60 Chapter Sixteen: Stay

With each drop that fell, cold burst out of each one on whatever it hit. The November Hokkaido air had chilled considerably in recent days, creating a rain that felt close to the temperature of ice water. After only a little sprinkling, the skies opened up, sending sheets of water cascading down onto the ground and the unfortunate individuals caught in its wake.

"Hurry up you slowpoke!" a voice shouted over the rain. "I-I'm trying! You're just too fast Harunaaa!" another voice called back. One girl led and the other followed as they both fled for shelter. These two girls, with both their houses not too far from the school, had agreed that they'd just try to get home as fast as possible.

"I-I knew this was a terrible idea! We're both going to catch colds out here!" Kanako yelled. "Oh shut up! You agreed with me didn't you?! Stop complaining!" Haruna fired back. Just as it had begun to rain, the girls had realized they needed to make a quick decision. Kanako had suggested waiting under a nearby overhang. Haruna, making the point that it'd be dumb to wait out a storm when their houses were within walking distance, convinced Kanako that they should just make a mad dash through the rain.

"See, look! We're almost there!" Haruna shouted, but then she stopped. "Huh? Kanako?" Looking around, her friend was nowhere to be found. "Wait... hey!" Haruna exclaimed. Standing off to the side of the road and holding her arms with her hands and close to her body, Kanako made herself as small as possible while still standing. "What're you doing?! Come on!" Haruna shouted. "I-I-I just thought I'd stop t-to rest f-for a second, b-but now I-I'm too cold to keep running!" Kanako cried as she shivered. "God! You're hopeless, you know that?!" Haruna yelled in exasperation. "Just keep your feet moving!" Then, Haruna grabbed Kanako's wrist and tugged her along.

"Ah..." Kanako let out, though only the wind heard her. Haruna's actions had brought back memories both good and bad. When the two girls were still fighting with each other, Haruna had latched onto Kanako's wrist before, but it had been a tight and painful grip. In the distant past, Haruna had done the same as she was doing now. Grabbing Kanako's wrist tightly enough so she wouldn't slip away, but not so hard as to cause any pain. Watching Haruna's back as Kanako was taken along, she found her memories overlapping with days of the present.

Although, for as much as she wanted to reminisce, the weather had other ideas. The wind wasn't particularly strong, but when mixed with the rain that was falling with a harsh chill, it seemed to make a very unpleasant combination, to say the least. With cold and wet conditions and no umbrella to fend them off with, Kanako's mind quickly went back to remembering how much she wished they had just taken shelter.

Then, at long last, Kanako and Haruna made it back to their houses. Or at least, one of them did. Haruna, being so determined to simply get both of them home and dry, had marched straight up to her own front door, swooped in and quickly shut it behind her. "There! Finally!" she said, dripping water in the front entryway. "Hm?"

Standing next to her of course was Kanako. "...Oh. Oops," Haruna said bashfully, realizing her mistake. "I told you to let me go, but you wouldn't listen!" Kanako said, pouting. "Sorry Kanako," Haruna said with a weak laugh. "But it's not like you're far from home or anything. You can just stay here until the rain lets up." "I-I guess so. How long do you think it'll be?" Kanako asked. "Let's see..." Haruna muttered as she pulled out her phone. Checking the weather, she looked at the radar. "Huh?!" she exclaimed. Kanako shuffled over and looked at the screen too. "I-It's so big!" she cried. "I thought you said you saw it wasn't supposed to rain today?!" Haruna said. "I-I did! I-I think I did... Maybe?" Kanako said, becoming less certain with each word. "Maybe they were talking about tomorrow's weather..." "Great! If I would've known about this, I could've brought an umbrella!" Haruna complained. "Actually, why didn't you know?" Kanako asked. "I just check the weather at the beginning of the week," Haruna stated. Kanako stared. "...You know weather changes, right?" she asked. "D-Don't look at me like that! The weather hardly ever changes this drastically!"

But, just as Haruna was about to go on with her justification, a small noise stopped her. "Achoo!" Kanako sneezed, making a tiny sound to accompany it. "Cute..." Haruna thought, then aloud, "Alright, enough about the weather. We both need to warm up, and since you're so small, that means you got cold faster, so you go first into the bath." "I know what you mean, but mentioning my height like that sounds like an insult," Kanako muttered. "Y'know, you seem a little moody," Haruna commented. Kanako shook, then, "Maybe that's because I was dragged into a rainstorm!"

