Chapter One: Understanding The Pain Of One's Own Heart

In the back corner of the first floor of Iwanai Municipal High School, there was an old classroom. Its original purpose had been to serve the students who decided to take the culinary elective, but after renovations were made, the room was all but forgotten, seldom used if only for times when more stoves were needed when not enough could be provided by the newer kitchens.

Due to this, the space had accumulated a rather somber tone within its interior. The wooden walls, an immediate sign of old times, had been fading more and more with the passing years. The glass of the windows had become clouded and streaky, and the curtains that covered them held all sorts of bits of dirt and dust. The few desks contained within the room had a thick layer of age caked onto their surfaces as well, and the floor appeared like it was probably only swept monthly at best.

Truly, the only functionality left the area had to offer was in its appliances, and the only reason that was even the case was for more of a "just in case" more than anything. It was in this place that two girls had entered to complete an assignment. It was in this place that two girls had fought, and now, it was in this place that two girls sat at the old desks, an uncomfortable silence filling the air between them.

The first of the two was a girl named Kanako Nakatomi. She was a second year student at Iwanai High, and really, there wasn't much remarkable about her. It wasn't as if she wasn't pretty or anything. It was just more of the fact that if you put her in a line with a bunch of other average girls, nothing particularly made her stand out. Her light brown hair was always kept in what had come to be her trademark ponytail, and her uniform, sailor-style and green bow to boot, was worn in accordance with school rules. She was on the shorter side, and her chest size, while not flat, wasn't quite big enough to catch the immediate eye either. Kanako also had bright blue eyes, and right now, they were staring at the girl across from her, pleading for guidance.

That girl in question was Michi Fukuhara, Kanako's best friend since the beginning of junior high. Her blond hair, kept in a messy sort of bun, made her stand out somewhat, if not for the color, then certainly for the two long strands that always seemed to avoid being tied up. Michi was also short, though who had the height advantage between her or Kanako was always up for debate. Her chest was flat, which wasn't really much of a concern for Michi unless she had to be subjected to being around those more well-endowed. She wore the same uniform as Kanako as well, with the same color bow to indicate they were both second-years. Her eyes shown a purple hue, and they currently stared back at her friend, trying to come up with a way to assuage the girl's worries.

Kanako had just asked what she should do about the situation she found herself in. A couple of months ago, she had worked up her courage to go and confess to the boy she had grown up with, Akio Miyashita. He was a simple enough looking boy, not too handsome, but certainly not ugly either. He had brown hair kept slightly on the messier side, and his personality could general be described as warm. However, it was recently that Kanako had discovered he wasn't just nice, as a bizarre scene had unfolded before her eyes.

On the day she had gone to confess, another girl had shown up at the exact same place. Her name was Haruna Endo, Kanako's former childhood best friend. "Former" because before junior high had started, they had a falling out big enough to turn them into mortal enemies. They fought a lot, earning themselves a reputation with their school and causing teachers to be wary of when the two had to be together. Of course, while their relationship looked rather hateful, it was in fact mostly one-sided. Haruna tended to be the one to do most of the provoking. The only reason people thought the two girls were on equal levels was because Kanako always got caught in the process of defending herself.

And yet, there Kanako's friend-turned-enemy was, apparently waiting for the same boy as well. The three had actually grown up together, with their families being close both as geographically and as friends. While Kanako had noticed her feelings long ago, Haruna had only found them recently. Regardless, they were both in the same boat.

They fought, but it wasn't long before Akio showed up. After hearing both their confessions, he gave an answer neither of them had been expecting: He wasn't going to choose either of them. Instead, he had a proposal. It was ridiculous and one that no person in their right mind would ever agree to. But, then again, love makes people do weird things. And this thing happened to be:

"If the two of you go out with each other for one year and convince me you're dating, I'll pick one of you to date after that year is up."

And so, that began a flurry of events over the next couple of months. There had been a lot of yelling, crying and awkwardness, but Kanako had felt like things were really starting to get to a point that she could be comfortable with. She viewed the deal as a way to regain her friendship with Haruna, and it seemed to be working. That is, until Michi had dropped a bombshell on her.

