159 Chapter Twenty-Five: Fear And A Festival

It was the middle of summer break, and Chiyo Wakabayashi had accomplished absolutely nothing. The fact that her summer homework remained untouched wasn't surprising, but she had done little else with her time other than lying around, sighing and moping. Her major mistake still weighed heavily on her mind, and it had become the only thing she could think about.

Overall, Chiyo didn't believe what she had done was necessarily wrong. In the end, most people decided to believe that Katsumi was just a troublemaker who would kiss anyone. Of course, there were those that still thought otherwise, but the quickly growing bud that was a cheating scandal had already been nipped. To Chiyo, that was a victory. She achieved what she had hoped to do.

However, that meant little now, as it had come at a terrible cost to her. Thanks to her self-sacrificing nature, she was perhaps too quick to act. If she had given her plan a little more thought, if she had waited for Michi to get farther down the hall, if she had come up with a better approach that wouldn't have been so costly, etc. It was things like that that Chiyo kept going over, though it did her little good considering there was nothing to be done about the past.

All that remained was the future, currently a bleak outlook for the gal. Not only had she majorly screwed up, but because she was the one at fault, she also felt like she couldn't just go up to Michi and just say "Sorry!" It would normally be the guilty party's job to do just that, but knowing how Michi was, Chiyo was sure anything she had to say would fall flat on the girl's ears. "There's just no way she'll listen…"

Sitting on the couch, she sighed once more. At the moment, she was the only one home. Chitose had gone on a trip with some of her friends, partly because it was a chance for her to have fun, but also because she was getting sick of her sister's depressing mood. Chitose had tried to be her usual, big-sister self, but that had done little to change Chiyo's mood.

*****

The day after Chiyo's reckless kiss, she had been in an even worse mood. Naturally, Chitose noticed. "Chi, you alright?" she asked. "Ya look pretty pale. You're not gettin' sick, are ya?" "No, I'm perfectly healthy," the gal said with zero energy. "That doesn't sound healthy at all…" Chitose said. She sat down near Chiyo. "C'mon. What's goin' on?" Chiyo stared at her big sister for a second, biting her lip in internal debate with herself until she finally decided to say.

Then, once it was all out in the open, Chitose brought a fist down on top of Chiyo's head. "Are you stupid?!" she exclaimed as Chiyo rubbed the assaulted area. "I-I'm not!" the gal cried. "Are you sure, because it sounds like ya are!" Chitose shouted. "I don't recall raising ya to do somethin' this dumb!" "What does you taking care of me have to do with this?!" Chiyo yelled.

"Could you seriously not use your damn head for more than like, two seconds before ya decided to have a make-out sesh with this Ikehara-san?" Chitose sighed in exasperation. "It wasn't a make-out sesh! She doesn't even kiss good anyways!" Chiyo shot back. "Her kissing skills aren't the problem here Chi," Chitose said, preparing to go into full-blown big-sis lecture mode.

"Why the hell did you ever think that was a good idea? I can think of at least three problems with that plan right off the top of my head. And why didn't ya just talk to Kana-chan and Haru-chi about this? I'm sure they woulda been more than willing to help come up with a plan to put a stop to something that was more their problem than yours. Actually, lemme correct that last part. A problem that was entirely theirs, and not yours."

"And let's say that even if you did pull this off, did ya seriously think it wouldn't get back to Mi-chan? Even if she never saw it, I'm sure she would've been less than pleased to find out the girl she likes is kissin' another girl." "I-I don't know for sure if Mi-chan likes me…" Chiyo interjected, but Chitose just rolled her eyes. "Please girl, if that ain't love, I don't know what that girl's deal is then."

"But to get back on point," Chitose continued. "I'm sure she would've been just as hurt finding out second-hand as she was seeing it happen live." "Probably…" Chiyo quietly agreed. "I just didn't know what else to do, y'know? My friends were in trouble… I just wanted to help…" "The only difference between helpfulness and recklessness are the actions taken," Chitose said, sounding like she was quoting something. "What's that from?" Chiyo asked. "I think dad said it one time," Chitose said. "But I dunno where he got it." "Great, now I feel like our parents are lecturing me too," Chiyo groaned.

"It's not like I wanna do this Chiyo," Chitose said. "But you're all grown up now. Hell, in some countries, you'd be a legal adult right now. Maybe it's a bit much to expect someone of your age to act like one, but in times like these, you could stand to have a bit more maturity, y'know?"

*****

After that, Chiyo's mood hardly improved. One day, Chitose went up to her and told her, "I'm goin' on a trip with some friends of mine. Ya better have all this sorted out by the time I get back," and then she left. Since then, Chiyo had done nothing but stay in her own house and head as she thought about everything.

If it wasn't for the fact she was one of the parties involved, she could almost laugh about her relationship with Michi. Honestly, she couldn't think of anyone, fictional or real, that had more of a rollercoaster ride than the two of them. The fact that they were never even a couple just compounded the comedy of it all.