With that grand huff, Kanako went to walk toward the bathroom when she realized something. "Um, H-Haruna?" she said, going back to her timid demeanor. "What?" the girl said in response. "W-Well, it's just, if I go walking around like this, I'll get water everywhere," Kanako said. Giving her a good look, Haruna could tell that she was completely soaked. "Right. I should probably grab a towel," she said. "But won't you have the same problem as me?" Kanako pointed out. Haruna shrugged. "I live here. Besides, it's not like a little water will rot out the entire floor in an instant or anything."

Quickly, Haruna went to a nearby closet and grabbed two towels, one for Kanako and one for herself. "Here," she said, tossing one to Kanako once she was close enough. "T-Thanks," Kanako said. She began to wipe off the ends of her hair and the bottom parts of her top and skirt. As she did, Haruna did the same, but she couldn't help but let her eyes drift to the girl next to her.

Kanako Nakatomi was by no means the most attractive girl in school. Truth be told, her looks were fairly average. She was short, but not the shortest one. Her chest was noticeable, but not much more. Her hair was a simple light-golden brown and always kept in a ponytail. She wore make-up, but only as much as necessary. Really, nothing about her outward appearance made her stand out. But, even with all of that taken into account, it wasn't as if Kanako was at the bottom of the rankings either.

Now, after being bathed by the rain, it seemed like all of her features had been accented. Her light-toned skin gleamed underneath the droplets of water that clung to her. Her hair, drenched, became undone as she removed the tie holding it up, allowing it to fall down just past her shoulders as it created a wild ambiance. Her clothes stuck to her, making her mild curves more prominent, and as she ran a towel over it all, there was a sensual effect that it gave off.

As Kanako dried herself off, she stopped. "...U-Um, Haruna? W-Why're you staring at me like that?" Next to her, Haruna had stopped as well, taking in the sight before her. On her cheeks, a deep red had taken up residence as she had watched Kanako. Having her staring pointed out brought Haruna back to her senses. "H-Huh?! I-I wasn't staring!" she said. "Y-You were looking right at me though," Kanako said. "W-Was I doing something weird?"

Haruna, having no idea how to best explain her actions, decided to brush past it all entirely. "Nope, nothing weird at all!" she said, moving behind Kanako to push her along. "Now let's get you in the bath! Don't want you catching a cold!" "Ah, wai- H-Haruna?!" Kanako said as she suddenly found herself being forcefully directed to the bathroom. "And in you go!" Haruna said, giving one final push and sending Kanako through the doorway before closing the door.

"...What was that all about?" Kanako wondered. "Ah," she let out, realizing a sudden issue. "Haruna, are you still out there?" "Yeah. Do you need something?" Haruna asked. "W-Well, I don't have a change of clothes, s-so I was wondering if you could lend me some..." Kanako said. "Oh, right. Hang on." Haruna then quickly went upstairs and grabbed some of her clothes. Going back to the bathroom, she slid the door open. "Here."

Handing the clothes to Kanako, Haruna turned to leave when Kanako stopped her. "Hey," she began. "W-Why don't we just get in together?" That question, asked in complete innocence, caught Haruna completely off-guard. Once a moment had passed and she was capable of thinking again, she reacted with an absolutely beet-red face.

"N-N-No! No way!" she protested. "W-Why would you even suggest something like that?!" "W-Well, I just thought it make more sense that way! W-We're both cold, so it doesn't seem fair that one of us should have to wait..." After explaining her suggestion, Kanako turned her eyes up to Haruna. "D-Do you really hate the idea that much?" "Ugh!" Haruna exclaimed internally. "Looking at me like that is what's really unfair!"

"I-I don't hate it, i-it's just... the tub! That's it! There's no way both of us will fit!" Haruna said. "Really? But my tub is nearly identical to yours... are you sure it wouldn't be big enough?" "Y-Yep, absolutely! Just can't fit my long legs in there with your whole body in the way! Guess I'll just have to wait out here! Have fun! Don't stay in too long!" And with that, Haruna made her grand escape.

"...She's really acting weird today," Kanako thought to herself. Proceeding to take off her wet clothes, Kanako then went to fill the bath. Once it was done, she slipped in, placing one foot after the other gently into the water before sliding the rest of herself under the water's surface. "Ahh... so warm..." Kanako said in relief. The heated water enveloped her perfectly, helping to wash away the cold that had been clinging to her due to the rain.

