54 Chapter Ten: Feelings Abound

The next several days turned out to be quite restless for Kanako. As she kept trying to bask in the glow of a birthday spent with Akio, her mind continued to go back to Haruna and her actions. The cake at the café. The pier with the view... the kiss on the cheek. All of it swirled in Kanako's mind as she tried to figure out what it could've meant.

For most of her life, Kanako had known Haruna. Whether they were friends or enemies, the two had been a part of each other's lives for a very long time. Through this knowledge, Kanako felt like she knew Haruna pretty well. She knew Haruna's favorite flavor for most things was lime. She also knew that Haruna hated most perfumes. She even knew that Haruna was kind, despite most people believing otherwise. However, even with that kindness, there was one thing Kanako knew Haruna was not, and that was "intimate."

In all of Kanako's memories, she could never recall a time when Haruna had asked to hold her hand. There had never been a moment when Haruna smiled softly. And, Kanako knew with certainty that there had never once been a kiss of any sort. Actions like those were hardly ones she would think of when asked to describe Haruna and her behavior. In the past, she hadn't been cold, but it wasn't exactly warm either. Perhaps before she had even realized it, Haruna had begun to treat Kanako like a love rival. Or, maybe she just wanted to maintain some distance. Either of these options sounded plausible to Kanako. But regardless of which one it was (or even another option entirely), what had once been seemed to have changed.

After making their deal with Akio, Haruna had been so vehemently against the idea that Kanako was sure it was going to end within a week. She hated to admit it, but that thought had made her happy. If Haruna gave up on Akio, then the boy would be Kanako's for the taking. And yet, for some reason, Haruna had stayed. Whether it was through spite or a competitive drive, Haruna had remained, leaving Kanako to endure her constant verbal assaults. That time had been awful for Kanako and there had been many times when she thought about being the one to quit instead.

However, on the day that Haruna had finally called Kanako's name, there had clearly been a dramatic shift in their relationship. Neither girl had noticed at the time, but looking back, Kanako was sure that was the moment when their frozen friendship had begun to thaw. It had been years since Haruna had said the girl's name, calling her everything except what she was known as, but once Haruna did, change truly began to take hold.

It hadn't been hard to notice. Slowly, Kanako had seen Haruna warm up to her once more. At the time, she believed that it had all been to try and win Akio's heart, especially considering Haruna had said as much. But, with the boy and girl not getting along as well anymore, Kanako started to wonder what it all meant. There was no longer a deal in place, and yet, if anything, Haruna's act as a girlfriend had only increased. In fact, it was her entire demeanor toward Kanako that was now a far cry from what it used to be.

Due to Haruna's changes in particular, Kanako had wondered if she needed to change herself. She had thought and thought about it, fought with Michi over it and even ran because of it. Through it all, Kanako had felt so worried and confused, and those emotions had eventually boiled over. And then, who would come to find her, lost and crying in the woods, than the girl that had been indirectly responsible for causing such emotions in the first place.

Haruna had held Kanako close. She had done her best to comfort Kanako in the best way she could and Kanako knew that. And now, looking back again, it was perhaps that moment that Kanako found she didn't mind the newfound closeness that she had gained with Haruna. There was a gentleness in it and a kindness in it that Kanako couldn't recall Haruna having before, but now that she did, Kanako embraced it. She had always wanted to be closer to the girl she grew up with, and after spending years apart, that desire was even stronger.

The two girls held hands regularly now, but Kanako didn't mind, even with the stares they got sometimes. It made her happy, and in a way, having Haruna's hand in hers was a comfort on its own. It made Kanako think that as long as she held on, Haruna wouldn't slip from her grasp again. "That sounds kind of possessive..." Kanako thought, wondering if that was the best way to think of holding hands.

But even so, Kanako enjoyed it. She had her childhood friend back and she couldn't be happier. On top of that, they seemed to be even closer than they had been in the past. They talked often. They were hanging out together more and more. Now, giving it a lot of thought, Kanako was certain that the two girls looked much more like girlfriends than they had when their deal with Akio was going.

For a moment, Kanako briefly considered the idea of if she was actually dating Haruna. However, when she tried to imagine it, the visual in her mind was blurry. A haze filled her head, and Kanako began to feel anxious. She felt like she was so close to being able to picture it, but she couldn't. It was leap her mind was unable to make.

