101 Chapter Twelve: Love Me Tender

During the morning of the first day of the cultural festival, Michi's class was just as busy as they thought they would be. "Look at all of these customers!" one girl exclaimed. "It's great that they're coming, but at this rate we might get overrun!" another girl yelled. As it turned out, while they had expected to have plenty of people, the class was learning that just because they knew they'd have a lot of customers, that didn't really make it any easier to manage.

Currently, the room set-up was typical of what one would expect of a cultural festival maid cafe. The walls were decorated with pieces of art done by the art club, and some fixtures had been added (such as fake wood siding and shaping the cooking area to look like a bar) to make the room feel more like a real cafe. In the middle were plenty of tables covered by white cloths, and serving them were girls dressed in maid outfits and boys dressed in butler outfits.

Of course, one of the girls wearing said maid outfit was Michi. She was rotating between cooking and serving, but all the while she had an annoyed look on her face. "This is so stupid," she kept thinking. "Everybody keeps staring at me, especially the guys. I just wish they'd look somewhere else." It felt rather embarrassing for Michi to be seen wearing such clothes. "I'm sure they're all getting a kick out of seeing me like this."

She wasn't usually one to be self-conscious about her appearance, but that mindset could only carry Michi so far. Constantly having a bunch of people watching her while wearing very out-of-the-ordinary clothes was bringing Michi closer and closer to her limit. "Maybe I should just say I need to go help my club now. Then I'd be able to get out of this stupid outfit." However, looking around the room, it was obvious that would be impossible. They were way too busy. "...Plus, I'd feel bad just leaving them like this."

Unfortunately, checking the time showed that she still had a long way to go before the end of her shift. "This really sucks," she muttered to herself. "Um, Fukuhara-san?" one of the girls next to her said. "Could you try to look a little more happy? This is a festival after all." "Yeah, whatever," Michi huffed as she went to attend to one of her tables. "Who could be happy about a situation like this?" she thought.

For as much as Michi didn't want to be wearing a maid outfit, there was one reason in particular for why she was in such a foul mood. "That girl is going to show up here at some point, I just know it," she thought with a great annoyance. "She'll probably barge right in and be super loud, saying something like, 'Mi-chan, your master has come home. Please service me!' or some nonsense like that."

Dread was the only word that could describe the feeling Michi had. It was bad enough that everyone in the school and neighborhoods was seeing her like this, but if a certain gal did, Michi would want to die on the spot. "I'm sure she'll never shut up about it," Michi thought. "Ugh… why do I have to deal with this?"

"Ohhh Mi-chan! Your master has come back home! Please greet me properly~!"

And then, the dreaded moment arrived. With her back to the door, Michi slowly turned around. Standing at the entryway with a big smile on her face was Chiyo. "I'm waiting," she cooed. Next to the poor maid, another girl whispered to her, "We tried to just take her to a table, but she insisted on this." Letting out a long sigh, Michi shook her head. "It's fine. I knew she was coming anyways. Let's just get this over with."

Walking up to the gal, Michi stared at her. In return, Chiyo looked at her expectantly. "W-Wel…" Michi stuttered. "Mm? I can't hear you. Make sure you say it like, super loud and proud," Chiyo said. "Guh…" Michi let out. "W-Welcome… back miss…" "One more time," Chiyo smirked.

"WELCOME BACK MISS!" Michi yelled. She yelled so loud in fact that for a moment, the entire room went quiet. Realizing her mistake, Michi's face went beet-red from embarrassment. "Oh my God…" she groaned. "I feel like such an idiot." "It's okay Mi-chan. All that matters is your master's opinion," Chiyo said smugly. "My 'master' was the one who got me into this mess in the first place!" Michi shot back.

