Chapter Five: The Date They Both Deserve

When morning came, the sunlight came shining in through the cracks between the curtains. A few birds chirped outside, signaling the slow thawing of Hokkaido. With a few days remaining of break before the start of the new school year, it was all rather relaxing. That is, unless you considered the wreck of a girl lying in bed.

Having bags under her eyes due to a complete lack of sleep, Haruna found herself to be nervous beyond any amount she had expected. Her goal today was to ask Kanako out on a date, but when put into context, the task began to feel a lot more hazardous. Their first "date" had ended with Kanako leaving Haruna after Haruna had been a total jerk to her the whole day. Then, after Haruna had realized her feelings for Kanako, she gotten to take the girl out for her birthday. That "date" had gone well enough, but having Akio hanging over her head and still keeping her feelings to herself had prevented Haruna from really enjoying the "date."

Now though, the two girls were finally a proper couple, which meant that Haruna could ask Kanako on all the dates she wanted. That fact on its own was great, but when put into practice, Haruna found it to be challenging. There was her previous date history to consider, and on top of that, she hadn't realized just how nerve-wracking asking someone on a date could be.

"She's my girlfriend now. Why is this such a problem?!" Haruna yelled internally as she grabbed her head. "All I have to do is say, 'hey Kanako, are you free on Saturday? Let's go on a date.' It's that easy!" She had spent an entire night agonizing over this, and yet she still hadn't found any way to work up the courage she needed.

There were a couple of issues, of course. The first concern was what if Kanako said no? The likelihood was low, and really, even if she did say no, what was the worst that would happen? It wasn't like they'd break up over it. Really, the only damage done would be to Haruna's hopes, which could recover in due time. The second concern, and perhaps the bigger one, was actually planning the date. At this point, Haruna felt like she had exhausted all of her local resources. Hardly anything was left to do in the small town that she hadn't already done together with Kanako.

Lastly, the third issue was being seen. In the past, that hadn't mattered, as Haruna and Kanako weren't a couple. Despite all of the rumors and even occasional questions, they had always been able to deflect it all by insisting they weren't together. Now, not only would that not sound convincing from either of them, but neither Haruna (and she assumed Kanako) wanted to hide their relationship. However, that didn't mean they were quite ready for everyone to know yet. They had only become a couple within the last week. Having that become public knowledge already just felt too soon, especially considering neither girl had told their parents yet.

If they were seen and somehow everyone figured out what was going on, it could spell disaster. It was better if Haruna and Kanako could at least somewhat control the flow of information, so that way the people around them could adjust if necessary rather than experiencing a shock to their system. Sure, girls dating other girls wasn't highly unusual anymore, but that didn't mean certain people wouldn't react poorly to the news that there was a couple like that in their town.

But, for as much as Haruna was worried about something like that, she also knew there was nothing she could do about it. If people found out, then that would be that. She would just have to hope that things would work out. So, with that conclusion in mind, she started putting more hope into the idea of going on a date with Kanako.

Of course, that hope was entirely pointless if Haruna couldn't actually ask Kanako out. "Maybe I should just text her," she thought, but then shook her head. "No way, that'd be so pathetic. Besides, she lives next door. It'd look pretty bad if I couldn't just go one house over and ask."

Finally, Haruna sat up. "I should just go over there," she told herself. "I'll go next door, ask Kanako on a date, and then leave. Keep it cool and easy, yup…" Visualizing the plan in her head, Haruna began to gain some confidence. "It's not like this is the first time I've asked her out somewhere either. It should be even easier too now that we're dating. It'll be fine, totally fine."

Standing up, Haruna went to take a step forward. Instead, she found herself falling backwards. "Eh?" she let out as she unintentionally flopped back down on her bed. Not realizing just how exhausted she was from lack of sleep and thinking so much, Haruna hardly had the energy to go anywhere. "Geez, why am I so sleepy now of all times?" Haruna thought. "Just when… I finally managed… to psyche myself up…" Then, with those final thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

*****

When Haruna finally woke up again, she rolled over and glanced at her phone. "It's already 4?!" she exclaimed, sitting up immediately. It wasn't as if asking Kanako on a date was time-sensitive, but Haruna figured the sooner, the better just in case Kanako was going to make any plans.

