123 Chapter Twelve: Jasmine, You Are...

Out of all the words that could be used to describe Mayu Kawaguchi, rebellious was not one of them. And yet, on the night of the day she had experienced her first feelings of anger toward her mother, she was being just that: rebellious. Gathering only the minimal amount of things she needed, Mayu quietly opened the door of her bedroom, slipped out through the crack, and was sure to be mindful of any of the creaking spots in the floor.

Reaching the front door, she slowly slid it open before finally, once outside, she slid it back shut and scampered off. Her quick pace carried her to the road, where she took a sharp turn that would take her toward Iwanai's downtown area. From her house, this amounted to quite a walk, but with the mood she was in, Mayu thought it would probably do her good.

It was still early April, and with the Hokkaido winds, the temperature outside was somewhat chilling. Of course, it didn't help that it was past nine at night. It was certainly unusual for Mayu to be out on her own that late. In fact, the word unusual wasn't even correct. She was NEVER out this late, not unless she had express permission and was with her friends. Now though, with her current situation being what it was, Mayu wondered if days like that would ever return.

Admittedly, Mayu's life to this point had been an easy one. Much like her mother, she never really had to make any life choices for herself. Her independence was a little more prevalent than Ai's had been, but that was due more to societal changes than a change in parenting. Regardless, she still did as she was told and lived her life the best way she thought.

However, as she went through high school and met new people, Mayu's thinking began to change. It wasn't as if she was thinking of becoming a rebel or something, but it seemed as time passed, one thing became clear to her: Mayu Kawaguchi lacked a definite self.

To most, she was kind, gentle and pleasant. She kept her emotions in check, although there wasn't much to check. Mayu was usually happy, but only to a modest amount. While she felt sadness or anger, it wasn't very prevalent inside of her, so those emotions normally didn't show on her face.

Even her looks were kept simple, with twin black braids hanging past her shoulders, a basic pair of circular glasses, and her clothes drew no attention whatsoever. Her attitude, her appearance, everything about Mayu was tailored to be perfectly… nothing.

None of these aspects made up a genuine person. Sure, being kind was a good thing, but with kindness also came annoyance (at times). That was something Mayu didn't have. Not getting angry was fine, but not feeling much of it at all certainly wasn't normal. Braids were a nice look on a girl… so nice in fact that plenty of other girls in school had them. No matter how Mayu looked at it, there wasn't a single thing about her that was unique.

Without meeting the people she had, she probably never would've realized that. But, now that Mayu was surrounded by unique individuals, her own life began to come into perspective, and the perspective it came with was simply… boring. Mayu was completely and utterly boring.

As she walked down the street, she shivered as a gust of wind blew through. Perhaps, for the first time, Mayu felt quite depressed. Here she was, walking alone at night through a small town, thinking about nothing but how boring and lacking she was. What was she supposed to do with that? How was she supposed to react? Was there even a correct way to go about responding to feelings such as these?

Before she knew it, Mayu had arrived near the edge of downtown. Although she had gotten where she wanted to go, she didn't really have a specific place in mind. Besides, even if she did, most of those places would be closed for the night already, if they had even opened at all on a Sunday. So, Mayu stood still for a moment. She looked left, then right, then left again, but no matter where she looked, hardly a person was in sight. That is, until she spotted something she recognized.

"Huh…?" Mayu let out as she stared up ahead. Not far from where she was, there was a cafe. At this time of night, most cafes would turn into bars, but being the small town Iwanai was, there wasn't really a need. Between the size of the population and the few bars already established, the cafes could simply remain as they were, serving coffee however late they wanted to.

