Chapter Twenty-Nine: Worries, Begone

The holidays soon passed, and as the cold days of December turned into January and approached February, there were two girls keeping plenty warm inside.

"K-Kanako, slow down!" Haruna cried as her girlfriend got on top of her. "What?" she asked with a smirk. "You know we have to keep warm~." "But the heat's not even out!" Haruna exclaimed. "Seriously, what's with you lately? Ever since Christmas, you've constantly been doing stuff like this." "You don't like it?" Kanako asked. "O-Of course I like it," Haruna sputtered. "But that's not the issue here…"

Sensing the mood becoming more serious, Kanako laid down next to Haruna on her bed. The two of them were currently in Haruna's room, and Kanako had been trying to take advantage of the fact that they were the only ones in the house. "...I'm just worried, that's all," she said quietly. "Worried?" Haruna repeated. Kanako nodded. "When we graduate, we'll have to be apart…"

In other words, their upcoming separation was Kanako's motivation to keep "attacking" Haruna. "It's not like we're breaking up or something though," Haruna pointed out. "We're just going to separate schools." "I-I know…" Kanako said. "B-But what if you find someone else while we're apart?" "Kanako, we've talked about this," Haruna said reassuringly as she ran her hand through Kanako's hair.

"I'm going to learn all I can from online classes and Hayashi-san about how to run a business, and you're going to learn about cooking for an inn. Then we'll open our own bed and breakfast and live happily ever after, right?"

Kanako was silent. "...That doesn't make being apart any easier…" she muttered. "Well climbing on top of me all the time isn't gonna help either," Haruna said. Then Kanako smirked and started moving. "Are you sure about that?" she whispered as she moved back to her previous position. "H-Hey!" Haruna exclaimed. "Kana-mmph! …mmm…"

*****

As the sun rose on a chilly late January Tuesday morning, Michi's eyes slowly fluttered open. Despite the temperature outside, she was quite warm. Looking up mostly with just her eyes, she smiled softly as her gaze landed on a certain gal's sleeping face. At the moment, Michi was wrapped in her arms, a sleeping position that had become the norm for them rather quickly.

Once Michi and Chiyo had started dating, Chitose was the first to know after those at the Christmas party. Just as Chiyo had predicted, Chitose was plenty happy for them. What the elder Wakabayashi sister hadn't quite anticipated though was her younger sister basically moving in with Michi. Nearly from Day One of their relationship, if they weren't at school or hanging out with friends, Chiyo was at Michi's apartment. That included sleeping there too.

Gently, Michi slipped out of Chiyo's embrace and sat up. However, she found herself almost immediately ending up laying back down as Chiyo yanked her back. "Oof!" Michi exclaimed. "Geez Chiyo!" "Eheheh," the gal laughed cutely, giving a sleepy smile as she did. "Mornin' Mi-chan." "Good morning…" the girl replied, a little annoyed still. "If you were awake, you should've just woke up like a normal person." "I only woke up when you moved," Chiyo said. "I'm so used to you being in my arms that when you're not there, I wake up."

Michi's face quickly turned red. "D-Don't say things like that out loud!" "Why not?" Chiyo asked innocently. "B-Because…" Michi muttered. "I-It sounds… lewd…" "Pfft!" Chiyo let out, stifling a laugh. "C'mon Mi-chan! This is totally normal for couples!" Then, inching a little closer, Chiyo whispered, "Besides, ya won't let me do the stuff I really wanna do yet, so this was our compromise, remember?"

Being the gyaru she was, Chiyo had wanted to get to the very intimate couple activities right away. However, Michi had only just accepted her own feelings. The idea of jumping from such a low level to a high one was something that Michi just couldn't do yet. The two of them had been dating for around a month now, but even to this point, they still hadn't even kissed.

"I-I'm just not ready, okay?" Michi mumbled, averting her eyes. Softly, Chiyo placed her hand on Michi's cheek. "I know," she said quietly. "I waited for you for well over a year, Mi-chan. Now that we're dating, I don't mind like, waitin' a lil' longer for the good stuff. I'm just happy to have ya all to myself."

"I wonder how long days like this will last…" Michi suddenly let slip. Similar to Kanako, she had worries about their relationship, but unlike Kanako, the two of them didn't have any future plans made. What was in store for them was a complete mystery.