Switching out her clothes for something a little more presentable, Haruna rushed over to Kanako's house and knocked a little louder than was probably necessary. Because of how urgent it sounded, someone inside quickly got to the door. Opening it, Haruna was greeted with a somewhat out of breath Kanako. "H-Haruna?" she said, almost looking worried. "I-Is something wrong?" "Ah, um… n-no…" Haruna sputtered once she realized just how rashly so was acting. "Now what?" she wondered. Having ran next door with no real plan, she was stuck standing at the doorway with nothing to say.

"Are you sure? You pounded on our door pretty hard," Kanako said, eyeing Haruna as she stepped forward and closed the door behind her. "No, I'm fine! I just, well…" Haruna said, trying to find the words she was searching for. "What?" Kanako asked, her concern fading into curiosity.

"I-I was wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"If you, um…"

"Hmm?"

As Haruna struggled to ask, Kanako slowly got a little closer. Standing right in front of Haruna, she looked up at her with an expectant expression on her face. "She's so flustered," Kanako giggled to herself. "I wonder what it is?"

"Would you go on a date with me this Saturday?!"

The question came out more like a shout as Haruna finally forced the words out. For a moment, Kanako was silent, only staring at Haruna with a bit of a surprised expression. Then, once the words set in, her face quickly shifted to joy and excitement. "A-A date!" she repeated happily, beginning to jump up and down. "A date, a date!" "Is that a yes?" Haruna asked with a little laugh. Her question was answered by Kanako glomping onto her. "Of course it is!" she said as she beamed at Haruna. "But you didn't have to be so nervous to ask you know?" "I-I thought you might say no…" Haruna mumbled.

Kanako pouted. "Why would I say no?" she said. "I-I don't know!" Haruna said, looking away. "I thought you might be worried… like I am…" "Worried?" Kanako repeated. Haruna nodded. "Like… if someone sees us…" "Ah…" Kanako let out. Her face was downcast for a moment, but then it shifted into a gentle smile. Wrapping her arms around Haruna's waist, she pulled her in so close that their bodies were pressing against each other.

"K-Kanako, what're you doing?" Haruna said, flustered once more. "What do you see right now Haruna?" Kanako asked. "W-What?" Haruna said. "Well, I see your house…" "That's not what I mean," Kanako said calmly. "Right now, looking at me, what do you see?" Staring down at her, Haruna began to relax. "I see you," she said simply. "Right," Kanako said. "And all I can see is you. It doesn't matter what other people see. All that matters is what we see. So keep your eyes on me Haruna, and I promise I'll always be looking at you."

Hearing that nearly brought out tears of joy from Haruna. "This is it…" she thought. "This is what I wanted…" Long gone were the days of Haruna just hoping that Kanako would look at her for a moment instead of Akio. Now, she had the girl's full attention, always. That thought filled her heart with so much happiness.

"Y'know, y-you sure seem to like pulling me in like this," Haruna commented, noticing Kanako was still holding her. "Do you not like it?" Kanako teased. "What? N-No, of course I-! ...O-Of course I do…" Haruna said, starting loud before growing quiet. "Good," Kanako said, pleased. "It is?" Haruna asked. "Mhm," Kanako said. "Because this way, you get something you like, and I can feel reassured." "Reassured?" Haruna repeated. "Y-Yeah," Kanako said shyly. "H-Holding you like this… feels like you can't run away from me."

Haruna understood. If the roles had been reversed, and Kanako had kept avoiding Haruna when she was trying to confess, she'd probably want some reassurance too that it wouldn't happen again. Smiling, Haruna leaned in. "Don't worry," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere Kanako." Pressing her lips to the top of Kanako's head, they stayed like that for a moment before finally separating.

A mix of flustered, happy and satisfied, Kanako looked at Haruna. "S-So what will we do on our date?" "Urk…" Haruna let out after being hit by that question. "Um, so, the thing is… I have no idea." Hearing Haruna admit her lack of a plan, Kanako laughed a little. "Usually the person asking has a plan," she teased. "I-I know, okay?" Haruna huffed. "But this stupid town is so small, we've basically run out of things to do." "Then how about we plan it together?" Kanako suggested. "Together?" Haruna repeated. "We can meet up in front of our houses, and then we can go into town and do whatever we want, deciding together." "Alright," Haruna agreed. "That sounds good."

