157 Chapter Twenty-Three: Kiss Of Destruction, Part Two

When a person is in love, it can make them do stupid things. There are times when you're in love where you might do something that ordinarily you wouldn't do, such as tell the person you love cheesy, romantic lines, or maybe act differently than your more "usual" self. Actions such as these are not inherently bad, but they also lose the perspective one once had before love.

What can make matters worse is when one's affection is directed toward another who is taken. Taking that even further, acting on those feelings can make matters complicated as well. But what happens when someone has those kinds of feelings and is not only unable to give up on them, but is fueled by a hatred for another?

What results is a twisted approach to love, one that, to a logical (and perhaps more sane) person, wouldn't make sense at all. However, for the person who craves the unavailable other, the only thing that matters is sating that desire. And to Katsumi Ikehara, proving that she was better for Kanako than Haruna could ever be, was the only thing on her mind. That very idea consumed her thoughts, and while it didn't drive her to literal madness, it was about as close as a medically sane person could get.

Failure after failure had come to Katsumi as each of her plans fell to pieces. She tried proclaiming her love, but it was brushed off. She tried demonstrating her love, but it was pushed away. She tried driving a wedge in between her crush and her obstacle, but that only proved to bring the couple closer, it seemed. Each attempt, each plan more contrived than the last, failed.

All of that brought Katsumi to her current state of mind. She kept telling herself everything she was doing was for Kanako's sake, but at this point, the more accurate assessment was that she wanted to hurt Haruna more than anything. Then maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to get Kanako too. In order to do that, Katsumi needed a plan, and in her desperation, she came up with her wickedest one.

"I'll make it look like Endo-san is cheating on Kana-chin with me," she thought deviously. "If I play my cards right, I can come out of this looking innocent. Then Kana-chin will see that Endo-san is nothing more than garbage, and I'll look like the one she should've chosen in the first place." To Katsumi, it was a good plan, but even she could tell there was one glaring issue. "To pull it off, I'll have to get close to Endo-san…" she thought with disgust.

There was truly no person Katsumi loathed more than Haruna. In her mind, Haruna was the reason everything had gone so wrong. If Haruna wasn't around, then maybe things would've gone differently. Honestly, Katsumi was sure, without a doubt, that she would've been able to convince Kanako to go out with her had Haruna not shown up. Her life would be so much brighter, so much better, if Katsumi could just have Kanako by her side.

Alas, what she had deemed fate had betrayed her, and in her reckless pursuit, the only thing she had really managed to achieve was make her own life more miserable. It wasn't as if she wanted to be this bitter toward Haruna. It was only because Haruna was in the way. If she would just move and show a bit of courtesy for the person who had come first, then the whole situation could be resolved. At least, that was how Katsumi saw it.

But Haruna showed no signs of budging, so Katsumi had to resort to force. And now, she was falling onto her biggest plan yet. Katsumi actually hated the idea herself, but she hated Haruna even more, so she figured she could suck it up and deal with being around her long enough to get her plan in action. So, the question became just how was Katsumi going to pull it off?

It didn't take her long to realize she had the perfect in. "I'll act like I want to make up for getting Endo-san injured," she thought. "That'll let me do all sorts of things that make it look like I actually care about her to some degree. Then, I can use that to further our 'relationship' and make it look like I'm actually trying to get closer to her. As long as I escalate things at the right pace, it may even come off as natural."

If Katsumi would've been able to hear herself, even she might've been sickened by the way she was thinking. To put it bluntly, this was a girl who was continuing to chase after another girl who had completely rejected her and was also in a relationship. On top of that, this chase of hers involved breaking up said relationship. And somehow, that was supposed to result in Kanako choosing Katsumi in the end. The whole thing was so convoluted that had it been written on paper, the words themselves would've screamed desperation.

Unfortunately, Katsumi was unable to see any of this as she settled on this plan of hers. "When I see Endo-san at school tomorrow, I'll be sure to put on a convincing show," she thought. "Oh, I guess I better practice talking to her. If I don't, I'll definitely screw up." So standing in front of a mirror, Katsumi practiced facial expressions and lines hours into the night until she was finally satisfied with her performance. "There, that should do it," she thought. "All that's left is to pull the wool over that brute's eyes, which should be simple enough."

