Chapter Sixteen: Time With You Is...

Over the weekend, Haruna recovered from her injury and went about her Monday as usual. Except, now that her and Kanako had made up (in a way), one more thing had been re-added to the routine. That was going over next door and waking Kanako up, which Haruna was about to do.

She found herself standing over the other girl as she slept. Anyone who would've walked in on the scene would've found it to be creepy. But the reason Haruna was simply standing in place was because she wasn't exactly sure what to do. Before, she had simply ripped off Kanako's sheets without a care for how she would feel about it or react. It was effective, and as long as she got up and they weren't late, it didn't matter. However, now Haruna felt like (or more accurately, realized) doing that was kind of mean. So the question was, how was she supposed to wake up Kanako?

Haruna wasn't really sure. Being gentle didn't really fit into her personality, but being too rough would be going down the road the two girls had just gotten off of. After going back and forth for a couple of minutes, Haruna decided to go with something in between. She placed her hand on Kanako and gave a slight push. "Kanako, get up. Come on, we'll be late if you don't."

At first there was no response, leading Haruna to start considering her previous approach. Luckily for the sleeping girl, a few more pushes did the trick, as her eyes slowly opened. "Good morning Haruna," she said sleepily. "Yeah, morning. Hurry up. I don't want to be late," Haruna said briskly before walking away. As she left, Haruna could feel her heart being a little faster. "Why does she look cute like that?"

While Haruna waited, she stood somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the main hallway. Both of Kanako's parents had already left for work. Haruna had ran into the mother of the family on her way out. She had been a little surprised to see Haruna, considering she hadn't shown up recently. But after exchanging a brief, pleasant greeting, she left Kanako to Haruna and rushed out the door. "Why does it seem like every time I see her, she's always running late?" Haruna wondered. "Well, like mother like daughter I guess."

A few minutes later, Kanako came downstairs. "Okay, I'm ready," she said, standing in front of Haruna. "Then let's go," the other girl said. "Oh, wait!" Kanako suddenly said. "Here, stand still for a moment." "What're you-" Haruna began to say. Kanako grabbed the girl's green bow and began fiddling with it. "And... there! Now it's straight!" Kanako said happily after adjusting Haruna's bow. Where a person normally would've said thanks, a flustered Haruna could only manage: "Y-You didn't need to do that." "I-I know, but I wanted to," Kanako said, now feeling slightly embarrassed.

After their awkward moment, the two girls headed out the door and began making their way to school. They both stayed quiet, until finally Haruna spoke up. "H-Hey," she started. "Give me your hand." "Huh? W-Why?" Kanako asked. "Just do it!" Haruna said a little louder, then suddenly grabbed Kanako's hand. Kanako jumped a little from the action, fearing what Haruna would do, but all that happened was their hands remained linked as they dropped down to the middle space between them. "Oh, so that's what she wanted," Kanako realized, then giggled to herself. "What's so funny?" Haruna scowled. "Nothing," Kanako said with a smile.

Her happiness quickly vanished though when Kanako began thinking about how what they were doing would look to others. "Girls holding hands isn't necessarily unusual, but... what if people get the wrong idea?" she worried, thinking back to the time those girls cornered her. "Then again, this was what Akio-kun wanted, wasn't it? We have to convince him we're a couple. But... I don't really want to deal with any bad rumors again..." Kanako felt torn. What would it mean for her if everyone in school started thinking she had a thing for girls over guys? Would it actually hurt her chances with Akio? Because Haruna hadn't been taking the deal seriously, Kanako had only had these questions pass through her head.

Before, Haruna had never even wanted to be seen with Kanako, let alone be in a situation like the one they were in now. But after their conversation in the storage shed, it seemed like things really had changed. Now Haruna was willing to be seen by others. "Am I just overthinking this? Does this really not bother her?" With Haruna stepping up in her efforts, Kanako suddenly found herself stopping to seriously think about each and every question she had. Unfortunately, she wasn't really able to find any answers.