Chiyo stared at Michi for a moment, then turned to lay flat on her back. Stretching her arms straight up, her back arched a little as she groaned. Then she flopped back down, all strength leaving her body, but only for a moment as she quickly sat up. "Let's make breakfast!" she declared. "Are you ignoring me?" Michi asked. "Nope," Chiyo said shortly. "I just think I'd like to eat before we talk about stuff like that."

Seeing she didn't have much of a choice, Michi followed after Chiyo. The two of them were still in their pajamas, which for Michi was a deep purple, silk-like set, and for Chiyo was a baggy t-shirt and shorts. She had originally tried to sleep in just her underwear, but Michi had voted against it, saying it was too much right now for her to handle.

As the two began readying their ingredients, Michi looked up at Chiyo. "Chiyo," she said, giving a slight tug to the gal's sleeve. "Hm?" the gal hummed as she turned to look back. "I know you said you want to wait, but… I really want to talk about our future plans now…"

The truth was, this was a topic that had come up before a couple weeks ago. Back then, Michi had asked a similar question, but Chiyo had somewhat dodged it. With their relationship being so fresh, Michi didn't want to push the issue, but as graduation continued to get closer, it was something she just couldn't help but worry about. The uncertainty of it all only served to make things worse.

Setting down an egg, Chiyo grimaced slightly. "Alright," she agreed. So the two went and sat down at the kitchen table. "So where do we start?" she asked. "I just…"Michi said. "I just want to know… what we're going to do… I mean, after high school… we'll be apart, won't we?"

While they hadn't had any sort of direct discussion about their future, it wasn't as if neither of them had no idea about what the other had in mind. Michi knew that Chiyo wanted to pursue music, and Chiyo knew Michi was going to go to college for something in business or economics. The simple fact was, those two plans were fairly different from each other. Of course, it wasn't as if it was impossible for them to go to the same place, but if they each wanted to pursue their best course of action, it was more than likely that they'd be separated.

For Haruna and Kanako, something like that wasn't a big deal, as their end goal entirely relied on them coming back together. But for Michi and Chiyo, there was no such goal. All there was was the hope that they could make a long-distance relationship work, and that somehow their careers would work out and they could live together. With so little to go on, it was understandable that Michi had her worries, and that Chiyo had been avoiding the topic.

The gal wore an uneasy look on her face as she spoke. "That's… true…" she admitted. "B-But it's not like we'll never see each other again! I couldn't stand that… I… I need ya, Mi-chan…" "O-Obviously I feel the same…" Michi muttered. "But how are we supposed to do this? It's not like either of us have experience with this sort of thing…"

The two of them sat in silence, neither having any sort of answer. Then, like a lightbulb appearing over Chiyo's head, she voiced an idea. "Hey, wait a sec," she began. "Aren't Kana-chan and Haru-chi in like, a similar situation to us? Why don't we ask them for advice?" "They are?" Michi asked. Chiyo nodded. "Haru-chi mentioned to me one day that they have this goal of openin' a like, bed and breakfast place. Haru-chi's gonna run it, and Kana-chan's gonna handle the food. Isn't that adorbs?"

Michi thought about it for a moment. "...I guess it's better than just sitting by ourselves and not coming up with any ways to feel better about this… I'll go talk to Kana-chan and-" But before Michi could finish her sentence, Chiyo cut her off. "Nuh-uh," she said, shaking her head. "I want us to go to the opposite people. I'll go talk to Kana-chan, and you talk to Haru-chi." "Huh?!" Michi exclaimed. "Why?! I don't want to talk to that jerk!" "Because," Chiyo insisted. "I probs know what Haru-chi will say to me, and I bet you know what Kana-chan would tell you. If we already know or have a pretty good idea, then what's even the point of askin'? But, if we go to the one we don't normally go to, we might get advice that we've never really considered. Don't'cha think it's probably for the best if we have a new perspective instead of the usual ones?"

"...I understand, but I still don't like it," Michi pouted. "Haru-chi's a good girl," Chiyo said. "She can just be rough around the edges. Plus, didn't ya mostly not like her because of her relationship with Kana-chan? Can't really use that as a reason anymore, can ya?" "Mmnnrgh…" Michi groaned. "I'm not sayin' ya gotta be her best friend," Chiyo went on. "I just think you should give Haru-chi a little more of a chance." "...Fine…" Michi muttered. "But she better not say anything mean!" "I'll tell her to be extra nice to my sweet, sweet Mi-chan," Chiyo said with a wry look on her face. "You make it sound like I'm fragile or need to be protected," Michi grumbled. "Aren't ya?" Chiyo teased. "You can be pretty sensitive, y'know." "W-Whatever," Michi huffed. "Let's just make breakfast."

