109 Chapter Twenty: Not A Dream

The following Monday, Kanako woke up faster than she ever had before. Quickly sitting up, she allowed her mind to bring back the memories of last Friday night. The weekend had been unexpectedly busy for both of them, so neither Haruna's mind nor Kanako's had had much of a chance to fully process recent events. However, as the memories flooded through her, a big smile spread across her face. "I have a girlfriend…" she said to herself, giddy from just the words alone. "Haruna's my girlfriend…!"

Flopping back down, Kanako squirmed around a bit and kicked her legs up and down. "It's like a dream! ...Wait, I didn't dream that, did I?!" For a moment, she panicked, but luckily she was able to quickly reassure herself. "No, that was definitely real… I confessed… I told her I love her… and she said the same to me." Once again, Kanako smiled. "I can't believe it. I'm just so happy!"

Unable to keep herself in bed any longer, Kanako got up and put on her uniform. Taking a look at the time, she saw that she was up earlier than usual. "Maybe I can wake up Haruna." The thought made her want to go faster, but wanting to look cute for her new partner, Kanako still made sure to take her time. She double-checked the bow on her uniform, put on a touch of make-up, and even changed out her usual, simple hair-tie to one that was a fluffy pink. "There!" Kanako said once she finished. Satisfied with the reflection she saw in the mirror, she proceeded to head downstairs.

"Well, someone's up early," her mother said upon Kanako's arrival. "Y-Yeah, I guess so," she said. "You seem pretty happy this morning. Did something good happen at the cultural festival?" her mother asked, not having had the chance previously. It was clear by her tone that she was trying to insinuate something. Understanding what she was getting at, Kanako went to reply, but she stopped. "How should I answer this?" she wondered.

Honestly, Kanako knew she'd have to tell her parents about Haruna, but casually bringing up a bomb like "I'm dating a girl now and it's Haruna," seemed like a bad idea. "I'll just tell them later, when it's a better time," Kanako decided. With that decision made, the answer she gave her mother was kept vague.

"Y-You could say that," she said, although for as much as she tried to hide her happiness, she could feel another smile creeping up on her face and her cheeks getting red. "Oh yeah? Well, you'll have to tell me all about it," her mother said with a wry look. "I've gotta get to work now. I know you're up early, but don't be late to school, okay?" "Kaaay," Kanako called as her mom walked away and out the door.

Not long after, Kanako followed, grabbing her things before heading next door. As she proceeded to approach the Endo house, a woman stepped out from the entryway. After double-checking she had everything, she was about to walk down the sidewalk when she spotted Kanako. "Oh, good morning, Kana-chan," she said. "G-Good morning Endo-san," Kanako said nervously. Now that she was dating Haruna, she felt especially on edge around the girl's parents.

"If you're looking for Haruna, she's still asleep," her mother said. "I tried calling her down for breakfast, but she seemed intent on sleeping." "I-I can make sure she gets ready, if you don't mind," Kanako suggested. "Thanks. I've really got to get going now, so I'll leave my lazy daughter to you," Haruna's mother said as she departed for her work.

Letting herself in, Kanako headed straight up the stairs toward Haruna's room. Standing in front of the door, she felt her heartbeat quicken. "I've done this before…" she thought. "But it feels so different now…" Before, she had merely been a friend waking another. Now, Kanako was a lover, waking her counterpart. The thought both made her anxious and excited.

To be polite, she knocked first. "H-Haruna?" she called. Naturally, there was no response. "W-Well… I-I'm coming in!" Kanako declared. Opening the door, she allowed it to swing wide as she took several steps inside.

Just like always, the room was a mess. Clothes were strewn across the floor and hanging randomly out of Haruna's closet. Also on the floor were various objects, such as a couple of beads and what appeared to be a lipstick. Nothing was different. Nothing, except one thing that Kanako noticed. On the somewhat cluttered desk, several pictures had appeared. They weren't in frames, and the wrinkles on the corners indicated their age, but it was also clear that they had been protected to some degree for quite some time.

Of course, it wasn't as if Kanako could tell because of the state of the physical photograph. Rather, it was because of the contents. Each one was a picture of her and Haruna, together. Whether they were small children or nearing their middle school years, they all showed two girls who were good friends. "I didn't even know she had these…" Kanako muttered as she picked one up. A smile came across her face as the memories attached to the photo came to her. "We sure had a lot of fun back then…"

First, they had been friends. Then, enemies. After that, they had been… ambiguous, to say the least. It had certainly been difficult to define their relationship. Were Haruna and Kanako only fake lovers? Friends on the mend? Something else? Through all the ups and downs, no clear answer had ever really came. Instead, each girl had changed the relationship for themselves yet again as they developed feelings for each other. At last, what had been fake had now become real, what had been broken was now fixed, and they were finally a couple.