All of that thinking caused Kanako to involuntarily squeeze Haruna's hand, which got her attention. Haruna looked down at her, but before she could say anything, a voice called out from behind them. "Heeeyy you twoooo!" Turning around, they saw it was Chiyo hurrying to catch up to them. "Funny to see you two together." When she finally reached them, Chiyo whispered in Haruna's ear: "Haru-chi, if you'd told me you were walking to school with your girlfriend, I would've given you some alone time," she said with a wink. "S-She's not my g-girlfriend!" Haruna harshly whispered back. It was actually the first time Chiyo had joined the two girls on the way to school due to Haruna's insistence that she stay away in the beginning. However, Haruna hadn't told Chiyo about her most recent conversation with Kanako, so she hadn't told her to stay away again. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter considering she knows everything anyways..." Haruna thought.

"Hm? Oh hey, you're holding hands. Afraid you'll get lost Kana-chan?" Chiyo teased. "N-No! Of course not!" Kanako fought back. Then Chiyo waved her closer, causing them to meet face-to-face (literally) in front of Haruna. "Don't look so tense Kana-chan. It'll be okay! Besides, if anyone tries to give you any grief, I'll totally give 'em a what's-for!" she whispered. Kanako smiled. "You really are like a big sister Chiyo," she said. "Oooh, does that mean you'll call me Chiyo nee-chan now?" Chiyo teased again. "N-No, that's be way too embarrassing!" Kanako said.

"God, can you two move already? It's impossible to walk with you leaning in front of me like this," Haruna pointed out, feeling extremely annoyed. "What were you talking about anyways?" "Oh, just how Kana-chan's gonna starting calling me nee-chan now," Chiyo said with a giggle. "I-I'm not going to do it!" Kanako cried. "Whatever," Haruna shrugged, then kept walking with Kanako in tow.

The three of them soon arrived at school, and it didn't take long for people to notice a certain pair with their hands interlocked. "Geez, everybody's already staring..." Kanako thought. It wasn't as if Kanako could completely tell if the people whispering were actually talking about them, but their sidelong glances definitely didn't help to ease her suspicions.

Once they were inside, Kanako and Haruna both let go so they could change their shoes and put a couple of things in their lockers. When they finished, Kanako saw Haruna with her hand out to her. "T-Take it..." she muttered. "A-Are you sure? I mean..." Kanako trailed off as she looked at the people around her. It seemed no one was paying attention to what they were doing. "But as soon as we go out into the hallway..." Kanako thought. "We have to convince Miyashita-kun, remember. Come on," Haruna said with her face turned away. "O-Okay..." Kanako agreed, despite her reservations. "She's right. Besides, after we leave Iwanai High, it's not like I'll see all of these people again. But if I can convince Akio-kun, I could spend a lifetime with him. If I think about it like that, then I think I can get through this, even with people staring at me."

So with a new defense for herself against the questioning eyes following her, Kanako took Haruna's hand and they began to head to their classrooms. The walk was short, and soon enough they both had to let go, but the time had been long enough to cause a few murmurs. Kanako didn't even bother trying to say anything. She felt like if she did, it would somehow just make things worse. However, while Haruna didn't speak either, she gave a frightening glare to the students around them.

*****

During class it was business as usual. With the festival done, the lessons scheduled for the second half of the term were underway. Haruna did her best to focus, but she couldn't help but continue to remember the events of the morning. "I was holding her hand..." she repeated to herself for the tenth time. "It was so small... and soft..." Then, following the pattern that she had unintentionally set for herself after thinking that, Haruna violently shook her head. "No, no, no! What am I thinking?! The only reason I have to hold her hand is so we look more couple-like to Miyashita-kun!"

