162 Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lie To Yourself No Longer

"What? A Christmas party?" Chiyo said after hearing Jasmine's suggestion. "Yeah. I thought it might be like, fun or somethin'," the other gal responded. For a moment, Chiyo just stared, until finally her face lit up. "Awww, Jas-chin! Look at ya, wantin' to socialize!" "Ugh, shut up!" Jasmine yelled. "Sorry I'm not some huge extrovert like you." "No, this is a good thing!" Chiyo said. "And I totes wanna help! It'll be a blast!"

The two gyarus were hanging out at Chiyo's house, specifically in her room, when Jasmine had brought up her idea. With it being only a couple of weeks to Christmas now, it seemed like the perfect time to plan out a party. The only issue was, Jasmine on her own had no clue where to start. She could certainly put something together, but she knew if she wanted it to be good, she needed someone who was more familiar with the idea of partying.

"So who's all invited?" Chiyo asked. "I figured it'd just be the main group that's usually together," Jasmine said. "Me, you, Haru-chi, Kana-chan, Mayu-chi, Itsuki, Hinami-chan and Fukuhara-san." At the mention of that last name, Chiyo went quiet. "...Or is inviting Fukuhara-san not a good idea?" Jasmine asked. "Huh?" the other gal let out. "N-No! It's totally fine! No probs here, haha!" "...Chiyo," Jasmine said. "Are you sure?"

The idea of spending Christmas together with Michi put Chiyo over the moon. The idea of spending the holiday together with a ton of awkwardness between them… did not. "It's not that it isn't fine," Chiyo said more quietly. "I'm just nervous. Our relationship's kinda… I don't know, it's kinda weird right now. It's hard to say just what's goin' on. So like, I'd hate it if somehow that awkward energy ruined the party for everyone else…"

"I mean, it's not like it won't already be a little uncomfortable," Jasmine pointed out. "Whaddya mean?" Chiyo asked. "Think about it," Jasmine said. "Haru-chi and Kana-chan will be spendin' their first Christmas together as a couple. Ya really think they won't be all over each other? Especially when you consider last year."

The previous year's Christmas hardly made for a good memory for Haruna nor Kanako, so it was natural to assume they'd be doing all they could to overwrite it. "I guess that's true," Chiyo said. "But still, I don't-" "And anyways," Jasmine said, cutting Chiyo off. "Wouldn't it look even weirder if Fukuhara-san was the only one not invited? And if you tried to balance it out and also not come, then everyone would keep asking where you are. Overall, it's less of a pain to invite Fukuhara-san than not, don't ya think?"

Yet another valid point. Chiyo seemingly had no more arguments to make, and besides, it wasn't as if she really wanted to make them anyways. If she had to choose between having Michi at a party or not at all, of course she'd choose the former over the latter. "...Alright," Chiyo agreed. "Great. Be sure to invite her," Jasmine said. "Wha- I hafta do it?!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Yes. You. Have. To. Do. It," Jasmine said, punctuating each of her words with a poke to Chiyo's forehead. "Honestly, I don't really like talking to Fukuhara-san if I don't have to. You, on the other hand, have plenty of reasons to talk to her." "Fiiine…" Chiyo sighed. "But I can't guarantee she'll come." "She will," Jasmine said confidently. "After all, you'll be the one asking."

*****

A few days later at school, right after classes had ended, both gals got to work. "Hey, Haru-chi, Kana-chan," Jasmine called out, stopping the two girls from leaving. "You guys got any plans for Christmas yet?" "Christmas?" Kanako repeated. "Umm… I don't think so? All we were planning was to spend the day together." "Oh, well if ya already have some couple stuff planned out-" Jasmine said, but Haruna put up her hand. "It's fine. What did you have in mind?" "I was just thinkin' that we should all get together for Christmas, with it being our last year of high school." "Oh, that sounds fun!" Kanako said excitedly. "Is that okay with you, Haruna?" "Of course," the other girl said. "We'll have plenty of other Christmases in the future for just the two of us, but who knows when we'll all be together again." "Cool," Jasmine said, pleased.

After that, she went around to everybody else. Itsuki had already been on board, and Mayu was more than happy to say yes. As for Hinami, she agreed more easily than Jasmine expected. "And that leaves one," Jasmine thought, turning her attention to Chiyo, who was still sitting at her desk. Surprisingly enough, Michi was too. It was as if both of them wanted to talk to the other, but they just didn't know how.

Fortunately, Chiyo managed to get past that issue soon enough. "H-Hey, Mi-chan?" she said nervously. "What?" Michi responded, sounding indifferent. "So like, Jas-chin wanted to throw a Christmas party, and she's inviting a lot of people, and uh… well, I-I thought maybe… I'd invite ya… as long as ya don't have plans, that is. Oh, but if ya do, it's fine. Not like it's the end of the world, y'know? I just figured I'd ask becau-"

"I'll go."

"...eh?" the gal let out. "Wait, really?" "Why do you sound so shocked?" Michi asked. "Everyone I know will be there, won't they? It'd be weirder if I didn't go." "Ah…right…" Chiyo said, sounding disappointed. A part of her had hoped Michi would say yes just to be able to spend time with her. "That's so stupidly selfish of me," Chiyo thought. "Of course she wants to see her other friends. And, it's the perfect way for her not to be alone on Christmas."

The odds of Michi's parents sacrificing their holiday alone time to have her along was pretty low, so most likely, Michi was going to be bound to sit by herself in her apartment, alone. Being invited to a party probably seemed like a godsend.

"That's all I wanted to ask. See ya," Chiyo said, trying to make a quick exit. "Wait," Michi suddenly said, stopping the gal dead in her tracks. "You'll… be there too, right Chiyo?" The gal remained frozen in place for a moment, unsure of what to do. On the surface, it was a simple enough question, but between the two of them, it was clear there was much more than surface-level meaning behind it.

Eventually, Chiyo turned back around to face Michi. "Yeah, I'll be there," she said. "After all, it's a chance to spend Christmas with you, Mi-chan." "W-What's that supposed to mean… idiot…" Michi muttered, her cheeks taking on a light shade of red. Seeing that reaction only started to confuse Chiyo more, so the only thing she could do was dash off.

Watching from the side, Jasmine sighed. "Geez," she thought. "She really does act like a pure maiden sometimes, even though she's the farthest thing from it." Then she turned to Mayu, who was just finishing packing up. "Ready to go?" "Yes," Mayu responded pleasantly. The two of them began walking down the hall, making conversation as they went.