This was not new information to Mayu, and in fact, she was certain she had visited the particular cafe she was staring at several times with Itsuki. So, what had caught her eye? In the streetlight lighting, with a bit of illumination from the moon, a bundle of pink hair wafted about in the gentle breeze. The girl, standing in a blackish-grey, somewhat puffy coat, a deep red miniskirt and black tights, was holding a small white cup in her hands. Even from the distance she was at, Mayu could tell there was a bit of steam rising off of the slit at the top of the lid. The girl lifted the cup up, blew on it several times before finally taking a sip. Immediately, she pulled the cup away and appeared to stick out her tongue in an effort to cool it. Watching this all unfold, Mayu laughed.

Slowly, she walked up to the girl in question. "Good evening, Jasmine-chan," she said. Surprised to hear her name, Jasmine turned and saw Mayu. "Mayu-chi?" she said. "What're ya doin' out here this late?" "I could ask you the same thing," Mayu said back pleasantly. "I… just wanted some coffee… that's all," Jasmine said, although something about her tone suggested that wasn't the whole truth. "I saw you burn yourself," Mayu teased. "I-I didn't burn myself," Jasmine stammered, turning away in a bit of embarrassment. "What about you? Why're you out here?"

Mayu hesitated. She couldn't really say she had just gone out for something like Jasmine had. Unlike the gal, Mayu didn't have a history of being out late, so that excuse didn't seem plausible. For a moment, Mayu thought, but soon she shook her head. "I shouldn't lie," she told herself. So, looking at Jasmine, Mayu answered, "Um, Jasmine-chan… can we talk?"

Several minutes later, the two girls arrived at a pavilion. The light above glowed yellow, casting everything underneath the roof faintly in its hue. While the color made it seem old (and it was), the light also had the function of giving off heat, keeping the pavilion mildly warmer than its surroundings. With the lower temperature slowly warming, the combination of the heating light and the cool air made for a comfortable atmosphere.

Sitting at one of the picnic tables underneath, Mayu and Jasmine sat next to each other in silence for a bit. Mayu gathered her thoughts as Jasmine sipped on her now somewhat cooler coffee, and by the time the girl spoke, the cup had come down from the gal's lips. "Jasmine-chan… do you think… Kana-chan and Endo-san are happy?"

It was the first question that came to mind. Really, Mayu's mind was a bit of a mess at the moment, but she decided that would be her starting point. In response to this sudden question, Jasmine sat in thought for a moment before eventually shrugging and offering a minimal, "I don't know."

Hearing that, Mayu let out a little sigh. "Yeah…" "Why'd you ask that?" Jasmine asked, unknowingly getting closer to the root of the issue. "Well…" Mayu said. "I… got into a fight with my mother." "That's surprising," Jasmine said immediately. "I didn't think you got mad." "I get mad at you all the time for calling me a pet…" Mayu pouted. "Yeah, but that's like, a cute mad. You're not really mad, y'know?" "Mnngh…" Mayu let out, unable to deny Jasmine's observation.

"So, why'd you fight with your mom?" Jasmine asked. Mayu went quiet. "I've always… thought of my mother as a kind and understanding person. Throughout my life, she never did anything to suggest otherwise. But recently, she keeps saying things that sound so different from the mother I know…" "What kind of things?" Jasmine asked. Mayu hesitated, unsure of if she should say, but since she had already resolved herself not to lie, she continued.

"She told me that I shouldn't hang out with you or Chiyo or any of my other friends, and if I don't listen, she'll transfer me," Mayu said somberly. If the girl had looked up at Jasmine in that moment instead of down at the table, she would've seeing the darkest scowl on the gal's face. Jasmine's anger was so high, a vein could practically be seen bulging out of the side of her forehead. If there was anything Jasmine hated the most, it was one person trying to control another, especially parents.

"That's bullshit," she muttered angrily. "Jasmine-chan?" Mayu said, finally looking up. "You can't leave…" Jasmine continued quietly. "Not when I finally…" Her voice trailed off, leaving Mayu to only guess as to what the rest was. Unfortunately, while she wanted to offer comfort, she had no way of doing so. As it currently stood, Mayu's only options were to either cut off her current friends or transfer entirely. How could she possibly choose? And now, already, one of her friends was suffering because of her own circumstances.