The vicious cycle continued in Haruna's head all the way until lunchtime. "C'mon Haru-chi, let's go!" Chiyo said with a bento box in hand. "Right..." Haruna said, feeling exhausted from her own mind. When they walked out the door, Haruna began to head toward the stairs, but Chiyo went the opposite direction. "Huh? Where are you going?" Haruna asked. "Aren't you forgetting someone?" Chiyo asked, motioning toward Kanako's classroom. "Oh, yeah..." Haruna realized what her friend was getting at. So she backtracked and the two of them went to the room a couple of doors down.

When they got there, the group of Kanako, Michi, Mayu and Itsuki had just finished arranging their desks into a square, making one big table. "Heya girls!" Chiyo proclaimed, drawing the attention of the entire room instead of just one section of it. "C-Chiyo?" Kanako said, surprised. "Wanna come eat lunch with us?" Chiyo asked. "Um, well..." Kanako began to say. Chiyo quickly figure out Kanako's dilemma. "Everyone can come! The more, the merrier, right Haru-chi?" Chiyo said, turning to the tall girl behind her. "Sure. Whatever..." she mumbled in response. "Then it's decided! C'mon everybody!" Chiyo announced.

"Wait a minute! None of us agreed at all!" Michi yelled. "Aww, Mi-chan, don't be a stick in the mud," Chiyo pouted. "I don't mind," Mayu spoke up. "Yeah, I don't either," Itsuki followed suit. "W-Well... I guess so..." Kanako said hesitantly. "Three against one Mi-chan!" Chiyo said proudly. "Ugh... Fine!" Once everyone was in agreement, the six of them headed up to the roof.

Reaching the top of the staircase, the group walked out into the open air and sat down in a circle not too far from the exit. The lunches that were set down in front of each person were a mix of both homemade and store-bought. "Hey Mi-chan, let me try some of yours!" Chiyo said as she was reaching for the other girl's food. "No way! Stay away from me!" Michi shouted, pulling her lunch away from Chiyo's grasp. "Don't be so stingy Mi-chan! Sharing is caring!" Chiyo said, continuing her efforts. "No!" Michi protested.

Mayu and Itsuki laughed at the scene as they began eating, but the two remaining members of the group both sat still for different reasons. For Kanako, she was definitely happy to be spending time with everyone, but it was a little weird. It was the first time the two friend groups had become one, but it seemed to be working well. "I'm glad everyone can get along. Although..." Kanako thought, then asked the question that came to her mind. "Where's Hiraoka-san?"

Asking that froze Chiyo's playful fighting with Michi mid-scene. She had been in the process of trying to grab a sausage with her chopsticks out of Michi's bento box, but Michi had been holding her back by extend her arm as far away from Chiyo as she could and using her free hand to hold Chiyo's wrist. "Oh, Jas-chin?" Chiyo said, then shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe she's getting it on with some new boy toy."

"Boy-.... That's not appropriate talk for eating!" Michi cried. "Gotcha!" Chiyo exclaimed, taking advantage of a distracted Michi to snag a piece of food for herself. "Hey! That's not yours!" Michi lectured. "Mm? But itsh good though," Chiyo commented after stuffing the sausage in her mouth. "O-Oh..." was all Michi could muster for a response.

Watching all of that unfold had brought a smile to Kanako's face. She had already liked Chiyo, but knowing how Michi felt about her, it was hard to imagine the two of them ever getting along. But now, despite Michi's protests, it seemed she didn't hate Chiyo as much as she claimed to. "It kind of feels like that's going around," Kanako thought, glancing at Haruna. "I'm happy we can be together like this." "What're you staring at, stupid?" Haruna spat when she caught Kanako looking at her. "...But I guess some things have yet to change..." Kanako thought with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Haruna was dealing with a feeling she didn't really understand. "Why do I wish... that all these other people weren't here?" She was left wondering what that could mean as she watched Chiyo and Michi. "That must be nice... to be able to act like that so freely..." That thought was enough to make Haruna get nearly angry at herself. "And what is that feeling? Since when did I...?" She didn't understand what that meant. Was it self-pity? Or was it something more akin to self-loathing? "I don't remember ever being this soft for myself..."

