80 Chapter Fourteen: Feelings Flying And Falling

After an eventful day two of their school trip, many of the students once again went for the hot spring bath. The hotel was awash with conversation detailing their various excursions, most of which included classic tourist sites. They talked and talked, and while they had gone to the baths for relaxation, their excitement did not abate. It seemed that only when everybody had their say that their voices quieted, and soon, many of the students were fast asleep.

However, while plenty of them had tired themselves out, there were still some wide awake. A few groups were in a couple of rooms playing games or gossiping. A few others were getting in a second soak now that the chaos had died down. And then, there were several more that found themselves to be restless. The day's events had carried more weight than anticipated for some. One of those people was Kanako.

Getting the chance to see an area of Sapporo with Haruna was great. She got to see her make all sorts of expressions, and overall it seemed like Haruna enjoyed herself. They shopped together. They ate together. The whole day had been like a date. Really, it should've been perfect. And yet, it hadn't been. Constantly, there had been a thorn in Kanako's heart, jabbing her over and over relentlessly. They day that should've been perfect wasn't, and the cause of that was named Hinami Yamane.

Kanako knew that it wasn't right to get mad at Hinami. The girl was just a fan of Haruna's. As far as Kanako could tell, Hinami had no romantic feelings toward Haruna at all. After all, why would she? It's not like girls falling in love with other girls happens all the time. Kanako knew she was an outlier. That fact alone should've been able to provide her some comfort. The odds were on her side. Hinami was just friendly. Logically, everything told Kanako that she had nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately, love is rarely logical. No matter what Kanako told herself, no matter how much she thought and no matter how much she tried, a feeling assailed her. It told her that Hinami was a nuisance, that she was in the way. Of course, for as dark as that line of thought could get, it wasn't as if Kanako wanted to attack the girl or anything. Really, the jabbing she felt was more like a soft annoyance making sure it wasn't forgotten. In the days leading up to the school trip, that feeling had felt lighter and inconsistent, but ever since Kanako had seen Hinami being around Haruna so much, it had become impossible to ignore to any degree.

"But what am I supposed to do about it?" Kanako wondered. It was one thing to have this feeling, but it was entirely another to act upon it. Should she confront Hinami? "What good would that do? It's not like she's done anything wrong," Kanako thought. "Besides, even if I did, how would I justify it? Haruna and I aren't dating. Other than us being friends, I have no reason to get protective of her. Not to the degree of confrontation at least."

Looking back at her past actions, Kanako could admit she got a little defensive when it came to Haruna. It made her wonder if her feelings went back further than she knew. Of course, even if they did, it was impossible to know when exactly, and truthfully, Kanako didn't really think that was the case. Rather, her defensiveness had more to do with other people's perception of Haruna. They were always so mean and critical of her, but they didn't even know her. When she had been Haruna's victim, it had been basically impossible to defend her, but that didn't mean that Kanako hadn't wanted to. She knew Haruna. She knew what kind of person she was. Kanako had told herself that whatever her reasons were for acting the way she was, it didn't change the fact that the way people talked about her was wrong.

Now that things were different from then, Kanako's desire to defend Haruna from slander had only grown, and she knew she had been outspoken a couple of times already. But, this wasn't a matter of defense. If Kanako asked herself what she should do about this feeling, and the idea that came to mind was justified by the other idea that it was to "defend Haruna," would that be any better?

Kanako shook her head. "Of course it wouldn't be. It's me just saying 'this is for Haruna,' and then using that to confront Hinami." Plus, while it wasn't important, there was also the thought that saying she was going to defend someone sounded a little too much like a line from an action series or something.

But still, the more Kanako thought about it, the more she couldn't help but feel that conflict was on the horizon. She didn't want to fight with Hinami. Honestly, it was hard to even picture a scenario like that in which the girl didn't start fretting about and then running away. Even if she did stand her ground, how would a conversation like that go? Would Hinami show a surprisingly strong backbone, or would she falter as expected?

