155 Chapter Twenty-One: Worries Bigger Than A School Project

The walks to Iwanai Municipal High School were getting more uncomfortable by the day. Haruna's ankle was steadily healing, but it still hurt a little to walk long distances. Unfortunately though, her physical injury was the least of her problems. Mornings and afternoons both had become much more chaotic than Haruna would've liked.

"Ikehara-san, why do you insist on coming here every morning now?!"

"Endo-san, stop grabbing for your bag. I've told you, I'm carrying it."

"Don't ignore me!"

Yes, for the last three days after Katsumi's initial approach, she had shown up at Haruna's house to help. Naturally, Kanako was less than pleased by this development. Worse yet, whenever she tried to talk to Katsumi, she got completely ignored. The first time it happened, both Haruna and Kanako had been at a loss for words. They hadn't thought it was possible for the Kanako-obsessed Katsumi to ignore the girl she kept proclaiming her love for, and yet…

As it kept happening, Kanako began to get more and more frustrated, which brought them to the present, where she was now resorting to yelling at Katsumi in an effort to get any response at all. "I know you can hear me, Kat-chan!" Kanako called, using the old nickname in an effort to get a reaction. However, Katsumi didn't miss a single step as she kept walking along. Kanako's face took on a pouting expression as she became more annoyed.

Haruna could understand her feelings, but in fact, Katsumi had reacted. Walking side by side (Kanako on the left of Haruna, Katsumi on the right), she had been able to see a slight twitch in the girl's cheek. "There it is again…" Haruna thought. During their time together, this marked the fourth time Haruna had noticed it. "I have to give her credit," she thought. "Ikehara-san has some strong willpower."

To Haruna, these twitches were Katsumi's brief lack of restraint. It was obvious she was pushing herself to not just be around Haruna (and be courteous), but to also act like Kanako didn't exist. Her behavior was so odd that people at school were starting to get bold enough to ask about it. Just yesterday, a girl had approached Katsumi and asked her if she had suffered some sort of head injury. It was a pretty indirect (and rude) way to ask what was going on with her, but Katsumi's only reaction had been to give a somewhat lifeless smile and told the girl she was perfectly healthy.

Really, when it came to how Katsumi was acting, that was what bothered Haruna the most. Every reaction Katsumi had, every emotion she displayed (if you could even call them emotions), and even the words she spoke were just… off. It wasn't quite robotic or absolute monotone, but there was an artificial-ness to Katsumi now. It was so obvious she was faking whatever personality she was trying to convey, but at the same time, if someone had never met Katsumi before and spoke to her as she was now, they'd probably believe that was the real her. It was a very unsettling persona, to say the least.

To make matters worse, they were now on day four of this charade and neither Haruna nor Kanako had been able to figure out just what Katsumi was planning. They told Chiyo too about what was going on, and so far, even the gal didn't have any guesses. All she kept saying was "just don't let your guard down."

That was certainly advice that the couple were taking to heart, but admittedly, it was getting harder and harder to remain defensive when Katsumi wasn't doing anything. It wasn't as if they had lost all of their wariness of her, but when you keep expecting someone to attack, and they never do, you start to get exhausted mentally. Having to guard against a non-aggressive Katsumi was just draining.

"Here," Katsumi said, handing Haruna her bag now that they had made it to the classroom. Haruna took it, and then Katsumi went over to her seat like usual. Next to Haruna, Kanako glared. She had been in the worst of moods the whole week, and no matter what Haruna did, it seemed like there was no fixing it. "I mean, I'm not happy about it either, but staying that mad about it isn't really helping…" Haruna thought.

Now, that wasn't to say Haruna wasn't unbothered. In fact, she still found it pretty irritating to be at the mercy of Katsumi. She was constantly one step ahead, and by the time Haruna caught up, it was too late, and whatever Katsumi wanted to have happen, happened. At this point, along with being escorted to and from school, Haruna had also been dragged to the cafeteria every day and even got taken to the library once to study.