"H-Haruna!" a nervous voice suddenly yelled, getting her attention. "S...S-Say aah!" Kanako said as she held a piece of food up to Haruna's mouth. "Wha-?! What are you doing, idiot?!" Haruna panicked. "W-Well, you were staring at Mi-chan and Chiyo so much, I-I kind of thought you maybe w-wanted to do something like that..." And then in a whisper: "A-And isn't this something c-couples do? I'm sure Akio-kun is watching somewhere."

Hearing that caused Haruna to whip around in all directions. "I don't see him though..." she thought. "D-Do you want it or not? T-This is pretty e-embarrassing you know..." Kanako said shyly, still holding her chopsticks up. "I do kind of want it... Kanako's always been a good cook..." But as Haruna thought that internally, externally she did practically the opposite.

"Of course I don't want it! Who'd want something you made?!" Haruna shouted, smacking away Kanako's hand and causing her to drop her utensils. "O-Oh... I'm sorry..." Kanako said sadly as she went to pick up her chopsticks. "Wait, no... I didn't-" Haruna began to say, but she had been so quiet that the only person that heard her was herself. "What's wrong with you?!" Michi screamed. "Kana-chan's being nice to you and you just hit her instead? What's your problem?!"

For the first time in a long time, Haruna didn't even have the energy to fight back. "I didn't-" she tried to say again. "You didn't what? Didn't want it? Then just say so instead of being such a jerk!" Then Michi stood up and grabbed Kanako's arm. "Come on Kana-chan, we're leaving." "Huh? Wait Mi-chan! Hang on!" Kanako pleaded as she scrambled to stand upright. Her pleas fell on deaf ears however, as Michi continued to drag her friend out the door.

While Chiyo, Mayu and Itsuki stared, Haruna sat still, finally managing to finish what she had been trying to say. "I didn't... mean to..." she mumbled. "I bet... it was good too..." Haruna put her face in her hands. "Why did I do that?"

Mayu and Itsuki went to leave, but Chiyo continued to watch Haruna mutter to herself. "Oh Haru-chi..." she said gently.

*****

When the school day ended, Chiyo had immediately gone over to Haruna and proposed that they go out to eat. "I guess so. Where should we go?" Haruna had agreed, and after they both briefly stopped at their houses, Chiyo had taken the two of them out to a place only a few minutes' walk away from where they were.

While Haruna had lived in Iwanai her entire life, it wasn't as if she went out to eat often. So, when they arrived at their destination, Haruna had no idea what to expect. "I've come to this place a few times with Jas-chin. It's pretty homey!" Chiyo said happily as she opened the door.

Sure enough, the interior did provide a comforting atmosphere, despite the outside looking almost run down. The walls inside were covered in a deep mahogany wood paneling, with booths of a similar complexion lining them. In the middle were a few tables with chairs around them, and in the back corner was a sort of half-bar with a couple of stools set underneath it. Hanging on the walls were various famous Japanese sayings, and filling in the remaining gaps were framed paintings of birds. "Has there always been a place like this around here?" Haruna wondered, feeling somewhat in awe at the sight of the establishment she had walked into, but also feeling slightly irked at the fact that Chiyo, a non-native, apparently knew more about Haruna's own town than she did. "I mean, it's not like I take pride in being from here, but still..."

Regardless of her split feelings, the two of them proceeded inside and headed toward one of the booths to the side. After sitting down, Chiyo picked up the menus and handed one to Haruna. "They have pretty good paninis here," Chiyo pointed out. "What the hell is a panini?" Haruna asked. "Y'know Haru-chi, sometimes your unculturedness really shows," Chiyo commented.

Moving on from what Haruna was pretty sure was an insult, she started looking over the menu in earnest. "I have to admit, this place has a lot of good options," she thought. It didn't take long for her to decide on what she wanted though, and soon enough a waitress came over to collect their order. Haruna went with a house specialty version of spaghetti and meatballs, and Chiyo got one of the paninis.

