147 Chapter Thirteen: Annoying

"I plan on spending my life with the girl I love, and that's Haruna, not you."

Those were the last meaningful words Kanako had really spoken to Katsumi. Ever since then, she essentially had gotten the cold shoulder, with everything she tried being thoroughly rebuffed by both Kanako and her guard of Haruna and Chiyo. At this point, Katsumi was starting to consider taking extreme measures again. "I doubt I could do blackmail again. That definitely ended up hurting me more than Kana-chin's relationship… But what else can I do?"

In a sense, rejection was like a foreign concept to Katsumi. While she was no stranger to being the one doing the rejecting, being on the receiving end was another matter entirely. Between having never experienced it before, being so certain Kanako was going to accept her original confession, and her more narcissistic thought processes, Katsumi could hardly wrap her head around the idea of Kanako turning her down.

It was precisely because of this that Katsumi just simply didn't know how to give up on her feelings. She truly believed if she just kept trying, that maybe, somehow, Kanako would come to understand just how serious Katsumi was about her, cast aside Haruna, and come to her instead. That was Katsumi's biggest desire in life. It was what she had dreamt about ever since she had been separated from the girl she loved.

Being rejected also brought so many what ifs to Katsumi's mind. What if she hadn't moved? Would she and Kanako be together? What if she hadn't turned down so many of the other confessions that she had gotten over the years? Would one of those people been able to provide happiness for her? What if she had just stayed with Yumi? How would her life be if she had put more effort into that relationship rather than chasing after uncertain feelings?

"Why…" Katsumi muttered as she sat on a swing. She was currently at the same playground that she and Kanako had played together. "Why isn't it me? Aren't I clearly better?" It was the same sentiment that Katsumi kept repeating, but it was beginning to feel like the more she said it, the more hollow those words sounded.

It was… frustrating. Agonizing. Irritating. Confusing. The list of emotions that Katsumi felt about the situation went on and on. And yet… "I can't give up," she thought. "I have to keep trying. Otherwise… what was the point of all of this?"

Kanako was a girl who believed in love. She believed in the beauty of it, the ferocity of it, and the passion of it, among other qualities. She believed that with a strong enough love, anything was possible, because you'd have the person you love standing right beside you. Such a strong belief caused her problems at times, but ultimately, it was that belief that propelled her forward.

In much the same way, Katsumi's feelings were similar. However, unlike Kanako, the feelings Katsumi held were ones that had caused her to throw away all sorts of things. Friends, because they weren't like Kanako. Lovers, because they weren't Kanako. Years, because Katsumi was willing to spend all the time that it would take to one day be with Kanako. It was one, singular goal that Katsumi had chased after for so long. And now…

She was smart. Katsumi Ikehara was, in fact, one of the smartest high schoolers in Japan. She had high scores in every subject, and really, if she spent more time studying and less time thinking about Kanako, she'd probably rank number one in the country. So that being said, it wasn't as if no part of Katsumi understood what was happening. There was a logical side, a side capable of processing, that could tell her what, why and how. But… the rest of her drowned it out. The side that wanted Kanako didn't want to hear logic or reason. All it wanted to hear was that Kanako could be hers.

Being smart meant nothing in the face of love. Being good at sports meant nothing if it wasn't going to woo Kanako. Being pretty was nice, but who cared if the girl Katsumi loved wouldn't even look her way? "This sucks…" Katsumi muttered, dragging her feet in the dirt and she swayed back and forth. "I've loved you for years, Kana-chin. Years… Is it really so wrong of me to want to have that time rewarded? That loyalty? If you could just spare even a little time for me, then maybe you'd see…"

Though, even that sounded doubtful. Katsumi had had her chance, more or less. It had taken blackmail to get there, but Katsumi had gotten the date she wanted with Kanako. "And it was fun," Katsumi thought. "At least, for the most part. I wish Kana-chin would've enjoyed herself more, but that's probably due to the circumstances. And who knows, maybe Endo-san and Wakabayashi-san put some weird ideas in her head before our date. I bet they told her all sorts of things just to ruin Kana-chin's chances of having fun. That's gotta be the most likely explanation."

But to get back to thinking about her date in a more positive light, Katsumi recalled when Kanako said she didn't like sushi. "I didn't know that," Katsumi thought. "If Kana-chin hadn't mentioned how bad Endo-san messed up before, I would've really looked stupid. Even so…" That moment had brought to light one glaring issue for Katsumi.

She had thought she knew plenty about Kanako, but that was just the Kanako of the past. Of course the Kanako now would be somewhat different from what Katsumi had known. "Maybe that's why I keep failing. I just don't know enough about the current Kana-chin…" she thought. "If I knew more, then I could really put up a fight."

The question was, how could Katsumi go about finding out more? Just asking wasn't really an option anymore, and Katsumi doubted that anybody who knew Kanako well would tell her anything. "I could just follow her around more," Katsumi thought. "It's not like I have any other options anyways."

Being unable to give up, Katsumi convinced herself she just needed more knowledge of Kanako. Though she did that, there was still that one part of her that knew that wasn't enough. That no matter what she did or how much she knew, Katsumi wouldn't be able to "beat" Haruna. However, that was the last thing Katsumi wanted to hear, so she silenced that part with all of her being and steeled her determination.

*****

"...Ikehara-san," Kanako said after having been quiet for several moments. "Hmm? What is it, Kana-chin dear?" Katsumi cooed. "Why… are you following me everywhere?" Kanako asked. "I just feel like it, that's all," Katsumi said breezily. "Okay, but… does that really have to include the bathroom?" Kanako asked.