*****

When Katsumi first started, it felt like things would go well. Obviously Haruna wanted nothing to do with her, but as long as Katsumi took the initiative, Haruna seemed to be at a loss for how to respond. "She's so easy," Katsumi thought confidently. While she didn't enjoy the prospect of even having to feign kindness to Haruna, the first day went so smoothly for her that she figured it wouldn't be much of a problem.

That was, until she got home after that first day. When she did, Katsumi practically collapsed on her bed. "Why am I so exhausted?" she wondered. "I didn't really do anything out of the ordinary… wait…" Once she gave it some thought, Katsumi realized it was because she was forcing herself more than she thought. Even she was surprised to learn that. "I guess that shows just how much I hate Endo-san if being even remotely nice to her takes this much out of me," she thought.

Although, regardless of her exhaustion, Katsumi knew she had to keep pushing. "As long as I can keep this up, I'll be able to craft a believable story to tell Kana-chin," she told herself. That reason alone was enough to keep Katsumi motivated (even if she didn't realize that gaining Kanako's affection wasn't really her main goal anymore).

So when the next day came, Katsumi did her best to replicate the previous day's behavior. However, it somehow felt like more of a struggle. The day after that was more of the same, and with each subsequent day, Katsumi found herself feeling more and more pushed to the edge.

To put it simply, she was losing her patience. While it probably did appear that she was making a genuine effort to make up with Haruna on the outside, on the inside, Katsumi was constantly holding herself back. There were so many times when she wanted to make a snide remark or point out how stupid Haruna was, but for the sake of her master plan, Katsumi resisted the urge. "As long as Endo-san doesn't notice, it'll be fine," she thought.

But for as well as Katsumi tried to hide it, her true feelings would surface every now and then. She would quickly readjust as soon as she noticed something was slipping out of place, but when Haruna started trying to get under Katsumi's skin more, that was when Katsumi knew the girl must've picked up on something. "I need to move this plan along," she thought. "Or else I'm going to slip up and ruin everything."

So Katsumi began being more aggressive. Part of that was making the group for the group project. She made sure to snag Haruna and Kanako before Chiyo could, but that still only meant three people. When Katsumi took a brief look around, she picked Hinami, who had still not joined a group either. That decision was for two reasons. The first was because Katsumi believed she'd be the least likely to cause any problems or interruptions to her plan.

Katsumi was already ignoring Kanako in an effort to make it appear more like Katsumi was trying to get closer to Haruna. It pained her to do so, but Katsumi deemed it necessary, so she did her best to keep up the front. Because of that though, Kanako had become more of a handful, constantly pestering Katsumi to give her some sort of response. "I'm sorry Kana-chin," Katsumi would constantly think. "But I'm doing this for our future."

Of course, with Kanako being the handful she was, that meant that Katsumi wanted as few other problems as possible, which was what led her to picking Hinami. However, the other reason she chose her was for an entirely different one than the first.

Hinami had been part of Katsumi's schemes, and unwillingly at that. Because of information she gave up, someone she cared about got hurt. It was true that Katsumi was willing to make sacrifices to get what she wanted, even if that meant someone getting hurt. But, as Katsumi had sat in class after the sports festival, she couldn't help but notice the guilty expression Hinami wore every time she looked at Haruna. It was so obvious that she blamed herself for what happened. Katsumi didn't really care that much about Hinami, but seeing that was enough to bother her. "I… might've gone too far…" she thought, not about Haruna getting injured, but about involving someone so innocent.

It wasn't much, but Katsumi felt the least she could do was give a brief apology to Hinami and maybe help out her grades a little with the group project. Katsumi still made sure to keep her focus on Haruna, but she also made sure to devote some of her time to Hinami. She was a girl who studied hard and did her best to learn, so it was easy enough for Katsumi to help her along. Although, this was the extent of her feelings on the matter.

Once the group project concluded, Katsumi felt as though she was reaching the point she needed to reach. "I just need another couple of pushes, and it'll all fall into place," she thought, convinced that her plan was working to near-perfection. "Endo-san has definitely been letting her guard down around me more. After all, there's no way someone in her position would just keep letting me do what I want, right? Where's her fighting spirit? Does she seriously not even care how this is hurting Kana-chin at all?"