"...Do you know why I wanted to be your friend Mayu?" Jasmine asked suddenly. Having no response, Mayu simply stared at Jasmine. Taking that as acknowledgment, Jasmine went on. "I always thought that we were the same." "The...same?" Mayu repeated, confused. To her, they couldn't be more different. Jasmine was tall, cool and mature. Her sense of fashion was stylish and alluring, and her personality as a whole was easy-going and aloof. That was what Mayu had always seen. Even as she had gotten to know Jasmine more, it was hard for her to understand how the two of them could really be alike at all.

Seeing the girl's confusion, Jasmine smiled weakly at her. Then, she brought up her hand and gave the side of Mayu's head a few strokes. "I know. It's sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?" "U-Um," Mayu said, but Jasmine continued before she could say more. "Hey, Mayu-chi. Do ya think… you could like, give me some of your time? There's… something I want to tell you too."

Sliding her hand down to Mayu's cheek, the girl could feel her cheeks heating up ever-so slightly. But, rather than take her mind in the direction of love, there was something else she picked up on. The way Jasmine said what she said, the tone she used… She said there was something she wanted to tell Mayu, but to Mayu, it sounded more like "I want to tell you something about me." Whenever Mayu thought about it, she always realized just how little she actually knew about Jasmine. Returning her request with a gentle smile, Mayu put her hand over Jasmine's outstretched one, and answered. "Please do."

Once both of their hands had returned to their sides, Jasmine spoke. "My parents divorced when I was eight." Starting with such a bombshell, Mayu's attention was immediately held. "My dad was a total scumbag. He liked to take all of our money and gamble it away at back-alley poker games and stuff. It was always pretty easy to tell if he had won or lost too. If he won, he smelled like women. If he lost, he smelled like booze."

"Honestly, when I was a kid, I never really thought it was that bad when he won. He'd have thousands of yen just flyin' out of his pockets, and he'd always tell me we were gonna be rollin' in dough soon enough. But… the next night, he'd always come back empty-handed, promising us that he'd win it all back next time. Of course, he hardly ever did, and when he gambled away our house, that was the last straw for my mom."

"Your house?" Mayu repeated in shock. "Yep," Jasmine said with a solemn nod. "In the last game he played, he lost everything he owned. When debt collectors showed up at our house demanding we get out, I remember them flashing the deed to our house in our faces. Those smug bastards… I'll never forget the sight of my mom on hands and knees begging them to at least let us keep the house…"

"I'm assuming… they didn't," Mayu said quietly. Jasmine shook her head. "Nope. All they did was laugh and told us we had to be out by morning. Somehow, we got a little lucky, because my mom was able to get a hold of my grandma, who was my dad's mom. As it turned out, she had some property in Iwanai that she had been holding onto for years because she didn't know what to do with it. So, in our hour of desperation, we accepted the house. That's where I live now. That old, run-down shack of a building."

After a brief pause, Jasmine went on. "My mom… she never really recovered. Her taste in men hardly improved thanks to my dad setting the bar so low. Basically, as long as they weren't physically abusive, didn't gamble and stuck around, that was good enough. After a few tries, she eventually settled on my current step-father, a lazy, disgusting drunk who'd sooner rot away in front of a TV than actually do anythin' worth anythin'."

It was clearly from Jasmine's tone just how much she didn't like the man. "As time has gone on, my mom's gotten worse. It's like she's getting more and more airheaded or something, completely willing to ignore the problems in our life. That man she calls a husband only works the minimum, while she works way more. At home, it's more like master and maid than husband and wife… it's sickening… Worst of all, he tries to treat me the same." "What do you say to him when he does?" Mayu asked. Jasmine turned to her, showing a weak, but still defiant grin. "I tell him to go to hell."