At the moment, Kanako was standing right by the entryway to one of the school bathrooms, and of course, Katsumi had followed her right out the classroom door. Kanako had noticed right at the beginning of the day, and honestly, she was more confused than anything. "If she's not following me with her feet, it's with her eyes," Kanako thought. "What's gotten into Ikehara-san? Has me ignoring her triggered something else inside of her?" Then Kanako briefly jumped to a worse conclusion. "W-Wait, she's not going to become my stalker, is she?!"

Taking a moment to calm herself, Kanako cleared that extreme outcome from her mind. "Even Ikehara-san wouldn't go that far… I think. But still…" There was still no clear explanation as to why Katsumi had suddenly doubled her efforts. "I just don't get it…" Kanako thought, but then she shook her head. "No, actually, it doesn't matter. I shouldn't be giving any thought to the things that Ikehara-san does."

Although, while it was easy enough to say that, doing it was a different matter, especially when the person in question was standing right next to her by the bathroom. "Ikehara-san, could you maybe give me some privacy?" Kanako asked. "It's not like I'm gonna be in the same stall as you, so it's okay, isn't it?" Katsumi said back. Beginning to lose her patience for a number of reasons, Kanako glared at Katsumi. "It's. Not. Okay!" And with that, Kanako dashed into the bathroom. Katsumi was about to follow her, but as she went to take her first step, she froze. "...Y'know, maybe knowing Kana-chin's bathroom habits is a bit much," she decided. "I'll just wait out here instead."

*****

"This is getting ridiculous…" Kanako sighed to herself as she walked down the hall. Behind her were Haruna and Chiyo, followed by Katsumi, who kept trying to get around the barricade. This sort of situation was beginning to become the norm for Kanako, but what made this time extra irritating was that Katsumi kept taking pictures too.

"Would you knock it off?!" Haruna shouted. "No one said you could take pictures!" "What are you, paparazzi?" Chiyo added. "All I'm trying to do is observe Kana-chin's beautiful physical features," Katsumi stated. "It's not like I'm hurting anyone." "You're hurting me by existing," Haruna shot back. "Just disappear already." "Sorry that my beauty is too much for you to handle," Katsumi said with a smirk. "Nothing beautiful about a desperate bi-"

"ARGH! I've HAD IT!" Kanako suddenly shouted. "All three of you are driving me crazy! I'm going to go eat with Hinami-chan! No one follow me!" Then Kanako stomped off, leaving Haruna, Chiyo and Katsumi stunned in different ways.

"...Wait for me Kana-chin!"

"Oh my God!"

"Why are you like this?!"

So while Kanako left, Haruna and Chiyo did their best to restrain a more-persistent-than-ever Katsumi.

*****

Perhaps needless to say, after school was not much better. As it so happened, this was one of the days that Kanako had free time to go to the cooking club. Unfortunately, with Katsumi's sudden renewed determination (much to the confusion of Kanako), things ended up being quite chaotic for her.

"...Ikehara-san," Kanako said as she approached the door to her club room. "Can you stop following me? This is my club. We're not really supposed to have non-members in here." "Oh, I can fix that," Katsumi said with confidence. Then, before Kanako could stop her, Katsumi threw the door open, catching the other members off-guard.

Currently inside was Rina, president of the club, Saki, the only second-year student who was also a bit of an airhead, and Michi, Mayu and Itsuki. "Hey!" Rina shouted, her black twintails whipping with her head as she turned toward the entryway. "Don't slam the door! We don't have the club funds to fix it if it breaks!"

Having never interacted with Rina before, Katsumi quickly approached her, leaning down a bit so they were face-to-face. "Hmm," Katsumi hummed. "W-What?" Rina let out, unsure of how to process what was happening. "...You're kinda like Fukuhara-san, huh?" Katsumi finally said, causing a vein to bulge on both Rina's and Michi's foreheads. "We are nothing alike!" they both exclaimed, though when they noticed they spoke in sync, they just glared at each other. Near the door, Kanako sighed.

Seeing the commotion, Saki walked over, her cute, green pigtails bouncing with her steps. When she reached Katsumi, she had to look way up. "You're tall…" she said in awe. Looking down, Katsumi saw the bunny-like second-year. "Aw, well aren't you adorable?" Katsumi said happily, reaching down to pat Saki's head. "Eheheheh…" Saki let out bashfully, though her pleased reaction seemed to sour Rina's mood.

"That's enough of that," she said sharply. "If you have no business with my club, then leave." "Ehhh?" Katsumi whined. "But I haven't even gotten to introduce myself." "I know exactly who you are," Rina said. "You're Katsumi Ikehara. You're in the same class as several of my club members, and from what I hear, all you do is cause trouble for those around you. I'd really prefer to keep someone like that out of my club, especially considering you're a complete stranger."

"I want a trial run," Katsumi said in response. "Absolutely not," Rina shot back. "I know you'd just use such an opportunity to bother Nakatomi-san." "Hey, you wouldn't really deny a student a chance to learn, would you?" Katsumi said, dodging Rina's accusation. "I'm making an exception," Rina declared.

But, while Rina wanted to remain steadfast, Saki, a girl who could never read the room, made her voice heard. "But Rina, if she wants to learn, it's not nice to say no," she stated plainly. "Shouldn't we let her try?" "Hnngh…" Rina groaned, feeling like she had been pierced in the heart. When it came down to it, Rina was a good girl, and wasn't really the kind of person to be intentionally mean to another. Adding Saki's plea into the mix also certainly didn't do Rina's psyche any good.

"...Fine," she eventually muttered. "But the moment you start causing trouble, I want you out!" "Hooray!" Katsumi said with a clap of her hands. Then she turned to Kanako. "See Kana-chin? I told you it wouldn't be a problem!" Hearing that, all Kanako could do was bring her hands to her face to express her deep irritation and resignation.

"Okay everyone!" Rina shouted. "We're making classic Japanese dishes today! Try to keep it simple too!" To varying degrees of excitement, everybody in the room responded with a resounding "Okay!" Then each individual began grabbing ingredients, but as Kanako went to grab hers, she found Katsumi hovering right over her shoulder.