From being viewed as an enemy to practically straddling the line of being a girlfriend, Chiyo had been all over the spectrum when it came to Michi. To some, that may have been frustrating, but to Chiyo, she enjoyed it all. True, she had her moments of wanting more or wishing Michi would come around on her opinions, but overall, Chiyo was just happy to be there. Being able to have Michi in her life as much as she was, even if they weren't lovers, felt like a bright spot for Chiyo that was helping to overwrite her unfortunate and mistake-laden past.

Now, it felt as if all of that was nothing more than a fleeting dream, one that was getting further and further away with each passing day. "Even if I did go see her, what could I possibly say to make her feel better?" Chiyo wondered. "I know if I had seen Mi-chan doing something like that, I would've been pretty angry too…" So the gal continued to remain in place.

*****

With summer in full swing, that also meant it was the time for festivals. Being the small town Iwanai was, it wasn't as if they held a lot of them, but there were at least a couple that the locals enjoyed. Now, with all of their problems finally behind them, Haruna and Kanako were looking to be among the happy attendees.

Unlike the previous summer, both girls opted to keep their outfits simple, with Haruna wearing a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt and Kanako wearing jean shorts with a light green-colored blouse. Meeting up at Kanako's house, Haruna offered Kanako her arm. "Shall we?" she asked gallantly. "Yes, we shall," Kanako responded in kind, taking the arm offered. Together, the two of them began walking down the road.

It was a bit of a walk to where they were going, but it didn't feel like it took long at all. As they got closer, they saw plenty of other people heading the same way, plenty of which were wearing fancy yukatas of their own. "Oh, look at that one. It's such a pretty shade of pink," Kanako said, commenting on one girl's selection. "Yeah," Haruna agreed. "And that one over there has a pattern with rubber ducks." "Wha?" Kanako let out, soon spotting the one Haruna had pointed out. "Wow… T-That's certainly a choice." "You have to admit, it does fit for a festival, considering the games and all," Haruna said.

It got quiet for a moment, and Haruna began to wonder if Kanako wished she was wearing one. "Did you actually wanna wear yukatas after all?" she asked, but Kanako shook her head. "No, this is fine. I thought it'd be nice if we went with something more casual. Plus, with last year's issues, I didn't want either of us to have bad reminders…"

If anyone had experienced emotional turmoil in its fullest last summer, it was Haruna. Although, that didn't mean that was an entirely negative thing. "Y'know, last year's festival we went to was when I realized I was in love with you." "I wish you would've just said so back then instead of running away," Kanako pouted.

"W-Well, I had a lot to think about," Haruna said in her defense. "I mean, it was a lot to take in, you know?"

Kanako looked up at Haruna. "Then let's make sure that this year is all about fun," she said pleasantly. Haruna smiled back at her. "Yeah, let's do it." The two girls continued walking, getting closer and closer to the festival grounds. As they did, the smells of festival food wafting through the air approached their noses, getting them excited for all of the delicious offerings available.

Once they were close enough, Haruna was about to suggest choosing something to eat, but Kanako asked for something else first. "U-Um, Haruna?" she began. "I know we're supposed to spend time together, b-but… some of the prep for my culinary exams talk about festival food and how it's made, so I was hoping maybe… I-I could watch some people make their food for a bit?"

Haruna laughed. "Why're you so nervous asking me that?" "I-I don't know," Kanako said. "I just thought you might be bothered being left alone." "What, I can't come too?" Haruna asked teasingly, but Kanako seemed hesitant. "Y-You worry me when you're around kitchens…" "Oh come on!" Haruna cried. "It's not like I'm gonna be touching anything. All I'll be doing is watching!" "B-But what if you get some sort of weird idea in your head…" Kanako mumbled. "What am I, a child?" Haruna pouted. "Geez, my feelings are gonna get hurt at this rate." "I-I'm sorry!" Kanako quickly apologized. "Um, how can I make it up to you…oh! There! I'll buy you one of those!"

The item that Kanako was pointing to was a sign advertising sno-cones. They offered multiple sizes, (small, medium, large, and mountain), and the customer was free to choose their toppings (beyond their choice of syrup). Seeing the huge pile of ice, Haruna stared, a bit starry-eyed. "...Do they have lime?" "Y-Yes, I believe so," Kanako said. "...Alright, Haruna agreed.

Going over to the booth, Haruna ordered the following: a mountain-sized sno-cone, complete with an extra few pumps of lime-flavored syrup and a bunch of slices of actual lime stuck in it. Taking it with both hands, Haruna beamed. "Whoa… It looks amazing!" "It's so green," Kanako commented. Haruna grabbed the spoon/straw that came with it and took a bite. Immediately, her face lit up even more. "And it's delicious!" she exclaimed. Kanako smiled, but she couldn't help letting a bit of her confusion show in it. "I'll never understand her obsession with lime flavors," she thought. "But it makes her happy, so I guess that's all that matters."