So much thinking caused Kanako to let out a long sigh. "I don't know…" she muttered to herself. Currently, she was soaking in the bath. There were only a few other people around, so she didn't have to worry about anyone overhearing her, but there being so few people reminded her of the previous night.

It had been in roughly the same spot she was in now that Kanako and Haruna had had their alone time. That time had been awkward, nerve-wracking, and at the same time, intense. Kanako had felt her heart beating so hard she was sure it would've burst out of her chest if such a thing were possible. Perhaps lusting after someone was a poor way to cement one's feelings, but after that, Kanako was more sure than she had ever been that Haruna was the one she wanted.

And yet, for all her certainty, she wavered. Slowly but surely, Kanako could see her hesitation chipping away at her chance to tell Haruna how she felt. But was that right? Was hesitation the right word? To this point, Kanako had kept blaming all of her problems on Hinami's presence, but what about before? Sure, Haruna had needed time to heal from her injury, and even now she was still in a brace, but between the start of the trip and at least the time Haruna got off crutches, couldn't she have said something then?

The biggest question of all was coming to Kanako. If she had had the chance to give her answer to Haruna already, why hadn't she done it? She thought and thought, racking her brain for the reason, until finally, it dawned on her. Her hesitation had come from her feelings, but it wasn't about questioning her feelings of love for Haruna. Rather, it was because of her certainty in love.

For most of her life, Kanako had loved one person and one alone. She had been so certain that one day she and Akio would be together that there had been not even a sliver of space for doubt. And then, before she knew it, Kanako had that certainty shattered by that very boy. On top of that, she suddenly found her second love. At the time, she had believed she had handled it all well, but looking back, it was clear an effect had taken hold.

If Kanako had been so certain she was in love with Akio and they'd be together, and then be completely wrong about that, it was only natural that when she had even stronger feelings for Haruna, she'd hesitate. What if she started to believe she'd be together with Haruna only for it to never happen? Worse yet, what if it turned out to be just some cruel joke like Akio had done?

Kanako shook her head, sending her doubts away. "No. This isn't like the time with Akio. I know it isn't," she thought. In her heart, she believed that, but unfortunately, up until now, those doubts had taken root as well, causing her to not give Haruna a proper answer. Now, Kanako couldn't help but feel like the clock was ticking.

While still lost in thought and worry, Kanako got out of the bath, put on a hotel-provided pink yukata with a simple white flower pattern on it, and then headed out into the lobby area. "Maybe if I get something to drink, it'll help clear my head," she thought as she walked up to the vending machines. Pulling some coins out of the small bag she had with her, Kanako reached out to insert them into the slot when suddenly she noticed another hand holding a coin.

"Huh?" "Ah."

Looking to her right, Kanako saw a girl standing in gray sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt. Her blond hair was still up in two buns, and the unruly strands hung from them, swaying slightly. "H-Hi, Mi-chan…" Kanako said nervously. "Hey…" Michi said back before motioning to the machine. "Go ahead." "O-Oh, alright," Kanako said, putting in her money. After she got her drink, Michi did the same.

The two girls stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. This was their first interaction on the school trip. It seemed weird to not say anything, and just walking away felt rude, but at the same time, what else could they do? Their friendship was rocky at best, and Kanako had decided for herself that she wouldn't make up with Michi until Michi apologized for the things she had said about Haruna.

Across from her, Michi visibly showed her distress. Of course, even if she had wanted to hide it, there was no way she could've. It was just too much. Kanako, the girl she had once called her best friend and one of several girls she had planned to spend this trip with, was now standing in front of her. How was she supposed to take that? Instead of being best friends, they were something that Michi wasn't even sure what to call. Instead of being on the school trip together, they had hardly even looked each other in the eye.

She wanted to say something, but what? How are you? What did you do today? Why haven't you talked to me at all during this trip? All of the questions that came to Michi's mind felt like either too much or too little. In the end, she came up with nothing, but surprisingly, it was Kanako who spoke.

"H-How was your day today?" she asked. It seemed like a question too personal considering the state their relationship was in, but just hearing Kanako speak to her was enough to make Michi want to answer. "It was fine I guess," she said. "I got dragged all the way out to a freaking mountain though." "Oh, right, Chiyo mentioned something about Mount Moiwa. D-Did you like it?" Kanako asked. Michi was quiet for a moment. "...Yeah, sure."