"Personal space, Ikehara-san," Kanako said coldly, then grabbed a bag of noodles out of one of the cabinets on the wall. "C'mon, we always used to be this close," Katsumi said, copying Kanako and grabbing her own set of noodles. "That was then, this is now," Kanako stated plainly. Walking to her own station, Kanako dropped off the noodles, grabbed a medium-sized pot, filled it with water, and then set it on the stove, lighting the flame under the pot ablaze. Watching her, Katsumi did the same thing. It was true she was good at basically everything, but cooking wasn't her strongest quality. On top of that, she felt like doing exactly what Kanako was doing might help to close the gap between them that was gradually widening.

Step after step, Katsumi copied Kanako, and as she did, the girl being watched began to get mixed feelings. "I don't really want her here," Kanako thought. "And I know she's not really cooking as much as she is just doing what I do, but… in a way, she is trying." Of course, just one little act like this was far from earning Kanako's forgiveness, but it did make the girl think.

And naturally, Kanako wasn't the only one thinking. Each one of the other girls familiar with Katsumi were wondering just what was going to happen.

"Is she here to keep bothering Kana-chan?" Itsuki guessed.

"I wonder why she won't just give up?" Mayu wondered.

"I wish she would just go home," Michi thought.

They were each at their own cooking stations, but despite wanting to keep their attention on their dishes, all three of the other girls couldn't help but continue to look over at Katsumi and Kanako. Rina especially kept a close eye on Katsumi (though that was made difficult by also having to keep an eye on Saki). Luckily, after only a few minutes, reinforcements showed up.

The door flew open once more, but before Rina could get a word out, one of the two arrivals shouted. "Ikehara-san! Go home!" Joining the voice was another. "Stop annoying everyone!" As expected, Chiyo and Haruna were the two that had shown up, both of them having rushed back to the cooking club room. Neither of them had been with Kanako because Haruna had needed to go home to do something that apparently couldn't wait, and Chiyo had had another meeting with a teacher about her future career.

"Ugh," Katsumi groaned. "Don't you two have anything better to do? Like, I don't know, studying or something? You're both pretty stupid, aren't you?" "Who the hell are you calling stupid?!" Haruna yelled back. "Obviously you," Katsumi said. "Now why don't you and your idiot partner go buzz off somewhere else?" "We will as long as you come with us," Chiyo said, making it sound like a demand. Katsumi scoffed. "Why should I? I'm a trial member here. Ask, uh… the twin-tailed girl." "My name is Rina Takano!" the president exclaimed in great irritation.

"Is that true?" Chiyo asked. Rina let out a long sigh. "Yes, it is, though it's tentative on her not. Causing. Trouble. Which, as you can see, she's grandly failing at." "I'm only failing because these two are interrupting my efforts," Katsumi pointed out. "Oh please, like you weren't doing a horrible job before we showed up," Haruna shot back. Katsumi wanted to deny that, but it wasn't entirely wrong either, so she went with a different approach instead.

"Yeah, whatever. Look, no one cares about you or your stupid and wrong theories, so why don't you just shut up and leave? And take the gaudy whore with you."

""Ikehara-san.""

Suddenly, two very strong voices spoke up. Hearing her name called with such force, Katsumi warily turned around. When she did, she spotted a very angry Kanako and perhaps an even angrier Michi. "I'll give you one chance to apologize," Kanako said darkly. "Really? I wasn't even going to give her that much," Michi added. Oddly enough, despite not having been close for the last year or so, the two of them were perfectly in sync in this moment.

Briefly, Katsumi stiffened, but after taking a second to recover, she put up the best show of confidence she could muster. "I don't really think I should be saying sorry to anyone when I'm the victim here." "You've gotta be kidding me," Chiyo sighed. "Victim? Girl, you do nothing but attack!" "You're the last person I want to hear that from," Katsumi said back.

Meanwhile, off to the side, Rina watched on with a mix of exasperation, confusion, and annoyance. "What's happening in my club room right now?" she sighed to herself. Next to her, Saki patted her on the back. "It's okay Rina!" she said happily. "It's so lively in here now! Isn't that what you wanted?" "Not like this!" Rina cried.

*****

In the end, Katsumi was allowed to stay. But, in order to maintain some order of peace, Rina partitioned off part of the room so that Kanako, Katsumi, Haruna and Chiyo were all separate from the others. With the chaos briefly subsided, Kanako took a moment to collect her thoughts before addressing the other three girls with her.

"Ikehara-san, Chiyo and Haruna," she said sternly, getting all of their attention. "If you want to stay and actually participate in club activities, then I suppose if Takano-san is allowing it, I will too. But! I expect you to actually cook! This is a club meant for practice and sometimes competition, and it's not to be taken lightly! I will not allow any of you to continue making a mess of this kitchen like you have been! Is that clear?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Y-You got it, Kana-chan."

"Sure, Kana-chin…"

Haruna and Chiyo quaked with fear at Kanako's ferocity, and even Katsumi seemed to have lost some of her earlier vigor. When it came to cooking, Kanako was as serious as it got. She could have fun in the kitchen too, but in places like the cooking club or at her new job, she believed those times should be approached with respect. These were feelings she had already had, but ever since she had really settled on a cooking career, Kanako felt more strongly than ever about them.

"Now then," Kanako said, calming down a bit. "I'm going to continue making what I was supposed to. Chiyo, you know your way around a kitchen, so can you show Haruna some things?" "Eh? But like, shouldn't you be the one teachin' your girlfriend?" Chiyo asked. "I'd really just like to focus," Kanako said, sounding somewhat exhausted.