Sighing, Kanako rolled over on her bed. "It's not like that would ever happen anyways," she thought. The idea of two girls dating each other wasn't entirely foreign to Kanako. She had seen stuff like that in TV shows and on the Internet. But, when trying to imagine what it would be like if she herself went out with a girl, it was impossible. Nothing came to mind except anxiety and uncertainty. It was a completely unknown experience. Did that make Kanako afraid? She didn't think so. It was just... unknown.

In the middle of her thinking, Kanako's stomach growled. Looking at the clock, she saw it was just past dinner time. The day had proceeded just like any other, with classes taking place and then Kanako having club and Haruna waiting for her. The two had started to walk home when Akio had suddenly rushed to catch up to them, making it a traveling trio. The boy's appearance had put Haruna in a foul mood, and by the time they reached their houses and Akio had bid his farewells, Haruna had gone on to march into her house without a word.

Making her way to the kitchen, Kanako wondered what could've made Haruna so mad. "I know she and Akio aren't getting along, but him just being with us couldn't have been the only reason, right?" Kanako didn't think Akio had said anything that would rub Haruna the wrong way and he hadn't done anything other than walk and make conversation. So what was it that Haruna had been upset about?

Pulling out a pan, Kanako began the cooking process. When she had arrived home, she had been so lost in thought that she had gone straight to her room. Once she had gotten hungry enough, Kanako had gone downstairs to find out why there was no dinner yet. As it turned out, there was a note saying that both parents had events to attend that night. "I wish they would just text me stuff like that," Kanako thought as she readied ingredients. But while she prepared her own meal, Kanako continued to think.

Haruna and Akio not getting along wasn't the only issue. There was her own frayed relationship with Michi, and even Haruna and Chiyo's friendship seemed to be on the rocks at the moment. The problems didn't stop there either, as Kanako had noticed at lunch that Mayu and Itsuki seemed to be a little uneasy around Michi as well.

Kanako wanted to find some way to get everyone to get along. "...That might be too unrealistic," she thought. It was a nice idea, but one that was a bit out of the realm of possibility. Nearly all of the relationships she had named were ones that she wasn't a part of. "I'd just look like I was butting in," Kanako said to herself. She wanted to help, but how exactly to do that, she wasn't quite sure.

As the water in front of her boiled, Kanako kept trying to find some sort of solution. It was then that an idea struck her. "What if we had a study session?" Inviting everyone probably wasn't the best plan, but Kanako figured that a couple people would be alright. The question was who. She thought about trying her main group of friends, but the conversations between Michi, Mayu, Itsuki and Kanako had all been awkward enough recently as it was. Trying to help each other study had the potential to do good, but if one person helped another poorly, the whole thing could backfire. A lot of the other groupings had the same issues, which led Kanako to what she thought would be the best group.

"If I invite Haruna at lunch, then I can get Chiyo to come too," Kanako decided. Between everyone that had problems with someone else, Chiyo and Haruna seemed like the easiest to fix and the least likely to get any worse. "I think Haruna wants to make up with Chiyo anyways, so this should work." Satisfied with her plan, Kanako went back to cooking.

*****

"Huh? A study session?" Haruna repeated after Kanako asked. "Y-Yeah. I thought it might be nice," she explained. Currently, Kanako, Haruna, Chiyo and Jasmine were eating lunch together. It had been awhile since Kanako had joined them. Michi had been so insistent on Kanako staying with her instead, although their time together kept just feeling awkward. "She forces me to stay and then barely says a word," Kanako sighed to herself. "And if she does speak, it's just kind of mean..." So, with a plan in mind, Kanako had done her best to slip away from Michi.

"What would we even study?" Haruna asked. "Mid-terms aren't coming up yet, and we're not in the same class so we don't have tests at the same time either." Kanako blanked. "Oh, right... I forgot," she said sadly. She had been so focused on fixing friendships that the part about what they would actually study had been forgotten. "I think it could be fun!" Chiyo chimed in. "Besides, it won't like, hurt your grades or anything. We could just ask each other questions or something." "I guess that's true," Haruna said. Kanako breathed a sigh of relief. Chiyo certainly didn't look it, but she always seemed to be quick on her feet.

Grateful for the help, Kanako went on. "I was thinking it could be the four of us," she said. Her original plan hadn't included Jasmine, but considering the other gal was present and Kanako didn't have any issues with her, she thought it was fine. "Thanks Kana-chan, but I'll pass. I'd rather go home and sleep," Jasmine said. "O-Okay, then the three of us," Kanako said, glancing nervously at Haruna and Chiyo. "It's a date!" Chiyo said happily. "Sure, whatever," Haruna agreed. Satisfied with the responses she got, Kanako smiled. "This really just might work!"