The answer was very non-committal, but for Michi, it was the best she could do. While Kanako had been spending her time since coming back thinking about her own feelings and Haruna, Michi had been thinking about Chiyo. She still wasn't sure how to feel about how things had gone. She had definitely been annoyed, but there was something more to it. Another feeling that Michi just couldn't seem to place.

It was like she almost wanted to know more about Chiyo, but to want that meant acknowledging her as more than the enemy Michi claimed she was. Although, Michi knew that claim rang resoundingly hollow in her head and heart. It had been awhile since she had truly regarded Chiyo as a bad person. But, there was a difference between not seeing someone as a bad person and calling them something like a friend.

What was that supposed to mean though? If Michi didn't view Chiyo as bad, then shouldn't that make her good? And if she was good, then wouldn't that make her a friend? Reading between those lines, Michi didn't think it was that simple, but in order to find the answer she was looking for, she needed to know more. But how? She couldn't know more than she already did at the moment, and her mind was too much of a mess to try to make sense of that knowledge anyways. There was always the option of asking Chiyo herself, but that idea was quickly dismissed. "I'm sure she'd never let me hear the end of it if I did," Michi thought.

Then, Michi's eyes turned to Kanako. "Aren't they close?" she wondered. Michi knew she had seen Kanako and Chiyo together plenty of times, and they seemed to get along well. Maybe, if she asked Kanako about Chiyo, she'd learn something.

"Hey, Kana-chan," she began. Kanako looked at her. "What do you-" She stopped. "What does she what?" Michi thought. "What does she think about Chiyo? Can I even ask her that?" After everything they had been through, could Michi just ask a random personal question like that? Sure, Kanako had initiated conversation, but that didn't mean Michi suddenly had a free pass to ask or say whatever she wanted. If she asked the question on her mind, would Kanako give her an answer? Would it be one that was helpful? Or would Kanako just say something intentionally vague like, "She's nice," and just leave it at that?

In front of her, Kanako stared. "Do I what?" she asked. Michi froze. She couldn't ask. Something told her that if she did, the dynamic of her relationship with Kanako would permanently change. No more would they be best friends or have the opportunity to get to that point again. Instead, it would be a friendship with gaps. A relationship that functioned on random, sometimes personal conversations and occasional meet-ups, but nothing truly meaningful. Upon that realization, Michi froze, and in the end, she kept her question to herself.

"...Never mind. It's nothing," she said. Michi could see the expression on Kanako's face tighten, like she had wanted her to ask. "I wonder if the day will come when we can talk to each other normally again…" Michi wondered, then aloud, she said goodbye to Kanako, leaving behind a girl with even more questions than she had had before.

As Michi walked through the halls, she fell back into thought. Primarily, she thought about her relationship with Chiyo. It was clear she wasn't an enemy any more, but could Michi really call her a friend? They had relied on each other in the past, but other than emotional outbursts, it felt like their relationship just consisted of Chiyo dragging Michi along everywhere. "I swear, all she does is force me to go places with her or to do things with her. I'd hardly call that friendship."

And yet, even if it was different from what Michi usually experienced, she couldn't deny that a part of her enjoyed it. A small, probably very faint and quiet part, but a part nonetheless. There was something… comforting about being with Chiyo. It was like she could do or say anything and it never caused any problems. Chiyo took it all, and then turned it around and teased Michi with it. That fact irritated her greatly, but subconsciously, she also knew it didn't bother her as much as she said.

Their time together was starting to gain more importance to Michi, a bit at a time. That night of being on Mount Moiwa was evidence enough of that. When Michi had asked if they could stay longer, she had been baffled by why she had even said such a thing. But, when she stood there with Chiyo at the railing, staring out into the night sky and city below, she felt relieved. Like she was glad she had said what she did.