"I'm excited for the party," Mayu said. Jasmine laughed. "It's still a couple weeks away though. If you're already excited now, what'll ya be like when it's here?" Mayu laughed too. "I don't know. Perhaps I'll be even more excited?" "Are you the kinda girl that loves Christmas, Mayu-chi?" Jasmine asked. Mayu thought for a moment. "Hmm. I suppose I do like it, although my little sister likes it more." "That's probably just because she's still young," Jasmine said. "Maybe, but the way she talks about Christmas, it makes me think that her enthusiasm will never fade," Mayu said. "Though I don't believe that to be a bad thing."

The two of them continued walking, all the while making conversation. When the time came to split off, it felt a little sadder than usual. Perhaps it was because of how well things were going between them, or perhaps it was a reminder of the limited days they had left together. Either way, they were both left with an odd mix of feelings. One feeling being sadness at their parting, but another being joy at the thought of spending such a precious holiday together.

*****

"Kanako, you should really stop making that face."

"I'm not making a face."

"You totally are."

Also on their way home were Haruna and Kanako. Having nothing extra to do after school, the two of them were able to walk home together. However, Kanako had continuously had a slight pout on her face the whole way. Having been there the moment it formed, Haruna knew exactly what it was about.

"If the idea bothers you so much, then just tell Jasmine-chan we can't go after all." "I'm not bothered!" Kanako said louder than she meant to. "That sounds like you're pretty bothered," Haruna pointed out, getting a "mmnrgh…" from Kanako.

"...It's not like I don't want to be with everyone," she finally began to explain. "It's just… last Christmas, both you and I had such a horrible misunderstanding. I was just kind of hoping that maybe this year, we could make a lot of good memories together, so that way we have those to look back on instead of the ones we have now."

"I get what you mean," Haruna said. "We both really screwed up back then. If I could just forget about it, I would. Well, maybe not all of it. Just the end, really." Then Haruna turned, smiling at Kanako. "But it all worked out anyways, right?" Her grip on Kanako's hand tightened a little. "We're together, and I don't plan on ever letting you go. But our friends, there's no telling how much longer we have left with all of them. After graduation, there's the chance we'll never see any of them again. Rather than being selfish now and only spending time with you, I wanna spend time with everyone and be able to look back on those memories too. After this year, we'll have the next, and the next, and the next for it to be just me and you."

"Yeah, you're right," Kanako said, her mood seeming to improve. "I guess if we didn't go, we'd probably end up regretting it, and I don't want that." "Good," Haruna said, satisfied. "But that night," Kanako continued in a more hushed tone. "I better have you all to myself." "O-Oh, y-yeah, sure," Haruna said, getting flustered at what Kanako was implying would be happening.

Once they reached their houses and said their goodbyes, Kanako went inside and up to her room. Flopping down on her bed, she began to think about the now upcoming party. "A Christmas party with everyone," she thought. "It sounds fun, but… I wonder how Chiyo and Mi-chan will be. I know they've been having a hard time lately. I'm sure it's been especially hard on Mi-chan… I hope she'll be alright with this…"

*****

By the time Michi managed to get through the door of her apartment, the strength in her legs nearly gave out as she leaned up against it. "What's with her… why would she say something like that?" Michi muttered to herself, recalling Chiyo's words from earlier. "She wants to spend Christmas with me? What does that even mean?"

Of course, Michi knew what it meant, but taking in that meaning was a different matter. Technically speaking, they had settled on being friends for the time being, but hearing Chiyo say stuff like that made Michi question that very decision. "She could've just said she wanted to be at the party, or that she wanted to be with friends… Why'd she have to say me…?"

The reason the strength in Michi's legs was leaving her was because her heart was racing so fast and her mind felt so fuzzy. Just when it always seemed like they reached some sort of balance, something like this would happen. Every time Michi thought they couldn't progress any further, they did. Each time, each moment together, it felt as though they took a small step closer to a place Michi didn't know.

It scared her. In so many ways, it scared her to get ever closer to this place Chiyo was taking her. And yet… she never stopped her feet from moving. Even recently, the situation with Katsumi had made Michi want to dig her heels in and move no further. For a short time, she had even succeeded. But, once Chiyo came to her, it was as if it was impossible to stop once more. Little by little, Michi could feel herself getting dragged along.

Just how was she supposed to react to such a thing? She hadn't even sorted out her own feelings yet nor come to terms with them. If they reached the finish line before she had managed to do that, then…

THUD.

The next thing Michi knew, she had fallen. Sitting on the hardwood floor in the dark entryway, she clutched at her chest. "Chiyo…" she said softly. "Chiyo… Chiyo…" Over and over she called the gal's name, in some hope that if she said it enough, somehow Chiyo would appear and give her all the answers she needed in that moment.

To all the others invited, the upcoming Christmas party was probably only viewed as a nice way to spend a holiday together. But to Michi, it felt like a monumental event. It was as if it was a climax of sorts for both of them. Depending on how they interacted with each other at the party, it could set the tone for their entire future together, if there was to be one at all.

She wanted to be stubborn.

She wanted to say no.

She wanted to act like that horrible kiss was a breaking point.

Although, perhaps it was. It just wasn't in the way Michi had expected. The more she thought about it, the more she hated it. Not just because it happened, but because it felt like something was being taken from her. That feeling, dormant for quite some time, now continued to build and build. It fed into her fear over her and Chiyo's future, the fear that somehow, Michi would lose what and who was dear to her.

This wasn't like before. Temporarily losing Kanako, Mayu and Itsuki as friends certainly hurt, but it was nothing in comparison to the fear of losing Chiyo from her life. That kiss she had witnessed had ignited that fear, pushing it to the forefront of her mind. Now, faced with an opportunity, Michi's mind swirled.

What held her stubbornness up was crumbling to pieces.

What kept her denial alive was withering.

What was keeping her eyes shut was no longer working.

Why had it taken her so long to understand? Or, perhaps it was more accurate to ask why it had taken her so long to accept any of it in the first place. In some part of her heart, she had known. For quite some time, Michi had had a general understanding of what was happening. However, an inability to accept such a reality had prevented her from truly moving forward.

She had sputtered. Floundered. Huffed and puffed and did everything else in her power to go in any other direction but the one that had miraculously been set out for her. But now, as her fears continued to rise, a singular invitation was all it had taken to send Michi into a frenzy of thoughts and realizations. It was as if the invitation was the final piece of the puzzle to allow all of the gears to finally click into place.

Slowly, her breaths became more steady, her hands gently dropped to her sides. Then, her lips parted, and out slipped a truth she had tried to keep buried in her heart.