"I just can't keep up," Haruna thought, annoyed as she glanced back at Katsumi from her seat. As per usual lately, the girl was just staring out the window with her head propped up by her hand. "The way she's just been so casual about this has really been pissing me off," Haruna thought. Katsumi just looked so… uncaring. It was almost as if nothing mattered to her anymore. Haruna had her guesses as to what that might mean, but ultimately, only Katsumi herself would be able to explain her current self. "And that'll only happen if we can break through this act she's been putting on…"

While Haruna thought about that, Kanako went back to her seat as the teacher walked in. He looked tired as usual as he set a yellow folder down on the podium in front of the class. He began with making the usual announcements about homework and studying for college entrance exams, then also reminded everyone that their end-of-term exams would also be coming up soon. The whole class groaned, but the teacher just ignored them, moving onto the next order of business.

"Now, as I just mentioned, most of your bulkier assignments are out of the way. With that being said, it's time to start the final group assignment for your third year." This wasn't necessarily a required project that got assigned every year, but most teachers still opted to do it for two reasons. The first was that it provided them a chance to measure how well their students could handle something more advanced (like giving a sample of college work). The second reason was to give students a final, in-class chance at creating some bonds that maybe they hadn't been able to make previously.

Unfortunately, while those reasons sounded good on paper, in practice it was just a major headache for the students. As soon as it was announced, a flood of complaints rolled in.

"A group project? Why even bother now?"

"We're third-years! Just let us slack off!"

"Can I still pass if I just don't do it?"

The teacher's only response was to let out a heavy sigh as he waited for the class to settle down again. "I know it's a pain," he admitted. "But think of it this way. After this, all you really have to worry about is the occasional homework assignment, mid-terms and end-of-term exams, and your college entrance exams." "That still sounds like a lot," one student pointed out. The teacher sighed again. "It's the last big thing you have to do in school, and it'll be a pain for me to grade too, so let's just get this over with together, okay?"

Despite the class's grumbling, the process to make groups still began. The groups were required to be four people, and it didn't take long for students to pair up. Naturally, Haruna and Kanako got together, and it seemed like Chiyo and Michi were going to join them. However, just before they could say anything, Katsumi swooped in. "Endo-san, Nakatomi-san, Yamane-san and me!" she announced.

"Hey!" Haruna exclaimed. "No way! Absolutely not! I'm not working in a group with you!" Honestly, even the teacher looked hesitant to allow Katsumi to have the group she wanted, but ultimately, the teacher allowed it. "They haven't been fighting as much lately, so maybe it'll be fine," he thought. Then he turned to Haruna. "Endo-san, bear with it for the next week, okay?"

Haruna's shoulders slumped. "Stuck in a group for a week?" she thought. "This is gonna be hell..." Glancing back at Kanako, Haruna nearly flinched when she saw her girlfriend's face. "Scary…" she thought. Kanako's face had completely twisted into a furious scowl. It was clear she wanted to make her case to the teacher as to why Katsumi shouldn't be allowed in their group, but being more of the good girl type, Kanako held her tongue. "I wonder if she'll say something after class…"

In the end, Chiyo and Michi ended up in a group with Jasmine and Mayu, leaving Itsuki to fend for herself. She had complained a little bit about being the odd one out, but then recovered quickly enough thanks to her ability to be friendly with just about anyone. If anything, the biggest concern was the girl now sitting to Haruna's right after the desks had been rearranged for everyone to sit in their groups.

Hinami was shaking like a leaf. Haruna knew she could have trouble with situations like these due to her shy nature, but the way she was just exuding the aura of "I want to be anywhere other than here right now, I'm so scared!" was worrying, to say the least. "Is she going to be okay?" Haruna wondered as she looked at her. As they currently were, it was Haruna, then Hinami, then across from Haruna was Kanako, and next to her was Katsumi.

Hinami kept sneaking glances at Katsumi, but not in a cute way. It was more like a frightened animal keeping watch for predators. She also sometimes looked at Haruna, and Haruna got the feeling that Hinami's expression looked a little guilty. "What's going on with her?" Haruna thought. Really, seeing Hinami act like that was a little concerning.