After their banter, Chiyo was seated at a table with two others. "So what do you want?" Michi asked. "That's not very cute Mi-chan," Chiyo pouted. "You're supposed to say, 'What can I get you master?' C'mon, try it." "What. Can. I. Get. You. Miss." Michi said through gritted teeth. "See, that wasn't so hard," Chiyo teased. "Anyways, I'll have the omelet the rice. That's a classic, right?" "How would I know? I've never even been to one of these places. You're the one that's from Tokyo, remember? I'm sure there are plenty of maid cafes around," Michi said. "Right, there aren't any places like a maid cafe around here," Chiyo agreed. "Well, compared to the originals, I think your class is doing pretty good!" "No one asked for your approval," Michi said sharply.

"Hey Mi-chan," Chiyo said. "Will you make my omelet rice for me?" "Hah? Why the hell would I make it for you? I'm obviously serving right now, so I can't," Michi said, annoyed by such a dumb question. "Aww. that's too bad. I was hoping to have some of your cooking," Chiyo said in a sulking tone. "Just go to the Cooking Club's booth in the afternoon. I'll be there making yakisoba," Michi said. "That's won't work," Chiyo responded immediately.

"Huh? Why not?" Michi asked. "The talent show is this afternoon. I'm actually performing in it," Chiyo said casually. "You're performing?" Michi asked, surprised. Chiyo nodded. "Mhm. I gotta admit, I'm a little nervous. Buuut, y'know what would make me feel better?" "What?" Michi asked with dread. "If you gave me some of your very own cooking!" Chiyo said back with a beaming smile. "You're not going to leave me alone until I make it for you, are you?" Michi said. In response, all Chiyo did was continue smiling. "...Alright, fine, I get it! Stop looking at me like that! I'll make your stupid order, so just wait!" And with that, Michi briefly took over a spot in the kitchen area.

When she reached the final step in her cooking, she paused. For a maid cafe, it was typical for the maids to write something on the omelet rice in ketchup. A brief moment passed in which Michi considered writing the kanji for idiot, but she gave up the idea. Instead, she went with something else. Once she was done, she brought it over to Chiyo.

"Here. An omelet rice," Michi said curtly. "Wow, it looks so fluffy!" Chiyo said with glee. "Now, you're gonna cast a spell on it right?" With completely dead eyes, Michi stared at her. "Not on your life," she said coldly. "Yeah, I guess that would be pushing my luck too much huh?" Chiyo said. "Thanks for the food. Time to- Eh?"

Just as Chiyo was about to plunge her spoon into the fluffy yellow dome, she stopped. Written in ketchup was something she hadn't expected. "I really thought she would've wrote 'idiot' or 'annoying,'" Chiyo thought. Instead, what was written was a short phrase.

"Do your best."

It was only three little words, but they had tremendous impact on Chiyo. She could feel emotion welling up inside her chest, and it took a lot for her to not just let it out. "...Yeah, I will," she whispered before finally taking her first bite. "Sooo gooood."

When she finished, Chiyo went to pay, but before she left, she found Michi again, who was taking a short break. "Masters don't like it when you slack off y'know," Chiyo joked. "I'm only 'slacking off' because dealing with you is so exhausting," Michi said back. "It's totally a shame that such a cute maid is so mean," Chiyo teased.

With her small stature and usual hairstyle of her blonde hair tied up in buns with a loose, long strand hanging from each one, Michi certainly was one of the cuter maids, wearing the classic black and white attire. Unfortunately though, the cuteness was mostly physical. Inside, Michi wished she was anywhere else, and dealing with customers was not her forte. It was bad enough they kept staring, but taking orders too put on a lot of pressure. It was taking a lot for Michi to not start snapping back at everyone who talked to her.

"If you're not a customer anymore, then leave already," Michi huffed. "Wait," Chiyo said, getting the maid's attention. "So like, I was wondering… would you… come see me play?" "I already told you I'll be busy with my club, so no," Michi said quickly. "Ah, right… Right, yeah, you said that…" Chiyo said, adding a dry laugh at the end.