"What is… Chiyo to me?" Michi wondered. It might've been the first time she genuinely considered that question. What did Chiyo mean to her? What was she to Chiyo? How exactly was she supposed to define their relationship? Questions abounded, but unfortunately no answers were found. All Michi could do was walk through the hallways and think, until finally she reached the door to her room.

Opening it, she found her other three group members inside. "Oh, hey Fukuhara-san," one of them said. "Ah, this is perfect timing!" another exclaimed before turning her attention to Michi. "Alright, so listen Fukuhara-san. We've been in here talking about love lives, right? And then, we got to thinking about other girls from school and their love lives, which led us to thinking about Wakabayashi-san. You know her, don't you? Aren't you friends with her?"

Hearing it put that way, Michi stiffened, but she still managed to give out a stern "No," on reflex. "Aw, really? You two have been hanging out a lot recently, so I just thought you were. Oh well. My bad." However, Michi was curious now. "Why'd you ask about Chiyo anyways?" "Well, she's like, the most experienced person in our school isn't she? Everybody says she's slept with half of the town. We just kinda wondered if you knew anything about her sex life."

Inside, something boiled in Michi. "Yeah, I mean, she sleeps around a lot, doesn't she? I wouldn't be surprised if she's picked up some sort of disease by now," another added. "I know, right? She's such a slut it's almost funny!" the third girl said.

"How would you know?"

Still standing at the door, a dark voice sounded off. "Huh?" one of the girls let out. "How the hell would you know?" Michi asked again with more aggression. She had listened to those girls badmouth Chiyo. In the past, she would've done the same. But, after getting to know her, getting closer to her, things were different now. Those words they spoke ignited something in Michi, and it told her she wasn't going to stand for this.

"She's slept with half the town? She's a slut?" Michi repeated their words. "Yeah, maybe. At one time, that was probably true. But, none of you know her now do you? You have no idea what she does with her time. All you do is just assume she's out banging some scumbag instead of giving it any thought. Well guess what? She isn't! She hasn't done that in months! And yet, here you are, just going on about how much sex she must be having! How about instead of believing all of the rumors that she's just some whore on the street, you actually take a second to consider if it's even true, damn it!"

Without any warning, Michi flew into a rage. She couldn't take it. Hearing those girls talk about Chiyo like that hurt. It bothered her. It angered her. It enraged her. There was no denying that there was some truth to what people said about Chiyo, but she had changed. Michi knew it. Chiyo didn't just go around having sex with random guys anymore, and Michi was pretty sure she was the reason. Even putting that aside, everybody acted like Chiyo was some floozy out selling her body without a care in the world for anything or anyone, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. She was so kind and warm. She cared a lot. Honestly, a part of Michi was sure that if everybody got to know Chiyo, they'd feel like idiots for ever saying the things they did about her.

"Whoa…" one of the girls said. "S-Sorry Fukuhara-san. We didn't mean to upset you…" "You know, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure she's right. I haven't heard anything lately about Wakabayashi-san," another girl said. "Yeah, I think I even heard a guy complaining and saying something about how he got turned down by her when he asked her to have sex with him," the third girl said, then she turned to Michi. "We're really sorry about that Fukuhara-san. We won't talk like that about Wakabayashi-san again. Actually, it'd be pretty great if you could introduce us to her."

The other two girls seemed to like that idea, as they nodded along. "Sure. Just be sure you're mentally prepared," Michi said with an unintentional amount of pride. "Prepared for what?" one of the girls asked, but Michi didn't answer. All she did was stand by the door with her arms crossed and a light smile on her face, proud that she had defended the gal named Chiyo.

*****

In a hotel room, Haruna laid on her bed. She was exhausted from everything she had done, but most of all, she just felt down. After her conversation with Kanako, it felt like her hope of getting a positive response was nearly gone. "She still doesn't know…" Haruna mumbled to herself. It had almost looked like Kanako had been in pain to say that, but why that would be Haruna didn't know.

While she would've been perfectly content with wallowing in her own wonderings, a voice interrupted her. "E-Endo-san?" Hinami said as she walked in. Since they had gotten back, Hinami had split off from her and Kanako and went to talk with her other friends. Now though, as it was beginning to get late, she had come back, being the first to do so.