As they got back to their original goal, the conversation shifted to school. "Were you gonna go in today Mi-chan?" "No," the girl responded. "At this point, I've done basically everything I need to. All that's really left are a few tests." "Oh yeah!" Chiyo shouted. "Mi-chan, isn't it like, if ya do well on your mid-terms and finals or somethin', you'll be top of our class?"

Throughout their third year, Michi had been studying as hard as she could in an effort to achieve just that. Given, there had been a couple of bumps in the road during her quest for the number one spot, but overall, she had managed to keep herself up in the top three, a rise in positioning from last year, where she had hovered around the bottom of the top ten. Now, she was in a spot that, if all went well, she could accomplish that goal of being at that top.

"It'll take some luck," Michi said as she prepared the rice. "The girl ahead of me rarely gets questions wrong. Most likely, it'll come down to the final exams and if she gets one wrong there or not." "I wanna see ya win," Chiyo said. "Why?" Michi asked dubiously. "Because if ya win, I can say my girlfriend is number one!" Chiyo declared. "Y-You most certainly won't go around saying that!" Michi cried. Chiyo laughed. "Oh, and ya gotta give a speech. I wanna see that too." "Ugh… " Michi groaned. "That's the part I dread." "Really?" Chiyo asked. "Ya gave me a pretty good speech when ya confessed." "T-That was totally different!" Michi yelled.

Then she sighed. "I don't know what's worse, giving a speech to the school or asking Endo-san for advice…" "Want me to call her for ya?" Chiyo asked. "Well it's not like I have her number…" Michi muttered. "Alright, hang on," Chiyo said as she walked away. "Watch the eggs for me." Taking over for the gal, Michi tried to listen as Chiyo made her phone call, but the sounds of the kitchen were too loud for her to be able to hear much. "She better not be saying anything embarrassing," Michi thought.

Once Chiyo returned, she gave a thumbs-up. "She said she's free this afternoon!" "T-This afternoon?" Michi sputtered. "No time like the present!" Chiyo insisted. "And don't worry, I told her to be nice to ya." "You didn't have to do that…" Michi muttered. "Aw, but my Mi-chan is so sensitive!" Chiyo exclaimed as she hugged Michi from the side. "I-I'm not sensitive!" the girl shouted. "Now get off before one of us gets burned!" "Okay, okay," Chiyo said, letting go. "But I want extra Mi-chan time after breakfast, 'kay?" "...do whatever you want…" Michi said quietly, causing Chiyo to smile.

*****

That afternoon, Michi stood in front of a door she absolutely did not want to knock on. "Haaah…" she sighed. "Why do I even have to do this?" But, despite her questioning, she still knew Chiyo was right. Asking Kanako might make her feel better, but that could end up being because of Kanako telling Michi what she wants to hear. If she wanted to get genuinely good advice, it was better to ask someone who knew her situation, but not her as well personally.

Rapting on the door several times, Michi waited until she heard a click. The entryway opened, revealing Haruna wearing a plain black t-shirt and gray sweatpants. "Hey," she said simply. "Come in." Bracing herself, Michi slipped past Haruna as the door now behind her closed.

"You want tea?" Haruna offered. "Huh?" Michi let out, a little caught off-guard by the hospitality. "Tea," Haruna repeated. "Do you want any?" "Um… sure…" Michi said. Haruna began walking toward the kitchen, and not knowing where else to go, Michi followed. "It won't be as good as Kanako's," Haruna said. "But it's drinkable."

Michi was tempted to take a shot at Haruna about her tea-making skills, but she restrained herself. "She's supposed to be helping me," she told herself. "If I'm mean to her over something like that, she probably won't even bother giving me advice." So instead, Michi just sat herself quietly at the table outside of the kitchen as she waited for the tea.

It was only a few moments, and in those moments, Michi took the chance to look around. Naturally, there was nothing unusual about the space. A normal kitchen, beige walls for the living room, evidence here and there indicating it was well lived-in. Nothing was out of the ordinary, and yet, it all seemed so foreign to Michi. Perhaps that was due to the image she had of Haruna in her head.