"Hey Kana-chin, you forgot about me," Katsumi said, pointing to herself. "What should I do? Ooh, I know. You were saving the best for last, right? You want me right next to you, right?" "Go sit in the corner and don't cause any trouble," Kanako said, the ice on her words so cold that Katsumi felt like she got a chill. She had always been able to gloss over Kanako's anger before, but this was a whole new level. "Note to self," Katsumi thought. "Don't mess with Kanako or her cooking."

As Katsumi did as she was told (for once) and sat on a stool she had dragged over to the corner, something occurred to her. "I know Kana-chin said she wanted to focus, but wouldn't this be the perfect time to flirt with Endo-san? I mean, I'd hate that, but it makes sense. I wonder if she's actually mad at Endo-san too…" Looking back and forth between Chiyo and Haruna, and then Kanako on the other side of the space, it made Katsumi think. As it also so happened, Haruna and Chiyo were the ones closer to her. "Hmm…"

"Hey, Endo-san," she said. "You doing okay over there? Hope you're not too worried about Kana-chin being mad at you." "Hah?" Haruna let out, turning to glare at Katsumi. "I'm pretty sure the one she's mad at is you." "Then why aren't you with her? Isn't her wanting to focus just an excuse to get away from you?" Katsumi said. "If Kanako wanted to be away from me, she would've just left," Haruna said simply. "Besides, it's not like she really has any direct reason to be mad at me." "Are you sure?" Katsumi said. "What if she's just hiding her feelings? After all, girls aren't always honest."

Haruna paused. Really, she didn't think that Kanako was mad at her. Rather, what made her stop was the last thing Katsumi had said. It actually made her smile a little. "Yeah, that's true," she said with nostalgia. "Although, in my case, that was truer for me more than Kanako." "Ew, are you actually agreeing with me?" Katsumi said with visible disgust, but then she shrugged. "Well, then again, you're not all that bright, so I guess you just might not be able to understand the situation. Maybe I should be nice and explain it for you. You see- mmph!"

Just as Katsumi was about to keep talking, she suddenly found a large ball of dough being shoved into her mouth. It didn't fit, and being just plain dough, it tasted very bland, so Katsumi spit it out. "Bleh!" she exclaimed. "What the hell, Wakabayashi-san?!" The one responsible for the dough, Chiyo, just stared back at Katsumi. "You totes talk too much," she said, then went back to making whatever it was she was making.

"Hmph," Katsumi grunted, crossing her arms and leaning back on her stool. Up against the wall, she stared at Kanako. The girl hadn't said a word during that entire exchange. In fact, Katsumi was sure Kanako hadn't even looked over at them. "Does she really not care?" Katsumi thought, but then she realized she was wrong. Taking a good look at Kanako's face, Katsumi could tell just how focused Kanako was. "That's… kinda cool," Katsumi thought idly.

For the rest of the time, Katsumi stayed silent, watching Kanako all the while. Haruna and Chiyo continued to do their own thing (which was very up and down at times thanks to Haruna's complete lack of ability in the kitchen), and Kanako finished well before them. "There," she said, sounding satisfied. "Now that that's done, how are Haruna and Chiyo doing- wah!"

Looking over, Kanako saw a huge mess. There was flour everywhere, a tray of burned… somethings, cooking oil spilled on the counter, and a small mountain of dishes, pots and pans. "Geez Haru-chi, how're ya this bad?" Chiyo said, seemingly almost awed by the disaster. "I'm so sorry…" Haruna uttered in defeat. "I really thought the recipe would be simple enough. It even said people with no skill can do it." Are ya sure ya weren't born with negative skill points or something?" Chiyo asked. "Ughhh…" Haruna groaned.

"D-Did you manage to make anything?" Kanako asked nervously. "Kana-chan, this girl's a lost cause," Chiyo said, pointing to a very dejected Haruna. "Totes not housewife material." "She may not be housewife material, but that doesn't mean she isn't wife material at all," Kanako said smoothly, causing Haruna to blush furiously at the very unexpected line. "K-Kanako!" she cried, causing Chiyo to laugh.

"Huh?" the gal suddenly let out. "Wait, where'd Ikehara-san go?" Hearing that, the other two girls looked over at the corner. Sure enough, Katsumi had vanished. "Guess she left," Haruna said. Chiyo frowned. "I don't like it. Her leaving in silence can't be good." "Well whatever," Haruna said with a shrug. "Let's go home too." "Uh, Haru-chi, think you're forgettin' something,'' Chiyo said, glancing at the mess next to them. "Ah…" Haruna said.

*****

"Sheesh," Katsumi thought, miffed. "Kana-chin hardly paid attention to me once we were actually at the club." Katsumi had enjoyed watching Kanako cook, but she also wanted the girl to be looking at her too (even if Kanako insisted she wouldn't). "I like watching her, but she's just too focused on her own stuff. How can I get Kana-chin to give me just as much attention?"

The question bounced around in Katsumi's head, until suddenly, she landed on an answer. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "I'll just be a customer at Kana-chin's job! Then she can't ignore me either! Oh, and I can learn more about Kana-chin's professional side! Three birds with one stone!"

Having come up with a workable plan, a little more energy filled Katsumi's steps.

*****

The next day, Kanako was scheduled to work at the cafe. "I hope today isn't as chaotic as yesterday was," she thought. "It's one thing when Ikehara-san is at my club, but if she shows up at my job…" Given, Katsumi had shown up once before, but to Kanako's surprise, the girl hadn't caused any trouble. However, things were different from then. Kanako had very clearly rejected Katsumi, but Katsumi just kept seemingly increasing her offensive.

Kanako was honestly at a loss. How do you get rid of someone you rejected? It felt like no matter what Kanako said or did, Katsumi just wouldn't give up. "Don't tell me it's going to be like this forever," Kanako thought pessimistically. "Ikehara-san has to give up at some point… right?"