Sitting up, Haruna looked at her. "Hey Yamane-san. Did you enjoy talking with your friends?" "Oh, y-yes. It was nice," Hinami answered pleasantly. "Sorry you got kidnapped by Chiyo and forced to join our group instead," Haruna said. "N-No, I don't see it l-like that at all!" Hinami exclaimed. "I'm happy I got to be with all of you. I-It's been great being able to s-spend so much time with you E-Endo-san, and getting to know C-Chiyo better has been fun…" There was a distinct drop off in Hinami's tone as she went quiet. She had mentioned Haruna and Chiyo, but one member was left out.

"What about Kanako?" Haruna asked. She was curious. As far as she could tell, Hinami didn't have a single mean bone in her body, so it was unlikely she had something against Kanako, but it still struck Haruna as odd that Hinami didn't say anything about her.

"R-Right…" Hinami said. "Um, well, I-I like Kana-chan. I think she's nice and all… b-but…" "But what?" Haruna asked. Hinami shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "Endo-san?" she said. "Do you… d-do you think Kana-chan hates me?"

The question stunned Haruna. "Hate you? What makes you think that?" "W-Well… I've noticed… Kana-chan seems to keep glaring at me, a-and whenever we talk, I get the feeling t-that she just wants to end the conversation a-as soon as possible," Hinami explained. "That's weird," Haruna commented, but when she really thought about it, it did seem like something had been bothering Kanako. Did it have something to do with Hinami? "Would she really hate her?" Haruna wondered with a fair amount of doubt.

"I-I want to be friends with her, b-but I feel like she doesn't want that. M-Maybe I did something to offend her?" Hinami said. "I just want us to get along at least… but if she hates me…" Haruna stared at Hinami. The girl was clearly broken up about the possibility. It was understandable. Being hated by someone for unknown reasons was bound to cause some anxiety and concern. But, as Haruna looked at her, she smiled as she thought back to the past.

"Hey, Yamane-san," Haruna said. "Come sit over here." Following her beckoning motion, Hinami went over to sit on the edge of the bed. "So listen," Haruna began. "Do you remember hearing about how Kanako and I used to be?" Hinami gave a little nod. "Y-Yes. You two were always f-fighting. It was scary. Actually, now that I think about it, I-I think I remember you throwing a book at Kana-chan." "Ah… yeah, haha…" Haruna said weakly. She remembered that incident. It had earned her a conversation with the principal.

Putting that out of her mind, Haruna continued. "You see, believe it or not, me and Kanako grew up together. We're actually next-door neighbors, and our houses are nearly identical." "A-And you fought like that?" Hinami asked, bewildered. Haruna nodded. "Yep. We were childhood friends, and we played together a lot. But, one day, we had this huge fight. It was entirely my fault, and it was basically just me taking out my feelings on Kanako, but the damage was done after that. I didn't want anything to do with her, and I wanted to make sure she understood that. I constantly insulted her. I yelled at her all the time. And, yeah, I even threw things at her once or twice."

"I was terrible to her. Absolutely, completely awful. I wouldn't have blamed her if she had wanted to get as far away from me as possible, and at the time, I probably would've wanted that. But, when our day to make-up finally came, do you know what she told me?" Haruna paused, making sure she had Hinami's full attention. Then, she continued. "She told me she could never hate me. Can you believe that? After everything I did to her, after everything I said, she was still willing to forgive me. And I'm so glad she did, because that forgiveness has led me to so many feelings I didn't even know I had."

"So Yamane-san, if Kanako can forgive me for all of that and say she never once actually hated me, then I'm confident that she doesn't hate you." Finishing her story, Haruna gave Hinami a little head pat. "Y-You think so?" she asked. "Yep. I really do," Haruna said happily.

For a moment, Hinami was quiet, but after Haruna lowered her hand, the girl spoke. "I… I've never really had many friends," she began. "I'm shy, a-and I get nervous easily. I tend to run away from things that are hard, and I'm not very smart either. B-But, somehow, I have friends anyways, and I treasure them very much. They're kind, and they help me when I need it. But… I know I can't rely on them for everything. That's why… I think being put in your group was a good thing, Endo-san. If a problem comes up, I have to face it."