"Hey, Jasmine-chan," Mayu said. "I'm sorry if this is too nosy of me, but… does the situation with your parents have anything to do with why you dated so many boys?" "Hmm," Jasmine let out. "...Yeah, maybe. I don't know what the psychological reason for it would be, but like, I guess I just wanted someone who cared about me." "Do think your mother doesn't?" Mayu asked uncertainly. "...It's not that I think she doesn't," Jasmine said. "I just don't think she can anymore, that's all."

Letting out a small, self-depreciating laugh, Jasmine went on. "But, it's not like I found much success with the boys either. Nearly everyone one of them dumped me, telling me the same things. You're too cold. You're too distant. Do you even really love me? Why'd you agree to go out with me in the first place? It was the same story every time, but for some reason, I just kept doing it."

"But then, one day… Haru-chi fell in love, and I don't mean with Miyashita-san. She loved Miyashita-san, sure, but when it came to Kana-chan, it was like Haru-chi became a different person. Her eyes would practically sparkle when things were good, she'd look so sad when they weren't, and she'd blush so easily at just the thought of Kana-chan. I think… it was then that I started to think 'I wish I could feel something like that.'"

Jasmine looked at Mayu and noticed how she still looked confused. "You're probably wonderin' how this relates to you huh?" "W-Well… yes," Mayu admitted shyly. "Well you're in luck, because I'm getting to that part," Jasmine said. "Should I tell you all about my meeting with my adorable little pet?" Mayu wanted to protest, but she also felt like it would ruin the mood, so she just gave a slight nod instead.

"Honestly, I didn't think much of you at first," Jasmine said bluntly. "You were so plain, your grades are average, and nothing really made you stand out." "Y-You don't have to be so honest…" Mayu groaned. "Sorry, sorry," Jasmine said. "But it's not like it stayed that way, because as I started to learn more about you, I realized something. We're the same."

There it was again. Mayu's mind ran through everything it could think of, but there was nothing she could come up with that made sense. Why did Jasmine keep saying that? What made them the same? It wasn't appearance, or grades or reputation. If it hadn't been for Chiyo bringing everyone together, Mayu would've probably never even met Jasmine.

"We wear the same shackles."

Hearing that, Mayu's eyes went wide. She stared at the gal, unable to speak. "Shackles?" she thought. "What does… that mean...?" A gust of wind blew through, ruffling the girl's braids and the gal's wavy hair. Putting her full attention on Mayu, Jasmine had an expression riddled with pain, regret and longing. "It's our parents. You, raised in the traditional household to be the ideal daughter, never given the chance to experience more than what they wanted you to. Me, stripped of any chance to live my life how I pleased after my parents so royally screwed up."

"B-But you do live how you want, don't you?" Mayu asked, baffled, but Jasmine only shook her head. "No I don't. Going out late to get coffee, dying my hair, sleeping around with boys… those are all little things. It's not like any of that will put me on the path for something worthwhile." "But you don't sleep around anymore, right?" Mayu asked suddenly. For some reason, she really wanted confirmation on that point. Jasmine smiled, seemingly comforted by the question. "No, not anymore."

"So," Jasmine went on. "Whaddya think of my story? Pretty stupid, ain't it?" At first, Mayu wasn't sure how to respond, but as she searched for words, her heart took over, sending her deeper thoughts spilling out from her mouth. "It's not stupid..." she said. "It's not! Jasmine-chan you… do you have any idea what you've done for me? Because of you, and all the others, I've been able to think about things differently than I ever have." "Yeah, but Chiyo probably did most of that. All I did was show up and bother you," Jasmine joked, but Mayu didn't laugh. Instead, she latched onto Jasmine's arm, her face pleading with the gal's.