Haruna wanted to ask, but it wasn't really the time or place, as they currently had to decide just what they were going to do their project on. As for the specific parameters, as long as it was something the whole group could agree on, the presentation (and subsequent papers written by each group member) could be about anything. Of course, this also meant that there was a lot of debate going on.

The room was filled with people arguing with one another over what kind of project to do, and Haruna's group was no different… or at least, it should've been. Haruna had completely expected to be having the same experience as all the other groups were, but instead, Katsumi was deciding everything, leaving no room for debate (even with Kanako protesting).

In all honesty, Haruna didn't really care about what they did for a project. She was more worried about what Katsumi's goal was. The fact that she kept going out of her way to interact with Haruna was disturbing. It just didn't make any sense. And now, being in a group together meant that they'd have to spend even more time together. Worse yet, it also meant that Haruna couldn't just run away and avoid Katsumi, because she needed to participate in the group too for her own grade's sake. "She's really got me trapped, doesn't she?" Haruna thought, irritated.

*****

It had been chaotic, but all the groups managed to settle on one topic or another within class time. As for Haruna's group, they had decided on the historical significance of… something. Haruna hadn't really been paying attention when Katsumi had made the decision. Admittedly, the full title of the topic did sound pretty academic, proof of Katsumi's actual intellect. For a moment, it made Haruna think, "Huh. Maybe she is actually smart."

But, Katsumi's IQ wasn't the main thing on Haruna's mind. Instead, she was focused on Hinami. The whole time while they had been in a group, the girl had hardly said a word, only chiming in when absolutely necessary. Considering her whole demeanor, Haruna was beginning to think that maybe she should talk to Hinami. "I really wanna know what's wrong with her."

So, when lunchtime came around, Katsumi approached as per usual, but Haruna stood her ground. "I'm not going with you today, Ikehara-san," she said. Katsumi scowled. "I don't see what the issue is. You're not even having to pay for your food. Why complain?" "It's not about that," Haruna said. "I just need to talk to Yamane-san." "Huh?" Katsumi let out. Then, she looked over at the girl's desk. She was still sitting, apparently freezing at the mention of her name.

Haruna watched Katsumi, and for a moment, it looked like she wore an expression of… guilt? Like she knew she had done something wrong and actually felt bad about it. "I understand," Katsumi said simply. Then she began walking away, but on her way, she made sure to walk past Hinami's desk. As she did, she let a single sentence slip out.

"It's not your fault."

Then she walked away, leaving a wide-eyed Hinami behind.

*****

"I know she can be shy, but… this is so awkward…" Haruna thought. At the moment, they were sitting on a staircase (the same one Hinami would go to with Kanako) in complete silence. "I want to talk to her, but I don't really know what to say…"

Surprisingly, after a few more moments, Hinami was the one to speak up. "U-Um," she said. "Endo-san, d-did you need me for something?" "Uh, well, kinda," Haruna said vaguely. Seeing Hinami's uncertain expression, Haruna sighed. "Alright, let me just be direct. Is something going on with you?"

"W-What do you mean?" Hinami asked, though it was obvious she was hiding something. "You've been acting weird all morning," Haruna said. "During our group meeting, you looked like you wanted to hide in a corner or something." "...w-was it that obvious?" Hinami asked meekly. "Yeah," Haruna said. "So what's up? Is there something bothering you? Did Ikehara-san do something to you?"

"N-No… um, not exactly, anyways…" Hinami said, her voice getting quieter and quieter. "I-It's just…" "What?" Haruna pressed. Hinami looked down, wrapping her arms around her knees and hunching over to make herself smaller.

"Y-You got hurt… b-because of me… d-didn't you?"

Haruna was stunned. She had a feeling somehow she was involved, but Haruna hadn't imagined it being something like this. "Hurt because of you?" she repeated. "Y-Yes…" Hinami squeaked. "I-It's my fault that I-Ikehara-san found out about your injury… I-If I hadn't said anything, t-then maybe… you wouldn't have gotten hurt…"

Haruna just stared at Hinami as she tried to process what the girl next to her was saying. Taking her silence as an urging to continue explaining, Hinami went on. "S-She just kept asking me questions, a-and I just.. panicked and told her about your injury and… I-I'm awful, aren't I? It's because of me that-"

"Ikehara-san sucks, y'know?" Haruna said, cutting her off. Hinami stopped, now her turn to stare at Haruna. "She's mean, manipulative, and all around a total bitch." Haruna looked back at Hinami, their eyes meeting. "You may have been the one to tell her about my ankle, but I'm willing to bet that Ikehara-san probably would've found out one way or another. And then, I'd be in the exact same situation as I am now."