So, with their date "plan" in place, the two girls both waited anxiously for Saturday to come.

*****

It was around noon when they met up on the day of their date. Haruna was the first to arrive, wearing a navy blue t-shirt with a black jacket over top and a pair of jeans that held close to her legs. This particular pair had some glittering rhinestones covering the pockets, a gift from Chiyo some time ago. Haruna usually never wore them, but they seemed like a good choice for a date outfit, or at least she hoped they were. Once again, she was reminded of just how inept she could be without the help of her gyaru friends when it came to outfit planning.

As for the rest of her look, she had taken the time to do her hair a bit, only managing a slight wave, but it was enough to be noticeable. Haruna even added a touch of makeup, using some mascara and applying a dark, but subtle red lipstick. Honestly, she was a little nervous about her whole appearance. "I hope this looks good," she thought as she waited.

The wait wasn't long though, as a few minutes later, Kanako came out to join her. Wearing a white long-sleeve shirt that kept to her frame, underneath was a yellow pleated skirt that stopped at her knees. Around her waist was a white, thin belt, and her other accessories were a pair of small earrings in the shape of tiny white balls, along with a silver necklace that held a small bird with its wings spread. Her hair was the same as always, kept in a ponytail, but closer inspection revealed it had been put into pristine condition, having a glossy look to it. Completing her look was a pair of black tights ending with dark brown, soft boots, and a brown, kind of puffy jacket on her top.

With eyes popping more than usual, lips painted in a faint pink and a bit of a blush on her cheeks, Kanako approached Haruna. "H-Hi," she said shyly. "H-Hey…" Haruna said back as she took in the sight before her. "Y-You look really nice." "T-Thank you," Kanako said. "Y-You look pretty cool." "Cool?" Haruna said. "Yeah, like a girl you see in magazines who looks really casual and cool, but she's actually really stylish. Like that," Kanako explained quickly. "Is that a good thing?" Haruna asked, unsure of how to take the supposed compliment. "I think so…" Kanako said quietly. "Because that means my girlfriend is really pretty and cool…" "O-Oh…" was all Haruna could manage to say in response.

Wanting to take the lead since she had been the one to propose the date, Haruna took a step forward and held out her hand. "Shall we?" she said with as much confidence as she could muster. Happily taking her hand, Kanako smiled at her. "We shall," she said simply. So, walking hand in hand, they made their way downtown.

Along the way, they talked about this and that, but nothing of real importance. Really, both of them were content with just enjoying the others' company. Although, for as much as she was enjoying it, Haruna did still have her concerns. "Is today really going to be alright?" she wondered. "I mean, I know Kanako said we would just decide on things together, but what if we can't think of anything? Or what if we can't agree on anything? God, that would be a disaster."

Already, Haruna was getting flashbacks to the previous "dates" they had had. At this point, all she could really do was hope that things went better than those times, but she couldn't help but feel worried. What if they somehow ended up in a fight again? What if Kanako had a bad time? What if Haruna screwed up somehow? One after the other, bad scenarios came to Haruna's mind.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "Haruna?" Kanako said. "Oh, sorry. It's nothing," Haruna lied. Kanako stared at her. "Most people don't say ugh when it's nothing," she said, indicating with her tone she wanted to know. "I'm just worrying about today, that's all," Haruna admitted.

There was a squeeze of her hand. "It'll be fine," Kanako said, sounding sure. "How do you know?" Haruna asked. "Because we went through so much to get here," Kanako said. "After all the bad stuff that's happened, it's about time something good happens too." "So something like balancing out the universe?" Haruna asked. "Yep," Kanako confirmed. "Just like that. We've had enough bad. I think the universe can afford to let us have one nice date, don't you think so?"

Haruna had to laugh at Kanako's explanation. "I guess you're right," she said. "Let's just hope the universe agrees." "It better," Kanako said defiantly. "I've been looking forward to today, so I expect the universe to behave." "Pfft," Haruna let out another small laugh, and Kanako followed.