The gal's expression hurt Michi's chest. "Why does she almost look heartbroken?" she wondered. Even if she didn't know the answer, she knew one thing for sure. "I wish… she'd stop making that face." Staring at the gal in front of her, Michi quickly averted her eyes. "I…" she began. "I won't make any promises, but… maybe my club president will let me leave for a bit…" Hearing her, Chiyo's eyes lit up. "Really?!" she exclaimed. "I said no promises, so don't act like I'm coming or something!" Michi shouted back. "That's good enough for me! I'll see ya later Mi-chan. Gotta get ready and all that! Come see me okay?" Chiyo said loudly as she dashed off.

One moment, she had looked heartbroken. The next, she was over the moon. Michi didn't understand at all. "What was with that face earlier?" she wondered. Just remembering it was enough to bring back the pain she had just felt. "That face… is seriously not fair…"

*****

In the afternoon, Michi went to relieve her fellow club members at their booth. Once the switch was complete, the crew was Michi, Rina, and Saki. "I really wonder if this group will be okay…" Rina muttered. "You're the one that scheduled it like this," Michi pointed out, irritated. "Like I wanted this! Everybody's schedule forced this to be the only possible afternoon combination!" Rina shot back. "Let's just hope that- Oh, there she is!"

Just as she was about to mention a certain member, she showed up. "Heya guys!" Itsuki called. "Thank goodness. Now I'm not so worried," Rina breathed in relief. "Huh? Why were you worried Rina?" Saki asked. "The fact that you even has to ask should be reason enough," Rina said. Saki didn't understand, but now that there were more reliable cooks, it didn't really matter. Instead of explaining it, Rina just put Saki on advertising duty.

As the orders began to roll in for the afternoon shift, Michi kept thinking back to Chiyo request. "Why does she even want me to come?" she thought. "It's not like it'll make a difference. Besides, it'll be dark in the audience, so she won't be able to see me anyways."

It really made no sense to Michi. Sure, she accepted that they were friends now, but the way the gal had asked… "It felt like she would be so sad if I wasn't there…" Michi thought. "Well, she already knew I'd be busy, so it's her fault for not telling me sooner. If she wanted me there so badly, then she should've said something." Finishing with a "hmph!" to herself, Michi continued to help with the orders.

Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Looking at the time, Michi saw it was only seven minutes until the talent show started. "...She's going to be performing soon…" she thought. The more that sentence ran through her head, the more Michi became bothered. Something was telling her she had to go. She needed to go. "Why can't I get rid of this feeling?" she wondered. "...Damn it…"

"Hey, Takano-san," Michi called. "What is it?" Rina answered as she tossed some noodles. "I just remembered I have something I need to do, so is it alright if I go?" Michi asked. "Go?!" Rina shouted. "But all of these orders-" "Please," Michi said, cutting her off. "It's important."

Rina stared at her. She had never seen Michi make such an expression. "It's almost like she'll panic if I try to stop her," she thought. Seeing her make that face, Rina found herself unable to deny her. "It better be important," she said. "Go. We'll manage somehow." "Thank you!" Michi yelled, already starting to run. "Ah, hey!" Rina shouted after her. "Geez. She could've at least finished the prep work… Where's she even going in such a hurry?"

Through the crowd, Michi ran. "I hope I make it in time…!" she thought. There were only a couple of minutes left until the show was set to begin, and Michi had no idea at what point Chiyo was supposed to go on. "If she's first and I miss it, then I…" she thought, but she had no idea how to finish that sentence. If she missed it, then… what? What exactly would it mean to her if she missed Chiyo perform?

Before she could answer that question for herself, Michi arrived at the doors of the gym. Quickly opening them, she saw there was about a minute left before the talent show was set to start. "Good, I made it," she thought. "Too bad it looks like there are no seats though…" Being the popular event that it was, the gymnasium was already packed to the brim with people. "Guess I'll just stand in the back." Luckily, with everyone seated, Michi could see over them even with her short height.

For a moment, it got quiet as the lights dimmed. Then, a girl walked onto the stage. "Hello everyone, and welcome to Iwanai High's cultural festival! Are you all having a good time?" Her question was met by cheers. ""That's great! Now, we have a special event for you all. It's time for the talent show!" Receiving more cheers, the girl continued. "You'll get to see all sorts of performances today, so I hope you're looking forward to it. To start things off, we have Kumara-san here to show off his juggling skills!"