While they waited, Chiyo surprisingly sat in silence, simply staring out the window next to her with her hand propping up her chin. In that time, the waitress had returned with their drinks. The quiet however was beginning to make Haruna uncomfortable, so she went to speak, but she wasn't sure what to say. "I..." Haruna began, not sure what words her mouth would spit out. "...have been getting these weird feelings lately..." "What'd'ya mean?" Chiyo asked as she began chewing on her straw. "I'm... not really sure. It's just, lately, when I'm near Kanako, I get..." Chiyo was now staring intently. "Get what? Flustered? Excited? Annoyed?" Then she leaned in closer to Haruna. "Does your heart feel like it's gonna like totally burst out of your chest?" "What?!" Haruna exclaimed loudly, drawing the ire of the couple other patrons in the restaurant. Her face had gone completely red, blushing from ear to ear. "N-No! Of course it doesn't! Why the hell would it?" Haruna said in a lower, but still harsh tone. "You're sounding preeeettty defensive there Haru-chi," Chiyo teased.

Haruna took a deep breath and then exhaled. "I just don't get it... I hate her, don't I? So why do I want to... to..." Haruna's voice got so small that Chiyo couldn't pick it up. "Haru-chi, I can't help you if I can't hear you," she said. "...Today at lunch, I had wished that the only people around were me and Kanako... What do you think that means?" Haruna asked. The way she looked up at Chiyo was like an innocent child desperately searching for an answer. Chiyo simply chuckled. "Sorry Haru-chi, but I don't think I can answer that." "Huh? Why not?" Haruna asked. "I mean like, I could absolutely give you advice, but at the end of the day, the only answer that matters is the one you come up with on your own," Chiyo explained.

Haruna went quiet. "So you're saying... I have to figure it out by myself?" Chiyo sighed. "Don't say that like I'm abandoning you or something girl. I just think that you'd be better off searching your own heart instead of mine or anyone else's. But, I will ask you a question: how do you feel when you're with Kana-chan?"

"How do I... feel?" Haruna repeated. She started to give it thought. "When I'm around Kanako, I feel... annoyed... angry... uncomfortable..." "Is that all?" Chiyo pressed. "I... feel good... when she smiles at me," Haruna continued. "Like, I wish she always looked at me like that. And... I kind of... don't mind being around her as much now... And recently... I found out that her hand... fits nicely in mine... that kinda makes me h-happy..."

Chiyo could practically see the steam pumping out of Haruna's ears from how embarrassed she was getting saying all of that out loud. Haruna thought the temperature of her face had to be over 100 degrees. "God, what am I even saying right now?!" Haruna shouted, finally managing to switch off the flood of emotions that had been spilling out of her. However, while Haruna had expected Chiyo to mock her or tease her about saying what she did, instead, she saw Chiyo simply smiling contently.

"Y'know Haru-chi, we've had this exact same conversation before," she said. "Huh? I don't remember that," Haruna said flatly. "When would I have told you anything like this?" "You're so dense Haru-chi," Chiyo said with a sigh. "So I'm just going to wait and let you figure it out on your own." Haruna scowled, both at Chiyo and as she tried to understand what she meant. "Why can't she just tell me?"

After they ate, the two of them headed home. Chiyo talked on and on about a bunch of different topics, but Haruna wasn't listening at all. She was too busy thinking, trying to guess at what Chiyo had meant. "I seriously just don't get it..."

When Chiyo and Haruna went their separate ways, Chiyo had given Haruna a look that suggested, "Good luck." "For some reason, that just irritates me," Haruna thought. She kept walking, until finally she was almost home when something stopped her. Or rather, someone.

"O-Oh, hi, Haruna," Kanako said. "Why are you out?" Haruna asked. "W-Well, I did have a club meeting today," Kanako explained. "Oh, right..." Haruna responded quietly. The two girls stood awkwardly for a moment. "I'm going to go inside now," Kanako said as she began walking away. "W-Wait!" Haruna suddenly cried. Kanako stopped. "I'm... I'm sorry about lunch today... I didn't... mean to do what I did..." Haruna apologized sheepishly.