By the time their joking around had ran its course, they had arrived in the middle of downtown. "So now what?" Haruna asked. "Should we have lunch?" "That sounds good. Where should we go?" Kanako asked. "There's that cafe we've been to a few times," Haruna said, pointing to an establishment across the street. "Sure," Kanako said with no debate. "Is that okay?" Haruna asked. "You don't wanna suggest somewhere else?" Kanako shook her head. "I like that place, so it's fine. Besides, there's actually something there that I want to try." "What is it?" Haruna asked, but Kanako started walking away. "You'll see~" she called behind her.

Entering the cafe, they were met with the smell of coffee and pastries. The interior was a traditional brown that one would usually see in cafes, the wooden paneling going halfway up the wall from the floor before giving way to a beige section that was spotted with framed pictures of birds. The flooring itself was a deep mahogany brown with tables and chairs to match. The only outliers were the booths, a mix of brown and beige. While perhaps sounding dreary, the inside actually gave off a comfortable, homey atmosphere thanks to the smells of its products, the small space and the few people inside making conversation.

Seating themselves at a table for two alongside a window, Haruna and Kanako waited for someone to come and take their order. Luckily it only took a few minutes, as a waitress came by. "What can I get you?" she asked. "I'll take the ham and swiss," Haruna said. "And the key lime tropics parfait." Finishing writing the order, the waitress turned to Kanako. "I'll have the cream stew," she said. "And can I get the heart strawberry cream deluxe parfait?" "Well, that's usually reserved for couples," the waitress pointed out. "Yes, I know," Kanako said plainly. Staring at the table for a moment, the situation clicked in the waitress's mind. "Ah! I-I see. My apologies," she said with a bow. "I'll get that for you right away."

Once the waitress was gone, Kanako sighed. "I expected that, but it was still a little depressing." "Well, it's not like there's a good way to tell we're a couple when we're just sitting here," Haruna said. "I'm more surprised by the fact you even order that thing. You do know that parfait is supposed to be massive, right?" "Yeah, but that's why they serve it to couples," Kanako pointed out.

Just like the waitress, it took Haruna a second to figure out what Kanako meant. "Wait, we're sharing it?" she asked. "Haruna, why would I order an item for couples just for me?" Kanako asked, a little bothered by Haruna's question. "No, I mean, that makes sense, but…" she sputtered. "But what?" Kanako pressed. "W-Won't that mean…" Haruna began to say, but she just shook her head. "Never mind." Deciding to keep her thoughts to herself (despite Kanako's insistence to be told), they waited for their orders.

When they arrived, the area around their table filled with the delightful scents of cooked ham and stew broth. Joining their entrees were the parfaits. Haruna's was filled with all sorts of tropical fruits, such as mangoes, bananas, and of course, limes. It looked quite tantalizing as all the fruit mixed with the cream, although it paled in comparison to the parfait next door.

Standing in a glass double a normal parfait's height, it was packed full of strawberries cut into the shape of hearts, cream dyed a vibrant pink, and a big decoration sticking out of the top that had the word LOVE on it. "Wow…" Kanako said, looking a little daunted. "It looks like something meant for Valentine's Day," Haruna commented as it was set down. "This particular item turned out to be so popular that we decided to keep it on the main menu," the waitress explained. "Now, please enjoy."

Giving thanks for their food, the two girls both began eating. "This is pretty good," Haruna said, very pleased with her order. "Yeah, mine is too. I should see if they'll give me the recipe to this," Kanako said as she scooped up another spoonful of stew.

A short time later, the parfaits were next. Taking the spoon out, Haruna made sure to get a bite with some of everything, especially limes. "Mmm!" she squealed in delight as the flavor hit her taste buds. "This is great!" "Can I try?" Kanako asked. "Are you sure? You'll probably think it's too sour," Haruna said. "Look at all of the sweet stuff in there!" Kanako exclaimed. "I'm sure I won't even notice the sourness." "If you say so," Haruna said, pushing her parfait forward. For a moment, Kanako hesitated, as if she had expected something else, but she soon picked up her own spoon and got some for herself.