"I'm… in love with Chiyo…"

For the first time, Michi uttered those words out into the open air, making it a fact she could no longer avoid or deny. Tears began to stream down her face, but it was impossible to tell just what emotion they were supposed to signify. Instead of wiping them away, Michi just let them fall, dampening the hem of her shirt as they landed on the white fabric.

"I love her… I'm in love with her… I love Chiyo…"

Michi kept repeating similar phrases, letting all of them out of her heart that she had kept in for the

past year or more. It was almost therapeutic, in a way. All of the tension felt like it was being released from Michi's body as she continued to speak her love for Chiyo aloud.

By the time she finished, it was dark outside. Then, she finally stood up from the entryway and took off her shoes. Heading for the bathroom, Michi stared at her tear-stained face. A slight smile began to form on it. "Okay," she said softly. It was quiet, but this was an admission of resolve.

Stubbornness can be a horrible thing. It can get in the way, prevent progress and even have terrible consequences. But, when it's used well, it can be a valuable asset. Now having fully accepted the truth for herself, it was time for Michi to use that part of her personality to the fullest, pouring it all into her resolve as well.

Picking up her cellphone, she called Itsuki. After a few rings, someone picked up. "Hey Mi-chan," the girl said. "What's up?" "Hey, is…" A brief moment of hesitation, but then Michi continued. "Is Hiraoka-san there?" "Huh? Yeah, Jasmine-chan's right here. I'm actually in her room." "Can I talk to her?" Michi asked. "Sure," Itsuki said. "Hey, Jasmine-chan, Mi-chan wants to talk to you."

"...Well like, this is rare," a smoother but slightly colder voice said. "Hiraoka-san," Michi said, her determination brewing. "I need your help."

*****

As the weeks passed, the snow began to fall more and more, blanketing Iwanai in a sheet of white. Before they knew it, November had shifted into December, bringing about the holiday season and bringing the third-years of Iwanai Municipal High School that much closer to graduation. But while that was the main focus for many, there were those that were preoccupied with other matters.

"Jasmine-chan, you still haven't picked a place for the Christmas party?" Itsuki asked while laying on the gal's bed. "I guess it sorta slipped my mind," Jasmine said. "Like, I was so focused on making sure people could make it and the stuff we'll do that I kinda… forgot." "How do you forget something like that?" Itsuki wondered aloud.

While what Jasmine said was true, it wasn't actually the whole truth. She had been busy with making preparations, sure, but at the same time, she was helping Michi with her special request. "I don't think I'll ever understand Fukuhara-san," Jasmine thought to herself. "One minute she hates Chiyo, the next minute she can't live without her. It's way too hard to keep up with…" Though despite that, Jasmine had agreed to assist Michi with her plan. "Here's hoping nothing goes wrong…"

The past Jasmine wouldn't have cared at all about how another person's relationship panned out. To her, they were just people who were together, and if something happened to change that, then that was it. It hardly mattered to her if someone, even a friend of hers, was able to find success in love.

Now, she found herself oddly invested. Jasmine didn't necessarily like Michi, but even she felt like it would be best if she could just sort out her feelings for Chiyo. After all, Jasmine had had a front row seat to the seemingly never-ending roller coaster ride that was her fellow gyaru's love life. If it could finally be concluded, whether that be in happiness or not, then the two girls involved could finally, truly move on with their lives. Having been there since the beginning, Jasmine wanted to see the end.

"Jasmine-chan, are you listening to me?" Itsuki asked, having continued talking while Jasmine got lost in thought. "Nope," the gal said back plainly. Itsuki sighed. "I was saying, why not see if a cafe is free or something?" "A cafe?" Jasmine repeated. "C'mon, it's getting close to Christmas. Ya really think any of them will be avail-" But then, Jasmine had an idea. "Actually… there might be one…"

Grabbing her phone, she texted Haruna. Luckily, it only took a few minutes to get a response. Dialing the number in the text she got back, Jasmine listened to her phone play a ringing tone several times before she got an answer.

"Hello, this is Sara Mori speaking."

"Uh, hi, this is Jasmine Hiraoka. I'm one of Haru-c-, I mean, one of Haruna-chan's friends."

"I know who ya are," Sara said kindly. "I've seen ya in the cafe a few times."

"Right…" Jasmine said. "So uh, I've kinda got somethin' to ask ya. I was wondering if your cafe would be available for a Christmas party?"

"Hmm…" Sara hummed. "A Christmas party, huh? I gotta admit, I'm pretty booked…"

"Yeah, I thought so. Sorry for bothering ya."

"Now hold on," Sara said quickly. "This Christmas is special, ain't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's your last Christmas as high schoolers, right? I'm guessin' ya want a place for all your friends to spend Christmas together."

"W-Well… that's the idea, yeah…" Jasmine admitted sheepishly.

"Then I'll make it work," Sara said. "Wait, really?" Jasmine asked, surprised by the sudden agreement. "Won't that cause problems with customers?" "Nah, it'll be fine!" Sara said cheerily. "Just trust me. I'll get you girls all set up and everything. You just gotta show up." "If you say so…" Jasmine said. "Thanks, I guess." "No problem~," Sara said. With that, the phone call concluded.

"Who was that?" Itsuki asked. "Haru-chi's aunt. The one that owns that cafe," Jasmine explained. "She said we could set up there." "Hooray!" Itsuki celebrated. "Now the party's really on!" "Yeah…" Jasmine said absentmindedly. She was happy to have the venue finally taken care of, but that just meant that they were even closer to Michi's moment.

The gal was sure the party would be fun. She had been planning a decent amount, and Chiyo had helped too. But even so, with this sudden addition from Michi, there was no telling how it might affect the mood of the party. If all went well, then that was great, but if not…

Jasmine couldn't help but recall Haruna and Kanako's Christmas failure. From what she knew, the day had gone pretty well, but a last-minute miscommunication had screwed everything up. After that, it took months for the two of them to sort everything out and finally become a couple. Was the same fate in store for this Christmad too? What if Michi somehow botched her own plan? With how up and down her relationship with Chiyo was, that definitely seemed within the realm of possibility. Then there was Chiyo herself to worry about as well. If Michi messed up, then it would really hurt Chiyo. Would she be able to recover from something like that?

Admittedly, Jasmine wasn't overly familiar with the deeper parts of Chiyo and Michi's relationship, but she knew enough to know that they had become rather dependent on one other. They each filled a role the other needed, and thanks to that, they had both gone through substantial change. Overall, it was good that such a thing had happened, but if something threatened to undo that…

Jasmine was worried. When it came to Chiyo, she often portrayed a slight sense of distance between them and a coldness as well. However, going beneath the surface, it was easy to see that was a facade. Jasmine cared deeply about Chiyo. They were fashion friends, partners in crime, outliers. The similarities between them were what had helped to form such a strong bond between the two of them.