Michi had always pictured the girl as a jerk who lived in conditions befitting someone like that. And yet, here was a perfectly normal house, and inside, an average girl providing basic manners for welcoming a guest. It was all further proof that Michi's views on things had most definitely been far too skewed before.

"Here," Haruna said, interrupting Michi's thoughts as she set a cup down in front of her. "Thanks…" Michi said. Picking the cup up, she blew on it a few times before taking a sip. Sure enough, it was far from the level of quality tea that Kanako made, but Haruna was right. It was drinkable. Taking several more sips, Michi found herself relaxing a little more.

"So Chiyo told me you wanted advice?" Haruna asked. "Although, she kept the details pretty vague. All she told me was that it had to do with your relationship." With her true purpose of being at the Endo residence finally beginning, Michi set her cup down. "I guess I'll just get right to it," she said. "I'm worried about my future with her." "That seems to be going around," Haruna commented. "What does that mean?" Michi asked, suspicious, but Haruna just waved her off. "Just tell me what specifically you're worried about."

Michi paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "...After high school, we're going our separate ways," she began. "We won't be at the same school anymore. We won't even be in the same city. Romance, love, relationships… These are things that are all new to me. I just found all of them, and now, there's the chance they'll vanish before I have the chance to fully understand them all. I just don't know… how I'm supposed to hang on to what I have with Chiyo when I barely know what I'm doing now…"

"I've heard long-distance relationships can be hard," Haruna said. "And honestly, I don't know how much I can help. It's not like I have that much more experience than you do Fukuhara-san." "You've at least been in love before, right? With Miyashita-san?" Michi reminded her. "Ugh," Haruna scowled. "I wish I could forget that… but, then again, it was because of those feelings that I ended up with Kanako, so I guess it wasn't all bad."

"But I think, when it comes to love," Haruna continued. "No one really knows what they're doing." "Really?" Michi asked. Haruna nodded. "I mean, there are a ton of books out there all about love and dating and stuff, right? If they were all really helpful, don't you think the only single people that would be left in the world would be kids?" "I guess… that makes sense," Michi agreed.

"When I first realized my feelings for Kanako, I looked up a lot of different articles," Haruna said. "And it felt like every single one of them said something different about how I should feel or what I should be doing. So, in the end, I went with what I felt was right." "And what was that?" Michi asked.

"Chasing after her, of course," Haruna said with a small laugh. "But it obviously wasn't easy, especially since at the time, she wasn't even looking at me. There was one thing though that kept me going." Pausing to take a drink of her tea, Michi waited silently.

"It was knowing that I needed her," Haruna said once she set her cup down. "You needed her?" Michi repeated. Haruna nodded. "Yeah. With how much I was thinking about Kanako and how much I was realizing I wanted to have her back in my life all the time, I knew that if I didn't have her, I'd go crazy. It's hard to explain well, but I just knew that Kanako being around was better for me. I think it's probably a little different for you and Chiyo, but I've seen how you two interact with each other. And, Chiyo has told me plenty too. Considering all of that, you should probably ask yourself the same question."

Without hesitation, Michi responded. "Of course I need her. After everything she's done for me, after everything we've gone through, I don't think I'd make it through life well without her." For a moment, Haruna stared wide-eyed at Michi. It was hard for her to believe that she had come so far, but once the moment passed, she smiled gently.

"Then rely on that feeling," she said. "Knowing you need Chiyo that much and saying you can't live without her? That sounds like a pretty strong connection. I doubt something like a little distance would be enough to sever that."

Hearing it put that way, Michi stared blankly back at Haruna. Perhaps it was something that some part of Michi already knew or understood, but having someone else spell it out so plainly to her was bizarrely eye-opening. "I need her… so I won't lose her…" she mumbled to herself. However, while that should've come across as reassuring, it only brought up bad memories instead.

"I needed my parents as a child, and they just left me behind," Michi meant to think to herself, but the thought slipped past her lips. "Ah…" Haruna let out. "Yeah, Chiyo's mentioned that to me before too. It's not like she's told me the details really, but she said that your parents were real jerks." "That's one way to put it," Michi said darkly. "But if I, as a child, needed my parents and they left, then what's to stop Chiyo from doing the same?"

"Dedication," Haruna said simply. Michi looked at her. "It's true that Chiyo can jump from trend to trend sometimes," Haruna continued. "But when it comes to you, she's never strayed. Not even once. Honestly, I think you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than seeing Chiyo ever leave you."