Her best friend had posed the question of if Akio was just manipulating the whole situation for his own enjoyment. Knowing Akio how she did, Kanako figured that was probably unlikely, but the question made her wonder other things. She hadn't thought about it much, but her line of thinking had brought her to a conclusion: Was there much point in going through with a fake relationship just to go out with someone? Even if it was the boy she had been in love with for years, Kanako found that to be a hard pill to swallow. That was what led her to the question that had stumped Michi.

"...I don't know what you should do Kana-chan," Michi finally answered. "Honestly, it's not my decision to make. That's an answer you have to find for yourself." Michi paused, then stood up, stretching a little before continuing. "But, if you want my personal opinion, I think you'd be better off letting go of your feelings for Miyashita-san and cutting ties with Endo-san."

Kanako stared. Her mind was searching for some sort of counter point, anything that could justify her staying in the deal she made. Ultimately, while it arguably wasn't a good one, Kanako found a reason. "I... have had these feelings for Akio-kun for a long time," she began. "It's not so easy to just throw them away. Believe me, I've tried. But now, not only do I have a chance to really be with him, but I've been given a chance to make up for past mistakes. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Even if it comes at the cost of being manipulated?" Michi asked pointedly. Kanako looked down to the floor. "...I know that could be the case. However, I think I owe it to both Akio-kun and Haruna to at least try for a little longer. Who knows? Maybe Akio-kun will make a decision way before a year is up."

Michi sighed. "Well, if that's what you're deciding, it's not like I can stand in your way. That'd be too daunting," she said with a shiver. Kanako cocked her head. "Come on, I'm not that stubborn." "Kana-chan, I don't think you really understand how much destructive power you hold when you get serious." Kanako shrugged. "I don't really get why everyone tells me that."

Seeing that their talk had reached its natural end, Michi decided she was going to head home. "I'm glad you told me the truth," she said with a smile. "Also, sorry again for assuming the worst." "It's fine. I should've just told you from the beginning," Kanako said, smiling back. After a couple more parting words, Michi left. "I should probably go looking for Haruna. After all, we still have to make that recipe for class," Kanako thought as she looked at the counter full of cooking tools and half-chopped ingredients.

With that glance, Kanako walked out of the room and went searching for Haruna.

*****

While Kanako had been talking with Michi, Haruna had made her way to a bench placed just outside of the school doors. She had sat down, allowing her long black hair to flow over the back. Her uniform got wrinkled a bit, but that was nothing to a girl who didn't care much about how she looked. Besides, for as tall as she was, Haruna attracted a lot of attention anyways (although not really the wanted kind).

She had been thinking about the deal she had with Akio as well, although she was on a much different train of thought. During the time she had spent with Kanako, Haruna had noticed things changing within her. At first, she had just brushed them off, using excuses like, "It's just the atmosphere," or "It's only because we have to be convincing for Miyashita-kun." But, the more time passed, the more those excuses had begun to sound hollow. So hollow, in fact, that the insides of them were ringing with at least some amount of truth: something was different.

However, Haruna couldn't seem to figure out what. That made sense, at least to her. She had never been one to look into deeper emotions too much, but because of that, Haruna hadn't developed a good understanding of what those feelings might mean. It was precisely because of this that it had taken her so much longer than Kanako to realize her love for Akio. That, and a fair amount of pushing from Chiyo Wakabayashi, her best friend.

And now, while Haruna couldn't deny she felt a bit of déjà vu, she just wasn't willing to call it something as concrete as love. Of course, there was the fact that she was completely unsure about that in general, but her uncertainty went beyond that. There was something, a massive hurdle in her past that Haruna knew she'd had to overcome some day. Yet, while she knew that, she just couldn't bring herself to face it. The hurdle felt too high and Haruna preferred to turn around and go the opposite direction rather than climb over it.

Even still, there was no preventing the thoughts that had ultimately led Haruna to a very important question: "What do I want to be to Kanako?"

It felt like an odd question to ask, as the answer should've been obvious. All she had to do was fake being her girlfriend enough that Akio would be convinced. Then, he'd pick Haruna to be his girlfriend and she could leave Kanako in the dust. Weirdly enough, that had been a thought that once brought Haruna joy. She couldn't have been happier to see her arch-enemy and rival left crushed and heartbroken. But now... the best way Haruna could describe the way she felt about that was confused. After all, the time the two girls had spent together had been having an odd effect on her.