Looking at Haruna resolutely, Hinami made a decision. "I'm going to talk to Kana-chan," she said. "I want to be friends with her. And, your story helped me Endo-san. I'm sure Kana-chan is a nice person, so I want to find out what it is I've done that makes her not like me and fix it!" Giving a little fist pump with each hand, Hinami looked more determined than ever. "That's good. Don't give up Yamane-san," Haruna said.

As the two girls sat on the bed, Hinami randomly started fidgeting. "What's up? You look uncomfortable," Haruna said. "Um, I, it's just… I actually have o-one other question I want to ask you E-Endo-san," Hinami said nervously. "Alright," Haruna said simply. Looking at her, Hinami gathered her courage and asked.

"Are you in love with Kana-chan?"

The question floored Haruna more than the previous one. "W-W-Wha- H-How- Huh?!" she sputtered. "S-Sorry for asking so suddenly. It's just, w-when you're a quiet type like me, y-you tend to notice things more easily," Hinami said. "I-I've seen the way you interact with her, a-and then there are those rumors, s-so I got a little curious." "I see…" Haruna said, still recovering from the sudden shock. But, after a couple more deep breaths, Haruna looked at Hinami and gave a very broad but gentle grin.

"Yeah, I am. Stupidly, head-over-heels in love with her."

Surprising her even more, Hinami smiled back. "That's nice. As your fan, I'll be rooting for you," she said happily. "Thanks," Haruna said. "Oh, um, d-do you think you could tell me how it happened?" Hinami asked. "Huh?" Haruna let out. "I-It's just, I've never met a girl who was in l-love with another girl before, so I guess you could say I'm being nosy."

For a moment, Haruna hesitated, but it passed quickly. There was no point in being secretive about her feelings. After all, the one they were for already knew them. So, going back to the beginning in her mind, Haruna began. "Well, it all started with a really weird confession…"

*****

Standing outside in the cold air, a puff of breath escaped her lips. "It's freezing out here," the gal complained. "Like seriously, why'd we have to move all the way up here anyways?" Of course, groaning about her family's past decision wasn't going to do her any good, so the gal put it aside and kept marching through the snow that was beginning to pile up again.

"There she is," the gal said. "Hey, y'know it's like, beyond cold out here, right girl?" Standing in front of her in the middle of sidewalk was Chiyo. Turning around quickly, her high-tied, auburn and gold colored side-ponytail whipped with her. "Oh, it's Jas-chin!" she said happily. "I've been lookin' all over for ya," Jasmine said. "What, were ya hoping for a hot and steamy night?" Chiyo teased. "If I was comin' to you for that, I'd definitely be out of options," Jasmine said bluntly. "Harsh!" Chiyo cried. "Seriously though, what're ya doin' out here? You tryin' to catch hypothermia?" Jasmine asked. She could see little bits of snow sitting on Chiyo's head and shoulders, and the gal's cheeks and nose were red.

Weirdly, Chiyo went silent. "Hey, Jas-chin." "Mm?" "You wanna… go talk somewhere?" "Does it have to be outside?" Jasmine asked. "Mmm, I like the air out here. It's so crisp," Chiyo said, causing Jasmine to let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, but please don't make us stay out here for hours. I'd like to be able to feel my fingers and toes again."

Moving from the sidewalk to a bench, the two gals found themselves sitting close to an open space. The buildings thinned out a little, and none of the businesses near them were open anymore. Most of the people in the area were further up the road, leaving the two of them alone and with only a couple of streetlights to illuminate their features.

"Knowin' you, I'm assuming there's a reason you're out here," Jasmine said. "Well, kinda," Chiyo said. "I've just been thinkin' about some stuff. Y'know, the past." "...Yeah, I get it. That happened to me today too," Jasmine said. "Hey, you remember how we first met?" Chiyo asked. "Honestly, I wish I could forget," Jasmine said.