Reaching the sign that read Cafe Mori, Kanako opened the door underneath it and walked in. "Wel- oh, it's you kiddo!" Sara said happily. "Ready fer work?" "Yeah," Kanako said, lacking energy. "What's up?" Sara asked, noticing immediately. "Ya seem tired. Y'know, I'm no slave driver. If ya need t'rest, ya should." "T-That's okay!" Kanako insisted. "It's not like I'm really tired, exactly…" "Hmm? Then what's goin' on?" Sara asked, leaning over the counter she stood behind. "Tell yer boss here all about it. Or just think of me as yer aunt too, if that helps."

Kanako went over and sat on the stool in front of Sara. "There's this girl at school that won't stop bothering me," she began. "I keep trying to ignore her, b-but it's not really helping." "Maybe she has a thing fer ya," Sara guessed correctly. "Y-Yeah, she… does," Kanako admitted, a little to Sara's surprise. "Oh yeah? Don't go cheatin' on my lovely niece now," she said teasingly. "I-I would never do that!" Kanako shouted adamantly, getting a big laugh out of Sara. "I'm kiddin' Kana-chan! It's pretty obvious to me how much ya love that sister's daughter o' mine."

While she didn't really appreciate the teasing, it did help Kanako to relax a little. "What should I do, Mori-san?" she asked. "Trying to get rid of Ikehara-san is like trying to get a brick wall to move with words…" "That's quite the analogy," Sara said, getting more serious. "Although, it does remind me of a story." "One of yours?" Kanako said with some anticipation. Sara nodded. "Yep, one of mine."

"I was doin' some work for a company that had business in Bolivia a long time ago. One day, I was told I needed to fly out there because some stuff got seriously messed up on their end. So I went and fixed it, and all was well… or, it shoulda been." "W-What happened?" Kanako asked. Sara gave her a small smile. "It turned inta one huuuuge mess!" she said, spreading her arms wide for emphasis.

"Y'see, the guy in charge of the place was real amazed by my problem-solving skills. So much so that he started followin' me like a lost puppy. At first I thought it was just so he could get a better feel for business. I had to stick around a while longer to make sure things kept runnin' smoothly, so I didn't think much of it. But, when I kept runnin' into him outside of work, it started ta get kinda weird." "W-Was he stalking you?" Kanako asked nervously. Sara shrugged. "More or less. I wasn't really scared though. This is one gal who knows how to defend herself." "So you fought him?" Kanako asked. Sara laughed. "It wasn't much of a fight. After a big argument between the two of us, he tried to come at me, so I fought back. One punch square ta the jaw and he was out."

"That… doesn't sound all that crazy," Kanako said with disappointment. "I'm not at the crazy part yet, dear Kana," Sara said with a smirk. "Y'see, it turned out this guy was the son of some head honcho for a really big gang. They didn't seem ta like that their heir apparent got beat up by a girl, so they sent some guys after me." "A-A gang came after you?!" Kanako exclaimed. "Yep," Sara said. "Guns blazin' and all that. Luckily there were some good samaritans around ta help me out." "What happened next?" Kanako asked.

"Well, the story goes on for a while. There were some shoot-outs, a car chase… oh, I got thrown out of an airplane that time too." "H-Huh?!" Kanako let out, completely shocked. "Anyways," Sara said, glossing over that added detail. "After several long weeks of fighting, a trip to a field medic to remove a bullet from my arm, and government intervention, we finally got things settled. The gang backed off, and we cut ties with Bolivia." "M-Mori-san, you sound like you might be a spy," Kanako said. "Hey, I'm just a girl with a free spirit and too much free time," Sara said with a laugh.

"Um," Kanako said. "Was there… supposed to be a point to that story?" "Ah, right," Sara said. Then she leaned back down onto the bar to be more level with Kanako. "I don't know if it's great advice, but, sometimes Kana-chan, when talkin' won't work, ya just gotta fight. Although, in yer case, ya should probably avoid physical violence."

"But how am I supposed to fight?" Kanako asked. "Ya said you were ignorin' her, yeah?" Sara asked. Kanako nodded. "Well, in my experience, ignoring someone is like givin' 'em a free pass. They figure as long as ya don't say anything, then it's alright. It's only when ya put yer foot down that you'll really start seein' results."

Kanako thought about Sara's words. "I guess she has a point. Yesterday I was more stern with Ikehara-san than I really have been, and she seemed to listen. I wonder if I should try that more…" But as she was starting to consider that, Sara suddenly clapped her hands together. "Alright Kana-chan!" she said. "I'm sure soon enough, some more customers are gonna start comin' through that door, so let's greet 'em with good faces and good food, yeah?" "R-Right!" Kanako said, standing up. She could think about how she'd handle Katsumi later. For now, she needed to focus on doing her job and learning all she could.

…At least, that was how it was supposed to go. Just as Sara had predicted, customers started showing up thanks to the droves of students getting out of clubs and adults getting out of work. Ever since Sara's event, the crowds had just kept coming. Of course, that partly had to do with Sara's gimmick of doing secret contests. Every few days, she'd have something hidden in the menu. If a customer could figure out what it was, whether it be a riddle (and the answer), an item, or a puzzle, they'd win a prize. Originally, the prizes were going to be quite lavish, but Kanako was quick to inform Sara that if she did that, not only would it set unreasonable expectations on her and her cafe (not to mention people showing up for the prizes instead of the cafe itself), but it would probably just give the cafe a bizarre reputation.

So, instead of what Sara originally had planned, the prizes were more normal, ranging anywhere from a small discount coupon to a free meal pass for a week. As Kanako served a customer, it so happened that he won one of the prizes. Going to the back to check the list, Kanako saw what prize it lined up with. Immediately, her eyes bulged. "M-Mori-san did it again…" she uttered. Every now and then, Sara would slip in really outlandish prizes. This time, it was an all-expenses paid trip for whale-watching. When Kanako informed the customer of that, he nearly fell out of his chair.