There had been several times when Haruna had felt a distinct "ba-thump!" in her chest. She had tried to tell herself that it was simply from surprise or something along those lines, but recently, it hadn't been just one or two "ba-thumps." She had felt her heart begin to race when she was with Kanako. Watching her do even the simplest things had become like watching beauty itself in Haruna's eyes. The way their hands felt when they were held together was so comforting it had made Haruna not want to let go several times (not that she openly said that).

Even the thought of feelings like that made Haruna's face go red, which was also yet another indication that something was definitely different. In fact, she couldn't even recall getting that flustered when she was near Akio. Considering there was no way she could ignore it any longer, Haruna decided she needed to talk to somebody about her feelings before they drove her crazy. Of course, that person would be Chiyo, and while she didn't really think the gal could provide very solid advice, it was true that now and then she was helpful (when she wasn't teasing Haruna about her own problems).

Just as Haruna had come to that decision, she heard the door open. Walking through it was a girl with her hair in a ponytail. A gentle breeze wafted through the early summer air, carrying her hair with it and rippling her skirt and top. With a turn of her head, she quickly spotted what, or more accurately who, she was looking for.

"Haruna!" she called. "I was looking for you. Come on, we have to finish that assignment." Haruna stood up, brushing a leaf off that had fallen onto her shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Don't need to look so worked up about it," Haruna said gruffly. With that, the two girls made their way back inside.

*****

Once they reached their room, a place known by the teachers as the auxiliary kitchen, the two of them got back to work. Their original goal was to cook the recipe that had been assigned in class earlier that day. The reason it was taking place after school was because while Kanako and Haruna were in the same cooking class, they weren't in the same group. And while Kanako did fairly well in the culinary arts (even being a part of the cooking club), Haruna, well, didn't. So because of that, Miss Yuki-nin, as the students affectionately called her and much to her chagrin, had requested that Kanako help Haruna, considering she was on the brink of failing.

They had just gotten started when Michi had shown up while Kanako was out grabbing a forgotten ingredient. Michi had then went on to go as far as accusing Haruna of blackmailing Kanako into getting the girl to do her homework. That sequence of events had led to Kanako telling everything to Michi, which she had originally planned to keep secret.

But with all of that taken care of and out of the way, the two girls could finally get back to the task at hand. They both went back to the station they had been working at, and Kanako picked up where she left off, which had been cutting up some of the vegetables and chicken. She did the whole thing silently, as if nothing had happened. Haruna watched her, still half-expecting some sort of explanation. But none came. With each easy chop of the knife, Kanako finished the prep work. "You know," she began. "I wasn't planning on doing all of this for you, but because of my talk with Mi-chan, it'll be faster if I just show you and have you help a little."

"Yeah... sure," Haruna agreed, but she also felt extremely bothered. She wanted to know so bad what Kanako and Michi had talked about. "So, what'd you tell Fukuhara-san?" Haruna asked, not able to restrain herself anymore. "Hm? I just told her about the deal we made with Akio-kun," Kanako answered simply. "That's it?" "Well..."

Haruna didn't like how that sounded. "Well what?" she pushed. ��Never mind, it's nothing," Kanako said, moving to fill a pot with water. "It obviously isn't. Now tell me," Haruna demanded. "I said it's nothing," Kanako answered in a stronger tone. "Why can't you just say-" "If I said it's nothing, then it's nothing! Just drop it already!" Kanako suddenly shouted, catching Haruna off-guard. However, it didn't take long for that surprise to turn into anger. "God, you're so annoying! I don't even know why I bothered showing any sort of concern!" Then Haruna turned to grab her bag sitting on a nearby desk.

"H-Hey, where are you going?!" Kanako yelled. "Screw this. I'm leaving. Besides, you said it be faster if you just did it, right? Have fun cooking by yourself loser." With that remark, Haruna walked out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

If anyone else had been around, they would've been able to hear Haruna's stomping all the way down the hall. Her steps echoed off the tile floor and plaster walls, all the while being accompanied by grumbling. "Who the hell does she think she is anyways?! Keeping our fake relationship a secret is what literally just got her in trouble in the first place. And me too!!! God, what an idiot! And now she wants to keep secrets from me, who's supposed to be her acting like her girlfriend?! The hell's up with that?!"