And now, Chiyo, without knowing, was on the verge of a life-changing moment. The worry that dwelled within Jasmine's heart only continued to grow the more she thought about it. "I think… I understand Chitose's worries about Chiyo a little better now…" the gal thought.

It almost made Jasmine wish she hadn't gotten so much more in-tune with her feelings. Almost, but not quite. In the end, she knew it was good. Without that change for herself, she might've never known what love really meant in any sense of the word. It was true she had more worries now, but that was better than not feeling much at all.

"All we can do is hope for the best," Jasmine mumbled to herself. "Huh? What did you say?" Itsuki asked. Jasmine, who had been sitting on the floor, looked up at her. "Why are you still here?" "I just wanna spend quality time with you," Itsuki said. "Why does it seem like you're becoming more and more like a clingy little sister?" Jasmine sighed. "I'm not clingy!" Itsuki pouted.

That small banter was enough to ease Jasmine's mind. "No use in getting lost in thought," she told herself. "Let's just make sure this party is the best damn Christmas any of them have ever had. Or, the best for at least two of them."

*****

After weeks of preparing and worrying, the day had finally arrived. "Hey, can you hand me those like, streamer things or whatever?" Jasmine asked as she stood on a step-stool next to a wall of Cafe Mori. The one she was addressing sighed as she did as she was told. "I don't see why I have to help set up…" Michi complained. "Because you're now half the reason this party is even happening," the gal responded. "The least ya can do is help out."

Looking around, the cafe was now filled with decorations. Red and green streamers and rings chained together hung all along the walls, each table had been set with some type of Christmas-themed item, such as a small poinsettia or a standing ornament, and lined up on the bar were a variety of desserts. The main courses were still in the kitchen, all of which were being made by Sara.

There was only about an hour or so until everyone else was set to arrive, so Jasmine and Michi were finishing up their preparations. The final thing to do was to set up the small Christmas tree Sara had gotten for them. Placing it in the corner of the room, it seemed to fit perfectly with the woodsy atmosphere the cafe gave off. The two girls wrapped some garland around and quickly hung ornaments here and there, creating a pleasant-looking display.

"There," Jasmine said, satisfied. "Now all that's left is to have fun." "Right…" Michi said uncertainly. Jasmine looked at her. "Fukuhara-san," she said, causing Michi to look back at her. "When the time comes… Just do it right, okay? For her sake." "Yeah…" Michi said quietly.

Do it right. When Michi really thought about it, she'd probably been doing it wrong this whole time. It was always one step forward, one step back for her with Chiyo. One moment, Michi would find herself so close to Chiyo she didn't know what to do with herself. The next, she'd back away so fast because she didn't think she understood it at all. Though, now that she did, Michi understood just how naive she had been.

Love was never something that was lost on Michi. Rather, it was something to be rejected. Detested. Thrown away and ignored, because clearly all love would do was hurt others. Watching her parents had taught her that, and watching Kanako in her pursuit of Akio had only reinforced that belief. It felt as if over and over again, she was being subjected to the witnessing of love's destructive powers, and nothing more.

That is, until Chiyo came along. Little by little, the gal had hammered away at Michi's steadfast beliefs, forming cracks that could never be repaired. No matter how many times Michi tried to stop her, to push her away or ignore her, Chiyo always came back. Time, after time, after time. It seemed like no matter what she did or said, the gal would never leave her alone.

At first, Michi had truly despised it. She had hated the flippant nature of gyarus and the stereotypes that came with them. Chiyo had been a representative of all of that and more, so it was only natural Michi had wanted nothing to do with her. However, it didn't take long for Michi to learn so much more about Chiyo.

She had two smiles, and the fake one made Michi's heart hurt whenever she saw it.

She had slept around a lot, but it wasn't just because she was some party girl. She had been led down the wrong path, and most of all, she was lonely.

She had the biggest heart Michi had ever seen, but it also tended to cause harm to the owner herself.

She could act dumb, but in truth, she had a fair amount of wisdom to offer.

Most of all, she was there. When Michi turned on Kanako, on Itsuki, on Mayu. When she rejected everyone and everything because so much was changing around her and she refused to accept it, Chiyo was there. She stood right beside Michi, pushing onward and taking the girl with her. If Michi wanted to stop, they stopped, and if she got caught up in the flow, they let it ride until they could no longer.

For how long had Michi been taking advantage of Chiyo's kindness? For how long had she been living under the assumption that Chiyo would just always be there? For how long… had Michi believed that Chiyo was hers?

It was an invitation. A mere invitation and nothing more, but because Chiyo had made so many cracks, the dam that had been holding back all of Michi's feelings, the ones that she had tried so hard to keep buried, burst. Those feelings that had risen to the top despite her resistant efforts could be contained no longer, and it was that interaction, that brief conversation of just simply being invited to an event, that had caused Michi to finally accept everything within herself.

She was grateful. Michi was grateful that she had had this moment now. If it had happened later, who knows what would've become of her and Chiyo's relationship? What if she never got the chance to say anything? What if graduation came, and instead of being honest, Michi only stood still, allowing the one person who had refused to abandon her to just walk out of her life?

"I'll get it right…" Michi mumbled to herself, strengthening her resolve. "I have to… for both of us…" With it being fairly quiet in the cafe, Jasmine was able to hear Michi. "Y'know," she said. "For a second there, I think I like, saw a little bit of what Chiyo sees in you." "Eh?" Michi let out, but before she could inquire further, Jasmine walked away. At the same time, Sara came out of the kitchen.

"Alright kids, the food's just about done. Hey, Fukuhara-san, you like to cook, right?" "Um, yes?" Michi responded. "Great! I got a thing to get to, so just keep an eye on everything in here. It should all be good to go, just some final boiling and sizzling is all that's left." "Okay," Michi said. "But, um…" "Hm?" "What are you wearing?"

Sara, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, put her hands on her hips and beamed. "My best Christmas outfit!" she declared boldly. To call it the best was… perhaps not the correct choice of words. Eye-catching was more accurate. Starting from the bottom, it was just a simple pair of brown dress shoes, but after that came evergreen-colored pants, shaped in a way to look like a Christmas tree cut-out and patterned to look semi-realistic. Above that was a sweater wrapped in multi-colored, flashing lights, all lined up with the edges of a house and some reindeer. Lastly, on Sara's head was a set of reindeer antlers. The size of them were on the smaller end, though that was mostly because they were made of actual wood. On the ends hung tiny jingle bells, ringing every time she moved her head.

