Chapter One: Drying Tears

Through the streets of Iwanai, Haruna Endo ran.

Her long black hair flowed behind her, whipping in the self-made breeze as she went. Tears streaked down her face and each impact of her foot on the pavement caused a droplet or two to jar loose, sending them plummeting to the ground. She sniffled once, then again and tried wiping her eyes, but it didn't help. Nothing could stop Haruna's crying.

A thousand thoughts rushed through her head and at the same time, none did. "Why did it go like that? Why did I tell Kanako how I felt like that? Why did I run away?" Question after question came to mind, but before Haruna could stop to think on one, another would take the previous' place. Even the most important question, 'where was she going?' didn't get an answer. Her feet simply continued to carry her far away from the place that Kanako was.

She hadn't gotten the best look at Kanako's face, but when Haruna had confessed her feelings, she was sure she had seen an expression of pure shock. Of course she had. In that moment, Kanako, who had been fully intending to accept Akio Miyashita's confession, had suddenly been confessed to by the girl she grew up with. However, while the shock was prevalent, it was impossible to discern its meaning any further. Was she just shocked by Haruna's abrupt confession? Was it because Haruna is a girl? Were there more emotions hidden beneath the surface that Haruna couldn't have seen?

As Haruna turned a corner, she felt her speed dropping. After having such a hard personal practice with Izumi Komatsu, president of the Girl's Snowboarding and Skiing Club, her legs were already spent. Trying to running any longer was something they weren't willing to do. Not much beyond the turn, Haruna's pace slowed to a walk. A part of her wanted to just drop down to her knees and sob, but something told her that she needed to keep going. There was somewhere she needed to be, but wherever that place was, Haruna didn't know. She let her subconscious mind lead the way, commanding her feet to drag her along to the desired destination.

While she kept going down the road, Haruna kept trying to put her emotions in order. She tried to stop her tears, but even if they paused, it was only for a moment, then they'd start up again. Her pain and sadness were swallowing her, and while plenty of other feelings remained, Haruna could hardly focus on those other ones. If she could have, perhaps a part of her would have found a bit of amusement in her situation. When she had first realized her feelings for Kanako, things had gone much the same. Haruna had ran away until eventually getting lost on a road and getting picked up by Akio and his family.

She didn't understand why things kept going this way. When she had realized her feelings for Akio, Haruna had felt more happy than anything. Going to confess was certainly nerve-wracking, but there was an excitement to it too. By all accounts, the romance that Haruna experienced was completely normal, or at least she thought it had been. Love was supposed to be like that, so why was it that the worst feelings kept coming to her?

When Haruna had realized she was in love with Kanako, she hadn't been excited. Scared and confused was probably the best description. After all, it caused quite the shift in her head and heart. She had found herself asking how it had even happened more often than just enjoying the new feelings she had. And now, she was running away again.

Haruna had felt like she lacked the courage to give a real confession to Kanako. However, there had been hope that someday, she'd be able to. Haruna had imagined that day in her mind, and while it was a little grander than what it probably would be, it was always, at the very least, romantic. The perfect lighting, the perfect place, the perfect words. Haruna had envisioned it all.

It was all for nothing. So much emotion had surged through her in the moment that Kanako had said she was going to go out with Akio that Haruna hadn't been able to contain it. Her own feelings had rocketed up to the surface and out of her mouth she quick she had barely had the time to process it. Instead of a nice, romantic night where Haruna gracefully told Kanako how she felt, she had screamed her feelings instead, even going as far as tacking an insult onto the end before dashing out the door. "I'm pathetic..." Haruna thought.

After a couple of seconds, Haruna noticed she was standing still. Her legs had finally stopped moving, placing her at a spot she was familiar with. Currently, she was standing in front of a property that was a little bit separated from the rest of the nearby houses. The residence in front of her sat in the middle of a small but well-kept lawn, and there were a few tress dotting the space. The house in the middle was simple, being a one story building and a little smaller than usual. The outside was covered in a light brown colored siding, and placed at the very front of the small sidewalk that led up to the road was a sign to indicate who lived there. The first part read 'Wakabayashi,' and underneath were the names 'Chitose' and 'Chiyo.'