Just before Haruna went to turn the corner for the front doors, she stopped. "Wait," she thought. "Should I really be this mad about something Kanako did? Since when did I care this much?" Slowly, she began to feel something welling within her chest. It was an uncomfortable mixture made up of dread and anxiety, along with almost a sense of longing. It was a feeling that Haruna was beginning to become very familiar with. "Ah, there it is again."

Trying to ignore it, Haruna continued her march out of the school and off the campus, heading down the sidewalk and in the direction of home. However, no matter how much she tried to think about other things or push her feelings down, the same thing kept coming back to her mind: Instead of leaving in a huff, she probably should've tried to talk things out calmly. "Damn it..." she sighed.

The longer the walk went, the stronger the thoughts got. Haruna suddenly found herself stopped just outside of a play area for children. Inside were two kids, both girls. One was leading the other around, having her do all sorts of things with her like going down the slide and jumping off of swings. The girl being led around seemed reluctant to do most of what she was told to, but after giving each one a try, she seemed to enjoy them. The scene gave Haruna a bitter dose of nostalgia.

"Damnit..." she said again, lightly kicking a nearby post. "Damn it... damn it, damn it, damn it!!" Haruna shouted, kicking the post harder and harder. Her actions drew the attention of the nearby children. When she noticed, Haruna glared at them, causing them to run and hide behind the slide. Then, Haruna turned around and began walking back to the school. "Why do I have to be so conscious of how she feels now? Why should I even care?" Regardless of her complaints, Haruna found herself headed back to Iwanai High. "I'll just quickly give some half-assed apology and leave," she decided. "I'm sure it'll be good enough for her."

When Haruna arrived, she retraced her steps and made her way back to the auxiliary kitchen. Opening the door, she fully expected to see Kanako standing inside slaving over a stove. Instead, all she found were two notes set atop the counter. The first was addressed to Miss Yuki-nin. The other was address to Haruna.

Picking up the one with her name on it, Haruna opened the note.

"Haruna, if you came back and are reading this, I finished your assignment and put it in the fridge so Miss Yuki-nin could grade it tomorrow. I already cleaned up too, so don't bother. See you tomorrow." –Kanako.

Haruna shivered after reading it. "I can practically feel the chill of her words from this," she thought. "Tomorrow's gonna suck." She then set the note down and checked the fridge to find that the dish was complete. "I can't believe it. I wasn't even gone that long. How'd she make it that fast?" Haruna wondered. All in all, Haruna had only made it about halfway home. Going back doubled that time, so it had really only been about 20 minutes? "She really is good at this isn't she..."

Giving up on the idea of giving any sort of apology, Haruna was about to backtrack once again when she had a thought. "Wait a minute, if I came back here, why didn't I see Kanako?" It wasn't like there was only one way to take between school and their houses, but she normally went the same way every time. "Then again, she guessed I might come back, so maybe she went a different way to avoid me..." Haruna began to feel sad, but quickly shook it away. "Why am I getting down about this? It wasn't even my fault! It was hers!"

Breathing heavily in frustration, Haruna crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash before going home for real.

When she got there, Haruna found yet another note waiting for her on the kitchen table. "What is this, note day?" she said to herself. Opening it, it told her that both her mother and father had urgent business to attend to and wouldn't be home for dinner, so Haruna was on her own." Great," Haruna scoffed, then threw that note away as well. Opening the refrigerator gave no options other than leftovers that looked less than appealing. The cabinets weren't much better, with the only viable option being instant noodles.

As Haruna grabbed a pack and got boiling water ready, she found herself wishing for something she didn't expect. "This might be the only time I've ever wished Kanako was actually my girlfriend. Then I could've asked her to make food for me." Alas, Haruna was resigned to her cup of cheap noodles. Ready in three minutes and tasteless all around. She slurped in silence, not even bothering to turn on the TV for background noise. "I have to admit, this is pathetic, even for me."

And as that thought occurred to her, another came with it. "I don't even have to wait until tomorrow to talk to Kanako do I? I mean, we're literally neighbors, and her mom likes me (I think) so I'd at least be let inside." Haruna wasn't sure if she was being motived by guilt or an unsatisfied stomach, but either way, she found herself slipping her shoes back on and beginning to head out the door. Before she made it over the threshold though, she paused. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was as if something was blocking her from moving even a single step further forward. "Why can't I..." Haruna wondered.