As soon as she put the scoop in her mouth, her face scrunched up. She chewed fast, wanting to swallow quickly. "Bitter…" she groaned, sticking out her tongue. "I told you," Haruna said with more pride than she meant to. "I'll never understand how limes are your favorite," Kanako said. "It's because my taste buds can appreciate truly good flavor," Haruna declared. "I think the lime acids have fried all your taste buds," Kanako commented back. "Hey!" Haruna cried.

Moving to the gargantuan dessert in front of her, Kanako got some of it on her spoon before tasting it herself. Immediately, her eyes went wide. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "It's so sweet!" Then she got another bite ready and offered it to Haruna. "Here. Ahhhh."

Haruna froze. "This is exactly what I thought would happen!" she panicked internally. "If I eat that, it's an indirect kiss! N-Not that it really matter since we're a couple now, but it's still embarrassing. And people are starting to stare too!"

"Come on Haruna. Ahhhh," Kanako insisted. "Mmngh…" Haruna let out. For as embarrassing as she found the situation, she had to admit that she really liked the idea of Kanako feeding her. "J-Just this once, okay?" she muttered before finally taking the bite. "Is it good?" Kanako asked. "Y-Yeah…" Haruna mumbled. Even if she had enjoyed that, Haruna decided that it was too embarrassing to be fed in public after all.

The rest of their time at the cafe was spent in leisure, with Haruna sharing the couples' parfait with Kanako while also eating her own. By the time they finished, Haruna was starting to feel sick. "That was seriously too much sugar…" she moaned as they left. "You didn't have to finish both you know?" Kanako told her. "I know, but they were both so good. Especially the lime one," Haruna said, still apparently pleased with herself despite her growing agony. "Eating two parfaits at once is a good way to get fat," Kanako teased. "I-I won't get fat!" Haruna yelled back.

*****

With lunch complete, it was time to move on. After walking for a bit, Kanako stopped in front of a store window. "Do you want to go in?" Haruna asked when she noticed Kanako staring in. "I-If you don't mind," she said. The shop she was standing in front of was a clothing store with their spring selections on display. "That's fine," Haruna said with a shrug. "Are you sure?" Kanako asked. "I-I know you don't really like places like these." "It's not like I have anything against clothing stores," Haruna said. So, with that settled, they went inside.

Naturally, the interior was awash in color, with racks full of shirts, dresses, skirts and other various items. Mannequins could be spotted throughout, also wearing similar outfits to the ones in the front window. "There sure is a lot in here…" Haruna commented, feeling a little overwhelmed. "Yeah, but it's nice to have so many choices isn't it?" Kanako said. "Maybe if you're fashionable…" Haruna mumbled. Personally, she found the whole store to be a bit much. When it came to clothes, Haruna always just picked out plain clothes or let Chiyo choose (which was hit or miss). Being in such a place with Kanako, Haruna just hoped she wouldn't have to pick out clothes or anything and risk embarrassing herself.

"Hmm, where to start?" Kanako said. Suddenly, her face lit up. "Oh, I know!" "What?" Haruna asked. "We should pick out outfits for each other!" Kanako said excitedly. "Ah…" Haruna let out, her worst fear realized. "D-Do you not like that idea?" Kanako asked, sounding a little sad. Seeing her expression, there was no way Haruna could turn her down. "N-No, it's fine! Let's do it!" she said with probably too much enthusiasm. "O-Okay," Kanako said, relieved her girlfriend agreed. "How about we take turns? You pick for me, then I'll pick for you." "Sure," Haruna said, doing her best to maintain her composure. Internally though, she was panicking.

"Choose an outfit?!" she cried inside. "How the hell am I supposed to do that? And it has to be something that will look good on Kanako…" Admittedly, there were several things Haruna thought she wouldn't mind seeing Kanako wear, but the clothes that she wanted to see and the clothes that would look good were two separate things. "What should I pick…?" she wondered.

Wandering through the racks, she eventually decided that it should at least be a dress. "But which one?" Haruna thought as she stared at them. Looking up, she saw Kanako looking away, wanting to be surprised by Haruna's choice. "Well, it probably shouldn't be something too revealing… Oh, maybe this?"