The journey had been a long one, and it was one Kanako could probably think about for hours, but before she could go any further, she noticed a picture she had never seen before. "Huh? What's this?" she said aloud as she picked it up. In the photograph, it was only her. Based on the background, there was only one place it could've been taken. "Is this… when Haruna took me out for my birthday?"

Saved forever was an image of Kanako in profile. She was staring out at the water ahead of her, smiling gently. The moonlight had come in at the perfect angle, creating a lighting effect on Kanako's face that highlighted her features, especially her eyes. "When did she take this…?" she wondered. She had no recollection of Haruna ever taking a picture of her. Then, as Kanako went to put it down, she happened to notice writing on the back. Flipping it over, she let out a small gasp.

"She was more beautiful tonight than she was before… God, I love her so much. Why can't she just look at me?"

So touched by those words, a tear formed in the corner of Kanako's eye. Back then, unbeknownst to Kanako, Haruna and Akio had been "competing" for Kanako's love. The end result had been Akio breaking Kanako's heart and Haruna making hers heard. At the time, Kanako's feelings had been such a mess. Now, they couldn't be clearer.

"I'm looking, Haruna," she thought as she turned to the sleeping girl behind her. "I don't think it'd even be possible for my eyes to ever leave you now." Gently setting down the picture, she walked over to her love and brushed a lock of hair off Haruna's cheek.

"Harunaaa," Kanako called softly. "It's morning." "Mmm," Haruna moaned cutely. Leaning in down to her ear, Kanako whispered even more softly. "Time to get up, darling." Slowly, the drowsy girl's eyes fluttered open. "Morning Kanako…" Haruna mumbled, until it all finally set in.

Immediately Haruna rocketed upward. "W-Wait, Kanako?! Why're you in my room? I-I know we just start dating, b-but I don't know if I'm mentally ready for something like this!" "Ready for what?" Kanako asked in confusion. "Y-You know, morning… c-coupley s-stuff…" Haruna sputtered out, almost too embarrassed to even say it. Letting out a small, but pleasant sigh, Kanako returned to her previous closeness. "We don't need to rush stuff like that. We have all the time in the world, darling." "D-D-Did you just call me darling?!" Haruna yelped. "I just thought I'd try it," Kanako said with a wry smile. "How is it? Do you like when I call you darling?" "I-I… do, but… I don't think my heart can take it," Haruna admitted, illiciting a laugh out of Kanako. "Okay, then I guess I'll hold off on that… for now."

"Oh," she said after. "I wanted to ask you something." "Huh? What?" Haruna said. "Um, w-well, I was looking at your pictures on your desk, and I saw one of just me from my birthday…" As soon as Kanako said which photo it was, Haruna's face went red. "Y-You didn't read what was on the back... did you?" she asked with dread. "...I did," Kanako admitted. Quickly, Haruna dove under the covers. "Kill me… kill me now…"

"S-Sorry! I know you probably didn't want me to see that! B-But I liked it! Y-Your words were very… sweet," Kanako said. Haruna peeked her head out from under the covers. "Really?" "Yes… I appreciate that you thought I was beautiful," Kanako said, blushing.

"You're always beautiful," Haruna said with no hesitation. "Eh?" Kanako let out. "In my eyes, you're the most beautiful thing there is," Haruna continued. "And I swear, somehow, with each passing day, you get even more beautiful. I just keep falling more and more in love with you, and that's without you even doing anything."

Haruna said those words so easily. It surprised Kanako, but after thinking about it, it made sense. Of course she could say things like that. Her feelings had been out in the open for so long now. With the final barrier removed, all of the things Haruna had wanted to tell Kanako were bound to just spill out like that. Although, knowing that didn't take the pangs out of Kanako's heart.