The answer was simple but complicated, and while Haruna was aware of it, she also didn't quite understand it either. The reason why was her past, or more accurately, what she had been doing over the last few years. Spending so much time antagonizing Kanako seemed like it was suddenly coming back to bite her.

"What's the deal?" Haruna wondered. "I go over there nearly every day to wake her up, so how is this different?" But deep down, she knew it was different. Maybe it was because while the mornings felt like an obligation, this would be more of a social call. Or maybe it was because Haruna still had trouble stomaching the idea of saying sorry to the girl she had hated for so long. The list of potential reasons could go on, but Haruna didn't bother coming up with any more. All she knew was that her two feet were stuck in place, not allowed to move even a millimeter ahead of where they were.

Realizing she'd never make it out the door, Haruna gave up. She slid off her shoes again and instead trudged upstairs and into her room.

The room of Haruna Endo could be described in three ways: messy, unorganized and not girl-like. There were no clothes in the closet that could be deemed fashionable, and about a third of the clothes Haruna did own were strewn across the floor, consisting mostly of t-shirts and shorts. Her uniform was about the only article of clothing that got any sort of respect, getting hung up each night. However, that had more to do with the fact that it was a pain to get lectured by the teachers about a uniform in poor condition.

The rest of the room contained no pink or make-up sets. The walls had a couple posters, but they were all dated. Her desks had a handful of papers on it, along with a couple other miscellaneous items, and her bed had the covers left as they had been when she had gotten up that morning. All of this went to say that while Haruna wasn't inherently a messy person, she found no need to go out of her way to make things any nicer for herself.

Standing in the middle of her room, Haruna began to undress. She loosened the tie for the bow (the bow itself was pre-tied), and slid her skirt off before taking over her top as well, leaving her in her underwear. In her typical fashion sense, it was nothing fancy, just a matching set of navy blue. For a second, she looked in the mirror at herself. The stand-up mirror hadn't been an addition by choice. In fact, it had been Chiyo's idea, who had insisted upon it so heavily that she bought the mirror herself and set it up in Haruna's room. Chiyo swore up and down that it was a necessity for every girl's bedroom.

So Haruna stared at herself in her unwanted mirror. Her figure was slender and her skin was nearly a porcelain white. Aside from her height, she really had no other striking physical features, from her simple hair style (which was always straight-down) to her chest (which was as flat as a board). Haruna had once heard a couple of guys talking about her when they thought she couldn't hear them. They had said that she could almost pass for a cool beauty if her personality wasn't so toxic. Chiyo was convinced that with a little refining, Haruna could be "a drop-dead gorgeous babe!"

Deciding she'd had enough of looking at herself, Haruna turned away and went to put on her pajamas, which for that night was really just a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. It was still too early to go to bed, and she still had homework to do anyways. So, opting to get to work, Haruna pulled out her chair and textbooks and sat down at her desk. However, it didn't take long for her mind to wander back to the events of earlier in the day.

The biggest surprise of all of course had been Haruna getting accused of blackmail. "She's so stupid," Haruna thought, remembering the way Michi had pointed her finger and everything like it was some big reveal. Luckily Kanako had shown up before things got too out of hand, but the confrontation had gone on long enough to cause Haruna's impression of Michi to sour even more. "That girl is trouble. I swear, one of these days she's really just going to mess everything up."

After a bit more thought, Haruna finally managed to put the event out of her mind and get back to her homework. When she finished, it wasn't that late, only around nine o'clock or so, but Haruna found herself suddenly feeling very sleepy. Perhaps it was due to everything that had happened in the day, but Haruna decided to call it a night. She went to brush her teeth and wash her face a bit before crawling into bed and rapidly falling asleep.

*****

The next morning, Haruna was met with a shock. "Sorry, but she already left," Kanako's mother told her. It had only been somewhat recently that Haruna had started the routine of going next door to wake up Kanako, but so far, Kanako had never managed to get up on her own and be ready. That is, until that moment. "She... left?" Haruna repeated. "Yep. Was up bright and early for some reason too. Anyways, I've gotta run, or else I'll be late." It was a line that Haruna had grown accustomed to hearing, but that morning she didn't pay it much heed. Instead, she was still trying to process the fact that Kanako had somehow left before her.