"Don't say that! It wasn't Chiyo, it was you! It's true, Endo-san, Kana-chan, and Chiyo too… they did help me… but they're not the ones… who keep pushing me forward… who encourages me to try new things… who shows me what it's like… what it means to live a life that you want to live… To me, Jasmine-chan, you're amazing. You say that the way you do things, dying your hair and going out late don't mean anything, but they do. It shows me, firsthand, that it's possible to live in more than one way. That maybe… I don't have to be who I've always been… that boring, plain girl…"

"You're the one who's shown me all of that, so please, don't say your story is stupid. It isn't, because without it, we might have never met. Perhaps that's selfish of me to say, but I don't care. You're amazing, Jasmine-chan, and I think, while you've experienced hardship, the way you live your life is truly… beautiful."

All Jasmine could do was stare in shock. No one had ever once told her anything like that. She had been called many things in her life. A thief from the bitter mouths of ex-girlfriends of the guys she was dating. A whore, by plenty of her fellow students. A rebel and delinquent by her teachers. But never, not once, had someone called her amazing… or beautiful, and meant it as much as Mayu did now.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry!" Mayu panicked. "...Huh?" Jasmine squeaked out. She brought her hands up to her face, feeling her eyes and cheeks. Sure enough, the tears were pouring out. "What…?" she uttered. "D-Damn it… why won't they stop…?" "Jasmine-chan…" Mayu said quietly. Without another word, she took out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed it on Jasmine's cheeks. "S-Stop…" Jasmine said weakly. "It'll get dirty…" "That's fine," Mayu said simply. "I have to be careful anyways. I would hate to ruin your makeup." "It's already ruined, dummy," Jasmine said, but she didn't protest anymore.

When Mayu finished, she stared at Jasmine's face before the gal abruptly turned away. "D-Don't look. I'm sure I've got like, makeup smudges all over my face now." "Does that really matter?" Mayu asked, reaching up to turn Jasmine back toward her. Gently, she placed her hands on the girl's cheeks and shifted her head back. For a moment, they stated like that, until Jasmine broke the silence. "Careful Mayu-chi," she said. "You might start leading me on that this rate." "Leading you onto what?" Mayu asked innocently. "Oh Mayu-chi," Jasmine cooed. "Never lose that purity."

Once they separated, Jasmine got back to the issue at hand. "So what are you going to do about your mom?" Mayu's expression turned pensive. "I wish I knew. I just don't understand her anymore. She keeps calling hanging out with you or Chiyo wrong, and that I shouldn't associate myself with Endo-san or Kana-chan because of their relationship. But… you're all my friends. I think the only thing I can do right now is try talking to her again."

Mayu had made a resolution. "Endo-san, Kana-chan, Chiyo, Mi-chan, Itsuki-chan, Yamane-san… Jasmine-chan. They're all people I care about. After hearing Jasmine-chan's story, how could I leave her, or any of them? Mother is wrong, and I must find a way to prove it."

At the same time, Mayu also thought of another thing she wanted. "Hey, Jasmine-chan," she said. "Can I… just call you by your first name?" It was something Mayu had never done before, not even with Itsuki. Being raised how she had been, Mayu had always kept a little bit of distance between herself and others. After hearing Jasmine's story though, how could she even pretend that that distance was still there?

At first, Jasmine just stared. "Y'know, that's pretty informal for a pet," she eventually said. "I'm not-!" Mayu went to protest, but before she could, Jasmine's finger landed on her lips, silencing her. "But if that's what you desire, then I shall allow it," she said coolly. "Okay, Mayu?"

Hearing her own first name with no honorfic brought a blush to Mayu's face, but she tried to recover as quick as she could. "O-Okay, Jasmine." Hearing her name, Jasmine beamed. "Great. Now that that's settled, should I walk you home?" "Is this where you're going to make another pet joke?" Mayu pouted. "Nope," Jasmine said easily. "Just being nice." "O-Oh," Mayu said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Then, sure." So, the two began to walk back, having grown in more ways than one.