Finding one she thought would work, Haruna pulled the dress off the rack and took it over to Kanako. "O-Okay, I got one," she said nervously. Turning around, Kanako saw the choice in Haruna's hand. "Huh," she let out. "Do you not like it?" Haruna winced. "I like it," Kanako said. "I just expected you to pick something… m-more revealing…" "What kind of person do you think I am?" Haruna asked, baffled. "Anyways, let me try it on," Kanako said, taking the dress out of Haruna's hand. "Something more revealing?" Haruna repeated to herself. "Did she want me to pick a sexy nightgown or something?"

After a few minutes in the changing room, Kanako called out. "O-Okay, I'm ready," she said. Sliding the curtain away, she stepped out. Instead of her previous outfit, she was now wearing a one piece, pink dress. At the top were thin straps to hold it up, with the top half hugging her body and the bottom half opening up into a wavy design that went past her knees. "H-How does it look?" she asked nervously.

"So cute…" Haruna breathed without hesitation. "Eh?" Kanako let out. "I mean, that's really cute. And you're already cute, so it's like it doubles the cuteness," Haruna rambled. For a moment, Kanako stared at her before breaking into a laugh. "Pfft, haha! That's a lot of cute," she giggled. "W-Well, that's how I feel about it," Haruna said, now feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm glad," Kanako said, smiling.

"Now it's your turn, right?" Haruna asked. "Right!" Kanako said excitedly. Quickly changing out of the dress, she headed out onto the floor to look for an outfit for Haruna. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for her to choose something. Coming back to Haruna, she held out her arms. "Here!" she said. Taking the clothes, Haruna flipped through them. "S-Seriously?" she uttered. "You won't?" Kanako asked. "Um, well… I-I guess… I will," Haruna relented.

Going into the changing room, she stared at the outfit. "Does she like this kind of thing?" she wondered. Somewhat reluctantly, Haruna stripped down and began putting on the clothes picked for her. "O-Okay…" she called weakly. "I think I'm ready." "I wanna see!" Kanako said, sounding weirdly excited. "Why're you looking forward to this so much?!" Haruna cried. "Come on Haruna, I wanna see it!" Kanako said impatiently. "Alright, alright!" Haruna shouted back.

Whipping the curtain back, she shyly stepped out. On top was a deep red t-shirt with fairly short sleeves, followed by a black leather jacket. Below was a black skirt with a grey line pattern, and lower than that were a pair of black thigh-high socks and boots to match. Of her own accord, Haruna decided to complete the look by putting her hair up in a simple ponytail.

With a meek blush on her face, she glanced at Kanako. "Well?" she said. "So cool!" Kanako squealed. "H-Huh? Cool?" Haruna said, surprised. "Mhm! You look really cool Haruna!" Kanako said, seeming very pleased with the results. "This looks pretty punk-ish," Haruna commented. "Do you like this kinda thing?" "I just wanted to see you wear it," Kanako said easily. "A-Although…" "What?" Haruna asked. "Y-Your ponytail," Kanako said. "W-We match now…"

With Kanako blushing at her own words, Haruna realized that was indeed the case. "That's not a bad thing, is it?" she asked. Kanako shook her head. "No, it's not. But, I think I like your usual look better." "Then I guess I'll stick with that," Haruna said, smiling at her. She did like the fact that they had matching hairstyles, but truthfully, she preferred keeping her hair down too.

Changing back into her original clothes, the two girls continued to pick out clothes for each other. As time went on, the outfits proceeded to get more and more ridiculous, eventually ending with Kanako picking out a full body pajama suit with a bear on top for Haruna, and Haruna grabbing one that basically amounted to magical girl cosplay for Kanako.

When they were getting ready to leave, they both decided to buy the first outfits the other picked. "I don't know when I'll wear this though," Haruna said aloud. "How about on our next date?" Kanako suggested happily. "M-Maybe…" Haruna said. After making their purchases, they finally left the store.

"Now what?" Haruna asked. "I actually have an idea," Kanako said. "Follow me." With no room for protest, Haruna trailed behind Kanako as they headed toward an unknown destination. "I wonder where she wants to go?" Haruna thought. Scanning through town in her mind, she really couldn't think of a spot that Kanako would want to go to. "Does she want to show me something?" Haruna wondered.