Knowing there was nothing she could do, Haruna left the front step of the Nakatomi residence and began heading to school herself. "She's definitely mad..." Haruna sighed. "God, I can't believe I'm going to have to make up with her again." It was beginning to feel like a pattern to Haruna. As soon as things got back on the right track, it would all derail.

While Haruna contemplated over her repetitious issues, a familiar voice called out to her. "Haruuuu-chiiii!!!" Following that was a girl quickly approaching. She was the type of person that fell into the gyaru or gal-type category, meaning she was pretty stylish and trendy. Even when it came to something like wearing a uniform, she found some way to make it her own. In this case, today's outfit featured the skirt rolled up to the one-third mark of her thighs and the top being done up loosely at best, revealing a fair amount of cleavage for the busty gal. Aside from the required clothing, she had also added a pair of fluffy socks that covered her ankles up to part of her shins, and she wore a couple of simple golden rings around her left wrist. Her hair was an auburn-gold sort of color and it was generally kept in a side ponytail packed to the brim with hairspray. As for her face, her make-up was actually relatively light in comparison to other girls like her, but that was mostly due to the fact that she was a natural beauty. Adding in her deep brown eyes and glowing smile, it was no wonder every guy she aimed for fell head over heels. Because of all this, this girl had gained a sort of fame (or infamy) in Iwanai High. Of course, she was none other than Chiyo Wakabayashi.

"Morning girl!" she said cheerfully as she hopped up alongside her best friend. Haruna only offered a look in response. "Hey, where's Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked. "Obviously not here," Haruna huffed. Chiyo stared at her, then smirked a little. "Are you sad because your girlfriend left you behind?" she teased. While Chiyo certainly had a bubbly personality and was pretty helpful too, it was this side of her, the "poking fun at others" part that Haruna was not a fan of. "First of all, she's not my girlfriend. Second, I'd never get sad over that girl being away from me. If anything, it's a relief."

Chiyo stared again. "Y'know Haru-chi, that didn't sound convincing at all." "Urgh..." Haruna groaned. It wasn't that she was particularly sad about Kanako not being around. Rather, it had more to do with the fact that she had been reminded once again that while her mindset may have been changing rapidly, her outward actions still had a long ways to go. Being in the habit of lashing out at someone for so long wasn't a habit easily broken, and Haruna was still finding that adjustment to be a challenge.

Deciding to move on to a different topic, Chiyo began talking about her previous night, which had apparently involved some random guy and a karaoke room. It was at that point that Haruna stopped listening. She honestly did like Chiyo and enjoyed her company (even if she didn't show it), but she had no desire to hear about her sexual encounters.

When the two girls got close to the school, they saw someone they recognized. Particularly, it was a person Haruna had no interest in seeing, and she knew the feeling was mutual. However, Chiyo wasn't bothered by any of that at all, immediately running over to the girl as she called her name. "Mi-chan!" she said happily. "Ugh! Get away from me!" Michi yelled as she backed away.

Seeing Chiyo caused Michi to instinctively look around. It took all of a couple seconds before her eyes found Haruna. She glared at her, then turned her attention back to Chiyo and her efforts to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

"Stupid small fry," Haruna muttered as she walked past Chiyo and Michi. Haruna had never had anything against Michi initially. It wasn't as if they would ever be good friends or anything, but for the most part they had always just ignored each other. Now though, with the deal Haruna and Kanako made with Akio, the both of them had become more intertwined than either would have liked. But, while Haruna had tried to continue ignoring Michi, it seemed Michi was bent on making her hate known to everyone. "I get she doesn't like me already, so I wish she'd knock it off," Haruna thought as she walked into the school.

After stopping at her locker, Haruna headed to her classroom. Along the way, she passed by Kanako's class just to see if she was there. Sure enough, the girl and her classic ponytail were seated at the far side of the room, talking with another girl nearby. For a moment, Haruna considered going in to talk to her, but she quickly decided against it. So, before there was any chance for Kanako to look, Haruna was on her way to her own desk.

The day went by slowly, with Haruna feeling restless the whole time. Plenty of other students felt the same way she did, but that had more to do with the fact that it was Friday. They were all eager to kick off their weekend plans. In Haruna's case though, she was feeling this way because of her recent fight. The weird thing about the whole situation to her was the fact that she wasn't even actually that mad about it. Really, it had more to do with Kanako being secretive about their own secret.