And so the show began. First was the aforementioned juggler, then he was followed by a girl who put on a short comedy routine. After that were a couple of singers doing covers of popular songs, and then there was a piano performance. Around the halfway point, the show finally got to who Michi was here for.

"That was a lovely performance!" the female host cried. "That song sounded beautiful! I wish I could play like that! But anyways, next up is someone pretty er… well-known in this school, I guess?" "What the hell?" Michi thought, her anger rising. "What's that supposed to mean?" The host continued on over the murmurs from the crowd. "With song in hand, here's Chiyo Wakabayshi on guitar!"

"What? Wakabayashi-san is going to sing?"

"I would've thought her mouth was only good for one thing, if you know what I mean."

"I'm sure she'll be terrible."

In the back, Michi heard it all. "Damn them! Damn all of you! You don't even know a single thing about her!" she thought. "I hope she blows them all… away… eh?" As Michi thought that, her mind suddenly went blank at the sight before her. Following her, the crowd went silent as well. Slowly walking out onto the stage was Chiyo with an acoustic guitar, but her appearance was far from expected.

Crossing the stage, the long, one piece dress she was wearing swayed with her movements. The red color glittered under the lights, and the fabric covered her from shoulders to ankles, leaving her arms bare and her breasts semi-exposed with the low cut of the dress. Her hair was done up differently than usual. Instead of her normal high, side ponytail, the gold and auburn hair had been tied into a simple but nice bun. Her makeup was slightly heavier than usual as well, giving more accent to her facial features, especially her lips, which were now just as red as the fabric she was wearing. On her ears, she wore silver hoop earrings, and on her feet was a pair of red heels to match the ensemble. Over her shoulder and across her body was a plain white guitar strap, and attached was the instrument itself.

"Who on Earth told her she could wear something like that?!" one of the teachers asked furiously. "Well, it's too late now. She's already on stage. We'll just have to punish her later for it," another teacher sighed. As for the audience, they were all captivated. Not one of them said a word. And, as for Michi, she was utterly speechless.

"Uh, hey everyone!" Chiyo said nervously into the mic. "I gotta admit, I'm like, really kinda nervous up here. It's my first time performing for a crowd this big." Remaining silent, the crowd hung on every word. "So uh, yeah. I'm gonna sing a song for ya guys today. It's actually a song I wrote myself, and…" As Chiyo spoke, she looked out into the audience. Searching and searching, her eyes finally met the ones she was looking for. "...it's for someone very special to me." Taking a seat on the stool brought out for her, Chiyo sat down. She placed the guitar on her hip and then placed her hands in ready position. "It's called… Love Me Tender." And then, she began to play.

It started with a simple set of chords strummed rhythmically. After a couple of bars, Chiyo began to sing.

"When we first met, your words were as sharp as a knife,"

"And everybody around me wondered if I'd really be alright around you."

"But that day, I didn't hear what anybody had to say,"

"Because to me… your words… said something else entirely."

"You, with your words so harsh, and me, who couldn't hear a thing."

"You, with your actions cold, and me, who couldn't feel a thing."

"You, with your words so real, and me, who kept listening."

"You, with your actions bold, and me, who found myself wanting just. One. Thing."

"Love me tender, love me right,"

"Love me tender, hold me tight."

"You got me caught up in you, and that's just fine."

"Because all I need is for you… to love me tender."

"They say you're mean, but I think you're nice."

"They say you're trouble, but so am I."

"I see right through you, and you through me,"

"So that's why sometimes, I can't help but think that we might be meant...to...be…"

"So just… love me tender, love me right,"

"Love me tender, hold me tight."

"You got me caught up in you, and that's just fine."

"Because all I need is for you… to love me tender."

"I know you're like barbed wire, and I'm caught in it,"

"But these barbs of yours aren't as sharp as you think."