It was no story of grandeur. In a complete accident, Jasmine had been on a date with her latest boyfriend at the time at a restaurant. They were both feeling a little frisky, so they had decided to use the bathroom to their advantage. They had both slipped into the men's bathroom, and we're just about to get it going when they saw another couple inside. The guy was one Jasmine didn't know, but the girl turned out to be Chiyo.

The guy and Chiyo had reached the point that Chiyo was undoing the guy's belt and button on his jeans. When she noticed the other people standing there, her first ever words to Jasmine were, "Wanna make it a foursome?"

"...I still can't believe you said that to me," Jasmine said, remembering their meeting. "Y'know, after I met Haru-chi in a similar way, I started wonderin' if like, that was the best way to make friends around here," Chiyo joked. After that encounter, Chiyo had tracked Jasmine down by continuously asking guys if they had ever had sex with a girl with pink hair. When she finally did find Jasmine, she was initially ignored, but it didn't take long for Jasmine to warm up to Chiyo. After all, she could tell just how similar they were, both on the outside and inside.

"We sure have come a long way from those days, huh…?" Chiyo said reminiscently. "Yeah, you never seem to go hunting for guys anymore," Jasmine said. "What about you Jas-chin?" Chiyo asked. "I haven't seen ya with a new boy since the summer." "I stopped," Jasmine said plainly. "Huh?" Chiyo let out. "At first, I just kinda wanted to. I got tired of all the relationships," Jasmine explained. "But then… I don't know, I guess Haru-chi inspired me or something. Seeing how honestly she was pursuing love, it just sorta made me wanna try to find something like that too someday."

Chiyo smiled. "Yeah, that'd be nice." "What, ya don't have sex for brains anymore?" Jasmine joked. "Nope. I guess I found a reason to get my act together too," Chiyo said. "Lemme guess. Fukuhara-san?" Jasmine said. Chiyo went quiet. She could hear the irritation in Jasmine's voice. "What do you see in her?" Jasmine asked. "Mi-chan is… different," Chiyo said, struggling to find the words she wanted. "Different how?" Jasmine pressed, but all it did was make Chiyo quiet again. Jasmine sighed. "C'mon Chiyo. I know you see it. She doesn't want you around. All she ever does is yell at you. Why bother hangin' around someone like that?"

Chiyo looked at Jasmine. "Jas-chin, are you saying I shouldn't be friends with Mi-chan?" Jasmine stiffened a bit. "No…" she said weakly. "I can tell she means a lot to you, and if she's the reason that you're doing better now than before, then honestly, I'm grateful to her. I guess… I just don't get it. Why her, Chiyo? Out of all the girls you could turn from enemy to friend, why Michi Fukuhara?"

Suddenly, Chiyo stood up, but she kept her back turned to Jasmine. Turning her head just enough so Jasmine was in her field of vision, Chiyo gave an answer. "It's because it's her." Her response made little sense to Jasmine, but something about it made her wonder something else. Usually, she would've never given it much thought, but after spending so much time around Haruna and watching her feelings change, Jasmine wondered.

"Do you love her?"

Chiyo's head turned back to face forward, but Jasmine could see her shoulders jump from the question. She could feel the uneasy seeping out from her fellow gal, and it made Jasmine want to know even more if she was right. But, instead of a straight answer, Chiyo said something else.

"Y'know, it sure is cold out here." To most, that would simply be a comment on the weather, but Jasmine knew better. She wasn't sure quite what it meant, but she knew that there was much more weight behind those words than just talking about the temperature.

Finally, Chiyo turned to face Jasmine again. "Come on. Let's go back. It would totally suck if we caught colds out here." Then she began walking away. Jasmine sat for a moment longer, but then she followed. "Y'know, they say idiots can't catch colds," Jasmine jabbed. "So mean!" Chiyo cried, and with that, they were already back to their usual banter. But, in Jasmine's mind, she couldn't shake Chiyo's reaction to her question.

The gal that seemed to never flinch, did, and Jasmine wanted to know why.

End of Chapter Fourteen.