Kanako's eyes went wide, but then her expression quickly softened. "It's alright. We'll just try again tomorrow, okay?" she said with a smile. With the sun just beginning its retirement for the day, the light still shown bright overhead. But at this perfect angle, the light seemed to cause Kanako to glitter and shimmer in Haruna's eyes. "Yeah... okay..." she breathed. "Then, see you tomorrow. I'll try to wake up without your help this time," Kanako said. Then she walked away and into her house, leaving Haruna and her feelings more knotted up than before.

*****

The next day, both Kanako and Haruna found notes in their lockers. They were both from Akio, asking them to meet him at the place they both confessed after school that day. So when the time came around, both Haruna and Kanako went to that place and waited for Akio to show up.

"He sure is taking his time..." Haruna grumbled. "M-Maybe he had to meet with a teacher or something?" Kanako guessed. "Although, I don't know how much longer I can wait. Naomi-senpai is probably wondering where I am." "Why didn't you just tell someone you'd be late?" Haruna asked, feeling like that was the obvious solution. "W-Well, I would've, but then whoever I told would've wanted to know why, and I'm not that good at lying..." Kanako explained while Haruna sighed. "As dumb as that is, I guess I get it. It's kinda hard to tell anyone else..." "But you told Chiyo," Kanako pointed out. "That's because she would've figured it out anyways. She acts like an airhead sometimes, but she's surprising smart when it comes down to it."

The two of them continued to make small talk until about 15 minutes later a boy walked out through the doors nearby. With his brown hair tussled somewhat and a shy grin on his face, he went over to the girls and began to explain his tardiness. "A teacher asked me last minute to run something over to the other side of the school. Sorry it took so long," Akio said nervously. Haruna was basically glaring at him and even Kanako had a slight pout on her face.

"Whatever. I just want to get this over with so I can go home," Haruna finally said. "Straight to the point, as always," Akio said, then motioned to the picnic table near them "Why don't we sit down over there?" So the group moved over to that spot and took their seats. Once they did, Akio began speaking again. "It's been a while since the three of us got together like this. I suppose I can skip the rest of the formalities though. Haruna-chan looks like she's about to snap at me." Kanako glanced at Haruna, who for some reason seemed ready to blow a gasket at Akio.

"She's never really been the patient type..." Kanako thought to herself. "Anyways," Akio said, clapping his hands together. "How's it going? I've got to say, I've been watching you two, and... honestly, I'm just confused. One moment you seem to be working well together, and the next you're both arguing." The two girls looked at each other, then back at Akio. "Well it's not like we're close or anything," Haruna said. "We've spent the last couple of years always fighting. Of course it's going to look like that to you." "I-I know it probably looks weird, but... I think we've kind of figured it out... maybe..." Kanako said quietly. "True, it does seem like the last few days have gone better. You are looking more couple-like at least," Akio said, nodding.

There was a moment of silence before Haruna spoke back up. "So... if you had to choose, who would it be?" Haruna asked shyly. "Choose who?" Akio asked. "Between us, to be your... g-g-girlfriend..." Haruna muttered. Akio smirked, satisfied that he got Haruna to say such a thing out loud. "Hmm... between you or Kana-chan, I'd go out with..."

"...neither of you."

Two jaws dropped hard onto the wooden surface of the table. "N-N-Neither of us?!" Kanako stuttered. "What the hell?! What's even the point of doing this stupid fake relationship crap if you're not going to date either of us?!" Haruna screamed. "Now, now, let's all calm down," Akio said smoothly. "My answer makes perfect sense when you really think about it. I mean, it's only been two months since this all began. Within that time, the two of you have spent more time apart than together. It's only been recently that you've begun to look more convincing. Taking all of that into account, asking me to say which one of you I'd date right now is like asking a stranger to accurately say which chick will become the better chicken."