Once lunch concluded, Kanako made her way back to her classroom. However, standing outside of it was none other than Michi. "There you are," she said, arms crossed. "I looked everywhere for you." "S-Sorry Mi-chan. I just, um..." "What? Did you go have fun with your other friends... wait. You went to see Endo-san, didn't you?!"

"So what if she did?" a voice sounded off. Coming up from behind Kanako was Haruna. Their classes were right next to each other, making it easy for Haruna to intervene. "Got a problem with that?" she said, scowling at Michi. "Of course I do! Any time you're involved it's bound to be nothing good!" Michi shouted back. "That's pretty rich coming from you," Haruna spat back. "C-Come on you two, don't fight in the hallway like this," Kanako panicked, caught in the middle. "Y'know, you two should listen to Kana-chan" Chiyo said as she stepped forward. "Can't ya just let it slide Mi-chan?" she said, clapping her hands together in a 'please' formation.

Michi stood in silence for a moment. "What was sooo important that you had to sneak off for anyways?" she asked Kanako. "I-I just wanted to ask them about study-" Kanako began to answer, then stopped herself as she realized her mistake, but it was too late. "Study? Like, studying? Seriously? You're asking these idiots for academic help?" Michi said, baffled. "Hey!" Haruna shouted. It was true that in comparison to Michi, the other girls present were pretty low in the rankings, but objectively speaking, none of them were actually at the bottom.

"Mi-chan, you're always so harsh. It's adorable," Chiyo said with a giggle. "I'm not trying to be adorable! You're all way below me in grades, so what good would one stupid person helping another stupid person do?!" "So you'll help us study properly then?��� Chiyo said slyly. Michi suddenly got the feeling she had been baited. "Ugh, fine! Fine! But I'm not doing this for you! I just don't want Endo-san to infect Kana-chan with her stupidity!" "Excuse me?!"

But, just as Kanako was thinking it couldn't get any worse, one more party joined the fray. "What's with all the commotion?" Akio asked, peeking out of his own classroom which was also nearby. "O-Oh, Akio-kun," Kanako said. Hearing his name, Akio decided to come closer. "So what's going on?" he asked. "W-Well, you see..." Kanako began. "W-We were going to study together..." "Oh really? That's sounds like fun. Can I join?" Akio asked, smiling. "No!" Haruna immediately exclaimed. "Geez Haruna-chan, you don't have to be that against it," Akio said, still smiling. "Maybe I should come anyways. After all, it'd be fun to see your reactions." "Get lost already!" Haruna yelled.

"Okay, that's enough of that," Jasmine suddenly said, waltzing straight into the middle of the battlefield. "Whether you all like it or not, it sounds like you'll be gettin' nice and cozy with the books, so how about you all stop yelling before a teacher comes and yells at us." Begrudgingly accepting the gal's words, those in dismay took her advice, followed by those that were fine with the situation. Once they had all dispersed, Jasmine briefly considered joining them as well. "...Nah, sounds like a pain," she concluded before going to her own classroom.

*****

When the clock finally indicated it was the end of the day, the angsty group of five made their way to the library. The individuals in clubs decided to skip them for the day, making it a seamless transition from class time to study time. When they walked in, the same grumpy librarian stared down Haruna and Kanako in particular, giving them both the chills. It was clear that the impression the two girls had made on the older woman in the past had been a strong and bad one, unlikely to fade any time soon.

Finding a table was relatively easy, considering there were no big tests coming up. In order, the group sat down in the following: Haruna, Kanako and Akio on one side, Chiyo and Michi on the other. "S-So, what should we study?" Kanako asked, trying to break the thick ice. "Does anybody need help with math, because I do!" Chiyo said with a raise of her hand. "Same here," Haruna said. "I could help with that," Akio suggested. "No thanks," Haruna said, turning him down flat. "You know Haruna-chan, you don't have to be so suspicious of me all the time. I swear I only have good intentions here," Akio said, though it didn't sound convincing. Haruna sighed. "Whatever. Then help me solve this problem."