*****

"Aww man, why'd my parents have to go out tonight? It's still cold!" Itsuki whined as she walked. She had gone out to hang out with some of her friends on the track club, but with it getting late and school the next day, they had called it night. However, Itsuki's parents turned out to still be busy, so she had to walk back. "Seriously, when I get home, I'm diving under the kotatsu!"

Having made her declaration to no one, Itsuki continued walking in the direction of her house. She was in decent spirits, her short, black hair bouncing along with each step. Her track friends had all been talking about what they were looking forward to doing for the season, along with their ambitions. Naturally, Itsuki had claimed she was going to go to nationals, but that most likely was a pipe dream. She had only made it to regionals once, and it hadn't gone too well. Regardless of that though, all Itsuki really wanted was to have fun. Sure, it was fun to be able to brag about her accomplishments, but as long as she could leave each competition with a smile, that was good enough for her.

That philosophy had all started because of her regionals loss. With it being her first time, Itsuki had been full of energy, but that had come back to haunt her. In the 800 meter race, she started too fast and ended up finishing second to last. Looking at the times from an outsiders' perspective, she most likely wouldn't have finished in the top three even if she had raced her best race ever. But, that didn't change the fact that finishing so low really hurt.

It had been enough to make Itsuki cry. Standing alone in the tunnel, she had cried her eyes out. During that time, Mayu had come looking for her. She had been in attendance upon Itsuki's request, with Itsuki hoping to show off. Instead, she felt like she had embarrassed herself. Of course, as she had expected, Mayu didn't do much, but she did say one thing. "You'll do better next time."

One sentence was hardly a lot of comfort, but to Itsuki, hearing those words from her best friend had been just the boost she needed. Did that mean she was just really simple-minded? Maybe, but even if that was the case, Itsuki didn't care. She had the motivation she needed now, and that was all that mattered.

Or, it was. It had been. It should've been. However, over the course of the last year, something began to nag at Itsuki. A fear in the back of her mind constantly kept telling her to watch Mayu lest she disappear. It made it hard to focus on anything, including track. While Itsuki wouldn't admit it openly, that lack of focus was probably what caused her to miss out on another chance at regionals last season. On top of that, Mayu had come to less of her meets than before, furthering her unnamed fear.

"This is a new year though," Itsuki told herself. She felt more determined than ever after talking about the upcoming season. That fear she had still remained, but it had seemingly been quieted for now, leaving Itsuki to focus entirely on track and the cooking club. At least, that was how it was supposed to go.

Walking along, Itsuki saw two girls still under a pavilion. "Oh, that's nice," she idly thought. As she looked closer though, she began to make out the finer details. Pink hair. Black braids. Heights she was familiar with. "Are those… Jasmine-chan and Mayu-chan?" she wondered. Then, with just that thought, that fear that had been quiet only moments ago roared back to life. It gripped Itsuki's heart, and it made her incredibly uneasy. "What is this?" she wondered. "What's going on?"

She wanted to know why those two would be together at this time of night. There weren't really any good hiding spots, so the best Itsuki could do was slide behind a nearby tree. She still wasn't close enough to hear things well, just a word here or there, but she could at least watch them. Admittedly, Itsuki felt a little guilty for her behavior, but a part of her just couldn't help it. She had to know what they were talking about.

While she stood behind the tree, she did her best to listen. It wasn't long though until the action picked up. Suddenly, Itsuki saw Mayu grabbing Jasmine's arm. Then Jasmine was crying, and then Mayu wiped her tears. "What…?" Itsuki thought blankly.

Where had that been for her? When she had lost during regionals after giving it her all, why didn't she get that treatment? At the time, Mayu's words had been enough, but seeing that the girl was actually capable of more than that irritated Itsuki. "I cried too… why didn't she do that for me?"

As she continued to watch, a small breeze went through the space, and with it, it carried the girls' conversation more clearly. It was then that Itsuki heard the most important thing yet: Mayu and Jasmine calling each other by their first names and nothing else.