With a sniffle, Haruna carried herself up to the front door. Slowly she knocked, unsure of if she really wanted someone to answer or not. She didn't really feel like talking, but she didn't want to be alone either. So Haruna stood still and waited. After a moment or two, there was a click and the door opened. Standing in the entryway was a girl Haruna was very familiar with. The girl was about the same height as her, but there were several notable differences. The first was the color of her hair. Dyed auburn, it was usually kept in a side, high and fluffy ponytail that was highlighted by golden streaks. Next was the difference in chest size. Where Haruna was completely flat, this girl had very large breasts in comparison. She was currently wearing a yellow t-shirt (which did little to cover her chest nor her stomach) and a pair of light green short-shorts that were super tight on her thighs. With the way she was dressed, most people would've thought it was summer.

The last difference was in experience with partners. The girl was known as a gyaru or gal, and was also known both in school and around town as someone who'd do just about any guy who asked. She had developed a reputation, and she'd tell you about it if you asked. Although, when that thought crossed Haruna's mind a few days ago, she was pretty sure it had been awhile since the last time she had heard anything like that from the girl in front of her. "I wonder why," she had thought at the time. "Did she decide to finally get her act together?"

That question at the moment matter very little. In her current state, Haruna was hardly able to think for herself, let alone think about others. Standing in front of the Wakabayashi doorway, she sniffed again as the other girl recovered from her surprise. "Haru-chi?" she said. "Ch...Chi-yo..." Haruna squeaked out. She couldn't take it anymore. The whole way there, Haruna had cried alone, but now, seeing Chiyo Wakabayashi in front of her, all she wanted was for the girl to comfort her. Before she even knew what she was doing, Haruna bounded forward. Her whole body pressed against Chiyo's, and she buried her face in the gal's shoulder before letting loose a flood of tears.

"W-Whoa!" Chiyo exclaimed, having to take a step back from the impact. "H-hey, Haru-chi! C'mon, what's wrong?" But she didn't get an answer. Instead, she heard Chitose, her older sister, call from the inside of the house. "Chi, close the door! It's too cold out there to just leave it open like that!" Beginning to walk with her words, another girl came into view. She was tall like Haruna, but she exuded a cool beauty sort of aura thanks to her navy blue short hair and constant wearing of various tank tops and jeans. "Hey, what's goin' on?" she asked. "Hey sis, can you like, put on some tea?" Chiyo asked with a concerned expression. "Yeah...sure," Chitose said, heading for the kitchen. In the meantime, Chiyo shuffled out from the doorway with Haruna in tow, just enough so she could close the door.

In her arms, Haruna continued to cry. Her hands clutched the back of Chiyo's shirt like a scared child and she shook terribly. Gently, Chiyo embraced Haruna, keeping her arms fully wrapped around her best friend and holding her as close as she could. Stroking the back of Haruna's head, Chiyo spoke softly into her ear. "It's okay Haru-chi... just take a couple of deep breaths."

After a couple more minutes, Chiyo managed to calm Haruna down enough to get her to move to the couch. Chitose brought out the tea and set it down in front of them before taking a seat herself. She had no intentions of intervening, but she thought it might be a good idea to stick around, just in case.

The inside of the house was similar to the outside. The floors were all wooden, and the walls were a brownish-beige color. The furniture was clearly dated, but it was arranged nicely, creating a cozy atmosphere in the living room.

Within that atmosphere, Haruna sat in silence. "Do you want some tea Haru-chi?" Chiyo asked kindly. No answer. The tears had finally stopped, but it was obvious how emotionally drained Haruna was. "It's not the best, but it'll help your nerves I bet," Chitose added. Slowly, Haruna took the cup. Her hand shook as she lifted it, so she used her other hand to steady it. Blowing on the hot liquid a few times, Haruna touched the tea to her lips, taking several sips before setting the cup back down.

Chiyo wanted to ask the questions that she had, but she waited for Haruna to speak. Then, after several long moments, she did. "Today..." she began weakly. "Kanako... got confessed to by Miyashita-kun." "Yeah..." Chiyo said. Haruna looked at her. "Did you know?" she asked. Her eyes were boring into Chiyo. They were filled with pain and fear. Haruna had asked this question once before when she had found out about Chiyo helping Akio with his plan in the past. The two of them still hadn't fully recovered from that fallout. And now, here Haruna was again, asking the same question.

