…" "Oh…" Haruna said, understanding. "Then… sure… hot springs it is…"

So, after a bit of searching, the two girls found a place. It was small, with the service building appearing to be no more than a log cabin, but the inside was more spacious than expected. Naturally, the interior was all wooden, but it was all finished, giving it a glossy appearance. Among the items inside were of course a front desk, but also a seating area, hairdryers, and a couple of vending machines, essentially completing the list of necessities for a hot spring lobby.

Haruna and Kanako paid the woman at the front desk, and were then directed to the changing rooms. Being a couple now, there was no issue with either girl looking at the other if they wanted to, but they were both still a little embarrassed to do such a thing while getting naked, so they only managed quick glances when the other wasn't looking.

Once changed, the two of them, clad only in white towels, made their way to the wash stations. "Would you like me to wash your back Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Sure," Haruna said, taking a seat. After getting the soap, Kanako began to scrub. "You're so much taller than me, but you're still so slender…" she said, admiring the back of her lover. Picking up a lock of Haruna's hair, she allowed it to slide through her fingers. "And your hair is always so beautiful." "K-Knock it off Kanako… you're embarrassing me…" Haruna said weakly. "I'm just enjoying my girlfriend's body," Kanako teased. "D-Don't say it like that!" Haruna exclaimed.

Due to Haruna's protests, Kanako finished washing Haruna's back quickly, then switched places. "Be gentle, okay?" she said softly. "I will be," Haruna said. As she began to scrub, she couldn't help but notice the difference in size as well. "She's just so small…" Haruna thought. "Well, except for her chest…" Though Haruna loved Kanako a lot, she couldn't deny she was a little envious of her girlfriend's bigger bust. "I know they're not that big, but they're definitely bigger than mine," Haruna sighed, glancing down at her flat front.

"Is something wrong, Haruna?" Kanako asked, hearing the sigh. "Nothing," Haruna said with another sigh. "Just lamenting my lack of femininity…" "Huh?" Kanako let out, but after thinking about it for a moment, she figured it out. "You shouldn't worry about stuff like that. I like you just the way you are." "That doesn't mean I don't wish I had my own assets!" Haruna cried. "Well, I'm glad you don't," Kanako said. "The flatter your chest is, the closer I can get to your heart."

"..."

Haruna had no idea how to respond to that. Really, it seemed like the only response she had at all was the heat rising in her cheeks. So, she just started scrubbing more aggressively. "H-Hey, I said be gentle!" Kanako cried.

Not long after that, the two of them were finally able to enter the hot spring. When they did, they both took in the view. "Whoaaa," Haruna said. "This view is crazy." "It's so pretty…" Kanako said. After sinking into the water, they were greeted with a sightline filled with woods and mountains, with a clear, blue sky above it all. As for the spring itself, it was quite large, spanning a long distance in length and the width making it more narrow, creating a long, rectangular shape. At the moment, the only two there were Haruna and Kanako.

Sitting a few inches apart, Kanako scooted closer until her shoulder connected with Haruna's. Feeling the touch, Haruna looked to her left at the girl. "W-What are you doing?" she asked. "Just trying to keep my shoulders warm," Kanako said. "Wouldn't going under the water be better?" Haruna pointed out. "Mm, but I like this way better," Kanako said smoothly.

For a few minutes, they stayed like that, simply enjoying the atmosphere and silence. Or, they would've been, had it not been for the rapid pounding of both their hearts. Haruna and Kanako both understood the situation they were in.

They were at a hot spring.

They were naked.

They were alone.

It wasn't hard for either of them to figure out what that meant, possibility-wise. "Do I do something here?" Kanako wondered. "It would be kind of risky since other people could walk in, but… the mood is really good, right?" Though, it wasn't as if Kanako was well-versed in things like "mood."

And next to her, Haruna was thinking along similar lines. While she wasn't as focused on the idea of going beyond kissing as Kanako was, she certainly wanted to be able to take things further. "Is this a good time?" she thought. "What should I do here? Ah, God! I never thought I'd wish I had Chiyo's experience!"

Then suddenly, Kanako climbed on top of Haruna's legs and wrapped her arms around Haruna's shoulders.