Kanako watched as her two childhood friends worked together. "It's nice that they seem to be getting along," she thought happily. "Maybe this really will work out." She had been quite worried once the dust had settled. Having everyone in one place that had problems with each other had seemed like a bad idea, but now that they were all sitting at the same table and going over their materials, Kanako began to think that maybe it would actually help to mend some fences.

*****

As Akio sat and explained a math problem to Haruna, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease he had. He knew it was due to several factors. The first was the fact that nearly everyone around him had a problem with him. Haruna didn't like Akio because he had said he'd steal Kanako away. He was sure Chiyo didn't like him anymore because she felt he was going too far. Michi didn't like Akio because she viewed him as a threat to Kanako, although Akio was beginning to think that Michi just didn't like anyone.

Taking those feelings into account though only accounted for one factor. Another was his own guilt. It had been something that had perpetually gnawed at him since he had decided to go that extra step, but when in close proximity to Kanako, that feeling always seemed to worsen. No matter how hard he tried, he could never seem to push it away.

The third factor was an extension of that guilt. He knew it'd be best to let Haruna and Kanako figure things out on their own, but... he couldn't. The part of his mind that drove him overwhelmed all the others, making it feel more like it was impossible for him NOT to be involved. Therefore, combining all of these factors made Akio fairly uncomfortable. Of course, the constant glares from Michi weren't helping either.

"Does that make sense?" he asked, finishing an explanation to Haruna. "Yeah, I think so," she said. "Most people would say thank you," Akio said teasingly. "Most people would care," Haruna retorted, implying she wasn't among most people. "Hey Akio-kun, how'd'ya do this one?" Chiyo asked. "Let's see," Akio said, taking a look. As he did, he simultaneously thought about Chiyo.

She had been basically a stranger to him at the beginning of the school year. Sure, like everyone else, Akio knew who Chiyo Wakabayashi was, but beyond her reputation, there hadn't been anything he could've said about the gal had he ever been asked. But, after making the old deal with Haruna and Kanako, Chiyo had blown in like a whirlwind, sweeping up every detail she could about the situation. Once Akio had told her the full story, she had become an ally, and one that Akio had truly valued. With how close Chiyo was to Haruna and how quickly she befriended Kanako, Akio thought that with their combined efforts, their targets would be a couple in no time.

However, as time had gone on, Akio had begun to feel more and more restless. There was no reason to develop a sense of urgency, and yet he had. With each passing day, Akio's mind continued to panic. "If they don't get together soon, then..." he would think, over and over until his mind went blank because it could think no more. Was it obsessive? Perhaps. Even Akio could admit that. But, that didn't change how he felt about the mess he had gotten himself into.

Truthfully, he wondered how Haruna and Kanako felt about all of it. Being forced to act like a couple and then actually becoming friends again was certainly a desirable result, but one had to wonder if the two girls could appreciate the means that had been used. As for Akio, he had been getting what he wanted, so there was nothing to complain or worry about. There wasn't. There definitely wasn't... And yet... He did. It had only begun recently, but doubts had crept into his mind. There were doubts about his plan and Kanako's involvement, which weren't new, but now piled on top of that was a singular, but heavy question: "Should I have ever gotten involved?"

The more Akio thought about it, the more he worried. The longer his plan went on, the less he believed in it. Part of him wanted to stop, but he also felt that he couldn't. "I've already committed to the role," he thought. "There's no backing out now." In Akio's mind, he had made his bed and now he had to lie in it.

For a moment, Akio wondered how Haruna and Kanako would react to the end result of his plan. He didn't dwell on it for long though, instead opting to kick that imagery further down the road. He didn't want to face it. He knew it would be terrible, but... for now, if it could be avoided, he would avoid it for as long as he could.

Keeping up outward appearances while inner turmoil continued to build, Akio went on helping the other girls study.

*****

"I can't believe it turned out like this," Haruna thought, annoyed. When Kanako had first suggested studying together, it hadn't been exactly the alone time together that Haruna had envisioned. Having Chiyo invited too had also served to make things more difficult for Haruna, but all in all, had it remained just the three girls, she would've been fine with it. Unfortunately, that hadn't happened. Much to her chagrin, two others had joined in, making it a gathering of discomfort and tension.

The first of course had been Michi. Since the start of the second term, Haruna hadn't seen much of the short blond-haired girl with the... "...What do you call those things anyways?" Haruna wondered, thinking on Michi's hairstyle. Her two trademark long strands of hair that hung from each bun on her head didn't really qualify as twintails, but it seemed like an under-classification to just call them strands. "Well whatever," Haruna thought with a shrug. "They're pretty stupid to me."