With Haruna in better spirits (and distracted by her green ice mountain), the pair began going around to different food stalls, not to eat, but to observe. A couple of the cooks Kanako asked seemed confused at first, but with the constant rush never ceasing, they usually just told Kanako to do whatever she wanted. In fact, a few others actually ended up dragging her into the kitchen to help serve orders. While Kanako hadn't been expecting it, she was happy to get some hands-on experience too.

The whole time, Haruna continued munching on her giant sno-cone, but she was still watching Kanako too. Seeing her in a culinary setting was always an interesting sight to Haruna. It allowed her to see her girlfriend in a different way than she usually got to. When Kanako was serious about her culinary skills, she'd get this look on her face that showed her determination. It was an expression that Haruna enjoyed seeing. "Knowing she's so serious about her future kinda makes me happy for some reason," she thought. Compared to herself, Haruna wondered if she was doing enough. "Maybe I should start taking a more serious approach to what I'm doing too…"

"Hey, Haruna!" Kanako called from behind one of the counters. "Check it out!" Holding up a plate of yakisoba, Haruna was about to ask what was so special about it when she noticed something was… different. "Wait… is it… green?" she wondered aloud. "This guy had some limes!" Kanako explained. "Since they're not super busy right now, he let me experiment a little, and I came up with this! Lime yakisoba! Come try it!"

Admittedly, for as much as Haruna loved lime, she was fairly hesitant to accept the combination of that and fried noodles. "I'm not so sure about this…" she muttered as she walked over. Taking the plate from Kanako, Haruna had her hold what remained of her sno-cone, picked up some throwaway chopsticks, and took a bite.

After chewing for a bit, Haruna swallowed. "What do you think?" Kanako asked, anticipating a good review. "Uh," Haruna let out. "It's um… weird? Like, I think I like it, but at the same time, I'm not sure that I do…" "Oh…" Kanako said, sounding disappointed. "You know, just because I like lime doesn't mean I want everything to be that flavor," Haruna said. "That'd be like giving someone who likes chocolate a chocolate hamburger." "Y-Yeah, I get your point," Kanako said.

After that, Kanako didn't spend much more time observing. She had already gained a notebook-full of notes, and on top of that, all the food around her was making her very hungry. "I'm starving!" Kanako said. "Does anything sound good to you, Haruna?" "Something warm," Haruna said immediately, shivering a little. "I'm pretty sure that sno-cone actually lowered my body temperature." Kanako giggled. "Alright, then let's look around as customers this time."

It didn't take them long to settle on something. Closer to the corner of the lines of booths, there was one that sold skewers and kebabs. Buying a few different kinds of each, Kanako and Haruna took them over to a nearby bench that had been set up. As they ate, they took in the scene in front of them.

Like any festival, it was decorated with rows of booths selling all sorts of food, game stalls of a similar design drawing people in and getting accused of cheating the poor customers, and lights hanging all around that gave off a dim, but comfortable glow. Families walked together (or as best they could with their rambunctious children), couples clung to each other, and there were plenty of groups of kids running around having a blast. With the night sky up above, it was the very picture of a typical, well-spent summer night.

"I wonder how many other people are enjoying festivals right now," Kanako suddenly said. "Huh? What makes you ask that?" Haruna asked through a mouthful. Kanako shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's just something about watching this crowd that makes me wonder if there are others out there right now having the same fun we are." "I guess there could be," Haruna said. "Who knows? Maybe some of those people are falling in love right now."

Haruna looked over at Kanako and found their eyes meeting. Even in the faint light, they could both see the other was blushing. Taking a precautionary glance around, the two of them then leaned in and kissed. After a second or two, they pulled apart, each smiling at the other. However, their blissful moment was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, hey, it's Haruna-san and some P.D.A!"

Whipping around to find the source of the obnoxious voice, Haruna's jaw nearly dropped when she spotted the one responsible for the rhyme. A girl stood about ten feet away from her. She was dressed in a black and gold yukata that had a star pattern on it, but contrary to the usual appearance, her hair wasn't tied up. It was down. So far down, in fact, it came to her feet, blazing a brilliant blue even in the festival lighting.

"P-P-Prez?!" Haruna exclaimed upon spotting Izumi Komatsu. Striding over and hair dragging along behind her, she stopped in front of the two girls. "It's good to see ya again, Haruna-san," Izumi said with a pleasant smile. "W-What're you doing here?" Haruna asked. "Hm, hm, well, I just thought I'd come by to have some summer fun. Yep, yep," Izumi said, nodding to herself.

Staring at Haruna and Kanako, Izumi gave another nod. "I'm happy to see you two are still together." "Huh? You make it sound like we wouldn't be," Haruna said, confused. "Some of the underclassmen were worried for their beloved Haruna-san's love life," Izumi teased. "So they sent me messages asking what they should do." "Really? I didn't hear anything from them…" Haruna said. "That's because I told them to stay out of it," Izumi said simply. "It's usually for the best to let couples figure things out for themselves, don't ya think?" "I guess so," Haruna agreed.