However, that feeling of relaxation didn't last for long. As Kanako sat in the bathtub, a question came back to her mind. During her mid-terms, she had had quite the bout of worry and fear strike her. When that had happened, the first person that had come to mind to help calm her nerves had not been who she had expected. Kanako had tried to think about it during the past week, but thanks to her numerous tests, it had gone unanswered.

But, now that her mind was free, Kanako was left to wonder. Why was it, that when she was faced with that worry and fear, that Haruna had been that one she had thought of first? "Well, she is pretty tough," Kanako thought. "Maybe that's it?" That answer didn't seem right though. Strength was good, but it wasn't like someone could punch through worry. "Is it just because we're close?" That didn't explain it either. With that reasoning, why didn't Akio come to mind? After all, he was supposed to be the one Kanako was in love with. Closeness and affection surely would've been a strong enough combination to bring about the boy's face. So why didn't it?

Sitting in the water, Kanako pulled her knees up toward her chest. As she lifted her left hand simultaneously, she stopped. "..." Silently, she stared at it. When calling for Haruna, it had been that hand that she had seen shaking. Grabbing it with her other, Kanako didn't think of much. Obviously, holding your own hand didn't create much of an impact. However, in her actions, Kanako found that the one who usually did hold her hand had created an unforgettable feeling.

When comparing the hand sizes of Kanako and Haruna, it was only natural that Haruna's was bigger considering she was taller. But even with bigger hands, they still had soft palms and slender fingers. When they wrapped around Kanako's, she could feel all of that, along with a gentle and kind warmth that could only be expressed through their hand-to-hand connection. It was a feeling that Kanako had gotten to experience many times now, and yet, each time it happened, it brought a smile to her face. Whether it was because of renewed friendship with Haruna or just the appreciation of someone showing that much care toward her, it made Kanako happy. And now, it had happened so often that if Haruna didn't do it, it felt wrong.

Recently, Kanako had gotten to go home with Akio by herself. She had felt a little bad for leaving Haruna behind, and she had thought that that was what had been the cause of her feelings of being uncomfortable. She fully intended to enjoy every second alone with Akio, but it was that feeling that prevented her from doing so. Thinking about it with this new context, it became clear what exactly that feeling was: simply put, Haruna wasn't there. There was no girl next to her, holding her hand like always. Without that, Kanako's mind could no longer feel completely at ease whenever she walked home.

It was a small example of her larger fear: losing Haruna again. In the past, it had hurt. Kanako had felt so much pain from losing her closest friend. Eventually she had come to terms with it, but the pain never truly left. Even when she started getting reconnected with Haruna, the pain lingered. But after becoming such good friends again, Kanako was sure it was gone. She was wrong. It had come back, and worse than before. Just the idea of Haruna no longer being at her side was enough to make Kanako panic.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Kanako calmed down. However, just because she was calmer didn't mean she stopped thinking and wondering. "...Why do I feel this way?" she mumbled, placing her left hand to her heart before overlapping it with her right. "The thought of her leaving my side makes me so incredibly anxious. It sends so much pain through my heart. And yet..." Kanako paused, taking a moment to remember more pleasant things. "...knowing she's there to hold my hand and just spend time with me is enough to calm my nerves..."

The memory of Haruna smiling came to Kanako's mind, causing her own lips to curl as well. And then, whether she realized it or not, there was a sudden change inside of her. For only a couple of seconds, Kanako's heart had beaten a little faster than usual.

*****

"That girl... is going to be the death of me..." Haruna muttered as she laid on the couch. Once Kanako had gone into the bath, she had finished drying herself off before changing into a pair of black sweatpants and a baggy blue t-shirt. Now waiting for her own turn in the bath, Haruna realized how perilous a situation she was in. "I always thought those guys in manga were overreacting when a girl got wet with clothes on..." she muttered. The way Kanako had looked, being soaked by the rain, had been enough to make Haruna's mind go blank. Then on top of that, Kanako had offered to get in the bath together. "I can't even imagine how that would've gone. I might've passed out if I had tried," Haruna thought. A part of her hated how dirty she was thinking. It wasn't like she was burning with lustful desire to pounce on Kanako at any moment. But, there was also no denying that another part of her had hoped once or twice to see Kanako in more sexy situations. "God, I only ever imagined up to a kiss with Miyashita-kun... why is it so much worse with Kanako?" Haruna wondered.