"...eh?" Haruna let out, completely at a loss for how to respond next. Although, considering the expression Kanako was making, it seemed like she wasn't really sure what she was doing either. "I, um," she sputtered. "I-I looked some things up…" "W-What things?" Haruna asked. "W-Well, I could show you…" Kanako said awkwardly. Not knowing what else to do, Haruna simply sat there, waiting for Kanako to do something. Sure enough, the girl began to lean in, and Haruna moved up slightly to meet her. Their lips met, and they kissed for a few seconds before parting.

"How… was that?" Kanako said, breathing a little heavily. "It was… nice," Haruna said, breathing the same. "But we've done that before." "I know," Kanako said. "I'm about to get… to the new stuff…" Then, she began to lean in again, but as she did, she slid her left hand back down Haruna's shoulder, beginning to bring it down lower.

"Haruna…"

"Kana-"

"And, click."

Hearing a voice, both girls froze. Standing only a couple of feet behind them was the last person either of them wanted to see in that moment. Wearing just a white towel wrapped around her body, a girl with flaming red hair stood with her phone in hand, clearly in the position of having just taken a picture.

""...eh?""

*****

On a school day before Haruna and Kanako's date, there had still been the matter of Kanako asking Haruna on the date (though it was really just a formality). However, while she had been focused on that, another girl had been focused on her (like always). On this particular morning, Katsumi had been running late.

"I can't believe Endo-san's getting to be alone with Kana-chin right now!" she fumed as she rushed to meet them. "I've gotta hurry! If they're left alone together, who knows what might happen!" And so she continued to move as fast as she could, determined to get in Haruna's way once more. But, when she finally did catch up, she happened to hear Kanako say something that made her stop.

"H-Hey, Haruna," she said. "You still want to go on that date, right?" "Of course," Haruna answered. "I've been looking forward to it. Were you thinking this Saturday?" "Yeah, if that's okay," Kanako said. "Works for me," Haruna said casually. "I can't wait," Kanako said. "I've never been to Niseko before!"

"What?" Katsumi thought after overhearing them. "A date? Out of town?" What had been a fume before was now transforming into a boil. "There's no way I'll allow that! I'll just walk up to them and tell them I'm coming too!" But, just as she began to march forward, an idea struck Katsumi. "I thought Kana-chin was noticing me more, but apparently not… It's not fair… I want to go on dates too!" But, Katsumi also knew that if she just asked, Kanako would say no. It was then that she began to plan. "Maybe if I just follow them around, I can catch them doing something, and then…"

And so, the day of the date, Katsumi also went to Niseko. Once she located Kanako and Haruna (they had been at a store before having lunch), she followed them relentlessly while being sure not to get caught. Then, finally, Katsumi got her chance at the hot springs.

*****

"K-K-K-Kat-chan?!" Kanako sputtered, immediately getting off of Haruna. "W-What are you doing here?!"

"What the hell Ikehara-san?!" Haruna shouted.

Looking smug, Katsumi waved her phone around. "Sorry Kana-chin," she said. "But it's seriously not fair that you do all this lovey-dovey stuff with Endo-san and not me. Especially when I'm the one that loves you more." "Kat-chan, what are you talking about?" Kanako asked, quickly getting angry. Katsumi's expression turned stern. "I'll just spell it out for you. I love you, and I want you to be mine. I've told you that, but you won't even give it a second thought. If you'd just give me a chance, Kana-chin, I guarantee I could change your mind. But, I know you won't give me that chance. Not unless you have no choice."

"I took a picture of you two looking rather… illicit," Katsumi continued. "The school may know about your relationship and not have a problem with it overall, but I wonder how they would react to seeing two of their students looking like they're getting hot and heavy?"

"Are you… blackmailing us?" Haruna growled. "Not you," Katsumi corrected. "Kana-chin." "M-Me?" Kanako said. Katsumi nodded. "Yes, you. Don't worry Kana-chin, the thing I want is really simple. Do it, and I promise I'll delete this picture." "W-What do you want?" Kanako asked.

"I demand you go on a date with me next weekend!"

Katsumi's demand echoed in Kanako's ears. As if to make sure of Kanako's answer, Katsumi added, "And if you refuse, I'll post this picture everywhere." With that threat now hanging over Kanako's head, she looked over at a very tense Haruna. "If I say no… we'll both be in trouble," Kanako thought. Then, closing her eyes, and in the most regret-filled tone possible, she uttered a singular word.

"...Alright."

End of Chapter Eight.