"Is there… a costume contest?" Michi asked tentatively. "Nope, I'm just wearing it for fun," Sara said with not a care in the world. Hearing that, Michi gained a small admiration for the woman. "It definitely takes guts to wear something like that just because you want to," she thought.

"Well, I'm off! Watch the kitchen, 'kay?" Sara said as she headed for the door. "Sure…" Michi said as she watched. Once the woman was gone, Michi blinked, then shook her head. "If Endo-san turns out anything like her aunt, Kana-chan is going to have a pretty crazy future," Michi thought as she headed for the kitchen.

*****

Fortunately, everyone arrived at just about the same time. It was around six at night, but with it being winter, the skies had already gone dark, the sun giving way to a swath of stars shining overhead thanks to there being no clouds. A better night could not be had.

As the group walked in, they stared in awe. "Wooow!" Kanako said in glee. "It looks so pretty in here!" "Yeah, it's nice," Haruna said. "Way to go, Jasmine-chan." "Thanks," the gal said, looking pleased. "Although, Chiyo did help me plan a bit." "This is way more than I thought of!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Ya got a talent for this, Jas-chin! Sure ya don't wanna be an event planner or somethin'?" "No way," Jasmine said quickly. "That's way too much work."

"So this is why you kept keeping all of the planning a secret," Itsuki commented as she looked around. "Explaining it to you would've been a pain," Jasmine said. "Why are you mean to me even on Christmas?" Itsuki whimpered.

"I-I really like all the decorations," Hinami added. "T-The Christmas tree l-looks nice too." "Yeah, that was Mori-san's idea," Jasmine said. "It really does like, pull everything together, doesn't it? Perfect to put your presents under too."

A classic part of any Christmas party, everyone had been asked to bring a gift for a random person to be given. As the group went over to put their presents down and get a better look at the tree, Mayu stopped by Jasmine. "I think it looks lovely, Jasmine-chan," she said kindly. "Y-Ya think?" Jasmine said, turning away a bit to try to hide her embarrassment. "I do," Mayu said with a gentle smile. "I'm so glad I get to spend Christmas with all of you, especially in a place like this."

Jasmine was about to respond when Chiyo's shout stopped her. "Hey, where's Mi-chan?" she asked to everyone. "She's in the kitchen," Jasmine said, pointing to the doorway behind the bar. Without hesitation, Chiyo headed that way. "Seems like she's in better spirits. It's like she's gotten a bit of her confidence back," Jasmine thought.

As for her fellow gal, she strode into the kitchen, finding Michi standing over a pot of what looked like some kind of soup. For a moment, Chiyo stood still, unsure of what to say. "...Just trust yourself," she thought. All this time, she had simply let things flow naturally. There was no point in overthinking it just because it was Christmas.

"H-Hey, Mi-chan," she said. Hearing her name called, the girl turned. When they both saw each other, they each stared. Michi was wearing a simple green t-shirt, a deep red, pleated skirt and black tights underneath. Over top of all of that, she had on a white apron, making her look rather homely.

As for Chiyo, she had taken off her coat at the door, revealing a dark green, strapless dress that held tightly to her body until it opened up some down at her knees. With a small slit up the one side, it was quite a mature look for the gal, especially paired with her black heels. Even her hair had been done up, put together into a stylish bun and decorated with a singular green needle going through it that had a red ball at the top. With her makeup done perfectly as one would expect, and a pair of small, (fake) diamond earrings, it was almost hard to believe that this was the Chiyo Michi knew.

"Y-You look…" Michi began to say. For a moment, she hesitated. "Just be honest," she told herself. "You have to be honest." So, taking a breath, Michi composed herself, then spoke. "You look beautiful, Chiyo."

In response, the gal's face went redder than Michi's skirt. "O-O-Oh, t-thanks," she managed to sputter out. "You… look pretty adorbs yourself." "T-Thanks…" Michi said. After that, they fell into an awkward silence, but it didn't last long.

"Ya need any help in here?" Chiyo asked. "No, it's almost all done," Michi said. "Mori-san did most of the work anyways." "Speaking of, where is she?" Chiyo asked. "Going to a crazy party," Michi said, laughing to herself as she remembered Sara's outfit.

"But wait, why were you here early?" Chiyo asked. "Oh, um, Hiraoka-san just asked me to help out, that's all," Michi lied. "Really? But like, why wouldn't she call Mayu-chan, or even use Itsuki-chan?" Chiyo asked. "I-I don't know," Michi struggled. "Just ask Hiraoka-san if it matters to you that much." "Why're ya gettin' defensive Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked, narrowing her eyes a bit. "It's almost like you're hidin-"

"Here, try this!" Michi suddenly exclaimed, shoving a spoon into Chiyo's mouth. "Mmph!" the gal let out, though as she tasted what had been given to her, she relaxed. "Hey, thith isth gooh," she said through the spoon in her mouth. Taking it out, Chiyo looked at Michi. "What was that, anyways?" "A cranberry sauce I've been adjusting," Michi explained, pointing to a small pot on one of the back burners. "Mori-san's sauce tasted fine, but it felt like it was missing something, so I've been adding a bit here and there. I've tried it so many times now though that I can't really tell much of a difference."

Seeing the pot Michi pointed to, Chiyo walked over to it and scooped up some of the sauce. "Hey, Mi-chan," she said, holding the spoon out. "Say ah~." Michi could feel herself getting flustered, but she did her best to hold it in. "A-ah…mmph."

Feeling the spoon placed in her mouth, Michi reached up to take it, but she found Chiyo's hand still on the handle. "So?" she whispered, bringing her face down closer to Michi's. "How does it taste now?" Michi could feel her face heating up, and though she wanted to blame it on the kitchen, she now fully understood what the cause was.

"I-It's… good…" she said as Chiyo pulled the spoon out. For a moment, they stared at each other, but before anything more could happen, a loud "AHEM!" broke the soft atmosphere. Whipping their heads back, they spotted Jasmine, clad in a red, low-cut shirt and a short, black pencil skirt. "Is the food done, Fukuhara-san?"

"Y-Yeah, it's done," she said. "Great," Jasmine said. "Then let's bring it out." So she, Michi and Chiyo all began to bring dishes out and set them down on the free space left on the bar. As they did, Michi looked at everyone else. "Everyone looks nice," she commented.

Haruna and Kanako were wearing matching outfits, each of them donning Christmas sweaters that depicted snowfall and a pair of jeans. For hair and makeup, Kanako had a style similar to Chiyo's, though her hair was tied a little tighter, and her eyes popped a little more than usual. As for Haruna, she had her hair done to be somewhat wavy, also adding a touch of makeup, really just enough to be noticeable. Each girl also had a pair of earrings on, a small, golden Christmas tree silhouette on each ear.