Haruna lifted her hand, placing it on Hinami's head. "This isn't something you need to feel guilty about, because no one is blaming you. The people at fault here are Ikehara-san and me. Her for manipulating everyone, and me for being stupid enough to fall right into her trap. So seriously, don't worry about it."

Hinami was speechless. She had been harboring these feelings of guilt ever since that fateful day of the sports festival. Because of those feelings, she had tried to interact with Haruna and the others as little as possible. She had felt lonely doing that, but she had thought it was for the best. After all, does someone who played a role in causing an injury get to hang around the people who got hurt?

But now, here Haruna was telling her everything was fine. It was a moment that reminded Hinami of why she had become a fan of Haruna in the first place. It was because she had a coolness to her and a level of confidence that Hinami had never thought she herself could achieve. As she had gotten to know Haruna, her feelings of being a fan had become reinforced as she got to see not only the cool sides she admired, but also her kindness. Kindness that showed through in moments such as these.

Tears began to fall from Hinami's eyes, but instead of panicking about it, Haruna just continued to rub the girl's head. "There, there," she said in a soothing tone. "It's alright. None of this is your fault, okay?" All Hinami could do to acknowledge those words was strongly nod as she sobbed quietly on the staircase.

*****

After Hinami calmed down, Haruna asked another question. "So, are you really that scared of Ikehara-san?" "O-Oh, u-um," Hinami sputtered. "S-She's just so good at everything and looks so pretty that it's intimidating." "Trust me, there's nothing good or pretty about that girl," Haruna said, annoyed about most people's misconception about Katsumi. "I-I guess I know that now," Hinami said with a small smile.

After that, lunch break was nearly over, so Hinami decided to go back to the classroom. At the same time, Kanako happened to come back from eating with everyone else. Seeing her face, it appeared she was a little miffed. "Is something wrong?" Haruna asked. "I wish you'd stop sending me away when you want to talk to people," Kanako pouted.

Just as Haruna had been asking to talk to Hinami in the classroom, Kanako had overheard and had wanted to join as well. However, Haruna has insisted that it would be best if she handled this herself, so Kanako had begrudgingly left the two of them alone. Part of Haruna's reason had been because she was trying to keep Kanako out of Katsumi-related matters as much as possible, but she also was afraid that if two people started asking Hinami what was going on, she might've felt like they were ganging up on her. "And considering how she had been feeling, I'm glad it was just me there and not the both of us," Haruna thought.

She explained all of this to Kanako as best she could, and when she was finished, Kanako closed her eyes. "I get it," she said. "But I still wish Hinami-chan would've talked to me before it even got to this." "You're the girlfriend of the person who got hurt," Haruna pointed out. "Maybe she was afraid you'd lash out at her for getting me injured or something." "I-I wouldn't do that!" Kanako cried. "I know," Haruna said gently. "But panic does weird things to people, y'know?" "I-I guess…" Kanako mumbled. "C'mon. let's go back to class," Haruna said, holding out her hand. Kanako took it, and in moments, she was back to smiling.

"So is Hinami-chan better now?" she asked. "I think so," Haruna said. "It seems like I got her to stop feeling guilty, so she should be better." "Maybe we should take her out somewhere to really get her spirits up," Kanako suggested. Haruna smiled. "I like that idea.

*****

The next day at school, Katsumi didn't hang around much other than walking with Haruna and Kanako to school. Haruna assumed that had something to do with being in the same group, but that was the best guess she could make. "At this point, I'm starting to not even care," she thought, feeling worn down by Katsumi's confusing actions.