"In a place full of thorns, I've found where I belong."

"So keep the illusion going, and just…"

"Love me tender, love me right,"

"Love me tender, hold me tight."

"You got me caught up in you, and that's just fine."

"Because all I need is for you… to love me tender."

"Please, oh please… just love me tender."

As Michi listened to the lyrics, she realized something. "Is this… about me?" When her eyes had met Chiyo's, it had surprised her. Now, hearing the words the gal was singing, she couldn't help but wonder if those words were meant for her. "And if they are, then…"

When Chiyo strummed the last few notes, the whole space fell silent. And then, after only a moment, it erupted.

"OH MY GOD! THAT WAS AMAZING!"

"I NEVER KNEW WAKABAYASHI-SAN COULD SING LIKE THAT! AND SHE SAID SHE WROTE THAT SONG!"

"YOU'RE AWESOME WAKABAYASHI!"

"ENCORE!"

Following the demand, other students joined in, chanting for an encore. "Ahahaha! Thank you so much guys! But sorry, I don't think I can give an encore. Other people still gotta perform, and I'm pretty sure if I stay up here any longer, the teachers'll like, pull me off the stage. But thank you for the love! You guys are great!"

And with that, Chiyo stood up, bowed, and made her way off the stage. All the while, Michi only stared. Her feet felt glued to the ground, and her voice felt caught in her throat. Part of that was because she, like everyone else, was blown away by Chiyo's performance. She had heard Chiyo sing before, but this had been something else entirely. Truly, Michi though Chiyo had been amazing up there.

However, Michi found herself stuck in place for a different reason. There was something about those lyrics that had stirred up a great storm inside of her. She had no idea what to make of them, or the emotions swirling in her chest. "What the hell…" she thought. "What the hell was that? What were those lyrics? What did they mean? Where they supposed to be about me?" Question after question bombarded her. "I have to go talk to her," Michi decided.

Finally, her feet moved, and they carried her around the outside of the gymnasium. When she got to the back door, she opened it. Not too far beyond that, she spotted Chiyo surrounded by three teachers. "Honestly, what were you thinking, going out there dressed like that?" "What, did I stimulate ya too much teach?" Chiyo teased. "T-This is not the time for jokes!" the red-faced teacher yelled. "You should know better than to parade around like that," another teacher added. "You are a student of this school. Doing something so shameful like this is an embarrassment to this institution. And while we're on the subject, what was with those lyrics? They were practically oozing with indecency!"

"You must be the kinda guy that thinks hand-holdin' is reserved only for married couples or somethin'," Chiyo joked, although her tone sounded more serious than before. It was clear she was starting to get angry. "How dare you! First you go out on stage dressed as some whore on the street, and then you mock the sanctity of marriage! How disrespectful can you get?!"

"Haha! Wow, now that's a first! I've had a lot of people call me names, but a teacher calling a student a whore to her face is definitely a new one for me!" Chiyo laughed. "You-!" the teacher began to rage, and his hand raised. Seeing what was about to happen, the other two teachers around him quickly restrained him. "Wakabayashi-san," one of them said over the other teacher's yelling. "We apologize for things escalating like this. However, we will need to speak to you about this incident at a later time." "'Kaaay," Chiyo said, and with that, the confrontation was over.

The next thing the gal saw was Michi rushing over to her, a worried look on her face. "Are you okay?! He didn't hurt you, did he?!" "Whoa, whoa! Calm down, Mi-chan! I'm fine, see?" Chiyo said with twirl and a smile. "Thank goodness," Michi breathed. "That man… what a bastard. He should be fired for saying those things to you." "Oh yeah? You tryin' to defend my honor Mi-chan?" Chiyo teased. "My knight in shining armor." "S-Shut up! I just think teachers shouldn't say things like that to a student!" Michi said, flustered.