It seemed the more Michi heard, the more her worries were beginning to subside. Of course, it was possible to make counterpoints. If Michi wanted to nitpick, she could come up with several ways that Haruna was wrong. But, rather than do that, she chose instead to take solace in the advice and comfort that Haruna was offering her.

"Thanks, Endo-san," Michi said. "Never thought I'd hear you thank me," Haruna said. "Don't get used to it," Michi shot back. "I still don't like you. But, I guess… it wouldn't hurt to talk to you from time to time about stuff… Although, if there is a next time, I'll make the tea. This tastes awful." "You just couldn't resist getting an insult in, could you?" Haruna said, giving a half-glare before sighing and shrugging. "Whatever. You're the one in the cooking club anyways." "It doesn't take a good cook to make good tea," Michi pointed out. "You know, you say you it tastes awful," Haruna said as she looked across the table. "But that cup looks pretty empty. Guess it wasn't too bad after all, huh?" Giving a smug smirk, Haruna stood up and collected the cups. "Hmph," was all Michi could manage in response.

Regardless of her opinion of Haruna's tea, it was true the girl had helped her out. And while she had been sitting there, Chiyo was right next door. She had made plans with Kanako for the exact same time. That way, Chiyo and Michi could go back together and spend a little more time together. "I wonder how she's doing…" Michi thought.

*****

"Um, C-Chiyo?"

"Hmm?"

"W-Why are you styling my hair?"

"Because it sounded like fun!"

Next door, Chiyo had arrived at the Nakatomi residence, had some tea, and then suggested trying out different hairstyles on Kanako. Kanako didn't necessarily mind, but knowing Chiyo had come for advice, it was an odd route to take. And, looking in the mirror in front of her, Kanako was now certain that a weird, beehive, braid combo most definitely did not suit her.

"Didn't you want advice about your relationship with Mi-chan?" she asked. Chiyo's hands stopped moving. "...Is this just you avoiding the issue?" Kanako pressed. "...Guess it was like, pretty obvious huh?" the gal said quietly. "If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to," Kanako said, but Chiyo shook her head. "No, I do want to. It's just not easy to say the stuff I'm worried about, y'know?"

Taking back control of her own hair, Kanako began to undo what Chiyo did. As she did, she spoke. "There's something I've noticed about you, Chiyo." "My amazing sense of style?" the gal joked. "No, it's that you always say Mi-chan can't be honest, but really, aren't you the dishonest one?" Kanako pointed out, drawing an "Urk…" out of Chiyo.

"I haven't known you for very long," Kanako went on. "But you really tend to not say how you really feel or what you really want. And then when it comes to helping others, it always seems to come at the expense of yourself or the thing you want."

Kanako was exactly right. There was nothing Chiyo could say to deny it. When this sort of behavior had started for her, Chiyo didn't know, but she knew that it had been her mindset for quite some time. Because of that, she had been hurt plenty. Hurt by the girls that she had once thought were her friends, hurt by Katsumi, and hurt a lot by her own hand. While Chiyo didn't really dwell on the pain of every instance, it was impossible for her to ignore the build-up of it all.

That was what made it so difficult for Chiyo to think more of herself. Even if she kept getting hurt, if it meant that she was helping someone, then it was okay, right? If she could look back on that pile of pain and be able to think "it was worth all the sacrifice," then it would all even out in the end.

But, now that Chiyo had someone else to think about who was thinking of her, she wasn't sure what to do. A relationship is about caring for one another in a variety of ways. If Chiyo just tries to make it all about Michi and prioritizing what she wants, then Chiyo was sure things would only end badly. Before she could figure anything out, Kanako said something that immediately stopped her train of thought.

"You should be more selfish," she said. "After all, that's what love really is."

"...huh?" the gal let out, unsure of how to process that. Seeing her confusion, Kanako gave a troubled smile. "It sounds weird, but it's true. If you pursue love, then you're already being selfish, because it means dragging at least one other person into something you want. But, I think that's the more negative way to put it and look at it."

"When I fell in love with Akio-kun, it was like love was all I could see, and I pursued it with everything I had. Then, when I realized I was in love with Haruna, I had a better understanding of my selfishness. However, I didn't change my approach much, because I knew being with her was what I wanted, no matter what. Even now, being a couple with Haruna, I'm still not fully satisfied. I wish I could keep her all to myself and spend every hour of every day with her. I wish I was the only one who got to see her smile or hear her laugh, and I really wish and hope that no one ever tries to steal that away from me."