This point was something Haruna brooded on all the way to lunch. When it was time to eat, Chiyo and Haruna headed up to the roof, which was their usual eating spot as long as the weather cooperated. To their surprise, someone else was joining them.

The girl already in their spot was Jasmine Hiraoka, a second-year just like Haruna and Chiyo. She was a half-Japanese, half-American beauty that had the looks to match her gal friend counterpart. However, while Chiyo was bright and bouncy, Jasmine was more aloof, playing the role of a classic seductress with her long, wavy pink hair, her just-exposed-enough chest, and her sultry eyes that practically beckoned you to get closer. Her personality in general matched her appearance, with her really only showing genuine interest in just a few things. But even with her normal amount of disinterest, she had still made friends with Chiyo and Haruna.

With all of her good looks and alluring appeal, Jasmine was as good with the guys as Chiyo. The difference between them though lied in approach. While Chiyo had plenty of one-and-done sort of nights, Jasmine preferred to date more frequently, having a different boyfriend practically every week (at least according to Chiyo). When Jasmine was dating a guy (which was more often than not), she committed all her free time to it. Because of that, it was rare for Haruna and Chiyo to see her without making prior plans.

"What, did you already break up with your latest boy-toy already?" Chiyo half-teased, half-chided. "No, we just decided to hang out with our own friends during lunch today," Jasmine answered coolly. "What number is he this year anyways? Boyfriend No. 12?" Chiyo joked. "I'm not sure. How many guys have you screwed since the school year began? Over 50?" Jasmine shot back.

"It's not that high!" Chiyo shouted. This sort of exchange was pretty normal for the two of them. If anyone had watched it from the outside, they would've thought Chiyo and Jasmine were frenemies more than anything else, but the truth was that they were actually pretty close.

Ignoring all of that, Haruna had already sat down and opened her lunch. It was nothing special, just one of the ones sold at the in-school store. In consisted of some baked bread, rice and a few other things that varied by the box. Just as she began eating, Chiyo asked her a question that made her stop.

"So, like, what's the deal with you and Kana-chan?"

Haruna nearly dropped the food she had picked up with her chopsticks. Chiyo and Jasmine were both already aware of the deal Haruna had made, so her "relationship" with Kanako tended to be a frequent subject. "What's the deal? How am I supposed to answer that? Is she asking for my feelings or something?" Haruna panicked, overthinking. "You two totally had another fight again didn't you? That's why she wasn't with us this morning," Chiyo continued. "Oh, that," Haruna said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Haruna then went on to explain what had happened yesterday after school. "Look, I know I'm somewhat to blame here, but would it really kill her to just tell me what she told Fukuhara-san?" Haruna finished. "Hmm. Well, girls do like their secrets," Jasmine commented. Chiyo sighed. "Haru-chi, if you two were a real couple, Kana-chan would've already broken up with you at least four times by now."

Haruna sulked. "I know, alright? I'm a terrible fake girlfriend, whatever. That doesn't mean I'm wrong though. She should've just told me!" "But why do you need to know?" Jasmine asked, making Haruna freeze. "W-Well, I..." She didn't have an answer. All Haruna knew was that she didn't like not knowing. It made her uneasy.

Chiyo was quick to pick up on it. "Oh Haru-chi," she cooed. "At this rate you'll be alone forever." "Hah?! What's that supposed to mean?!" Haruna yelled. "You're telling me that after everything that's happened so far between you two, you still can't figure it out?" Chiyo asked. "Figure what out?" Haruna asked, irritated. Chiyo sighed again. "Alright Haru-chi, I'll give you a hint. The bottom-line to this specific issue you're having, is that you're totes jealous of Kanako's relationship with Mi-chan."

Haruna stared blankly at Chiyo. "...What?" she uttered. "J-Jealous? No way. What do I have to even be jealous of? Who cares if they had their secret little meeting?" "It's not about the meeting," Chiyo said. "Then what is it about?" Haruna pushed. "Sorry, Haru-chi, you've gotta get the rest on your own," Chiyo answered with a wink, which only served to further annoy Haruna. "Tch, whatever. I don't need your help anyways."

Haruna was left to stew in her own thoughts for the rest of the day about what Chiyo had said. "If it's not about Kanako not telling me about what she told Michi, then what else could it possibly be?" she wondered. Was she actually jealous?

"Me? Yeah right."

End of Chapter One.