Although, even putting that much aside, there was still trouble. Next up was a fluffy and clean Kanako dressed in Haruna's clothes. She had had the opportunity to see that once before on the summer camping trip, but she got the feeling that it'd be a different experience seeing it in her own home. Along with that came the fact that Kanako would be waiting out the rain, prolonging both that sight and their time together. With this all happening so unexpectedly, Haruna was at a completely loss as to what to do.

"...I bet Chiyo would know..." she suddenly muttered. For a moment, she thought about sending the gal a text, but after picking up her phone, she set it back down. Yet again, something prevented her from reaching out. It was hard to say if that something was pride or another thing entirely, but whatever it was, it kept getting in the way of Haruna, leaving her to make decisions completely on her own. There was of course the possibility of asking Jasmine. She had helped Haruna out in the past, and considering her relationship experience, it was worth a try. And yet, Haruna didn't, although this failed attempt had more to do with the status of their relationship with each other more than anything else. Over the last few months, Haruna and Jasmine had certainly gotten closer, but Haruna still didn't think they were at the stage where she could just ask for love advice spur of the moment.

"...I'm really hopeless, aren't I?" Haruna sighed. "W-Why are you hopeless?" a voice suddenly asked. Looking to the side, Haruna saw Kanako standing next to the couch. "Gah!" "Kya!" Both girls shouted one after the other. "W-Where did you come from?!" "W-Why did you shout like that?! You scared me!" Once both girls took a breath, they continued in a more orderly fashion.

"I-I'm done with the bath," Kanako said. Haruna, still looking at the girl, took the sight in. Giving off an air of fluffiness, Kanako was wearing one of the tourist-stop t-shirts Chiyo had given to Haruna (it was white with a weird looking mascot on it) and an old pair of sweatpants that didn't fit Haruna anymore. But, with the clothes still being meant for taller girls, they remained loose on the short Kanako. "I hope those aren't too loose for you," Haruna commented. "It's fine. It's not like this is the first time I've worn your clothes," Kanako said. "I-I just wish... well..." "What?" Haruna asked. "I-It's embarrassing to say, but while the p-panties fit fine, the bra just wouldn't... stay on."

It was true that Haruna didn't mind her looks for the most part. She was fine with putting on whatever as long as it didn't look terrible. She kept her hair in decent enough condition and hardly bothered with make-up. All in all, she put most of the girly things toward the bottom of the list. Unfortunately, there was no denying her girl nature as she felt a twinge of irritation at the mention of ill-fitting upper garments.

Seeing Haruna getting annoyed, Kanako got flustered. "S-Sorry, I know you're sensitive about y-your chest size! I-I didn't mean to make you mad!" Haruna let out a long sigh. "I'm not mad. Besides, it's not like you're that much bigger than me." "I'm not?" Kanako asked innocently. "...Okay, now I'm getting a little mad," Haruna said flatly. "Anyways, I think Chiyo might have left one here you can use, although it probably won't fit right."

Going up to Haruna's bedroom, the girl rummage around a bit before finding what she was looking for. "Here," she said, handing the pink lace bra over to Kanako. "T-This?!" Kanako exclaimed, blushing some at the design. "I-It's awfully... um... fancy..." "You can say sexy, you know," Haruna said. "Er... yeah..." Kanako said quietly. "B-But did this really fit her? It seems a little small." "Chiyo told me one time that she was trying to make her boobs look bigger, so she bought a smaller size. I guess it backfired though, because she said it just made her chest hurt and left marks on her back," Haruna explained. "S-So why is this here?" Kanako asked. Haruna sighed again. "I'm pretty sure she left it as a joke, saying I would 'grow into it.' I just never got around to getting rid of it." "Oh, I see," Kanako said.

"Alright," Haruna said, changing topics. "While you take care of that, I'll get in the bath now." "O-Okay. Don't stay in too long," Kanako said, giving the same warning she had been given. "Right," Haruna said with a slight smile. Then she was off to take her bath.

It didn't take long, and soon enough Haruna was out, patting her hair dry with the same towel she had used earlier. Walking out into the living room, she found Kanako on the couch. Their previous positions had swapped. "Oh, you're done?" Kanako said, looking up. "Yep. Now I'm warm too," Haruna said jokingly. "Ah, you really should dry your hair better," Kanako commented. "Why? I always do it like this," Haruna said. Kanako sighed. "Honestly..." she mumbled, then got up. After walking out of the room, she came back with a hair dryer. "I used this earlier. I-I hope that was okay," Kanako said. "Yeah, it's fine," Haruna said. "Okay, now sit here," Kanako said.