Thinking about it that way made Katsumi's blood boil, but she did her best to keep it under control. "No, it's fine," she told herself. "I just need to endure for a little longer, and then I'll be able to free Kana-chin from that evil girl." Really, endurance was the key, as Katsumi knew she was running out of time. More and more, she kept noticing herself slipping up. "If that's the case, then I better move on to the next step," she thought.

That next step was inviting Haruna on a date. Honestly, it made Katsumi sick just typing the words in the message to send to Haruna, but once again, she told herself it was a necessary evil. She planned it for the first available weekend, but when she realized she'd have to deal with her parents and siblings being home, Katsumi knew she needed to reschedule. "There's absolutely no way I'm letting them think me and that jerk are actually friends or something," Katsumi thought bitterly.

Unfortunately, it was still a date, so Katsumi felt obligated to dress up at least a little. "What a pain," she thought. "Although, maybe it'll be worth it…" Being as predictable as they were (at least in Katsumi's eyes), she was sure Haruna would come with a crowd in tow. "Kana-chin will probably follow her, so I'll be able to show off a little as long as she's looking through the window. The resident whore will probably follow too, but as long as she's not stupid enough to break and enter someone's home, that shouldn't be a problem."

When Haruna showed up looking as plain as could be, Katsumi internally sighed to herself. "Seriously? At least try a little. I feel bad for Kana-chin, having a girlfriend like you who won't even put in effort to her appearance." Katsumi wanted to say all of that, but instead she chose not to and focused on what was going on behind Haruna. While it wasn't much, Katsumi could pick up glimpses and little sounds from the entourage that had come along. "They're so bad at this, it's almost funny," she thought.

Her amusement didn't last though, as the date quickly turned sour. Really, the mood didn't matter so much to Katsumi. She had already gotten one of the two things she wanted. The first was for Haruna to come at all. She hadn't actually expected Haruna to agree, especially considering the location of the date was at Katsumi's house. The choice had been entirely intentional due to Katsumi being able to have free reign, but she had to wonder about the thought process Haruna went through to justify going through with the date. "And I wonder what Kana-chin said about it too…"

Thanks to Haruna agreeing to come, that meant Katsumi could plan for the other thing she was after. She knew Kanako would follow after her girlfriend, which meant Katsumi had the perfect opportunity to make it look like something illicit was happening between the two girls in the house. "Kana-chin won't like this, but it's for her own good," Katsumi told herself.

All it took was creating an opportunity to get close enough to the window the entourage was spying through to be able to give Kanako the wrong idea. Luckily, Haruna ended up providing that opportunity, and with the three other girls outside being so bad at hiding, it was hard for Katsumi to hold back a villainous laugh. "This is almost too easy," she thought confidently.

The rest practically wrote itself, as Katsumi put on a perfect act by the window. When Haruna left after Katsumi's crafted misunderstanding, Katsumi was sure that would cause a rift between the two of them. "Kana-chin can be pretty understanding, but there's no way she'll be okay with what she just saw," Katsumi thought. She made sure to watch as the group outside of her house left, and to Katsumi, it looked like all was going according to plan.

…Until it wasn't. When they were at school again, Haruna and Kanako didn't look any worse for wear. "What the hell?" Katsumi thought upon seeing the sight. "How are they fine? Shouldn't they seem awkward at all? There's no way they were both able to just brush off what I did that easily."

It didn't make any sense to Katsumi. How could they both still be the same couple they always were? Seeing that made Katsumi start to panic, and for someone already desperate, it drove her to perhaps jump a little too far ahead. "I need to go bigger," she thought. "I need to make Kanako see what I want her to see!"

Truthfully, there were a few people in the school that were wondering what the deal was between Haruna and Katsumi. While no one really believed it went as far as cheating, they were curious about if the two girls had actually decided to bury the hatchet. But, for the sake of Katsumi's plan, she needed them to believe there was more. The only problem was, that was something that took time to make happen, and in her panicked state, Katsumi decided time was no longer something she had to spare.

It was this state of mind that drove Katsumi to do something she never thought she'd do. Not only did she share a kiss with someone other than Kanako, but it turned out to be the person she hated the most. The feeling it gave Katsumi made her want to vomit, but she held it back just so she could put on her greatest performance yet.

Knowing Haruna how she did, Katsumi knew Haruna would make a scene when Katsumi started attacking her. That meant Katsumi could also be sure the first person to come out of the cooking club room would be Kanako, which was exactly what happened. Watching Haruna sputter as she tried to explain away the situation was extremely satisfying for Katsumi. "I'm almost there," she thought. "Kana-chin is nearly mine."