Quickly, her feet carried her over to Haruna, where she dove into the girl. "W-Whoa!" Haruna cried as the sheet she had been under was ripped off and replaced with a person. Burying her face in Haruna's chest, Kanako did her best to hide her embarrassment. "It's not fair y'know…" she muttered. "Saying things like that with no warning." Catching on to what Kanako meant, Haruna smirked a bit to herself. She pulled Kanako in closer as they laid on the bed and she placed her lips just above Kanako's head. "I guess you better get used to it," she said in barely a whisper. "Because I've got plenty of lines like that that I've been dying to tell you." Then, Haruna's lips touched the top of Kanako's head, resting there for several seconds before pulling away.

Satisfied, the two of them finally released each other so Haruna could get ready for school. As Kanako waited downstairs for her, she felt a flood of embarrassment. "I can't believe I just acted like that!" she screamed internally. "I-I mean, calling Haruna 'darling' does have a nice ring to it, but that was really bold, wasn't it?! We just started dating barely a couple of days ago! Should I really be this aggressive???"

Kanako's feelings were so strong that it almost felt like they'd take over sometimes. Earlier was the perfect example of that. Of course, it wasn't as if Kanako had never imagined taking the lead with Haruna, but actually doing it felt a lot more forward than she had imagined. "And the worst part is, I just start doing it before I realize it! Ugh, I've got to control myself!"

Once Haruna was done getting ready, she came down the stairs, her face a bit red just like Kanako's. "Guess we should probably head to school," Haruna said. Nodding in response, the two girls walked out the door. "God, why is it still so cold?" Haruna grumbled. "It's almost spring." "That doesn't really mean much up here though," Kanako pointed out. "So instead…" Then, just as Kanako said that, Haruna felt her hand being taken. "H-Huh?" she let out, seeing her hand now being held by Kanako. "Does this warm you up any?" she asked with a smile. "Y...Yeah…" Haruna said back quietly. She couldn't help but smile too.

"Oh, can I ask you something about that picture of me?" Kanako asked. "I was really hoping you'd just forget about that…" Haruna muttered. "In only a few minutes?" Kanako pointed out. "A-Anyways, I was just wondering when you took it." "...Well, it's a little embarrassing, but… when we were out there on the pier, I just thought you looked really nice, and I wanted a picture to remember it. Then, when I got home, it turned out that I liked it so much that I wanted to print it, so I did. For some reason, once I had it in my hands, I really wanted to write something on the back of it, so… what you read was what I came up with…"

As Haruna finished explaining, her voice trailed off and she was blushing furiously. "I see," Kanako said simply. "I kinda thought you'd have more of a reaction," Haruna said, a little surprised. "Well, actually, I think more than anything, I just feel a little jealous," Kanako said. "Jealous?" Haruna repeated. Kanako nodded. "It makes me wish I had a picture like that of you." "O-Oh…" was all Haruna could manage in response at first. "W-Well… I guess you can take pictures of me whenever you want now, s-since we're dating and all…" Hearing that Kanako looked up at Haruna before giving a gentle expression. "I guess you're right," she said pleasantly.

"Actually, what were all of those photos doing on your desk anyways?" Kanako suddenly asked. "I just felt like reminiscing I guess," Haruna said. "With everything that's happened between us, I just kinda wanted to look back at it all." "That makes sense. I recognized a few of those photos too," Kanako said. "Maybe… we can look at them together some time…" Haruna suggested sheepishly. "Sure," Kanako agreed.

"Heyyyy!" a voice suddenly called from behind them. Stopping on the sidewalk, the two girls turned to see Chiyo running up to them. "Look at you two, being all cuddly this morning!" she teased once she got close. "C-Cuddly?" Kanako repeated. "Leave us alone," Haruna huffed. "Just let us enjoy this. After all, it took so long for us to get here." "You're tellin' me," Chiyo said back, a bit of annoyance slipping in. "Oh, that reminds me. Face me real quick." "Huh? How come?" Haruna asked, suspicious. "C"mon, c'mon," Chiyo insisted. Exchanging a glance, Haruna and Kanako both shrugged and faced Chiyo. "Great. Now…"

Before they knew it, Haruna and Kanako were both being flicked hard on their foreheads.

""Ow!""

Both of them had the same reaction, crying out in pain and bringing their free hands to their foreheads. "What was that for?!" Haruna exclaimed. "That was for all the trouble you two caused!" Chiyo pouted. "Honestly, I was happy to help you in your pursuits of love, but like, I've been wanting to do that for forever." "I-I guess I understand…" Kanako said meekly. "We probably did cause you a lot of trouble Chiyo. Sorry about that." "It's totes fine," Chiyo said with a wave of her hand. "All's well that ends well and all that. Really though, if you two hadn't managed to tell each other how you felt last night, I think I might've actually hit one of you." "Now I'm really glad Kanako stopped me from running away," Haruna thought.