"Yeah... I knew," Chiyo answered. Immense pain filled Haruna's eyes, but before she could say anything, Chiyo went on. "I only just found out today though. I ran into Kana-chan in the hallway right after Akio-kun's confession happened and when she was looking for you." "...I see..." was all Haruna said. Her worries about Chiyo seemed to be mostly alleviated, but plenty of emotion still swam in her eyes. "So... what happened Haru-chi?" Chiyo asked.

Haruna stared at her cup. "Kanako said... she was going to say yes to his confession. I just couldn't take it anymore. I mean, he always, ALWAYS has the advantage over me. So I... I-!" Haruna paused. Her voice caught in her throat. Water formed again at the corner of her eyes. Trying to gather herself again, Haruna continued. "I told her..." she said, barely audibly. "I told Kanako everything. I told her I'm in love with her."

Chiyo's eyes went wide. A part of her couldn't help but think that Akio's plan had actually worked, but she pushed that thought aside. Her friend was in pain, and she had a feeling that another one was about to be. Putting all of her attention on Haruna, she kept listening.

Haruna's voice shook. "B-But... it doesn't even matter, does it? Because she's choosing him... It was always him... I knew that, and yet..." One streak, then another as Haruna's cheeks became wet. "...damn it..." she muttered. Scooting closer, Chiyo put her arm around Haruna's shoulders. The girl leaned into the warmth, placing her head on Chiyo's shoulder. "Why... why does falling in love have to hurt so much?"

Chiyo wanted to say something, anything to make Haruna feel better, but she was at a loss. To her surprise, it was Chitose who spoke. "So you do have a thing for that Kana-chan," she said with a smile. Haruna looked up. "Do you think... it's weird?" she asked meekly. Chitose shook her head. "Nah. You can't help it, right? Whatever ya do, it's always the heart that decides ya who love. Ain't that right Chi?"

At the mention of Chiyo's name, Haruna looked at her. She didn't say anything, but she wore a shy smile and was blushing a little, something Haruna had never seen before. In some part of her mind, Haruna wondered who could make Chiyo make an expression like that. "Chiyo?" Haruna said. "Oh, it's nothing. Sis is just makin' a point and asking me to agree with her. Which I do, by the way." In classic Chiyo fashion, she dodged the implied question, but Haruna was okay with that. She was sure that someday, she'd get an answer.

"Hey, Haru-chi," Chitose said. "If you're so in love with this girl, then why aren't ya out there fightin' for her?" "Hey, sis!" Chiyo said. "It's okay Chiyo," Haruna said quietly. "Besides, there's no point anyways. It's over..." "Whaddya mean?" Chitose asked. "Kanako... she's been in love with Miyashita-kun for a long, long time. I'm sure she's over the moon about his confession..." Haruna paused. "Then there was mine... You should've seen the look on her face. Kanako was completely shocked. I'm sure a part of her felt disgusted too..." "Oh, Haru-chi, no... I'm sure she didn't think that," Chiyo said in a comforting tone. "Even if that's true... I've already lost," Haruna said.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Chitose said, suddenly standing up. "Love is pretty mysterious. As soon as ya think ya know how it'll go, it flips on ya. Losing one moment, winning the next. Just keep your head up Haru-chi. Ya never know what'll happen." "You talk like you have a bunch of experience sis," Chiyo commented. "Hmm. Maybe I do," Chitose said as she collected empty cups and walked away. "Wha-? Hey, sis, whaddya mean you do?!" Chiyo yelled after her, but she got no response. "Geez... she better not have some secret boyfriend or something..." "I didn't realize you were so protective of your older sister," Haruna said with a weak laugh. "I just don't like the idea of her like, keeping secret from me," Chiyo pouted.

It was quiet between the two girls. Chiyo still had her arm around Haruna, but after a few seconds more, they separated. "Hey, Haru-chi," Chiyo said. "Why'd you run away?" Haruna stiffened at the question. "I-I..." she faltered. "It just... felt like too much..." "What do you mean?" Chiyo asked. "I felt like... I could feel Kanako's feelings for Miyashita-kun. She was so happy, and it just hurt too much to be around that." "I see," Chiyo said. "At least you're not saying something dumb like, 'as long as she's happy, I'm happy.'" "You think that's bad?" Haruna asked. Chiyo nodded. "Yup. I think it's an awful way to live. Everybody deserves to find real happiness, including you Haru-chi. And, if Kana-chan is the one who can give you that, then I don't think you should give up either."