Haruna tensed up. "But before you said-" she started, but then stopped, only finishing her sentence in her head. "- that you'd pick Kanako..." Akio seemed to understand what Haruna was trying to say. "I know what I said, and back then, it was true. But as it stands now, I'd say you're neck and neck. Both Kana-chan and Haruna-chan have caused a bunch of problems and drama. Honestly, sometimes it was hard to watch. I so badly wanted to swoop in and put a stop to your constant (and sometimes brutal) bickering. However, I think it's all been for the best. You've gotten closer to one another now, haven't you?"

Both of the girls looked at each other once again. Having their deal put the way that Akio put it drew different reactions from them. Kanako simply smiled at Haruna, feeling pleased that things did seem to be going better than how they started. On the other side, Haruna could feel herself blushing. Her emotions inside were beginning to storm. There was a part of her that was happy that things were going better too, but an even bigger part of her just couldn't seem to accept it. She kept rejecting the idea of being close to Kanako. Mixing that together with how she felt about Akio and the new feelings that Haruna couldn't seem to understand caused a volatile combination inside her.

"Now, let me ask you both a question," Akio continued. "How do you feel about Haruna-chan, Kana-chan?" Kanako stared at Akio. "How do I feel?" she repeated, giving the question some thought. "I feel... like things could go back to how they were before. Maybe, little by little, we can get back what we lost all those years ago. I hope that when this is over, we can all stay friends, regardless of who you pick Akio-kun." "Interesting..." Akio commented. "And how about you Haruna-chan?"

Haruna stiffened. "How do I answer that?" she wondered, going quiet for a while. "Um, Haruna?" Kanako said. Finally, she gave an answer. "I... don't know..."

Kanako seemed confused by her answer, but Akio seemed to understand, with his response simply being a smile. "I see," he said. "Well, I suppose I should let you two go now. I know I've held Kana-chan from her club, and Haruna-chan seemed eager to leave. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

Akio began to walk away. "O-Okay. Bye Akio-kun," Kanako said to him, her face gaining a shade of pink as she waved. It was faint, but certainly noticeable. The noticeable sign of a girl in love. Even Haruna knew that much. She also knew that they both were in love with the same boy. And yet, instead of wishing she could be with Akio, she found herself feeling two distinct emotions: relief that it was now just her and Kanako, and irritation that Kanako looked like that toward Akio.

"Why does that bother me?" Haruna wondered. "Am I jealous that she can act more like a girl in love than I can?" This feeling seemed to push the other one of her relief, and the combination began creating a new desire. "Well, I guess I should get to my club. Too bad I've already missed 20 minutes of it..." Kanako sighed, then began to stand up.

Tug.

"...huh?" Kanako said, looking down at the hand now just barely grasping the back of her sleeve. "Haruna?" The girl continued to hold onto the fabric, but she didn't say a word. Inside, her mind was a blank, all except for one thought: "Don't go."

Kanako wasn't really sure what to do, so she decided to sit back down. That action was enough for Haruna to at least release her grip. Then the two of them sat in awkward silence. "What's going on with her? It's so out of character for Haruna to want me to stay..." Kanako thought. "Hey..." Haruna began.

"...You said you've already missed a lot of your club, right? Just skip it." Kanako was dumbfounded. "W-What are you saying?" Haruna was burning up. "W-We c-c-could... c-could..." It was a struggle to get each and every word out. Haruna's mind was empty. Anything she said was simply spilling out on impulse. She tensed up and shook slightly. It wasn't clear if that was because she was too nervous or anxious to speak, or if she was so mad at herself for acting the way she was that it was showing physically.

Kanako stared on at Haruna, trying to understand what was happening. Eventually, she reached a conclusion. "Maybe... she's worried about Akio-kun watching us, so she wants us to do something together instead of just parting ways. But then again, Akio-kun did seem to understand that we both had things we wanted to do..." Regardless, that explanation was the only one that made sense to Kanako. After all, how could it be anything else?