When lunch came around, Haruna and Kanako were sure to invite Hinami, making a large group of eight as they all sat in a circle on the roof. The trio were actually the last to arrive, with Chiyo, Michi, Itsuki, Mayu and Jasmine all waving them over. "Hinami-chan's gonna join us?" Chiyo asked. "Yeah, is that a problem?" Haruna asked back. "Nope!" Chiyo said happily. "Take a seat Hinami-chan!" "T-Thank you…" Hinami said shyly.

"So Haru-chi," Jasmine said. "What's it like being stuck in the same group as your arch-nemesis?" "Ugh…" Haruna groaned. "That good, huh?" Jasmine joked. "The worst part about it is she's actually being helpful," Haruna said. "On our way home yesterday, she kept tossing ideas out for our project that were pretty good." "Careful," Jasmine said. "Keep talking about Ikehara-san like that and you'll make Kana-chan jealous."

However, while Kanako did have a pout on her face, it wasn't quite out of jealousy. "As much as I wish that was the case," she said gloomily. "It's true that Ikehara-san knows what she's talking about. You can't even argue with her because she knows so much." "She doesn't rank near the top of the country for academics for nothing, I guess," Chiyo added, sounding plenty annoyed herself.

"I'm confused," Itsuki said. "I thought Ikehara-san hated Haruna-chan? Why is she being nice now?"

"That's what I wanna know!" Haruna, Kanako and Chiyo all said together.

"Why don't you just talk to a teacher?" Michi suggested. All eyes turned to her. "They know that Ikehara-san keeps harassing you two, right? Just have them take care of her." It was such a sensible solution that everyone went quiet for a moment. "...Mi-chan, are you really helpin' them out?" Chiyo whispered. "I-I just don't like how Ikehara-san is acting, that's all!" she said back in her defense.

"Talk to the teachers…" Kanako repeated. It seemed like the most obvious fix to their Katsumi problem, but… "I don't know if that will work," she said. "Huh? Why not?" Michi asked. "It's true that the teachers know there's a history," Kanako explained. "B-But won't they just brush all this off as high school drama?" "Also," Haruna said. "It's not like Ikehara-san is actually causing harm. She's legitimately helping me and Kanako. If we went to the teachers and complained, all they'd have to do is talk to Ikehara-san and they'd find out she's not actually doing anything wrong."

"But would anyone believe her over you?" Chiyo asked. Haruna shrugged. "They might. Other people in class notice the things Ikehara-san does. If they acted as witnesses or something, then the teachers would really have no reason to get involved." "It's like she made some sort of shield out of her niceness. Gross," Chiyo said bitterly.

"Are you all certain that Ikehara-san hasn't really changed?" Mayu asked innocently. "Perhaps she realized the error of her ways and is now really trying to make amends." "Oh Mayu-chi, you're so cute," Jasmine said sweetly. "Why does it feel like you're patronizing me?" Mayu asked. "Not patronizing. Just praising your untainted heart," Jasmine said.

"I wish it could be true that Ikehara-san really changed," Kanako said. "But knowing what I know about her now, and remembering how she was when she was here before, it's obvious that she'll never change. Not unless something life-altering happened to her." "What, like if she grew wings?" Itsuki asked. Jasmine just shook her head in disappointment. "Itsuki-chan, maybe you should stay out of this conversation. It's clearly too high-level for you." "I think I just got called stupid…" Itsuki whimpered.

All of the girls were at a loss. They were desperate to solve the Katsumi Ikehara problem, but it just seemed like there was no good way to solve it. All they could do was wait for it to end, which only served to stoke their anxieties further. To some, like Haruna and Kanako, Katsumi was a direct threat to their happiness. To Chiyo, the girl reminded her of her past with how manipulative Katsumi could be, and Chiyo didn't want to see her friends get messed with like that. Michi, Jasmine, Itsuki, Mayu and even Hinami were all bystanders to one degree or another, but even they wished their friends would just be left alone.

Ironically, it was at that moment that the very girl they all wished to be rid of, appeared. Strolling up to them, Katsumi stopped right behind Haruna. "What do you want?" Haruna practically growled. "I just came up here to see if you needed anything," Katsumi said simply. "Like I'd need anything from you!" Haruna snapped back. Katsumi didn't react at all, unless blinking counted as a reaction. "Alright," she said. "We should all meet up for our project. I thought up a few more things we could do." "Whatever," Haruna said. "We'll just take care of it tomorrow."