"Y'know, you totes don't look as cute in that outfit as ya did in the maid one," Chiyo added, commenting on Michi's Cooking Club booth clothes, a black t-shirt and shorts to match. "Whatever. I had to run here to make it in time-" As soon as she said it, Michi clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late. "Oh? Ya ran huh?" Chiyo said with a smirk. "N-No, I mean-" "Ya ran all the way here just to see lil' ol' me perform?" "I-It's not like that!" Michi shouted, but her flustered state was only growing worse.

"Did you like the show?" Chiyo asked, suddenly serious. Due to the sudden change in atmosphere, Michi had to take a second to answer. "Well, I guess it was alright…" she muttered. "How come you can be honest when ya don't like something, but when it comes to compliments, ya kinda suck at it?" Chiyo asked point blank. "Ugh… Fine, whatever! It was great, alright?! Your singing was really good, you played really well, and everybody loved it! Happy?!" Michi shouted loudly. In response, all Chiyo could do was laugh. "Yeah, totally," she said.

Moving away from Michi, she went to grab her guitar off the stand she had set it on. As she began to put it away in the hard case though, Michi asked a question. "Hey, Chiyo," she said. "Hm?" Chiyo let out. "About those lyrics… you said they were for someone, right?" Upon hearing that, Chiyo froze. "Yeah. I said that," she said quietly.

"Were they… for me?" Michi asked hesitantly. Still crouched down over her case, Chiyo spoke. "And what if… I said they were?"

Michi had no response. She had no idea what to think about that. Listening to those lyrics, there was a lot that could be implied. But to Michi, who viewed those implications as an impossibility, she did her best to send those thoughts away. However, just because her mind could ignore them, that didn't mean her heart could. At the moment, she could feel it beating hard against her chest, but whether it was out of anxiety or something else entirely, she didn't know.

"Then… I…" she sputtered, but a full sentence wouldn't form. What could she say? Nothing much, really. Not when she didn't even understand what was happening inside of her. If she couldn't even do that much, then how was she supposed to give a proper answer to Chiyo's question? "I… don't know," was the only thing she could say.

Standing up, Chiyo faced her. The expression on her face was complex, as if she had so many things running through her mind. "Why is she looking at me like that?" Michi wondered nervously. "What is she thinking? What is she feeling right now?" More questions without answers. This time though, Michi at least found something of a resolution.

"I want… to understand her."

Just calling Chiyo a friend wasn't enough. Michi had always thought she understood Chiyo and her kind. Gyarus or gals, whatever someone wished to call them, were nothing more than a plague, at least according to Michi. They were obnoxious, indecent, and did whatever they wanted without a care in the world. To Michi, they were a scourge on both her life and the school she attended, whether it was Jasmine, Chiyo, or any other.

And then, without ever planning to, Michi had become friends with someone she once considered an enemy. It had taken a while for her to admit it, but she had found that she actually enjoyed spending time with Chiyo, even if the gal still got on her nerves. Ever since Michi had said they were friends, she had thought that was it. She knew their relationship, and she knew what Chiyo was like, so she had all of the information she needed.

But it wasn't enough. It wasn't nearly enough. In this moment, Michi was realizing that. The lyrics, combined with the look on Chiyo's face, stoked a desires to know even more. To not just know, but to understand. She hated looking at Chiyo's expression and not knowing what it meant. She hated hearing lyrics that were meant for her, but she couldn't process them. It all caused a desire to well up inside her, mixing with the emotions already mixed up inside of her.

"Mi-chan...I…" Chiyo said, her voice shaking. "I…!" Her eyes watered. Her face strained. And in front of her, Michi watched it all. She watched and waited, feeling nearly on the edge of her seat as she waited for Chiyo to finish her sentence.

It brought all kinds of feelings. Michi was sure that if Chiyo finished what she was trying to say, everything would changed. For better or worse, she wasn't sure, but just knowing change was possible created a fear in Michi. She didn't want things to change. She hated change. Even if she knew she herself had changed, even if she understood that, that didn't mean she wanted it. Clinging to her last shred of stubbornness when it came to change, she secretly hoped that Chiyo would fall silent.