Mayu had kept it simple, as expected, but the way her outfit was put together gave her a slightly more mature vibe. She wore a white, long-sleeved top that looked a little thick material-wise, but it also held to her body more tightly than something she'd usually wear. Along with that was a long, brown skirt that came down to the midpoint of her shins. She didn't particularly have any makeup on, nor accessories, but she did have her black hair completely down instead of keeping it in her usual braids.

Hinami had worn a Christmas-themed dress, though it was much more conservative than Chiyo's. Keeping a high neckline, it flowed all the way down to her ankles. The dress itself had large snowflakes on it, with the flakes of course being white and the rest of the dress being blue. Hinami had pushed herself a little though, as she was wearing noticeable lipstick and her lashes seemed fuller than usual. She even had a tight braid going on the sides and to the back of her head and had small hoop earrings on. Really, the only concern for her were the black heels she was wearing. They weren't high, but Hinami didn't have much confidence wearing them.

Lastly, there was Itsuki, who had opted more for fun than fashion. She hadn't bothered with makeup or jewelry of any kind. Instead, she had gone with what could only be called an ugly Christmas sweater depicting what looked like a dancing reindeer on a bright red background. With jeans and a Santa hat on, she had been content with her outfit choice (despite Jasmine's complaints when shown the day before).

"Everyone really got dressed up," Itsuki commented as she looked around. "Except for a certain someone,"" Jasmine commented. "You said I didn't have to!" Itsuki complained. "No, I said if you're gonna wear that, you don't have to come," the gal responded. "Hmph!" Itsuki huffed. "I think it's fun!"

"They really do argue like sisters, don't they?" Kanako said to Haruna. "Yeah, but it's kinda nice to see," Haruna said. "When I first met Jasmine-chan, she was nothing like this." "I guess everyone's changed, huh?" Kanako said, smiling up at Haruna.

As everyone's banter died down, Jasmine made an announcement. "So like, all the food's done, I guess. You can grab whatever ya want too. Mori-san said she didn't wanna see any leftovers, so fill your plates. After we eat, I was thinkin' we could do presents." "Sounds great, Jas-chin!" Chiyo said happily. "Now let's eat!"

Following Chiyo's lead, everyone lined up at the bar and began making their choices from the wide array of main dishes, side dishes and desserts. There was everything from fried chicken to soba noodles to plain white rice to several different cakes, along with plenty of other options. "This much food almost seems like overkill…" Haruna said as she sat down with the others at a long table with a white tablecloth over it. The set up was made of two shorter tables pushed together, allowing everyone to sit together.

"I can't believe your aunt made all of this," Chiyo commented. "Seems like it'd be pretty difficult to cook this much for this many people." "She told me once she served an entire wedding herself, along with being the minister who ordained it," Haruna said. "Honestly, I don't know if there's anything she can't do."

"This chicken is really good!" Itsuki exclaimed after taking a bite. "I like this lime cake thing I got," Haruna said. "Haruna, you're supposed to eat dessert last, not first," Kanako sighed. "But it's lime," Haruna stated. "Even if it's lime…" Kanako sighed again.

"My fav is the cranberry sauce," Chiyo said, sending a knowing look to Michi. Noticing, Michi coughed. "W-Why're you looking at me?!" she managed to say. "Huh? Did Mi-chan make the sauce?" Itsuki asked. "No, I only adjusted it," Michi explained. "Mori-san is the one who actually made it." Grabbing a spoon, Kanako put some on her own plate and tried it. "It tastes pretty good, Mi-chan. I know Haruna said that Mori-san doesn't have anything she's bad at, but I know she sometimes struggles with making sauces. She said it has something to do with the subtleties of flavor."

"Look at that. You're like, better than even the great Sara Mori," Chiyo teased. "J-Just shut up and eat," Michi said, blushing a little. "Regardless of our thoughts," Mayu chimed in. "We should be sure to give our thanks to Mori-san for going through all this trouble for us. She made us all this food and lent us her place of business. I feel as though we should do something for her." "Don't bother," Haruna said, shaking her head. "I mean, you can tell her thank you, but I guarantee if you try to do something more, she'll just tell you not to. And if you go ahead anyways, she'll just do something for you to one-up you." "But still…" Mayu said. "Just put your heart into your thanks," Jasmine said to her. "I'm sure that'll be enough."

The rest of the meal passed with enjoyable conversation, the topics ranging wide as they discussed anything from the past to the future and the most trivial of things. Once everyone was finished, they stacked their dishes in the kitchen. A few of the girls insisted on washing them right away, but Jasmine refused them. "I'll take care of it, alright?" she said. "C'mon, it's time to open presents."

Rearranging the room further, the group grabbed some chairs and put them in a semi-circle around the tree. With each of them taking a seat, they all stared in curiosity at the wrapped boxes at the base of the tree. "So how does this work?" Chiyo asked. "Do we like, each just grab one?" "Nope," Jasmine said. "We're gonna go in a certain order." "Huh? Why?" Chiyo asked. Jasmine shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt like doing it that way."

However, that wasn't entirely the truth. The real reason why Jasmine made an order was to help Michi. "It's almost time," she thought. "All that's left is for me to play my part." So, pulling out a list she had written down, Jasmine read off the names.

"The order is, Kana-chan, Haru-chi, Fukuhara-san, Mayu-chi, Hinami-chan, Itsuki, me, then Chiyo." "Hey, why am I last?!" the other gal cried. "Because you're the most annoying," Jasmine said flatly. "W-Wait, is that how it's o-organized? O-Oh no, H-Hiraoka-san, h-have I been bothering you t-this whole time?!" Hinami panicked. Jasmine laughed to herself, then patted Hinami on the head. "Nope. It's a rule that only applies to Chiyo." "Hey!" Chiyo exclaimed, standing up and glomping onto Jasmine. "It's Christmas, Jas-chin! Be nicer to meee!"

Once everybody settled down, Jasmine began handing out presents. In order to keep her plan with Michi a secret, she did them one at a time, handing out a present, then having the recipient open it. The first was Kanako.

"Oh, it's a… toaster?" Kanako said as she tore off the wrapping. Beneath it was a box with the imagery of a toaster on it. "I-I didn't know w-what to bring to t-this sort of thing…" Hinami whimpered. Kanako smiled. "It's fine, Hinami-chan. I'm sure Haruna and I will use it plenty in our future home." "Yeah, I like… toast," Haruna said in a weak attempt to cheer up Hinami. Though feeble, it seemed to lift her spirits. "I-I'm glad you'll have a u-use for it."