"How has college been so far, Prez?" "Hard," Izumi said flatly. "Like, there's so much to pay attention to. I've got training starting soon too, so my schedule is going to be very, very busy." Haruna laughed. "Look at that. I guess even you have to work hard sometimes." "Yes, yes," Izumi said with a disgruntled wave. "But anyways, now that I found ya, wanna play together? Oh, that is, if your girlfriend is okay with that." "Huh?" Kanako let out, surprised to be addressed. "I-It doesn't bother me. I know you're important to Haruna, Komatsu-senpai, and you two haven't seen each other in a while, so feel free to have fun." "Are you not gonna come with us?" Haruna asked. Kanako shook her head. "I think I'll wander a bit by myself. Hinami-chan said she'd be here too, but I still haven't seen her, so maybe I'll go looking."

With that, Kanako left Haruna to her former club president. "Whaddya say Haruna-san? Wanna play a game with your favorite prez?" "Who ever said you were my favorite?" Haruna said back. In response, Izumi only laughed before pointing to a booth that was offering a ring-toss game. "Let's do that one!" Izumi declared, grabbing Haruna's arm and pulling her along. "H-Hey, hold on!" Haruna cried. "Seriously, I'm gonna step on your hair!"

But of course, somehow, that didn't happen, and the two girls made it over to the booth with no issues. "Two sets of rings, mister!" Izumi announced, putting up a two with her fingers. The man behind the booth obliged, handing each girl a set of five. "Hm, hm, what should we go for?" Izumi asked. "It's not like I really want any of these prizes…" Haruna said. "Maybe you don't, but I bet ya know someone who does," Izumi said wryly. Of course, the first person to come to mind was Kanako. "She might like that stuffed dog…" Haruna mumbled as she stared at the fluffy animal that was about half the size of Kanako herself. "Ooh, one of the grand prizes, eh?" the man commented. "Good luck. Gotta get all five on the bottles here, and they all gotta be grouped together."

Haruna stared at the large square filled with upright glass bottles. "Grouped together?" she repeated. "Is that even possible?" "Relax, relax, Haruna-san," Izumi said. "It'll be a piece of cake!" In response, the man laughed heartily, making Haruna even more certain that it would not, in fact, be a piece of cake.

"Alright, here goes," she said, readying a ring. Giving it a light toss, the silver ring clinked off the tops of three different bottles before bouncing off and landing on the ground. "Ugh…" Haruna groaned, already out of the running for the prize she was after. Deciding it didn't really matter much anymore, she quickly tossed the rest of her rings. Three of them landed on their targets, and in the end, Haruna came away with a small, stuffed blackbird.

Izumi too didn't have much luck, only landing two of five. "Well, guess that's that," Izumi said with a shrug. "Too bad, huh?" the man said with a smirk. "Guess that special someone ain't special enough for ya to win what ya were aimin' at!"

Haruna froze, then slowly turned around. "Haruna-san, Haruna-san, don't do it! It's bait!" Izumi pleaded, but it was too late. Haruna marched over, slammed the payment on the table, and said, "Give me another set." "Sure thing," the man said, pleased. Handing her another set of silver rings, Haruna got ready.

The result? Four of five.

Then five of five, but not grouped together.

Then three of five.

Then another five of five, but one was a little too far away (causing a heated argument between Haruna and the man running the booth)

On her last attempt, Haruna landed three of five again. Her final haul ended up being one small, stuffed blackbird, a free lunch coupon for a good, local restaurant, a blanket, a small, stuffed frog, a CD player, and a small, stuffed dog. With such a huge amount of stuff to carry, Haruna looked a little comical holding it all in her arms.

"Thanks for the business, young lady," the man said triumphantly. "Yeah, whatever you crook," Haruna muttered as she and Izumi walked away. "Ya didn't have to take his bait, y'know?" Izumi pointed out. "This is kinda your fault too," Haruna accused. "If you hadn't mentioned Kanako wanting something, I wouldn't have spent so much money on that dumb game." "You didn't go broke playing, did ya?" Izumi asked. "Luckily no, but it's not like I have a whole lot of money left," Haruna said, letting out a sigh. "Geez, carrying all this stuff around is seriously a pain."

Deciding to take a break, the two stood off to the side, a short distance from the main festivities. "Are ya having fun, Haruna-san?" Izumi asked. Haruna thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yeah, I am. This year's definitely been better than last year." "Oh, oh?" Izumi said, intrigued. "If you're looking for some juicy story, I'm not telling," Haruna said, sticking out her tongue. "Boo, boo!" Izumi whined, but she got over it quickly. "I guess as long as you're happy, that's all that matters, right?"

"I gotta admit, as someone who was kinda responsible for ya at one point, I was worried about leaving ya on your own. But, it looks like ya really landed on your feet, Haruna-san." Izumi looked sincere as she spoke, occasionally glancing up at Haruna as she did. "That girl ya got, Kana-chan… I think she's really gonna take ya places. I already saw it back before I graduated, but I believe she's gonna do ya a whole lotta good. So, make sure ya don't lose her, 'kay?"