Continuing on their way to school, the trio talked about this and that, but as they went along, Kanako couldn't help but feel like Chiyo was more fidgety than usual. "Um, Chiyo?" she finally said. "Yes, dearest Kana-chan?" Chiyo said back. "Is everything okay? You seem a little different this morning," Kanako asked. "Do I?" Chiyo asked with a tilt of her head. "I don't feel any different?" "Are you sure?" Kanako pressed. Chiyo went silent for a moment. "Maybe…" she said quietly. "I'm just a tiny bit envious…" "Envious?" Haruna repeated as she listened in. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it," Chiyo said, quickly putting an end to the conversation.

Then, before Kanako could press any further, they arrived at the front gates. As it so happened, they also arrived at the same time as Michi. "Mi-chan!" Chiyo called out, dashing over to the girl. Kanako watched as Michi let out a groan as Chiyo glomped onto her. "I'm sure it has something to do with Mi-chan…" Kanako thought. The way Chiyo had reacted to her question made it obvious there was something on her mind. Kanako had no doubt it had to do with the gal's love life. "So she's jealous, huh?" she thought.

Kanako wanted to help, but really, she had no idea how she could. There was obviously the extreme of just telling Michi how Chiyo felt, but that was bound to be a huge disaster. In the end, all Kanako could do was hope for the best for them.

*****

The first half of the day was fairly uneventful. With finals coming up, and the cultural festival having only just finished, the teachers saw fit to essentially call it a year. Lessons for the rest of the term would consist of almost all review. Because of that, a lot of students wanted to take it easy, although teachers were sure to remind them that they still had final exams to worry about.

When lunch came around, Hinami showed up at Kanako's classroom to meet up with her. It had become habit for the two of them to eat together, but this time, Kanako noticed an entourage following her. "Heya Kana-chan! Let's eat!" Chiyo said from behind Hinami. Also behind her was Haruna, looking a little nervous. "S-Sure," Kanako said.

As they all proceeded to head to the cafeteria, Kanako slid up next to Haruna. "I-It's a little different eating together as a couple now isn't it?" Kanako said so only Haruna could hear. "Y-Yeah…" the other girl admitted. "I wonder how long this feeling will last?" "I hope it lasts forever," Kanako said in a whisper.

Ahead of them, Chiyo happened to spot Michi. "Hey Mi-chan, wanna eat with us?" she asked. Taking a look at the current group, Michi scoffed. "I'm sure my lunch would just be ruined by that barbarian over there," she said, motioning to Haruna. "Barbarian?" Haruna repeated with a glare. "Big talk for someone so short. Kinda like a small dog barking at the bigger ones." "Excuse me?!" Michi yelled back. "Are you calling me some sort of animal?" Haruna shrugged. "Hey, you said it, not me." "You said it just now!" Michi shouted.

"Hey, Haru-chi?" Chiyo said. "Could ya lay off Mi-chan a bit?" The request the gal was making felt so out of nowhere to Haruna. She knew Chiyo and Michi had grown closer, but she didn't think Chiyo would ever take a side like that. "Are you serious?" Haruna asked. "She started it!" "It's not like you had to respond."

Watching Chiyo as she said that, Kanako could see the conflict on her face. "She wants to defend Mi-chan, but she also doesn't want to look like she's going against Haruna either…" It was certainly an awkward position to be in. In the past, Chiyo would've scolded Michi for being insulting for no reason, but with her feelings getting stronger and stronger, it was getting harder for Chiyo to take a hard stance with the girl she had a crush on.

"L-Let's just let it go, okay?" Kanako tried suggesting. Giving Haruna's hand a squeeze, she tried to convey how much she wanted the fight to stop. "Haah… Whatever. I'm too hungry to deal with this," Haruna said, receiving Kanako's message. Luckily, Michi seemed to be willing to stop too. "Tch. For once I can actually agree with you." However, despite their agreement, the group split up, with Chiyo and Michi heading one way and Haruna, Kanako and Hinami going another.

"U-Um," Hinami said, finally speaking up. "S-Shouldn't you both apologize?" "No way in hell," Haruna said immediately. "That girl tried to blackmail me once. I'm never going to apologize to her for anything." "B-B-Blackmail?!" Hinami cried. "I-It's a long story…" Kanako sighed. "Not like it matters anyways, because it didn't work," Haruna added. "That's a relief," Hinami said, letting out a breath.