Based on Katsumi's minor expression, it seemed like she wanted to sigh in exasperation, but she managed to hold it back as she turned around and walked away. Once she was down the stairs, Haruna hung her head. "Seriously, what is she doing…?"

*****

After school the next day was fairly uncomfortable, to say the least. First, there was Katsumi, who kept working on various papers while simultaneously making suggestions to Haruna. Next was Hinami, who still seemed pretty nervous. Then there was Kanako, who was none too pleased about the whole situation, and finally there was Haruna, at this point at a loss for words.

The four girls were sitting at a table in the library, with Katsumi leading the way in their studies. "Endo-san, you should look through this. It'll help with your part," Katsumi said, handing Haruna an open book. "Uh, thanks…" Haruna mumbled. Grabbing it, she began to read over the pages. "I don't understand any of this…" she thought. "Why are we even doing this topic? Ikehara-san is the only one who knows anything about this stuff…"

"Ikehara-san, can't help more than just Haruna?" Kanako asked in an irritated tone. "Ah, right," Katsumi said. "Here Yamane-san. Read this." "I'm included too, aren't I?!" Kanako exclaimed as Hinami received the book. Unfortunately, the only reaction Kanako got was not from Katsumi, but from the librarian who was whole-heartedly not a fan of either Kanako nor Haruna due to the havoc they used to wreak. With a fierce glare that more or less sent the message "Keep being loud and I'll whack you," Kanako went silent.

Haruna sighed. Looking across the table, she saw Katsumi was back to looking over her own research materials. In a way, it was quite an unusual sight. Haruna only knew Katsumi as a narcissistic pain in the ass, but in truth, she was rather studious. She currently sat with three different books open in front of her, three more papers on top of that, and it seemed as if she was looking at everything at once. Haruna would've been impressed if she wasn't so bothered by the whole situation.

As if to add to her academic appearance, Katsumi was also wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses. It was the first time Haruna could recall ever seeing her wear any, and she was starting to get curious about it. "It's not like I really wanna know, but…" she thought. With all the confusion going on, Haruna felt like she at least deserved an answer to why Katsumi was wearing glasses.

"Hey," Haruna said. "Why're you wearing those things?" Pointing up at Katsumi's face, Haruna waited for her answer. For a moment, Katsumi looked up at her, and Haruna swore that she saw that same twitch in her cheek that she had before. Haruna almost expected Katsumi to say something like, "Why not? They help me look smarter, don't they? Ah, but you probably shouldn't wear them. I doubt it'd help."

However, instead of the expected snark, Katsumi gave a serious answer as her gaze returned to her research. "My vision is fine, in case you were wondering," she said. "I only wear glasses because they seem to help me focus." "That's kind of a stupid reason…" Haruna muttered. But then, faintly, she heard a "tch."

Her attention immediately went to Katsumi, but all evidence of her annoyance had already vanished. Making a mental "tch" of her own, Haruna went back to reading her own material. "I gotta break through this facade she's putting up," Haruna thought. "If I can, then maybe this whole charade of Ikehara-san being nice to me out of the goodness of her heart will finally come to an end."

But for the time being, the group continued to study. Every now and then, Hinami would ask a question and Katsumi would answer, but it was quiet most of the time. When the library was getting ready to close, Katsumi finally allowed the group to split up. "We'll be doing this almost every day until our presentation, so make sure to meet here after school." "I-I have work," Kanako said, but Katsumi just shrugged. "I'm mostly talking to Endo-san and Yamane-san," she said, making sure to direct her attention to the other two rather than Kanako.

Katsumi began to go her own way, which surprised Haruna. "What, you're not gonna stalk me home like you have been?" she said with some bite. Katsumi stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. "I would, but I think the blood vessels in that girl's head are about to burst, so I'll stop for now." After pointing at Kanako, Katsumi then turned back around and left.