It was a rare serious moment from Izumi, but because she was who she was to Haruna, Haruna took it just as seriously. "I won't. I promised myself I'd never let her go." "Good," Izumi said with a nod. "Alright, now that I've spoken my words of wisdom as an upperclassman, it's time to get back to the fun!" "How the hell do you expect me to play a bunch of games with all this stuff?" Haruna complained. Izumi laughed. "Guess you'll just have to balance it all really carefully in one hand while you play with the other!" "That's impossible!"

*****

Meanwhile, in another part of the festival, two other girls had just arrived. "Well, we finally made it…" Jasmine sighed, wearing pink yukata with white flowers on it. "Y-Yes, I do apologize again for all the fuss mother made…" Mayu said, sounding a bit tired as she stood in her simple, purple yukata. "She just wouldn't let it go," Jasmine complained. "And Itsuki-chan's parents weren't any help either."

As it so happened, the two of them had also been planning on going to the festival together. However, unlike Kanako and Haruna, who had the luxury of putting on whatever clothes they wanted, Itsuki's parents and Mayu's mother had been insistent that they go in yukatas. Mayu hadn't really fought against it much, but Jasmine hadn't really wanted to. Unfortunately, Ai practically demanded that Jasmine wear one if she was going to accompany her daughter at such an event, and Itsuki's parents wanted to see what Jasmine looked like in one.

And so, after about an hour of constant back and forth, Jasmine relented. Her appearance did little to placate Ai, who didn't want Jasmine with Mayu in the first place, but Itsuki's parents seemed more than thrilled with the sight. The gal actually felt a bit embarrassed from all the praise they were heaping on her.

"I mean, like, I guess it looks nice, but they were a bit much…" Jasmine said as she looked herself over again. "I think you look pretty," Mayu said innocently, causing Jasmine to blush somewhat. In response, she cleared her throat in an effort to hide her reaction. "T-Thanks," she said. "You look good too. That color gives ya a soothing aura." "Really?" Mayu asked. "I think I could look at ya for hours and feel all cool and comfy," Jasmine said, flipping the tables on Mayu. "A-ah, um… That's good, I suppose…"

Beginning to walk through the festival, the two girls soon came upon a classic shooting game. Giving the prizes a look, Jasmine's eyes stopped on one. "Hey," she said. "I'm gonna win that for ya." Pointing up, her finger lined up with a medium-sized, white bunny. "Huh?" Mayu let out. "A-are you sure? I would hate for you to waste your money on what's most likely a rigged game…" "Don't worry about it," Jasmine said as she handed the money to the guy behind the booth.

Picking up the cork rifle, Jasmine took aim at the targets. Standing there with one arm outstretched, gun barrel pointed straight ahead, Mayu couldn't help but think the gal looked really cool in that moment. What made it even better was three pops later, three targets had been nailed, landing Jasmine the prize she had decided on. Taking the bunny, she brushed it a little with her hand to make sure no dirt was on it, then handed it to Mayu.

"Here," she said smoothly. "Thank you," Mayu said, a smile coming onto her face. "But how did you do that? That was a rather impressive display of skill." "Oh, an old boyfriend of mine taught-" Jasmine began to explain, but as soon as she said "boyfriend," she knew she had messed up. "Damn it!" she exclaimed internally. "Now is def not the time to be saying something like that!"

"I mean, I guess I picked it up somewhere… haha…" Jasmine said, offering a weak cover up. However, Mayu just continued to smile. "You don't have to make excuses or lie to me, Jasmine-chan," she said calmly. "Knowing you picked up a skill from a past relationship won't make me feel any differently than I do now." "How you feel?" Jasmine repeated, latching onto that part of Mayu's response. Mayu nodded. "I feel happy that you were able to win something and that you then gave it to me. I'll treasure it always." "Oh, right," Jasmine said, sounding disappointed. "For a second, I thought she might've meant something else…" she thought.

"Jasmine-chan?" Mayu said, peering up at her. "Huh? Oh, my bad. Guess I zoned out for a sec," Jasmine said. "Hey, ya hungry? We could grab somethin' from over there." Pointing to one of the nearby food stalls, Mayu looked over at it. "The one that's selling some weird fish?" she asked. "Eh? Ew, the hell is that?!" Jasmine exclaimed as she realized what she had pointed out. Really, the only thing that could be said for certain was that it was some kind of fish product. Beyond that, it was a mystery and looked totally unappetizing.