Haruna smiled weakly. "Thanks Chiyo," she said. "Honestly... I don't think I could give up these feelings even if I really wanted to." "That's the spirit," Chiyo said, smiling as well. "So what's next? You've already confessed, so what will you-" Haruna put up a hand to stop Chiyo. "...Nothing," she said quietly. "Huh?" Chiyo let out. "I'm... not going to do anything. Right now, all I can think about is Kanako being with Miyashita-kun as a couple and how much that hurts. I can barely figure out what I'm going to do about tomorrow, so trying to plan out something weeks from now feels impossible."

Deciding to respect Haruna's decision, Chiyo didn't press any further. She could tell how much of an emotional wreck Haruna was at the moment. Trying to force her own ideas onto her when she was like that would just be cruel. "Do you want any more tea?" Chiyo asked. "I haven't even finished this cup," Haruna said. The one in front of her was still half full. "It's probs cold by now," Chiyo said. "That's okay. It didn't taste too good," Haruna said. The girls looked at each other and laughed.

With the mood lightened, Haruna thought that now might finally be a good time to talk to Chiyo about what had happened between them, but before she could, Chiyo's phone rang. "Hm? A call?" she said as she picked up the device sitting next to her. "Oh... Hey, um, Haru-chi? I gotta take this," Chiyo said. Haruna nodded in response, allowing Chiyo to go to the next room over.

*****

"Hey Kana-chan," Chiyo said. "What's up?" "I-Is... is Haruna... there?" Kanako's voice said through the speaker. It was hoarse and cracked and she sounded out of breath too. "Kana-chan, are you alright?" Chiyo asked. "I... yes... no... I'm..." On the other end, Chiyo heard a sniffle. "Kana-chan?" she said, worried. "I just... I just need someone to talk to right now... Haruna's missing... I don't know what to do..." Kanako said shakily. Hanging at her side, Chiyo's hand clenched into a fist so hard she could feel her nails digging into her palm. "Damn you Akio-kun," she thought. "Just how much pain are you going to cause these two?"

Taking a breath, Chiyo responded to Kanako's plea. "Haru-chi's with me at my house Kana-chan, so you don't need to worry about her." "Really?" Kanako asked. "Yeah," Chiyo said back. "Good..." Kanako said, pausing for a moment. "Did she... tell you what happened?" "Yeah," Chiyo said. "And that's why, as much as I'd love to have you over here, it probably would be for the best if I didn't." "Oh..." Kanako said, the speaker barely catching her voice. "But," Chiyo said. "I think I have an idea." "An idea?" Kanako repeated. "Mhm. I think you should go talk to Mayu-chan," Chiyo said. "Huh? Mayu-chan?" Kanako said, surprised to hear the girl's name. "Trust me. She'll be able to help," Chiyo said with confidence. "I-If you say so..." Kanako said. Her agreement wasn't 100 percent, but it was enough. With that, their conversation ended.

*****

"Who was on the phone?" Haruna asked when Chiyo came back. Briefly, she thought about lying, but decided against it. "It was Kana-chan," she said. "Oh... calling about the good news I guess..." Haruna said flatly. "She was looking for you," Chiyo said back kindly. Haruna looked at her. "Me?" she said. "Yeah. She sounded pretty broken up too. I don't know exactly what happened, but it probably wasn't good," Chiyo explained.

Rejoining Haruna on the couch, the two girls sat in silence before Haruna spoke. "Hey, um, Chiyo..." she began. "Listen, about, y'know..." She was trying to talk about when she had found out Chiyo had been helping Akio with whatever plan he had and doing it behind Haruna's back. She wanted to apologize for her reaction. It wasn't as if Haruna believed it was entirely her fault, but some of the blame certainly fell on her shoulders. For a while now, she had felt terrible about how events had unfolded. If Haruna had stopped to listen Chiyo's side of the story, then maybe things would've turned out differently. Maybe even everything with Kanako would've changed...