Sitting back down on the couch, Kanako patted the seat next to her. "Are you going to dry my hair?" Haruna asked. Kanako nodded happily. "Come on! I promise it'll feel good!" "Why is she so into this?" Haruna wondered, but she obliged anyways. Sitting down next to Kanako, Haruna was still as Kanako turned on the machine in her hand and began sliding her free hand through Haruna's jet-black hair.

"Your hair is so silky Haruna," Kanako commented. "You think so?" she asked. "It's not like I do anything to it." "Natural silkiness must be nice," Kanako said. "I have to use products to get it to feel like this." "I didn't think you put that much effort in," Haruna said. "Haruna, every girl puts in at least that much effort..." Kanako said with a bit of disappointment.

After a bit more time, Kanako finished drying Haruna's hair, leaving the two girls sitting in silence on the couch. As the rain continued to pour down outside, Haruna suggested that the two of them have tea. "That's unusual," Kanako remarked. "What is?" Haruna said back. "You're not usually the one to say something about tea," Kanako said. "Well, I am now. So do you want some?" Haruna said as she got up. "O-Oh, sure, but how about I make it?" Kanako said quickly. "Sure, whatever," Haruna said with a shrug. When Kanako got up to head to the kitchen, she had one thought in mind: "I really can't tell Haruna her tea is bad."

Once brewed, Kanako carried one cup over to Haruna and held another for herself. Sitting back down on the couch, the two of them made several blows on the hot liquid before taking a sip. "Mm, this is nice," Haruna said, staring into the cup. "Glad you like it," Kanako said. However, there was a subtext there that Kanako couldn't have hoped to catch. Haruna's comment had certainly been about the tea, but it was also about the current situation.

On a cold and rainy November evening, Haruna was sitting in her living room alone with her crush, drinking tea together. It was a nicely painted picture, and one that Haruna found herself enjoying more and more. There wasn't a whole lot of conversation between them, but the silence was also surprisingly comfortable. Everything about what they were doing felt so natural that Haruna couldn't help but wonder if maybe she could have a future like that. "If we were a real couple... would days like these be normal?"

But, as soon as she let her guard down, disaster struck. A huge gust of wind blew, causing rain to spatter harshly into the windows. A few seconds later, all of the lights clicked off, pitching the Endo residence into darkness. "Kya!" Kanako yelped. "Did the power go out?" Haruna asked, though the answer was obvious. "G-Geez, that really scared me!" Kanako said, letting out a breath. "Do you think it will come back on soon?" "With how strong the storm suddenly got, I wouldn't be surprised if a power line or something got knocked down," Haruna said.

"M-Maybe we should get some lights. Do you have a lantern or candles?" Kanako asked. "Candles? Why not just use our phones?" Haruna asked. "W-What if somehow it gets worse and we end up using all of our battery? P-Plus, my phone isn't very bright..." Kanako said. "I think you might be a little too much into survival mode, but I guess you have a point too," Haruna said. "Candles though... do we even have any?"

As it turned out, after a bit of searching in a cabinet in the living room, there were some. "Seriously, why were these even in here?" Haruna muttered as she held the tall wax sticks. There were individual holders for each one, and once they were set up on the table in front of the couch, Haruna lit the three they had found, creating a soft orange light that illuminated the area around them.

For a moment, it was silent except for the rain. It was beginning to die down from its previous intensity, but it still made enough noise to be quite prevalent in the quiet. Looking over, Haruna saw Kanako smiling. "What's with that look on your face?" Haruna asked. "O-Oh, it's nothing," Kanako said. "It's pretty silly anyways." "Well now I wanna know," Haruna said flatly. "W-Well... it's just, I was thinking. If we were still doing our deal with Akio-kun and having to pretend to be a c-couple... I think this would look pretty romantic."

Haruna was stunned to hear Kanako say that. "You-!" she was about to burst out, but she stopped herself. Speaking out of surprise wouldn't give voice to the words she really wanted to say. Truthfully, she was glad Kanako thought it was romantic, and Haruna couldn't deny it either. So instead, she corrected herself. "...Romantic, huh?" she repeated softly. "It'd be pretty nice if you really meant that..." "Huh?" Kanako let out, but Haruna just gave a slight shake of her head. "Nothing. Forget it."