"Yeah, no, not that. Definitely not that," Jasmine said. "Uh, let's see.." "What about a caramel apple?" Mayu suggested. "Sure, but that's not really much of a meal," Jasmine said. "That's fine," Mayu said pleasantly. "I'm not starving or anything. And besides, I have good memories of those apples. My family and I used to come here every year, and my mother or father would buy me one. Once Kanade was old enough, they did the same for her too. Unfortunately, it's been a few years since we've done that, but…"

Mayu looked at Jasmine. "I still think it'd be nice to get one and add another memory to those apples." "Careful. Whenever you get one of those things now, you'll probably think of me," Jasmine teased, but Mayu only looked away, giving Jasmine a view of her profile. In the dim, soft light of the festival, she could see Mayu smiling. "I don't think that would be bad at all," she said gently. The combination of that scene and those words sent Jasmine's heart racing. "O-Oh, really?" she managed to say. "Then, uh, let's go get some! Let's buy the whole stock!" Mayu giggled. "I think one for each of us will do, Jasmine-chan."

After acquiring their glistening, brown apples, the two of them walked around through the festival. Each step they took was slow, purposefully so, as if to extend their time together. Mayu would occasionally point something out and talk about it, and Jasmine would listen, offering her own thoughts on the topic. As she did, she couldn't help but compare her present to her past once more. "I've definitely done stuff like this with past boyfriends," she thought. "But every time it happened, it always felt so boring."

It wasn't as if Jasmine had to wonder why that was. She already knew and understood, but it still amazed her nonetheless that Mayu somehow made everything seem more special than before. Whether it was going somewhere together, teasing her, or just talking, moments with Mayu just kept bringing a sense of peace to Jasmine. However, it was also because of that that she was afraid to go any further. If she had to choose between her current peace or a pursuit of love, then-

"Jasmine-chan?" Mayu suddenly said. The two girls had stopped walking, arriving on the other side of the festival. "Is something wrong?" "Huh?" Jasmine let out. "You have quite the worried look on your face. I was just wondering if something was on your mind," Mayu asked. "I do?" Jasmine said, feeling her face. Mayu stared at her for a moment, but then she turned away.

A gentle breeze blew through, and as it did, Mayu brought a hand up to the side of her face to hold back a bit of hair blowing loosely. Jasmine watched as the girl's shoulders rose and then fell as if she had just taken a deep breath. Then, Mayu turned back around, and she smiled. "Whatever it is, Jasmine-chan," she said. "Just take your time. And then, when you're ready, come tell me all about it."

On the surface, perhaps that statement would only be perceived as one friend showing kindness to another. But, in the case of Jasmine and Mayu, it meant so much more. The gal could only stare, wide-eyed, as Mayu smiled at her. "What does that… mean…?" Jasmine uttered, though she already knew the answer. Whether or not Mayu meant what she said as far as it implied, Jasmine could only guess, but it felt as though that was the truth.

"When I'm ready, huh?" Jasmine said softly, staring back at Mayu. "Mm," the girl nodded lightly. For a moment, their eyes locked, the expressions on each of their faces slowly slipping off. "And when… should I be ready?" the gal asked in a whisper. Bit by bit, she felt herself getting closer to Mayu. "Whenever… you want to be…" Mayu said just as quietly. She too could feel something pulling them together. However, that pull got abruptly severed by a loud shout.

"Oh! Mayu-chan, Hiraoka-san!" Kanako called as she spotted the two. Immediately, the two girls whipped away from each other. Each of them could feel their hearts pounding in their chests, and it wasn't just because of the sudden scare.

"What… the hell... almost happened?" Jasmine thought to herself. "Was I seriously about to kiss her?" The mood had certainly indicated as much, and it left Jasmine wondering just what would've happened had she actually gone through with it. "Things could've gotten so weird…" Jasmine thought. "But then again, Mayu-chi didn't seem like she was pulling away…"

"I didn't know you two were coming," Kanako said, breaking the gal's train of thought. "Y-Yes," Mayu said, her cheeks still keeping a shade of pink. "I thought it would be nice to go with Jasmine-chan after not having gotten to see her due to her family vacation." "That makes sense," Kanako said. "But Hiraoka-san, you live with Itsuki-chan now, don't you? Why didn't she come with you?" "I told her to stay home," Jasmine said flatly. "Eh?" Kanako let out, confused. Jasmine sighed. "That trip nearly killed me. The whole damn family has way too much energy. Like, even the parents are full of it. And Itsuki-chan, she just wouldn't shut up. Ever. I don't know what got into her, but she was goin' full-throttle the whole time. Once Mayu-chi said we should go to the festival together, I saw it as a perfect opportunity to get some space."

"But like, Itsuki-chan tried to come. I eventually told her that if she did, I'd punish her somehow, and that worked I guess." Jasmine let out another sigh, as if emphasizing her exasperation. Meanwhile, Mayu and Kanako just laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like how a Yukimura family vacation would go." "I agree," Mayu said. "In fact, I was on one once. It felt like I experienced culture shock."

Taking a look to the right and left, Jasmine turned her attention to Kanako. "Where's Haru-chi?" she asked. "We ran into Komatsu-senpai, so they're spending some time together," Kanako explained. "I-I was looking for Hinami-chan, but I haven't seen her…" "Huh? Isn't that her over there?" Jasmine asked, pointing to a nearby food booth.