Haruna looked to her right and practically jumped out of fear. Kanako's face was so twisted in anger that Haruna didn't even know if she should say something. "What's with her?" Kanako mumbled. "Is she just trying to make me angry? Is that it? Well, it's working!" "U-Uh, Kanako?" Haruna said cautiously. Kanako looked up at Haruna. Her expression softened somewhat, but she was still glaring. "Why are you okay with this?" she asked.

"I'm obviously not okay with it," Haruna said with a sigh. "I just don't know how to stop her. Believe me, if I could just make a wish and magically make Ikehara-san disappear, I would." "I wish you'd protest a little more though…" Kanako muttered as she looked away.

Haruna shifted behind Kanako and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist. "Hey," she said. "What can I do to make you feel better?" "If you're talking about sex, I'm not in the mood," Kanako said bluntly. "T-That's not what I was going to suggest…" Haruna said. "But I was thinking maybe we could do something tonight." "Like what?" Kanako asked. "I don't know. That's why I was asking you," Haruna said.

"...i-is it okay if I just cling to you while we watch a movie or something?" Kanako asked. "Sure," Haruna said with a gentle smile. "Honestly, after dealing with Ikehara-san so much today, having you snuggled up next to me sounds pretty nice." "Good!" Kanako said happily.

*****

"I don't think I've heard of any of these…" Haruna said as she clicked the buttons. "M-me neither…" Kanako said. The screen kept scrolling as Haruna flipped through the movie options, but none of them were ones either girl knew. "Are we just that out of the loop?" Haruna asked aloud. "W-Well, it's not like we watch many movies," Kanako said. "Oh, what about that one? It has puppies on the cover!" With no other movies sounding good, Haruna clicked play.

The movie itself was two hours long, and by the end, both Haruna and Kanako were pretty satisfied. "That was so good!" Kanako squealed. "And the puppies were cute!" "Yeah, they were," Haruna said. "I'm not really sure if the plot made much sense though." "Huh? I got it," Kanako said. "You know the point wasn't just to look at the puppies, right?" Haruna teased. "Geez, I know that!" Kanako exclaimed.

The mood had been good, but soon enough, Kanako's face fell. "I'm worried," she said suddenly. "About Ikehara-san, right?" Haruna asked. Kanako nodded. "I know it shouldn't bother me, but… I really don't like seeing you two together." "It's not like I want to be around her either," Haruna commented. "But, I think it's fine if you feel bothered by it. I know I felt that way when Ikehara-san wouldn't leave you alone."

"I just don't like it…" Kanako said again. "If I feel jealous over this, it makes me feel like Ikehara-san is winning somehow." "You make it sound like she's interested in me now," Haruna said, half-joking, but when she looked at Kanako, she could tell it was no joke. "I think that really might be what it is," Kanako said solemnly. "I-I mean, it happens, you know? Two people don't like each other, a-and then they keep interacting with each other, a-and then…"

It was then that Haruna understood where Kanako was coming from. "You're afraid it'll be like how you and me used to be." Kanako only nodded. Haruna could definitely see the comparisons. Two girls who hated each other, then kept having to do things together, then got closer… When put that way, what Katsumi was doing seemed pretty similar. However, there was one key difference between Haruna's experience with Kanako and what was happening now.

"There's no love," she said. Kanako looked up at her, surprised. Haruna went on. "Regardless of what Ikehara-san does, there's no love in any of her actions. I don't know if you've noticed, but it seems like she's really forcing herself to be nice to me. Everything she's been doing has just been thinly-veiled kindness put over a mountain of hate for me."

Haruna looked back at Kanako. "The biggest difference is that you never actually hated me, did you?" "O-Of course not!" Kanako cried. "See?" Haruna said. "But Ikehara-san does, and she'll do anything to demonstrate that." Haruna wrapped her arm around Kanako, pulling her in close. "I know you're worried about the parallels and all, but trust me, there's nothing going on here other than mind games."

Kanako didn't look completely satisfied. "B-But what if she has feelings for you after all?" "I think I'd puke," Haruna said with no hesitation. "There's no way I'd ever feel anything for Ikehara-san." "You asked about her glasses…" Kanako said, pouting. "I asked because it was bothering me," Haruna said. "Like, why is she just now wearing glasses? That's super weird." "So you're not taking an interest in her…?"