Silence fell over the room once more. Neither of them had anything to say. What had once been a comfortable mood had somehow twisted itself into an awkward one. "Why does this keep happening?" Haruna wondered. Glancing at Kanako, she saw her staring into the flame of one of the candles. "Even in candlelight, she looks so beautiful..." With the flickering flame dancing about, the highlights on Kanako's face kept changing, but each flicker seemed to create the perfect accent. It felt to Haruna like the flame was dancing just for the two of them, putting all of its effort into helping them along.

Unfortunately, for as hard as it tried, the flame would go unrewarded. Suddenly, Kanako got up. "I-I think the rain has let up enough now that I can get home without getting too wet. I'll wash what I'm wearing and get it back to you tomorrow," she said. But, while she spoke, Haruna hadn't heard a word past the mention of Kanako leaving. Of course she had to leave. It wasn't as if Kanako could stay at Haruna's house forever. And, considering they were next-door neighbors, it would only take Kanako all of a minute or less to get to her own home. Rain was hardly even an issue.

And yet, something tugged at Haruna. All of the thoughts and scenes of Akio and Kanako happily together sprang to mind. The distance that seemed to be growing between her and Kanako widened. Her odds felt like they were slipping. Panic set in. Emotions took over. "Wait..." Haruna thought. "Come back... back to me..." Seeing Kanako spend so much time with Akio had been affecting Haruna more than she had realized. It was only in that moment that she finally saw just how much she felt like Kanako was slipping out of her reach.

"O-Okay, I guess I'm heading home now. Thanks for the tea-" Kanako said before stopping just short of finishing her sentence. As she had turned to leave, something had prevented her from going any farther. Looking behind her, Kanako saw a singular hand, really the pinching of a thumb and index finger, grasping tightly to the back of her shirt.

"...stay."

The word had been spoken so softly it was barely a whisper, but even above the patter of rain, Kanako heard it clearly. The girl that had spoken it was looking down, but after a second, she looked up. Her eyes were pleading as she continued. "Don't go... Stay here with me..."

"Haru...na?" Kanako uttered, completely taken aback by the girl's actions. "I-Is it because of the storm?" "...Yeah," Haruna said. It was a lie. It had nothing to do with the storm. In fact, she enjoyed rainy days. Kanako surely knew that, and yet, she showed no sign of inquiring further. Instead, she drew her forward foot back and then turned to face Haruna. "O-Okay. I'll stay," she said with a gentle smile. Then, as if it was only just a dream, Kanako sat back down, appearing like she had never moved in the first place.

Really, Haruna had reached out before she had even realized what she was doing. And after begging like a child for Kanako to stay, she had been sure Kanako would say no. And yet, to her surprise, Kanako stayed. Once seated again, Haruna stared at the girl next to her. "I wonder..." she thought. "...if she's indulging me like this, then..." Then how far could she push it?

"Hey, Kanako?" Haruna began. Kanako looked at her. "C-Can I... hold your hand?" Haruna asked. Kanako nodded. "That's fine." Taking Kanako's hand into her own, it made Haruna feel warm inside. It was different from their usual hand-holding. She was pretty sure they'd never done it while sitting at home like this.

But Haruna still wasn't satisfied just yet. Scooting a little closer, Haruna leaned the side of her body up against Kanako's. "W-What are you doing?" Kanako asked, surprised by the sudden closeness. "...I'm getting cold. Aren't you?" Haruna lied. "M-Maybe a little," Kanako answered. "Then it's fine. We can keep each other warm," Haruna said like it was fact. Having nothing to respond with, Kanako just accepted it. It wasn't like it bothered her anyway. "This is nice," she thought.

For so long, Kanako had hoped for a friendship with Haruna like they had had before. With their constant fighting and bickering, it had felt like those days would never come. And then, by some miracle, Kanako had gotten her wish. Not only that, it seemed what she had received was more than she could have imagined. The level of intimacy that Haruna and Kanako had now was way more than they had ever had in the past. Physically and mentally, it felt like they were now closer than ever, and that made Kanako quite happy.

Next to her, Haruna was basking in the glow of her forwardness. "This is perfect," she thought. Holding the hand of the girl she was in love with and sitting so close together they were touching, the rain provided the perfect soundtrack to the moment. And as it continued to fall, slowly but surely, both Haruna and Kanako began to nod off.

Kanako was the first to fall asleep, her head landing on Haruna's shoulder. However, Haruna had little time to enjoy it, as shortly after, she fell asleep too. In the candlelit living room, the two girls both slept with smiles on their faces.

End of Chapter Sixteen.