It had taken being separated from Chiyo for Haruna to realize just how important the gal was to her. They had met in the most bizarre of ways, and somehow they had even become friends. At first, Haruna had just been putting up with Chiyo, but as time had passed, she found that she genuinely enjoyed her company. Chiyo was a rule-breaker and a sexual deviant, but she was also one of the most fun people Haruna had ever met. Besides, it wasn't like Chiyo was pulling Haruna into misdeeds, so she wasn't a negative influence either. The things that Haruna gained from Chiyo were all positive. Her constant cheery and playful demeanor. Her advice that always seemed to help. Her massive heart that was full of love and comfort when you needed it. Haruna had been taking all of that for granted, and for that, she felt incredibly guilty.

"It's okay Haru-chi," Chiyo said. "Ya don't have to say anything else." "Yeah I do," Haruna said insistently. "Chiyo, seriously, you... you mean so much to me. I mean, without you, it was... hard. I felt like I had no one to lean on or ask questions to. I kept screwing everything up too.... You've been so nice to me for so long now, and I hardly ever noticed until you weren't around... so I... I'm sorry... for being such a bad friend..."

The next thing Haruna knew, she was in Chiyo's arms again, being squeezed tightly by the gal. "Thanks Haru-chi. That means so much to hear. But like, you totes don't have to be so sorry about all that. I shouldn't have been doing all that stuff with Akio-kun without tellin' ya anyways. And about you being a bad friend..." Chiyo pulled away, but she kept her hands on Haruna's shoulders as she beamed at her. "You're my bestie, so I think you're pretty great!"

Haruna was sure that something inside her melted at the sound of those words. A weight lifted off her too, and it felt like she could breathe properly again for the first time in a while. "Chiyo..." she uttered, tears of happiness welling up. "Thank you... so much..." "You got it," Chiyo said, pulling Haruna back in. "I told you, didn't I? I'm always on your side."

*****

Several hours later, Haruna was still at Chiyo's house. With it getting so late, Chiyo suggested that Haruna just spend the night. "Are you sure?" Haruna asked. "Hey sis, can Haru-chi sleep over?!" Chiyo yelled through the house. "Sure, just don't stay up too late!" Chitose yelled back, then tacked on as a joke, "And don't try anything with Chi, Haru-chi!" "Like I would!" Haruna shouted, which was met with a loud laugh.

"Hey Haru-chi, you need some clothes right?" Chiyo asked. "Oh, yeah," Haruna said. At the moment, all she had on her were her sweaty clothes from practice and the uniform she was wearing. Done in a sailor style, the uniform of Iwanai Municipal High School was currently in its winter edition, which meant a long sleeve white top instead of the short sleeves of summer. Other than that detail, nothing else changed. The skirt was still a navy blue, along with the collar, and the large bow tying it all together was still green to indicated Haruna was a second-year.

Once Chiyo had pick a few clothes out for her (and made a few jabs about the difference in their sizes), the two girls had dinner with Chitose before taking their baths (separately) and then getting ready to call it a night. Haruna and Chiyo kept talking about all sorts of random things, and it brought Haruna a great amount of comfort for things to be so normal again.

As the conversation began to slow, Haruna remembered a question she wanted to ask. "Hey Chiyo," she said. "Are you still sleeping around?" The question was so direct it made Chiyo nearly choke on the water she was drinking. "Wow Haru-chi. Never thought you'd ask a question like that," she tried to say wryly, but her voice was rough. "I was just wondering. You used to talk about your sex life all the time. I know we haven't been around each other as much recently, but in the time that we have been, it feels like it doesn't come up anymore."

In response, Chiyo was silent. "Chiyo?" Haruna said. "...Let's just say I have a reason not to go out and do that all the time anymore," the gal finally said. "Although, if someone came around with the right offer, I might listen," she added on with a wink. Haruna wanted to ask what Chiyo's reason was, but it was clear she wouldn't get a straight answer as Chiyo turned out the lights.

"Time to get some beauty sleep!" she said as she crawled into bed. "Yeah, you probably need a lot of it," Haruna jabbed, getting back at Chiyo for her earlier remarks on her body. "Oh yeah, tot- Hey!" Chiyo was about to agree when she noticed it was an insult. "That's like, so mean Haru-chiii!" Chiyo whined. Haruna let out a little laugh and she could hear Chiyo laughing as well. "Well, night Haru-chi," she said once they were both in their respective bed and futon. "Good night, Chiyo."

End of Chapter One.