"H-How about..." Kanako began speaking. "...we stop at that café a few blocks away?" Haruna could only nod in agreement. Together they stood up, and Kanako offered her hand. "J-Just in case Akio-kun is watching," she whispered. Haruna placed her hand in the smaller one, and they began walking back through the school to grab their things.

Once they had them, the two girls continued walking hand-in-hand down one street and then another. The café that Kanako had mentioned was most definitely more than a few blocks away, as most businesses preferred to set up closer to the main roads than near the school. However, there were a couple of exceptions. Where they were going was a place that wasn't so much an actual café as it was a stop-and-grab-a-cup-to-go sort of place, similar to a street vendor. The difference was this business did actually operate out of an actual building, not a cart. However, with the way the building had been built by the original tenants, there was only enough room for the kitchen part and no indoor seating. Instead, an ordering window had been put in place in the front, accessible to anyone passing by. Then people could take their order with them, or sit at the few tables set out.

"What can I get 'cha?" An older man asked Haruna and Kanako when they arrived, "Um, I'll have a strawberry smoothie, and... H-Haruna, what do you want?" Haruna had been silent the whole way, and it was only when she had been asked for her order that she finally spoke. "Just give me a black coffee," she said plainly.

Within minutes both orders were done. "Should we sit or should we go home?" Kanako asked. Haruna took a sip of her coffee. "That's gross... I hate this stuff," she muttered. "If you don't like black coffee then why did you order it?" Kanako wondered. "Let's just go home," Haruna said. Reconnecting their hands, the girls began heading back to their places of residence.

As they walked, neither of them said a word, but it wasn't awkward this time. Instead, it felt more like the comfortable silence akin to the kind you get with a close friend. While they both drank what they had gotten (even if one of them didn't like it), Kanako remained one or two steps ahead of Haruna, looking more like one was pulling the other along rather than walking side by side. As Haruna stared at Kanako's back, she was reminded of something.

"I used to hate even the idea of Kanako being ahead of me like this," she thought. "So why is it that now, instead of it making me angry, I'm just letting it happen?" The storm inside of Haruna began to rage once more, sending her thought process into a tailspin. "Actually, why are we even doing this right now? Why did I stop her from leaving? Why did it make me annoyed seeing Kanako happily wave goodbye to Miyashita-kun?"

"Why?"

"Did you say something Haruna?" Kanako asked. "No, forget it..." Haruna mumbled. "O-Okay..." Kanako said. It was clear something was on Haruna's mind, but Kanako had no idea what it was. "I wish she'd tell me..." Kanako thought. But rather than voice that concern, Kanako kept quiet as well. "I guess we both have a communication problem."

The silence went on, and it wasn't long before they arrived at their front doors. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow," Kanako said, releasing Haruna's hand. "Yeah. See ya," Haruna said, walking away. They both went through their doors at nearly the same time, but while Kanako was relatively happy with how everything had gone that day, the girl next door was in an entirely different mood.

Without even telling her parents she was home, Haruna had dredged her way slowly up the stairs and to her room. She felt heavy with emotion and once she was close enough, she let that weight push her down onto her bed. For a moment, she just laid there, thinking nothing. Then, she found herself making a wish. "I kinda wish... she was here with me..."

It was a thought that Haruna didn't understand. The way she had felt toward Kanako for so long had been anything but nice, let alone having a desire to be near her. And yet, there she was now, lying on her bed and wanting the girl that she had sworn she'd never have anything to do with again if at all possible to now be by her side. "Is there something wrong with me?" Haruna wondered.

Her feelings were a mess and she was so confused that it felt like her head was spinning. However, if there was anything that Haruna knew at that moment, it was that there was a clear, albeit bizarre to her, thought that was certain. "I don't know how this even happened, and I'm not even sure if I can actually believe it, but... The time I spend with you Kanako..."

"...I want more of it."

End of Chapter Sixteen.