When they arrived at the cafeteria, they all found a table, got their food and sat down. Not long after they started eating, Hinami spoke up again. "U-Um, s-so…" she sputtered. "Y-You two are… d-d-dating now, right?" "Mhm," Kanako answered easily. "I'm glad," Hinami said with a smile. "Ah, but wait! W-With you two together, a-and me being here, d-doesn't that make me the t-third wheel?!"

Seeing her panic, Kanako let out a small laugh. "Relax Hinami-chan. You're not a third wheel." "A-are you sure?" Hinami asked, calming down from her panic. "Of course you're not. It's fun having you around," Haruna added. "O-Oh…" Hinami said. "O-Okay…"

"By the way Hinami-chan," Kanako said. "Thanks for your help." "O-Of course!" Hinami said proudly. "Oh yeah, I was going to ask you about that. So you were involved in Chiyo and Kanako's plan?" "Y-Yes. I was fortunate enough that e-everyone I talked to was willing to help too," Hinami said. "When I brought up our idea t-to a few of the other stagehands, t-they were surprisingly on-board with it. I-It's really thanks to them that we were able to keep the show running p-properly."

Hearing that people Haruna hardly knew had been interested in helping in the effort to get her and Kanako together was surprising. Every now and then, Haruna would hear something here or there about people wanting her and Kanako to be official, but it felt different hearing about it directly. "It's nice to know that even strangers support us," Haruna thought.

It helped ease her mind. Naturally, she knew that she'd have to tell her parents and everyone else about the fact that she was dating Kanako now, but honestly, she was scared. Sure, there were plenty of people supporting them now, but what about once everyone knew? How would they react? How would her parents react? These were all questions that needed to be confronted.

However, Haruna decided those could wait for another day. Right now, she simply wanted to enjoy her newfound relationship with Kanako. She certainly didn't want to keep it a secret for forever, but she didn't see the harm in just keeping it to herself (and a few others) for a little longer. "I want to enjoy this," Haruna thought. "After confessing what feels like so long ago, I'm finally together with her. All I want is to live in this moment."

*****

After lunch, nothing more of note happened. Admittedly, Haruna had wondered if there would be new rumors about her and Kanako, but thanks to the mass excitement the cultural festival caused, plenty of stories and rumors were flying around about, well, everyone. From students to teachers, there seemed to be some piece of gossip floating around. Personally, the one Haruna found most amusing was Jasmine supposedly getting confessed to by three different guys and turning them all down. Haruna made a note to herself to ask the gal about that later.

"I'm glad we're not the only ones people are talking about," Haruna said as she walked home with Kanako. "Yes. It would've been awkward to have to answer questions all day. Although, one girl in my class did ask me if we had made any progress." "What did you tell her?" Haruna asked. "I said it's a secret…" Kanako replied, a bit down. "That's basically the same as saying yes though," Haruna pointed out. "That's what the girl said too…" Kanako moaned. Haruna let out a laugh in response.

Walking hand in hand, the two girls continued to talk about random things. Nothing they said was of any great importance, but between the two of them, each word felt special. It was a moment they had both been waiting for for some time. Being able to chat idly, holding hands, and it all falling under the umbrella of them being a couple. It was exactly what they had both wished for.

"Y'know, it's too bad we both had to wait until today to see each other again," Haruna said. "I can't believe both of our weekends were so busy right after we got together," Kanako sighed. "But, it might've been for the best." "Huh? How come?" Haruna asked. "Because I don't think I would've been able to fully enjoy our time together. I would've just kept wondering if it was all a dream," Kanako said. "I think I still feel that way," Haruna said.

"This is real," Kanako said, a note of resolution in her voice. With her words, she gripped Haruna's hand a little tighter. "We went through so much to get here. If someone told me it was actually all a dream after all, I'd refuse to wake up." "I think I would too," Haruna said, feeling warm inside from Kanako's words. "She's right," Haruna thought. "This is definitely not a dream."

Reality could often lead to disappointment, but on occasion, it proved to be even better than a dream. The feel of Kanako's hand in her own, the way she walked so close and the way she spoke so sweetly were all things that Haruna's mind could never duplicate. Not to the level of detail she was experiencing them now.

End of Chapter Twenty.