Regardless of the contests, the day was beginning to proceed normally. Kanako was getting into her flow once more and had even gotten to switch with Sara in the kitchen for a bit. And then, just as Kanako was thinking how much she was enjoying herself once more… Katsumi walked in.

"Welcome~" Sara called. "Take a seat anywhere free." "Okay," Katsumi said, opting for a small table for two that was next to a window, but not too far from the door. "Hey Kana-chan, can ya get the girl that just walked in? I need ta whip up this order real quick." Looking over at who Sara motioned toward, Kanako froze. "Oh come on…" she muttered. "Is she going to start showing up regularly here too?" That had been an original fear of Kanako's when Katsumi had first come to the cafe. While she hadn't really come by, now, she had gone through the trouble of sitting down and being waited on. "I know she's expecting me…" Kanako thought bitterly. Unfortunately, she still had a job to do, and she couldn't afford to ignore a customer, so after mentally preparing herself, Kanako went over to the table in question.

"Hello and welcome to Cafe Mori. How may I serve you today?" she said formally. "Wow, your service skills are really shaping up," Katsumi commented. "Think you could call me master or something too?" "This isn't that kind of establishment," Kanako said quickly, though she did her best to keep an even tone. "I get the feeling that if I react to Ikehara-san, I'll be giving her what she wants," Kanako thought.

"Here's a menu," Kanako said, handing one to Katsumi. "Please let me know when you're ready to order." "What if I'm ready now?" Katsumi asked. "Eh?" Kanako let out. "W-Well, if you already know what you want-" "I want you," Katsumi said, staring at Kanako with a sort of seductive gaze. However, Kanako was not seduced nor amused. "Ikehara-san, if you're not going to be a serious customer, I'll get the owner to throw you out."

"Aw, you're no fun," Katsumi pouted. "But hey, I heard that the owner is Endo-san's aunt. Is that true?" "W-Where did you hear that?" Kanako asked. "Mm, here or there. Probably at school. It's not like our fellow classmates don't also go to cafes," Katsumi said. "So, is it true?" "So what if it is?" Kanako asked, suspicious. "I just wanna know if she's just as vile as the girl I know," Katsumi said. "Ikehara-san-"

"Somethin' wrong here?" Sara said, suddenly appearing next to Kanako. "Eep!" Kanako squeaked at the unexpected appearance. "M-Mori-san, you startled me…" "Whoops," Sara said with a laugh. Then she turned her attention to Katsumi. "Is there a problem, miss?"

Surprisingly, Katsumi said nothing. All she did was stare up at Sara. "...There's no way you're related to Endo-san," Katsumi finally said. "You're way too pretty to share those genes." "My, my," Sara said, sounding both pleased by the compliment and completely indifferent. "Aren't you a smooth talker. This girl a friend of yours and Haruna's, Kana-chan?" "No," Kanako said strongly. Sara was a little surprised to hear such a certain response come from Kanako, but after looking back and forth between her and Katsumi, a realization occurred to her. "Ahhh, this must be the one Kana-chan was talking about earlier," she thought.

"Kana-chan," Sara said. "I think table two's been waitin' on their check. Can ya go grab it for 'em?" "O-Oh, sure," Kanako said, scampering off to the register. Seeing her walk away, Katsumi frowned. "Somethin' got ya down, dear customer?" Sara asked with a hint of smugness. "Ah, now I see the family resemblance," Katsumi said bitterly.

"Hey, I don't have anything against ya personally," Sara said. "But I do think that causin' trouble for a couple just 'cause ya like one of 'em isn't gonna bring ya any good." "Mind your own business," Katsumi spat. "I am," Sara said. "In fact, you're in it right now." "Grrr," Katsumi growled. "Whatever. It's not like I really wanted to eat here anyways." Then Katsumi stood up and began heading for the door.

"Ikehara-san, was it?" Sara said, stopping the girl. "How do you know my name?" Katsumi asked. "Oh, I just overheard Kana-chan," Sara explained. "It's not a big place after all. Pretty easy to hear other conversations." "Well, what do you want?" Katsumi asked, though she really didn't care about the answer.

"A word of advice for ya," Sara said. "Sometimes, love is somewhere ya already looked." "What's that supposed to mean?" Katsumi asked, but Sara just turned and shrugged as she walked away. "Who knows? Just somethin' an old wise woman told me once in the Andes."

Katsumi found herself to be incredibly confused, but whether it was more because of Sara's advice or her casual mention of being in a mountain range, she wasn't sure. However, she was sure of one thing. "I know where my love is," she thought. "It's right here. It's with Kana-chin." So, as if in an act of defiance, Katsumi went back to her seat. Seeing that, Sara sighed. "Guess that girl really doesn't listen," she mumbled while behind the bar. "Well, good luck Kana-chan."

Having finished with table two, Kanako reluctantly went back to where Katsumi was. "It looked like she was about to leave, but I guess she changed her mind…" Kanako thought. "I hope she doesn't cause me any trouble…"

Once she reached the table, Kanako did her best to stay professional.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah, I'll take you to go."

"I'm not on the menu."

"But you're always on mine."

"...If you'd like a recommendation, I'd suggest the coconut-caramel parfait."

"If that's what you like Kana-chin, then I'm sure I'll love it. It sounds sweet, like you."

"...Is that… your order then?"

"Yep. Oh, does it come with any special service? Like a little spell to make it tastier?"

"This isn't a maid cafe! I'm going to place your order!"