The stand was a little bizarre compared to the rest. The signage was flashy, the menu seemed to skew more toward the weird, and to top it off, they had someone standing out front in a massive, golden catsuit. While the hustle and bustle of the festival drowned out most quiet sounds, it was still possible to make out a poor whimpering of "C-Come try our newest dishes, nya!"

"I-Is that really Hinami-chan?" Kanako wondered aloud. "Def sounds like her," Jasmine said. "Plus, look at the way she's moving. I don't know anyone else that has that shy of movements." "T-That's true," Kanako agreed. "Should we go say hi?" But, as Kanako went to step forward, Jasmine stopped her. "Wait," she said sternly. "What the hell is goin' on here?"

Watching the scene unfold, Kanako was surprised at what she saw. A girl wearing a plain pair of black shorts and a black t-shirt walked up to Hinami and started talking to her. "Hey, open up," she said, tapping the head. Hinami lifted her arms and grabbed the head as best she could, lifting it enough so her face was showing. "Drink," the girl commanded, pushing a bottle of water with a straw in it up to Hinami's face. She did as instructed, then seemed to tell the girl thank you before slipping the head back on.

"W-Was that… Ikehara-san?" Kanako asked. "Looks like she's helping Yamane-san," Jasmine said, sounding unconvinced. The girl, Katsumi, ended up going back behind the booth and manning a grill. "She's really helping…" Mayu said, sounding amazed. "What's the deal with Ikehara-san and Yamane-san?" Jasmine asked Kanako, but all she could do was shake her head. "I-I'm not really sure. I wasn't even aware that the two of them had gotten closer…"

"Ya don't think Yamane-san is Ikehara-san's next target, do ya?" Jasmine asked. "I don't think so," Kanako said. "Something tells me that whatever's going on, it has nothing to do with romance. Although, I do want to ask Hinami-chan about it."

So, once it seemed like Hinami had a break, the three girls went over and did just that. "Huh? I-Ikehara-san?" Hinami repeated. "S-She happened to be with me when my u-uncle asked me to help him run his booth." "Your uncle is in charge of this thing?" Jasmine asked. Hinami averted her eyes. "I-I know the booth looks pretty weird, b-but I promise the food is good!"

"Um, are you and Ikehara-san friends now?" Kanako asked. "I-I think so," Hinami said, casting a sidelong glance at the girl still grilling. "Why?" Kanako asked with a bit of an accusatory tone. "W-Well, I-Ikehara-san just seemed like she didn't have any friends, s-so I thought, after working together with her on our group project, t-that maybe I could be her friend…" "What a sweet child you are," Jasmine commented.

Honestly, Kanako wanted to tell Hinami she shouldn't do that, but Kanako stopped herself. "I can't say that," she said. "That would be nothing more than my own bitterness coming out. Plus, it's not like I can control who Hinami-chan is friends with. Who knows, maybe it'll do Ikehara-san some good to have a friend like her." So instead, Kanako just shrugged. "Good luck, Hinami-chan." "H-Huh? W-What's that supposed to mean?" Hinami asked, sounding slightly panicked.

The four girls continued talking for a bit longer, but soon enough, Hinami had to get back to work. As they finished talking, Kanako happened to look over at Katsumi. At the same time, the redhead looked over at Kanako. For a moment, their eyes met, but unlike before, there was no hint of passion in Katsumi's eyes. Rather, it was just a simple acknowledgement of seeing another person. Then Katsumi turned away, focusing on frying up more food. In a way, seeing such a casual reaction made Kanako feel relieved, but a part of her did still feel guilty.

There was no way to salvage any kind of relationship with Katsumi. Kanako had made sure of that when she fought with Katsumi in the hallway and really, that was for the best. After everything that had happened, Kanako knew it was better for everyone if Katsumi wasn't involved with her in any way.

Still, nothing could change the fact that the two girls had once been friends, and Kanako had hoped to keep that friendship alive. The fact that it had not only come to an end, but also by her own hand, was enough to prompt a bit of guilt, regardless of how everything turned out. Of course, Kanako also understood there was nothing she could do about it, so instead of dwelling on it more, she simply turned away and began walking with Jasmine and Mayu farther into the festival.

Although, thinking of broken relationships did make Kanako think of Chiyo and Michi. "H-hey, Hiraoka-san?" "Hm? What's up?" Jasmine asked. "H-Have you seen Chiyo lately?" Kanako asked back. As if to answer the question, Jasmine had a look of exhaustion on her face. "We've talked a couple times, but she's just like, downright depressin' right now. And I wouldn't go as far to say she's bein' really stubborn, but it's kinda like she just won't take any action. It's very, I don't know… un-Chiyo-like."

Kanako herself had also spoken with Chiyo once or twice since her massive screw-up, but it had been a couple of weeks since the last time. "Maybe I should bring her some food to try to cheer her up," Kanako said aloud. "Make sure ya bring Haru-chi too. Maybe the two of ya together can snap her out of her funk," Jasmine said.