Kanako paused for a moment, then continued. "It's true that everyone loves differently, but I think at the base of everyone's love is this base desire to be selfish and monopolizing. If that wasn't true too, then I don't think anyone would stay together. And that's what you're worried about, right? Being able to stay together with Mi-chan?"

"Yeah…" Chiyo admitted. "That was a lot of insight too. I never knew you were that aware." "I'm just in the same boat, that's all," Kanako giggled. "You asked for advice, but really, all I said was the stuff I've been thinking for myself. Although, I really do think you should be more selfish Chiyo. Mi-chan will probably appreciate it too, even if she doesn't admit it outwardly."

"Be more selfish…" Chiyo repeated. "Is that… really okay?" "Yep," Kanako said quickly. "And if you ask Mi-chan, I'm sure she'll say the same thing." "So I should just… do what I want?" Chiyo asked. "W-Well," Kanako said. "There are probably some limits, but that's a talk for you and Mi-chan."

While it was true Chiyo had pursued Michi, her feelings and the hopes of one day having a relationship had always taken backseat to something. Whether it was because she was helping someone or she thought a relationship would be impossible, Chiyo had never really given much thought to being selfish with her love. The closest she had come were her impulsive moments with Michi where she just did what felt right in the moment. "But now, I have the freedom to do whatever I want…" Chiyo thought.

It was far from revolutionary, but it was the exact kind of thinking that Chiyo needed to begin sending her worries away. Naturally, every relationship will never be worry-free, but if it was possible for the gal to have as few as possible, then that was what she wanted. "I guess that's just part of me being selfish too," Chiyo thought happily to herself.

"Thanks Kana-chan!" the gal exclaimed, glomping onto Kanako, who was now back with her usual ponytail. "Y-You're welcome," she said. After that, the two girls hung out for a while longer before eventually, it was time for Chiyo to go. She knew because Michi had shown up to pick her up, an arrangement they had made earlier.

They both said their goodbyes and then headed back to Michi's apartment. "So," Chiyo said as they walked. "Did Haru-chi teach ya anything?" "Surprisingly, yes," Michi said. "She was more help than I thought she'd be." "Told ya you should just give her a chance!" Chiyo said with pride. "What about you?" Michi asked. "Did Kana-chan tell you anything good?" "Mhm!" Chiyo nodded. "What was it?" Michi asked. "You'll probs figure it out~," Chiyo said elusively, getting a small pout from Michi. "You could just tell me… eep!"

The cause of Michi's sudden alarm was due to Chiyo, who had just as suddenly leaned in and given Michi a kiss on the cheek. "I know you said you aren't ready for the lips yet," Chiyo whispered. "But I've already done the cheek before, so that should be okay, right?" "I-I-I suppose so, b-but what was that for?!" Michi sputtered loudly. Chiyo grinned. "Just putting what I learned into practice!"

*****

That night, Haruna and Kanako were spending their own time together. "Hey," Kanako said as they sat together on the couch. "Do you think we were any help to Chiyo and Mi-chan?" Hearing that, Haruna shrugged. "No idea. Only they really know if we actually helped or not." "That's a little frustrating," Kanako said, but then she shrugged too. "Well, then again, it's their relationship. All we can really do in the end is cheer them on."

Then Kanako snuggled closer to Haruna. "I'm glad we were able to talk to them though." "Hm? Why?" Haruna asked. "Because for some reason, talking to Chiyo and you talking to Mi-chan about relationship stuff helped to relieve some of my own worries," Kanako explained. Once it was said, Haruna realized she had gotten a similar feeling. "Yeah, I guess that's true. It feels a little easier to look forward to the future now."

"I agree," Kanako said softly. "But right now, in the present, I feel like doing something else." Moving in closer, Haruna realized what was happening. "K-Kanako, we're in the living room!" Haruna exclaimed in a whisper. "Your parents are upstairs too," Kanako added. "Or are you telling me you can't be quiet?"

But suddenly, Kanako found herself being flipped onto her back, laying on the couch and staring up at a now-above her Haruna. "Y'know," she whispered. "You've been taking the lead a lot lately. I think it's my turn now." Then, leaning down so her mouth was right at Kanako's ear, she said, "Let's see if you can stay quiet~."

End of Chapter Twenty-Nine.

Author's Note: Two more chapters left.