And with that, Kanako stormed off, having narrowly avoided completely snapping. "One more pick-up line, and I would've lost it," she thought, steaming. After writing the order on a slip, she handed it to Sara. "Here," Kanako said, sounding rough. "That girl's really pourin' it on, huh?" Sara said, causing Kanako to look even more dejected. "And the worst part is, I can't just tell her to go away. It'd be bad for business." "If she's botherin' ya that much, I don't see the problem with it," Sara said. "Maybe," Kanako said. "But I want to learn to do this job the best that I can. Taking advantage of something that only you might let me do sounds like the potential for me to form a bad habit. I'd rather do things the right way than what's easy."

Hearing all that, Sara smiled, then reached out and patted Kanako's head. "You're a good girl, Kana-chan," she said. "I'm glad you and Haruna found each other." T-Thanks…" Kanako said, feeling slightly embarrassed, but also a little happy.

After that, Kanako continued serving other tables, then got Katsumi's order and brought it to her. "Wow!" the girl exclaimed. "This looks really good!" "Enjoy," Kanako said flatly, turning to walk away. "Hey, Kana-chin," Katsumi said, stopping her. Reluctantly, Kanako turned around, only to find a spoon right in front of her face. "Say ahhh!"

Immediately, Kanako frowned. "Employees aren't allowed to accept offerings of food from the customers." Then she turned and walked away. Really, Kanako had no idea if what she said was true, but it wasn't like Katsumi would know either, so it worked as a good way to escape the situation.

Meanwhile, Katsumi sat back down at her table feeling very vexed. "Why isn't this working?" she wondered. "I finally have Kana-chin's attention, and all I'm getting are flat responses. Would it kill her to at least pretend to be interested?" Though, even Katsumi knew how ridiculous that sounded. She knew very well why Kanako wouldn't engage her. Still, her will to not give up remained stronger than logical reason. "She should pay attention to me," Katsumi thought.

Standing up, she walked over to Kanako, who had just finished cleaning up a table. "Hey, Kana-chin," Katsumi said, but Kanako ignored her. "Kana-chin," she called again, but still no response as Kanako continued slowly walking. "Kana-chin, would you look at me?!" Katsumi yelled as she reached out to grab Kanako's shoulder.

The sudden impact caused Kanako to lose her balance, and all of a sudden, there was a tremendous crash and shattering sound. Hearing that, Katsumi looked down, seeing several broken plates and cups. "Ah," she let out. "S-Sorry… I couldn't see you were holding that stuff from where I was…" But, instead of responding to her, Kanako first bowed to the other customers. "I-I'm very sorry for this disturbance!" she said, getting a few waves from other patrons to indicate that it was fine. Then Kanako quickly went to the back to get the proper items she needed to clean up the broken glass and ceramics.

"I'll help," Katsumi offered, but as soon as she reached out, Kanako smacked her hand away. "You've done enough here," Kanako said, sounding very angry. "Go wait outside for me." "Okay…" Katsumi said, doing as she was told.

"You okay, Kana-chan?" Sara asked quietly as she went to help Kanako clean up. "Y-Yeah…" she said, feeling bad for breaking the dishes. "I-I'm really sorry…" "Don't worry about it Kana-chan," Sara said. "They're just dishes. I can buy more. All that matters is that ya didn't get hurt when they fell." "...sorry…" Kanako said weakly. "Hey, why don't ya take the rest of the day off? I can handle things here," Sara said. Though it was phrased like a suggestion, Kanako could tell she didn't really have a choice. "...okay."

Changing back into her school uniform, Kanako said goodbye to Sara before heading out the door. When she got outside, she found Katsumi standing by the door, just as instructed. The girl, who was usually so confident and loud, looked incredibly meek. "I'm so sorry Kana-chin. I didn't mean to…" she whimpered.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kanako said darkly. Taking a couple of steps toward Katsumi, they were taken with such force that Katsumi instinctively took several backwards. "Are you a child? Or are you just stupid?" "K-Kana-chin?" Katsumi said, completely taken aback by Kanako's fury. "I was working, Ikehara-san! Did you seriously think it was okay to just grab me like that? Doing something like that could've gotten people hurt! It could've been me, you or even worse, a customer!" "K-Kana-chin, I-" "I'm not finished!" Kanako shouted, silencing Katsumi.

"I understand you have feelings for me, so why can't you understand that I can't and won't accept them? All your current actions are doing are causing trouble for me! You follow me around everywhere, you wreak havoc at my club, and now you're affecting my workplace! I don't know how you could be more selfish!"

"I know how nice it feels for the person you love to pay attention to you, but the way you keep going about it is nothing short of a child throwing a tantrum because she isn't getting what she wants! Stop being so selfish! Stop being spoiled! Stop being so annoying!!!"

After screaming, Kanako was breathing heavily. To be honest, she couldn't recall a time when she had gotten more angry than she was right now. "Does she understand now, at least?" she wondered. Looking back up at Katsumi, Kanako was met by a completely blank face. 'Um," she said. "Ikehara-san?"

"I'm… gonna go home," Katsumi said. Then she turned from Kanako and left. Her steps were stiff, and Kanako really wondered if Katsumi might fall over. But, the girl kept walking, and eventually, she was out of sight. "I wonder… if that's the end of it," Kanako thought.

*****

"Ugh!" Chiyo exclaimed at lunch. "I can't believe Ikehara-san actually caused an accident at your workplace! Like, what is she even doing anymore?" "Y-Yeah, it was pretty annoying," Kanako admitted. "Sorry Kana-chan," Chiyo said. "If I was there, maybe I could've stopped her." "D-Don't worry about it," Kanako said. "It's not like it's your job to look after me." "Yeah, I know, but-" Chiyo began to say before a meatball right in front of her face cut her off. "Eat," Michi commanded, holding up the chopsticks holding the food. "Ah… o-okay," Chiyo said, eating the meatball and blushing as she did.