Next was Haruna. "...Is this a beauty kit?" she asked as she looked at the item she was holding. Within it were several different kinds of makeup, along with a small booklet with different tips and tricks. "Yeah, uh…" Jasmine said. "I figured, like, it might come in handy for someone. Hopefully the stuff I wrote down is helpful." "Wait, you made this?" Haruna said in surprise. Jasmine nodded shyly. "That's awesome," Haruna said. "I'll definitely use it."

Following her was Michi, who got a stuffed bear that turned out to be from Mayu, then it was Mayu's turn. As she opened her present, she realized it was a book. "Oh, a book," she said. "I wonder what- KYA!" With all of the wrapping off, the title was revealed.

"100 Different Sex Positions To Please Your Partner!"

"Damn it, Chiyo!" Jasmine yelled. "This one was you, wasn't it?!" "What? It's important stuff to know!" Chiyo said, defending her choice. "O-One hundred… d-different positions…" Mayu said, eyes looking dizzy. "Ah! Don't like, think too hard about it, Mayu-chi!" Jasmine insisted.

Next was Hinami, who also happened to get a book. However, this one was a lot tamer. "Citrus recipes?" she said, reading the title out loud. "There are some pretty good lime ones in there," Haruna said proudly. "How did you even find something like that?" Michi asked. "It was in the clearance section at the bookstore," Haruna explained. "T-Thank you," Hinami said with a smile. "I-I'll treasure it."

Itsuki got her present after, which was a scarf from Kanako. "Thanks Kana-chan! I needed a new one!" she said, pleased. After her was Jasmine, who ended up with her self-proclaimed little sister's choice of gift. "Haah…" she sighed. "I knew I'd get stuck with this thing…" "What's wrong with a magic eight ball as a present?!" Itsuki cried. "What do you think this is, the 90s?" the gal responded.

Lastly, it was Chiyo's turn. "Ooh, I wonder what I'll get," she said excitedly. "Well, that's our cue everyone," Jasmine said. Standing up, everyone else followed suit, leaving the room.

*****

While Chiyo had been in the kitchen with Michi at the start of the party, Jasmine had been finishing up her plan preparations. "Hey, can everyone come here for a sec?" With the remaining girls gathered around, she explained what was going on. "So when it's Chiyo's turn to open a present, we all gotta get up and leave so it's just the two of 'em," Jasmine said.

*****

"Huh?" Chiyo let out. "H-Hey, where's everyone goin'? Is this some sort of bullying? Come back!" Looking back down at the tree, Chiyo realized all the presents were gone too. "What? Wait, do I not get one? Where's my present?"

"...here…"

"Eh? Oh, Mi-chan, you stuck around? …Wait, what did you say?"

"Y-Your present… is right here…"

Standing in front of Chiyo, Michi placed her hands over her chest. "W-What?" Chiyo let out, confused. "M-Mi-chan, what're you-" "Chiyo," Michi said with as much courage as she could muster. "Please… Just listen…"

"Okay…"

Taking a deep breath in, Michi slowly let it out, then dropped her hands to her sides, though it didn't take long for her to start fidgeting with her fingers. "W-When… we first met… I really didn't like you. I thought you were annoying, and crude, and way too flashy. I thought there was no way we could ever get along, and I definitely didn't want you around me…"

"I kept pushing you away, but no matter how much I pushed, you just kept coming back. Over and over again, I told you to go away, but you just wouldn't listen. But… I guess it turns out you knew what was better for me than I did… Because little by little… you became an irreplaceable part of my life, Chiyo."

"I never wanted to admit it. I'm stubborn, sometimes to a stupid degree. But the more I tried to deny it, the more it felt like it was becoming true. There was the time you told me all about your past… and you used my name for the first time… There was the time you wrote a song, j-just for me… Then there were all those mornings together… I know I never communicated it the way I should've, but… I was always really happy to see you like that. To eat breakfast together… to walk together… it was great…"

"But then… that day you kissed Ikehara-san… my heart hurt like never before. I thought I would die from all the pain I was in, and I just didn't understand why it felt so awful. I kept thinking, and thinking, and really, it was only thanks to a couple of other people that I realized I didn't need to think at all. I already knew the answer. I just hadn't wanted to admit it to myself."

"So you better be listening Chiyo, because I'm only going to say this once! I…! I-I… love your smile… your real one, not that fake one you show people… I love your boldness… I think it's admirable… I love your music… it's like the words flow directly into me… I love the way you want to help people… but I hate how much it comes at a cost to yourself… I love… that you never abandoned me… I love… that you wanted to get close to me… I love… that I'm constantly the one you're looking at…"

"I'm stubborn, and difficult, and most of the time I'm not honest the way I should be, but… I promise, I'll never leave you. I'll stay by your side and protect you the way I promised I would, just like you have for me. Because I… I…"

"Because I'm in love with you, Chiyo."

By the time Michi finished, tears were running down her face, but more noticeably, they were streaming down Chiyo's. Her hands were up to her face, covering her mouth and nose as she stared wide-eyed in shock. After another second or two, she dropped her hands.

"T-This… isn't a joke, right? Y-You're telling the truth, right? I-I'm awake, r-right?"

"It's not a joke. It's the truth. You're awake."

"M-Michi… y-you… love me?"

"Y…Yes…"

"Y-You're in love with me?"

"Yeah…"

"Say it again."

"I love you, Chiyo."

"Again."

"I love you, Chiyo…"

"A-Again…"

"I l-love you, Chiyo…"

Sitting in her seat, the gal was shaking. Then, in a flash, Chiyo leaped up and wrapped Michi in her arms. "...so long…" she said quietly. "I've waited so long… to hear you say those words…" "S-Sorry I made you wait," Michi said back just as softly. "You damn well better be!" Chiyo cried, but even though Michi couldn't see her face, she could tell the gal was smiling.

Pulling back just far enough so they could see each other, Chiyo looked down at Michi, her makeup starting to run. "Let me say it too," she said. "O-Okay…" Michi said. Gathering herself a bit, Chiyo put on her biggest smile.

"Michi Fukuhara, I love you!"

"Pfft! Ahahaha!" Michi laughed. It was all she could do hearing Chiyo declare her feelings so boldly. In response, Chiyo started laughing too. After a minute or so, they both calmed down somewhat.

"S-So, does that mean… we're a couple?" Chiyo asked nervously. "O-Oh, um…" Michi sputtered. "Yeah, I guess this means you're my…" She had never said it before. Never once had Michi ever expected the following words to come out of her mouth. Before, it would've been scary, and honestly, unthinkable. But now, with Chiyo in her arms, the words came out more easily than she expected them to.