"Ugh!" Haruna exclaimed. "C'mere!" Perhaps a little more forcefully than necessary, Haruna clapped her hands on Kanako's cheeks and pulled her in for an aggressive kiss. At first Kanako was surprised, then briefly tried to get away (mostly likely because she wanted to express more of her doubts), but Haruna was determined to keep their lips locked until she made her point.

Their lips pressed close together, their tongues intertwining, the only sounds that could be heard were kisses and gasps for air. After a couple minutes of that (and once it was clear to Haruna that Kanako had finally relaxed), they separated. They stared at each other for a few seconds, each of them breathing heavily.

"S-Sorry…" Haruna said. "I just… I hate hearing you say stuff like that… I need you to know… just how much I love you, and that that'll never change. There's no way I'd ever fall for any girl other than you, Kanako. No matter who came along, even if it was the smartest, hottest girl ever, I'd still always choose you."

"A-Ah…" Kanako let out, too embarrassed to say anything else. Her face was red from top to bottom, and she looked like she wanted to curl into herself, but somehow, she managed to squeeze out a little more. "Tell me more… stuff like that…" she said, barely audible. "H-Huh?" Haruna let out. "Tell me more… about how much you love me…" Kanako said.

Haruna was caught off-guard, but she soon smiled. "She's acting so spoiled," she thought. "God, what did I do to get such a cute girlfriend?" Closing the barely existent space between them, Haruna scooted closer and began listing everything she could think of that she loved about Kanako.

"Hmm, let's see… I love how soft your hair is. I love how your fingers fit perfectly between mine when we hold hands, and I love how sometimes you swing our arms back and forth a little and hum when you're really enjoying yourself. I love how much you wanna protect me, and I love how angry you can get for me, even if it is a little scary sometimes. I love how gentle your touch is. I love how you smile at me so much. I love how cute your sleeping face is. I love how your little moans sound when I-"

"O-Okay, okay, t-that's enough!" Kanako exclaimed, clamping her hands over Haruna's mouth. "Your facsh is reey red," Haruna said through Kanako's hands. "Uuu…" she whimpered. "That was more embarrassing than I thought it'd be…"

"So, feel better?" Haruna asked once her mouth was free. "Y-Yes…" Kanako mumbled shyly. "I can keep listing off more stuff if you want." "N-No, that won't be necessary," Kanako said, making Haruna laugh a little. "I'm sorry, Haruna… I'm just being needy, aren't I?" "Were you?" Haruna asked. "I thought you were just being cute and wanted to be spoiled." "W-Well… I guess there was that too…" Kanako admitted. "Should I return the favor?" "How about you save it for a day when I need to hear it?" Haruna suggested, dodging feeling as embarrassed as Kanako was. "Okay," Kanako agreed.

Haruna stayed at Kanako's house for about another hour before they decided to call it a night. Walking to the front door, Haruna was about to leave when Kanako grabbed the girl's hand. "Mm," she said, making an expression like she wanted a kiss. "You want a goodnight kiss?" Haruna whispered as she leaned in. Their lips met once more, and when they pulled apart, Kanako was smiling. "Goodnight," she said. "I love you, Haruna." "Yeah, I love you too."

*****

With the small remainder of the night she had, Haruna was basking in the lingering warmth that Kanako had given her. "That was fun," she thought happily. "And it seems like Kanako's finally feeling less worried, so that's good too." Most likely, those feelings hadn't entirely disappeared, but Haruna hoped she had managed to at least make Kanako feel more secure about their relationship.

It was almost funny to Haruna that their roles had reversed. "It used to be her comforting me like that," she thought. "It's nice to be the one doing the giving." But, just as Haruna was enjoying herself, she got a sudden text message. Her eyes went wide at what was written, and she quickly sat upright from laying on her bed. "What. The. Hell?!"

The message was from Katsumi. It read the following:

"This Saturday, you're going on a date with me."

End of Chapter Twenty-One.