To be honest, Michi wasn't even thinking about the fact that she had just fed Chiyo with her own chopsticks. All she had really been trying to do was to stop Chiyo from talking about Katsumi. "Why does it bother me so much?" she wondered. "I don't really think Chiyo needs to be so involved, but it's not like it's a bad thing that she's trying to help Kana-chan… so then why does it irritate me to hear Chiyo talk about Ikehara-san?"

It was a mystery to Michi, and it was also one that had continuously stayed on her mind for weeks. "If Ikehara-san would just accept Kana-chan's rejection, then this whole mess would be over and we could all get back to normal."

Normal… What exactly was that for Michi anymore? Was it her daily routine? Was it her studying? Or was it her time she spent with others? No matter which she picked, it seemed like each of them were experiencing disruptions. Her routine would get thrown off due to Chiyo running off to stop Katsumi again. Her studies would pause as thoughts of what Chiyo was doing came to mind. And her time… Chiyo had been taking it more and more, but lately, that time had lessened as Chiyo worried about how to help Kanako and Haruna.

"Uh, Mi-chan? Why're ya starin' at me?" Chiyo asked suddenly. Being brought back to reality, Michi got red in the face as she realized she had been doing exactly as Chiyo had said. "Y-You just have rice on your face, stupid!" she exclaimed, quickly turning away. "Mi-chan, I didn't…" Chiyo started saying. She was going to point out she didn't even have any rice, but instead, she just smiled. "Oh, whatever," she said lightly. Then she leaned over to Michi, close enough so the gal's lips were right at Michi's ear. "You can look however much ya want," she whispered. Immediately, Michi flinched. "I-I told you to stop doing that!" she shouted.

But as she turned back to Chiyo, Michi noticed that Haruna and Kanako were gone. "Um, where did the other two go?" she asked. "They just left," Chiyo said. "It is almost time to head back to class y'know." "Of course I know that," Michi said. "So we better not be late." "Right," Chiyo said, standing up. Then she offered her hand to Michi.

"I don't need your help getting up," Michi remarked. "If ya don't want to hold my hand, you can just say so," Chiyo teased, causing Michi to blush. "L-Like I'd want that!" she exclaimed. In response, Chiyo laughed, and the two of them went back together.

*****

After school, Michi was getting ready to go home. For some reason, she didn't feel like going to club. "Then again, it's not like I feel like being alone either," she thought as she switched out her shoes. She was standing in front of the lockers in front of the main doors, and at the moment, she was the only one there. "Everybody really is in a hurry to leave," she thought. "It only took me a little longer to get over here and it's this empty."

With a lack of students, light was the only thing to fill the space, with the sunlight slipping in here and there, creating a shadowy, but still warm atmosphere. "Summer will be coming soon…" Michi thought idly. "I wonder what my last high school summer will be like? I wonder… if Chiyo's made any plans yet…"

"Mi-chan, you're still here?" the gal suddenly said. Whipping around, Michi saw Chiyo standing on the other end of the row of lockers. Slowly, but with some bounce in her step, she walked over to Michi. "Guess you're kinda a slowpoke today, huh?" she said with a teasing grin. "Whatever," Michi said with a small huff. "Why are you still here?"

Chiyo's expression got serious. "I'm on the hunt for Ikehara-san," she said, putting her hand above her eyes and acting like she was searching. "I just know she's gonna do something. She never learns, after all."

"Again…" Michi thought as a pain ran through her chest. "Why am I feeling like this again?" Then she looked at Chiyo. "And why… do you keep looking at her… and not…"

"Well, I'm off Mi-chan! See ya tomor-...eh?"

Chiyo had been just about to run off when she felt a tug. Looking down, she saw Michi, and an outstretched hand with small fingers just barely gripping the hem of Chiyo's shirt. The girl herself was looking down, so Chiyo couldn't see her face, but she got the feeling it was far from happy. "Mi…chan?"

"...ay…"

"What?"

"Just…stay…"

Michi had no idea what was happening. Her body was moving before she could think, and words were falling out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Don't… go after Ikehara-san… just stay with me…" Her hand trembled, and her whole body shook. Inside, Michi's heart was going a mile a minute, but it hardly registered in her mind, which consciously, was essentially blank.

Meanwhile, Chiyo was torn. She wanted to go help Kanako and Haruna, but Michi was currently being so vulnerable with her. "If I leave… it might end up hurting the both of us," Chiyo thought. "Kana-chan and Haru-chi… you two can handle Ikehara-san for a little bit… right?"

"I'd do anything you asked me," Chiyo said.

"Anything?" Michi asked, still not looking up.

"Anything. Do you want something else, Mi-chan?"

"...I want you… to not look at Ikehara-san…"

"Okay."

"And I want… you to stay close to me…"

"Okay."

"And I want you to hold onto my arm so I know you aren't going anywhere else."

"Okay… Is that all?"

Then, in the tiniest of voices, Michi uttered one more request.

"...Look at me…"

Because Michi wouldn't look up, Chiyo crouched down. When she tilted her head, she saw Michi's face. It was a mix of great confusion, worry, and embarrassment, but there was also a small amount of happiness that Chiyo could see. Reaching up, she brought her hand to Michi's cheek.

"I always am," she said, barely above a whisper. "Always."

"...right…" Then, there was a very faint smile on Michi's face.

After that, the two girls went home, with Chiyo walking right next to Michi and keeping her hand on Michi's arm. As they walked, Michi began to notice that her heart was still beating faster than normal. "Why… won't it slow down?" she wondered, though even Michi had a general understanding of what it could mean. "No way," she told herself. "Of course it's not that. I don't… have those sorts of feelings… but…" But something was obviously there. Even the conscious mind of Michi couldn't deny that, not after what had just happened. "So then what… is going on with me?"

All the while, Chiyo and Michi walked together, both feeling closer than they ever had been.

End of Chapter Thirteen.