"W-Why…?" Itsuki said to herself. "She doesn't even… call me like that… so why… what makes Jasmine-chan so special?" The fear in her heart grew. Something told her that Mayu was going to disappear, and that Jasmine was the one responsible. It was hard to tell whether that made her more angry or frightened. All she knew for sure was that the Mayu she knew seemed to slowly be disappearing.

*****

It was in their preschool years that Itsuki and Mayu became acquainted. With how high-energy Itsuki was as a child, it was easy for her to make friends. Many of the children gathered around her and counted on her to come up with fun games to play. In contrast to that, there was Mayu, who, while not friendless, did have less children surrounding her. She was always kind and gentle, giving off a pleasant atmosphere even at a young age.

That particular trait was what attracted Itsuki to Mayu. This girl was like a shiny, foreign object, and Itsuki was a curious bird. She'd peck and poke, all in an effort to see the girl make more faces. As expected though, it was always the same. Mayu would hardly ever shift from her gentle smile, and eventually, it was that kindness that made Itsuki just accept Mayu as she was. "This girl is so nice," she always thought.

As they got older, they found out that they lived near each other, so the two girls started to play together more. That was how Itsuki found out about Mayu's upbringing. She didn't know all of the details (nor would she have been able to understand them as a young child), but she thought it all made sense. Mayu was raised to be nice, so she was nice. Why should she be any different? Itsuki had no reason to question it, and even when Mayu met other people, like Kanako or Michi, that thought prevailed in their minds too. "This girl is nice." It was almost as if that was the effect Mayu had on others. To make them never question her exterior.

Of course, it's not like it was a front or anything. Mayu was nice, but her other emotions had also been dulled. However, Itsuki had never given much thought to that. She had tried in the past to get more reactions out of Mayu, but that was more for just her own entertainment than a genuine attempt at trying to get the girl to change. As their days passed, Itsuki just thought this was how things will always be. Mayu is a nice and gentle girl, nothing more.

When Itsuki first met Chiyo and Jasmine, she was actually excited. Here were these two infamous gyarus of Iwanai, and now Itsuki got to meet them. She had all kinds of questions for them, like if all the rumors about them were true, but she held herself back. Even someone like Itsuki was sure that if she asked that, she'd find out more than she really wanted to know. So instead, she just worked on becoming friends with them.

It was easy enough with Chiyo, but Jasmine was another story. Before she knew it, the gal was getting close to Mayu, and for some reason, that bothered Itsuki. Eventually, she had no choice but to confront her feelings and Jasmine herself. In the end, she was able to settle everything and finally accept Jasmine as a friend. At least, that should've been the end of it.

Those irritated feelings still lingered, and as Jasmine and Mayu continued to get closer, Itsuki began to notice Mayu changing more and more. Mayu changing on her own wasn't necessarily a problem, but why it was happening was something that Itsuki didn't understand. Specifically, why could Jasmine get Mayu to react more than Itsuki ever could?

She had known Mayu for longer. Didn't she know that Mayu was just a nice and gentle girl, nothing more? Or, perhaps… there was something more, and if that was true, then had Itsuki been ignoring an entire side of Mayu? Worse yet, had she missed out on discovering that side of Mayu? To know that she had missed something entirely about her best friend was something that Itsuki couldn't forgive herself for.

But, it seemed that while Itsuki was wallowing, Jasmine was continuing to make progress on the Mayu frontier, leaving Itsuki behind. Now, the gal had even reached the point of leaving honorfics behind. She was reaching levels that Itsuki had never even thought about. She had always called Mayu "Mayu-chan," and in return, she had been "Itsuki-chan." Wasn't that enough? Could someone ask for more? As it turned out, the answer to that was a deafening yes in Itsuki's ears as she heard Mayu and Jasmine do just that.

"Why, Mayu-chan…" itsuki uttered. "Why is she special… and not me?"

End of Chapter Twelve.