For better or worse, her hope was granted.

Chiyo's mouth shut. Clearly there had been something to stop the gal, but whatever it was, Michi didn't know. Although, a part of her felt relieved that she'd never hear the end of that sentence. "That means that we can stay like this," she thought, but just as she thought that, she stopped. "But… what does that mean? Stay like this? What exactly is this anyways?" She had thought they were friends, but now, putting their relationship in that way made Michi start to question that. Quietly, the other part of her, the part that wanted to hear the end, stoked that line of thought.

"It's… nothing," Chiyo finally said. "I guess I'm just all over the place right now. I had teachers yellin' at me, I put on a great show, and then there's the whole festival atmosphere." "Right…" Michi agreed slowly. "Well anyways," Chiyo said, going to finish closing her guitar case. "I'm just happy everybody cheered. I thought for sure they'd all boo me or somethin'." "You're actually starting to get a better reputation you know," Michi said. "That's probably thanks to you," Chiyo said, standing up. "Huh? Me?" Michi said. Chiyo nodded. "I've changed a lot because of you. And, speaking of thanks…" Standing perfectly straight, Chiyo looked at Michi with a gentle smile. Her expression, while simple on the outside, told Michi so much more than what could be described in words alone.

"Thanks Michi, for comin' to see me."

Michi's face went completely red. She scrunched up her nose, her mouth opened up and down like a fish, and her eyes bulged before squinting and then finally looking away. With a look of sheer embarrassment, fluster, and something unknown to her, she finally managed to get out some words. "I-Idiot…! I-It's not like I specifically came to see you. A-And don't just use my first name like that so casually!" "Yeah," Chiyo said, still wearing that same smile, which caused Michi to tense up even further.

"Hey, Mi-chan," Chiyo said. "W-What?" Michi responded. "Close your eyes," Chiyo said. "Huh? Why?" Michi asked, confused and suspicious. "Just do it," Chiyo insisted. After a moment of hesitation, Michi did. "You better not do something weird," she said. "Mmm, that might depend on your definition of weird," Chiyo said, her voice suddenly sounding much closer.

Then, Michi felt something soft and slightly wet press onto her cheek.

Her eyes shot open immediately, and to her shock, she found Chiyo planting a kiss right on her cheek. Just before she could speak, Chiyo pulled away. "W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-What the helllllllllll?!" Michi shrieked, a blush covering her entire face. "That's also a part of my thanks," Chiyo said happily, blushing as well. "I hope ya enjoyed it." "Yeah right!"Michi yelled. "Who does that?! That's so not normal!" "Hate to break it to ya Mi-chan, but people do that all the time," Chiyo said with a smug look. "T-That's not the point!" Michi shouted. "Oh, then what is the point?" Chiyo said, waiting expectantly for an answer. "T-That's… Who cares?! I don't have to explain it!" Michi said. "I'm leaving!"

"Ah, wait, Mi-chan," Chiyo called. "What?!" Michi yelled back. "You've got a little something on your cheek," Chiyo said with a smirk. "Huh? On my cheek?" Michi said, taking out her phone and using the camera to check. "What's on...Gah?!" Sure enough, Chiyo had been right. There was something on Michi's cheek. Specifically, a perfect red lipstick silhouette of a pair of lips indicating Michi had been kissed there.

"Oh come on!" she yelled. "Of course it left a mark. I'm sure you put on your makeup really heavy just for this… didn't… you… huh?" Michi said as she tried to just rub it off, but as she did, she noticed it wasn't changing at all. "Huh? What the? Um, Chiyo? Why won't this come off?" In response, Chiyo started to run away. "Enjoy the rest of the festival Mi-chan!"

"Ah! Wait! Chiyo! Come back here and help me get this off! What kind of lipstick even is this?! Chiyo! Chiyooooooooooo!!!!!!!!"

And as Michi proceeded to chase after Chiyo, the gal ran through campus with a big smile and a face as red as her dress.

End of Chapter Twelve.