After that, it didn't take long for the three girls to find Haruna and Izumi. Upon seeing the two of them, the gal laughed. "Pfft! Got enough prizes Haru-chi?" "Shut up," Haruna huffed. "It's not like I wanted all of these." Turning to Kanako, she did her best to hold out the small, stuffed dog she had won. "Here. This one's for you." "Oooh, a doggy!" Kanako said excitedly. "It's cute!" Taking it, Kanako held it close to her chest. "Thanks Haruna," she said with a kind smile, causing Haruna to blush and smile back.

Izumi stood next to them, looking up at them and back and forth. "What a couple of lovebirds," she commented. "I'm gonna feel all lonely like this, yup yup." "I thought you were dating that guy who won the pool?" Haruna asked. In an uncharacteristic moment of shyness, Izumi averted her eyes and pulled one side of her hair up to partially hide her face. "W-Who said anything about dating?"

Haruna, Kanako, Jasmine and Mayu all stared at the suddenly flustered girl. "Well look at that," Haruna said smugly. "After all the teasing you gave me, you're just as bad as I am!" "Am not, am not!" Izumi exclaimed, stamping her left foot. "I-I'm just pure of heart, that's all!" "Sure, whatever you say, prez," Haruna smirked.

In an attempt to change the subject, Izumi thought of something. "Hey, now that I think about it, I haven't seen Chiyo. Is she not here?" The mood, light only a moment ago, shifted in a more somber direction. "I guess you could say she's going through a kind of heartbreak," Haruna explained vaguely. Though it wasn't much of an answer, Izumi seemed to accept it, understanding that there was no need for her to dig deeper. "Well, I hope she feels better soon," was all she said on the matter.

"Maybe we should bring her some takoyaki?" Kanako suggested. "I guess we can do that," Haruna said. "It'll probably be cold though by the time we get to her place." "That's what she gets for not just being here," Jasmine added. "I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture," Mayu said.

So, with decisions being made, Haruna and Kanako parted ways with the others, bought some takoyaki, and called for a ride to get to Chiyo's house. On the way, both girls wondered about the gal. "How do you think she's doing?" Kanako asked. "I don't know," Haruna said. "But I'm guessing it isn't good. Before we left, Jasmine-chan told me that Chiyo looked rough when she saw her a few days ago, so there's no telling if she's gotten worse or not." "I-I hope we can help her…" Kanako said. "All we can do is give her our honest thoughts," Haruna said.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the gal's house. Going up to the door, Haruna knocked. It was quiet for a minute, and when it seemed like no one was coming to the door, Haruna knocked again, harder this time. Inside, it sounded like someone stumbled, then approached the door. With a click, it opened, revealing quite the sight on the other side.

Chiyo was standing there in a pair of pink short-shorts and a baggy, yellow t-shirt. Her hair was down and disheveled, and she even didn't have any makeup or accessories on. It was perhaps the worst state Haruna and Kanako had ever seen her in. "C-Chiyo?" Kanako said tentatively. "Heya, Kana-chan," the gal said lifelessly. "What the hell happened to you?" Haruna asked. "Is your sister really letting you answer doors looking like that?" "Chitose is out on a trip," Chiyo said. "So I've just been here… alone…"

"Um… w-we brought you takoyaki," Kanako offered, holding up the closed, white container. "Thanks," Chiyo said, taking it. "Uh, so like, you wanna come in?" Haruna shook her head. "We just wanted to give you some food. Hoped it might cheer you up some." "Oh… thanks," Chiyo said, sounding sad.

Haruna sighed. "God Chiyo, could you be any more depressing right now?" "H-Haruna?!" Kanako exclaimed, shocked by her girlfriend's bluntness. Haruna ignored her. "You do realize you got yourself into this mess right? So it's your responsibility to fix it!" "But-" "No buts!" Haruna yelled, cutting Chiyo off. "You'd tell me the exact same thing right now if our roles were reversed! If you're this bothered by what happened between you and Fukuhara-san, then do something about it!"

Chiyo was quiet, refusing to make eye contact. "...Thanks for the takoyaki," she eventually mumbled. "You guys came from the festival right? I bet you're tired, so why don't you go home and rest?" In other words, the gal wanted them to leave. Taking the hint, they both said their goodbyes and did just that.

As they walked away, Kanako looked at Haruna. "A-Are you mad at her?" she asked. "No," Haruna said. "But it is just like what I said. If I was the one moping around, she would definitely say something similar to me. I just hate seeing Chiyo like that, so I thought maybe I should give her some of her own medicine." "I-It was still a little mean," Kanako pointed out, but Haruna shrugged. "Sometimes that's what it takes."

*****

Standing behind the closed door, Chiyo fell back against it. "I know she's right…" she thought. "But my situation and yours are so different, Haru-chi. Kana-chan's nothing like Mi-chan… If I could approach Mi-chan that easily… I wouldn't feel this awful…"

Mired in fear and uncertainty, all the gal felt she could do was continue to think as she took a bite of the takoyaki. "...It's cold…"

End of Chapter Twenty-Five.