Not much later, they arrived at the place Kanako was taking them. Upon seeing it, Haruna understood. "The pier…" she said. Down the way, a long path to the water stretched out with railings on all sides. "Come on," Kanako said sweetly, holding out her hand. "Sure," Haruna said, taking it. Hand in hand, they walked down to the water and onto the pier, following it for as far as they could. For a while, they both stood in silence, enjoying the sea breeze and each other's company. Above them, the sun was just beginning to set, slowly coloring the world in shades of red, yellow and orange.

"Do you remember the first time we came here?" Kanako asked, breaking the silence. "Of course I do," Haruna said. "It was my idea, remember?" "Right," Kanako said with a small laugh. "You took me here for my birthday." "Yeah. Honestly, I was lucky I found this place," Haruna said. "Lucky?" Kanako repeated. "Yeah. I needed to… t-to impress you…" Haruna said shyly. Next to her, Kanako gave her a gentle smile. "You did," she said. "And you surprised me." "I did?" Haruna asked. Kanako pouted. "You don't remember?" she asked. "What did I-" Haruna began to ask, but before she could, Kanako moved.

Standing up on her tip-toes, she placed her lips on Haruna's cheek, holding them there for several seconds as she closed her eyes.

When she pulled away, she looked up at Haruna. "D-Do you remember now?" she asked, blushing. "R-Right… I did that to you, didn't I?" Haruna said, her memory sufficiently jogged. "You did," Kanako confirmed. "Back then, I was so surprised, but looking back at it now…" "What?" Haruna pressed. "...Sometimes I wonder if maybe that was when I fell for you," Kanako said. "There are so many possibilities that I just don't know. When you called me by my name for the first time in years. When we watched the fireworks together at the summer festival. The time you came looking for me in the woods. Even here could've been the time when I fell in love with you Haruna."

"Do you really think it could've been that long ago?" Haruna asked. "Who knows?" Kanako said. "I-I wish I could say something really romantic like 'I've loved you my whole life' or something like that, but I can't. That's why with every day that passes, I want to love you even more than the last. If I didn't love you five years ago, I want to make up for five years. If it was ten years, then I'll create ten years more of memories with you. And if it was only yesterday, then I'll love you so much that every yesterday to come can be looked back on with a smile."

Taking both of Haruna's hands into her own, Kanako stared up at her. "That is my love for you, today and forever." "F-Forever?" Haruna repeated. "Mm," Kanako said. "Or for at least as long as you'll have me." "If you're offering forever, then that's how long I'll have you," Haruna said back. "I love you Kanako." "I love you too, Haruna."

*****

Walking back, Kanako kept her arms wrapped around Haruna's right. "Y'know, this is the first proper date we've had," Haruna said. "I guess you're right," Kanako said. "I'm happy this time went well for both of us." "Me too," Haruna said.

Soon enough, they reached their houses, meaning it was finally time to part. "I-I'm a little sad that this has to end," Kanako said. "If we were adults, this is the part where I'd invite you in for a cup of coffee," Haruna joked. "Yeah, it would be," Kanako laughed. "We'll just have to settle for seeing each other Monday morning before school." "Why not tomorrow?" Haruna asked sadly. "I have stuff to do with my parents," Kanako said, reluctant to deny spending more time together with her girlfriend.

After saying their goodbyes, both girls went into their homes, full of happy feelings as they headed into the third and final year of their high school careers.

*****

Let us go back to the moment on the pier.

As Haruna and Kanako were enjoying each other's company, a student from Iwanai Municipal High School happened to walk by. This girl, one neither of them knew, was still a distance away from the pier, but thanks to the rumors at school, it was easy enough for her to guess who the two girls were.

"Is that Endo-san and Nakatomi-san?" she asked to no one as she saw Kanako kiss Haruna on the cheek. "So I guess the rumors really were true…" Having discovered something new, she just had to tell her friends. That would proceed to set off a chain reaction, one that would impact many on the first day of the new school year.

End of Chapter Five.