"M-My girlfriend, Chiyo."

"I like, love the sound of that."

Suddenly, the two of them heard the door open, signaling that the others were coming back inside. "So, guessin' by what I'm lookin' at, things went good?" Jasmine asked Michi. "Y-Yes… Thank you for your help, Hiraoka-san." "Help?" Chiyo asked. "Oh, is that why they all left?" "Yeah," Jasmine said. "Thought it'd be best to give you two the room. After all, ya wouldn't want any interruptions.

Breezing through the crowd, Kanako dashed up to Michi and hugged her. "I'm so proud of you Mi-chan! And happy for you!" "T-Thanks… and sorry…" Michi said. "For what?" Kanako asked. "For being so mean about your relationship with Endo-san," Michi explained. "I feel so stupid now that I've also got a… a… g-girlfriend…" "It feels weird to say, doesn't it?" Kanako joked. "Y-yeah…" Michi admitted. "You'll get used to it," Kanako said pleasantly. "After all, she's your precious partner now, so you'll want to be able to tell everyone about it." "O-One step at a time…" Michi said, feeling embarrassed.

After a round of congratulations from everyone else, it was time for the party to continue. "Well, now that the more serious business is out of the way, it's time for a game," Jasmine said. "We'll have to pair up for this to work." "Oh, I get it!" Itsuki said. "You needed Chiyo and Mi-chan to get together so we could do pairs!" "Your deductive skills are amazing, Itsuki," Jasmine said in monotone.

The game went as follows: each pairing, in this case Kanako and Haruna, Chiyo and Michi, Jasmine and Mayu, and lastly, Itsuki and Hinami (being the leftovers), had to play a sort of guessing game. One person would draw a slip of paper out of a container and place it on their forehead. Then their partner had to describe the word written down and have the first person guess what it was. Then the partners would switch. If both got their words right, then they won and went onto the next round.

As it turned out, this proved to be more difficult than expected, as the descriptions given and the guesses being made weren't the best. Haruna and Kanako seemed to get through with relative ease, but Chiyo and Michi's efforts didn't line up at all. Jasmine was able to guess her word from Mayu's description, but it didn't go so well the other way around. Then there was Hinami and Itsuki, who both lacked the skills at all.

While somewhat frustrating, the game itself was fun for all involved, and as the others were able to guess, Haruna and Kanako ended up being the ones to win. The prize was Sara buying any one thing the pair wanted. She had agreed (in fact, offered) to be the prize after Jasmine told her about the game. Hearing that that was the prize, it almost felt like too much power.

*****

The night went on, and by the time the party began to come to an end, it was nearly midnight. Sara had come back about an hour before to check on them, though she wasn't in much of a state to be watching anyone. So instead, she just sat behind the bar and poured herself some drinks, chimining into the conversation here and there. Luckily, it turned out she wasn't an obnoxious drunk.

"Wow, I can't believe it's already this late," Haruna said as she looked at the time. "O-Oh dear," Mayu said. "Mother most likely won't be pleased by this." "I think she can deal with her daughter being out later for like, one night," Jasmine said. "But Haru-chi's right. It has gotten pretty late. Should we wrap things up?" "Ooh, ya gonna give some sort of final speech?" Chiyo teased. "Thanks for comin'. Now go home," Jasmine said shortly, causing Chiyo to boo and the rest of the room to laugh.

The group of them began filing out, with Jasmine staying behind. "What're ya still here fer?" Sara asked. "I mean, it was my party," Jasmine said. "I should like, clean up, right?" "No, no!" Sara said dramatically. "Go on, shoo! Get outta here! Have fun with yer friends! It's my cafe, I'll clean it." "Are you sure?" Jasmine asked. Sara smiled. "Ain't there someone in that group ya wanna see off?" Jasmine felt her face heat up, then hurriedly went for the door as she offered a quick "Thanks."

Once outside, the girls started heading their separate ways. Haruna and Kanako were the first to depart, no doubt still planning on having their own special time together. Then it was Hinami, who was getting picked up despite the late hour. Jasmine wanted to go with just Mayu, but it was impossible for her to shake Itsuki, so the three of them went together. With all of them having left, that meant only two remained.

"I-It's like, just us, huh?" Chiyo pointed out. "Y-Yeah…" Michi said nervously. An awkward silence fell over them, but it didn't take long for Chiyo to say something that completely changed Michi's mood. "Hey, Mi-chan," the gal said. "I… really don't wanna hide our relationship." "Huh?" Michi let out. "I'm just saying," Chiyo continued. "It took you a long time to get to this point, so I'm sure you have your reservations about tellin' other people about us. I wanna respect that, but at the same time, I really just wanna tell every person I see." "Every person is too much," Michi stated. "But…"

Michi took a deep breath, then let it out, watching as it dissipated into the winter night air. "I won't… make you hide it, either…" "Really?" Chiyo asked. Michi nodded. "It's only fair, isn't it? After how long you had to hide your feelings, I mean." "R-Right…" Chiyo said quietly. "And, um, speaking of feelings…"

Gently, Chiyo slipped her hand into Michi's, intertwining their fingers. "Is this… okay?" "...do whatever you want," Michi said, blushing as she looked away. "It's just hand-holdin' Mi-chan," Chiyo teased. "We've done it before, y'know?" "Y-Yeah, but this is our first time as a… c-couple…" Michi sputtered. "It's just different, okay?"

"I know what ya mean," Chiyo said. "That's why I felt like I had to ask for permission. Everything we did before was done in this weird dynamic where we were close but not dating. Now, even if we do it all again, it'll all feel new because our relationship has changed. The times we hold hands, the times we hug, the times we eat together… All of it will be special now. I gotta say, I'm… really lookin' forward to that."

"I wonder how your sister will react…" Michi said, sounding somewhat nervous at the prospect of Chitose finding out. "It'll be fine, Mi-chan," Chiyo said reassuringly. "My big sis will definitely be happy for us." "Are you sure? Sometimes it seems like she doesn't like me," Michi muttered. "Well, you're not always the easiest person to like, Mi-chan," Chiyo joked. "Yeah, well, you like me…" Michi said. "Mhm!" Chiyo let out with enthusiasm as she glomped onto Michi. "I like ya a whole lot Mi-chan!"

So many moments and feelings had carried the two girls to this moment. So many that it was impossible to recount them all. But in that moment, perhaps it wasn't necessary at all to look back on how they had gotten there. What mattered most was that they had made it, and it was probably the happiest either of them had ever been.

End of Chapter Twenty-Eight.