Just like her hairstyle, the rest of Michi irritated Haruna to no end. However, it was a different sort of annoyance compared to Akio. While the boy seemed like a fly that just wouldn't buzz off, Michi was like a spoiled brat who threw a temper tantrum every five minutes. "...Maybe that's too on-the-nose," Haruna thought, but there was no denying it was true. If Haruna was with Kanako and Michi appeared, a fight would be had, guaranteed.

Of course, Michi wasn't the only issue. The other was the boy currently instructing her on how to do another math problem. Truthfully, she was grateful for his help, but she still wished Akio wasn't there. "Why is he even here?" she wondered. Haruna had done her best to make it blatantly obvious she didn't want him around. Even Michi and Chiyo's reactions to his self-invitation should've been enough to convince him to stay away. And yet, Akio hadn't been deterred, instead appearing to be even more motivated to join the girls.

Haruna couldn't figure him out. At the beginning of their second year of high school and through the summer, Akio had seemingly shown little interest in his relationships with Haruna and Kanako when it came to romance. He said the right words, but when pressed, he often dodged the topic. Now however, Akio was more aggressive, always making an effort to be around Kanako. It hadn't been hard to notice, but what could've been easily missed were the minute expressions Akio gave off. They were brief, slight and by all accounts unnoticeable unless someone was really paying attention. But Haruna had seen them, and they betrayed Akio's actions. The best way she could sum it up was that Akio acted like he was in love with Kanako, while also looking like he wanted to put as much distance between himself and the girl as he could.

While Akio's behavior did deserve some attention, it didn't change the fact that he kept encroaching upon Haruna's time with Kanako. And, whenever he took that time, he seemed to also simultaneously jab at Haruna. The walk home the previous day was a good example.

For the most part, nothing much had occurred. Akio had infringed upon Haruna's walking-home-with-Kanako privileges, but that was becoming so normal that Haruna was almost learning to live with it (almost). But on the way home, Akio had made a comment that had simply irritated Haruna to no end. As per usual, Akio was talking to Kanako most of the way, but as he did, he had said something in a way that indicated it was clearly meant for Haruna's ears.

"It's pretty nice that we get to walk home together," Akio had said. To most people, that statement would qualify as simple sentiment. However, when Haruna heard it, she couldn't help but take it another way: "It's pretty nice that I get to walk home with Kana-chan and you can do nothing about it Haruna-chan." Whether or not Akio had truly meant it that way, Haruna didn't know, but she also found herself incredibly irked again at even just remembering it.

Haruna glared at Akio as he continued to teach her. "W-What?" he said, noticing the piercing gaze. "Go home," Haruna mouthed. Akio looked surprised at first, then broke into a wry smirk. "What's the matter Haruna-chan? Is my tutoring difficult to follow? Do you not understand?" "Don't treat me like an idiot you jerk," Haruna huffed. As the session went on, Akio continued to work with Haruna, who assumed that the only reason that was the case was because the hound dog Michi was guarding Kanako and answering every question before anyone else. To be fair, Michi was ranked in the top ten of Iwanai Municipal High School for academics, so if anyone should be giving out answers, it made sense it should be her. Even if it was a nice gesture though, it was hard to really accept it considering Michi's motivations.

Considering the situation, Haruna really wanted to go home. Akio kept annoying her, Michi was more than just a pest and while Chiyo was being her normal self, Haruna still felt awkward around her. Leaving sounded very preferable to staying, but she stayed anyways. "If I leave, who knows what might happen to Kanako," she thought. It practically felt like everyone at the table was aiming for her one way or another.

For a moment, Haruna wondered why Kanako had wanted to have a study session, even when more people got involved than were invited. "Knowing her, it probably has something to do with trying to get everyone to get along," she thought. Inviting just Haruna, Chiyo and herself was enough of an indication, but when Michi and Akio said they'd also come along, Kanako had allowed it. Considering how much drama was taking place between all of them, Haruna had thought it was a terrible idea, but knowing Kanako as she did, she also guessed that Kanako was just hoping it would all work out.

Kanako wasn't a fan of fighting. During their years of conflict, that much had become clear to Haruna. It was only when pushed to the brink that Kanako pushed back, but that was a rarity. Seeing her friends fighting was surely hurting her. Wanting to put a stop to that seemed only natural. Haruna could appreciate that, but just because her intentions were good didn't mean her plan was.

Regardless, until it was over, Haruna was stuck in the library between the girl she loved and three rocks of varying sizes.

*****

She could feel the tension thick in the air. Her mouth was dry, and her body felt like it was being drained of energy. Her nerves continuously rose as constant reminders of the past lashed her. The whole situation was unbelievably worrisome, and yet, Chiyo Wakabayashi did her best to swallow it all down, smiling and laughing all the while.

She kept bothering Michi for answers, much to the other girl's annoyance. "Can't you do any of these on your own? Just how dumb are you?" Michi scolded her. Truthfully, Chiyo knew the answers. Her actions were a lie, only used for the express purpose of trying to push down her feelings. "Sorry Mi-chan! This stuff is just hard, y'know?" Chiyo joked. "We learned this last year!" Michi said as loud as she could while being in the library. "Whaaat? But that was like, last year, so how am I supposed to remember?" Chiyo said, again playing the fool.

She could feel the sweat on her body. Would they notice? Would they think something was wrong? No way. Of course not. As long as she kept smiling, kept doing what they expected her to, kept being the Chiyo they all knew, no one would suspect anything.

They wouldn't suspect her rising anxieties. They wouldn't notice her paranoid panic about being blamed for everything. They wouldn't see the cracks in her act as she continued to give her all to keeping up appearances. "It's fine. It'll all work out. There's nothing to worry about. It's fine," Chiyo thought to herself, over and over on a loop.

If she could've seen her mind in a mirror, Chiyo would've called it out in a heartbeat. She tell the person it belonged to that they needed to relax, to take a breath and to just think it through. Doing those things would help to get their thoughts in order and then they'd feel better. But, because it was Chiyo's own mind, she couldn't see any of that. Over the last few weeks, silently, Chiyo had been deteriorating inside. All of the events unfolding around her were killing her. "It's okay. It's fine. This isn't the same. They won't blame you. It's fine. They not like them. It's fine."

The longer Chiyo sat in place, listening to explanations and answers that she already knew, the closer she got to her breaking point. She smiled harder. She laughed louder, drawing the attention of the librarian and a lecture from Michi. She flaunted her flirtatious methods more and more, trying to get the others to notice their own flustering instead of anything she did.

No matter how hard she tried though, Chiyo couldn't stop the panic that had been continuously building. Ever since Akio had told her he was going through with his next step of the plan he had come up with, Chiyo had been getting flashbacks. When Haruna had found out that Chiyo had been helping Akio, her memories had darkened further. Now sitting with nearly everyone responsible for her current mental state, Chiyo couldn't help but want to run. "No, I can't run. I have to stay and help. Yeah, help. It'll be okay if I show them I can help. It'll be fine."

Finally, after repeating those same words to herself several times over, Chiyo felt something else well up inside her. "...I feel sick," she thought. Suddenly, she stood up, bringing all eyes at the table on her. "I'm... gonna go to the bathroom," she said quickly. Before anyone could stop her, Chiyo swiftly moved for the doors.

*****

As Michi watched Chiyo leave, she kept thinking one thing.

"She's not okay."

Michi thought that, but she shook her head to clear it away. "What do I care if she's okay? It's not like she's my responsibility or anything! Besides, whatever she's dealing with isn't my problem!" Going back to her studies, Michi did her best to not think about Chiyo. "...Someone else will notice," she thought, failing in her efforts. "Someone else will go and make that over-the-top floozy feel better."

Restlessly looking at her books, Michi stopped and glanced around. "...No one's going?" At the table, no one moved. Akio kept helping Haruna, and due to Michi being distracted, Kanako had joined them. "Why aren't they going after her? She's clearly not okay," Michi thought, then gasped to herself. "No, no, no! Why should even care?! It's just that stupid gyaru disgrace!"

Michi kept trying to study, but her mind would not relent. "She's not okay. She's not okay. She's not okay. She's not okay." Slamming her pencil down, Michi let out a breath. "Damn it..." she muttered, then abruptly stood up in the same fashion Chiyo had. "I'm going to the bathroom too!" she announced. "Then go already," Haruna said back. "Shut up you skyscraper! Your hair looks like oil too!" Michi yelled back. "Hah?!" Haruna exclaimed as the blond-haired girl took off.

Out the doors of the library Michi went, in search of an enigma. In search of a mystery. In search of the girl named Chiyo Wakabayashi.

End of Chapter Ten.