She had made it look like Haruna was blatantly cheating on Kanako, and Katsumi was sure she herself had played the victim perfectly. So when Kanako started to march over, a smug and confident grin spread across Katsumi's face. "Finally. She's going to dump that brute here and now and be with me!"

*****

SLAP!

The sound echoed in the hall as Kanako's hand flew across Katsumi's face, the impact so harsh it left a mark that immediately turned red on the girl's cheek. For a moment, Katsumi seemed stunned, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. It was as if she couldn't believe she had been the one to be struck in the situation they all found themselves in. As that reality sank in, she slowly began to regain her senses, but as it turned out, it was too little, too late. Kanako's rage had reached its boiling point and then some, spilling over and out into the air.

"Ikehara-san, what is wrong with you?" she began, her eyes practically glowing a fierce red as she glared at the girl in front of her. "I mean that. Honestly. What is actually your problem? Are you really that desperate? Are you that desperate to want to be with me that you'd pull something like this? How stupid do you think I am? Did you honestly think you acting like Haruna was cheating on me with you would actually seem believable? Haruna hates you, and we know you hate Haruna too. Even if you were trying to make amends, no one in their right mind would believe that somehow the two of you would be involved romantically. Not after everything that's happened."

"Ever since you came back to Iwanai, you've done nothing but bother me and antagonize my girlfriend. What about that screams affection to you? Does that sound like the way to win someone's heart, or do you just actually not understand romance at all? Well, now that I think about it, you probably don't considering you say I'm the only one you've ever loved. Trust me, loving one person and never anyone else will only make you think you understand love when really, you have no idea how it works. And it's so clear that's the truth for you. Did you ever once stop to consider my feelings about this? What about Haruna's? Even Chiyo was worth considering. Anybody other than yourself? Anybody at all?!"

"No, of course you didn't. Because you're selfish, and arrogant, and a fool who only sees what they want to see and hears what they want to hear. If you ever would've actually taken the time to listen to me or paid attention to how I felt about the things you were doing, maybe you would've realized that you were in the wrong the whole time. But no, you just couldn't be bothered, could you? As long as you got what you wanted, that was all that mattered to you, right? After seeing this scene, I can say with certainty that has to be the case."

"And so, you just kept pushing, and pushing, and pushing! Forget trying to win my heart, all you were doing was forcing your feelings for me down my throat! I never wanted that! I never asked for that! I told you that repeatedly, but it was like you were incapable of understanding rejection! So, now that we're here, let me spell it out for you, loud and clear, so there's no possible way you could ever misunderstand."

"I hate you. I loathe you. I DETEST you, Katsumi Ikehara. You've been nothing but a grating nuisance on my love life and a wrecking ball on the ones I hold dear. I do not love you. I could never, and will never love you, and that will hold true for all of eternity, because more than anything, I hate you from the very depths of my soul."

"It would've been one thing if you had just targeted me. Perhaps I could've lived with that, and maybe if you hadn't been so narcissitically obsessive, we could've settled this whole matter peacefully. But instead, you had to go and attack Haruna, who I love more than anyone, and you went after Chiyo, who is very dear to me as well. You went and made enemies of my friends and the entire school too. Tell me something, does anyone in this school actually like you, Ikehara-san? I don't mean romantically, I mean as a person. Does a single person, anyone at all, actually call you their friend?"

"They don't. I know they don't. And you want to know how I know that? Because you're alone. You're always alone, Ikehara-san, because everybody's afraid of you. Whether they're intimidated by your beauty or smarts, or they don't want to get near you because they're afraid you might attack them in some way, the truth is, none of them want anything to do with you. It's almost impressive how effectively you've managed to isolate yourself without even entirely meaning too. Or who knows? Maybe you really did want that. Maybe you thought that as long as you got me, that'd be all that mattered."

"Except now, you don't even have that, and you're left with nothing. Your love is broken, volatile, and empty, successfully warding off all who would ever want to get near it. If you could've understood that earlier on, maybe you could've changed your ways. Maybe you would've been able to realize on your own that the love you held for me would always remain fruitless."

"Instead though, you ignored all of that, choosing to just pursue me with truly reckless abandon to the point that it turned into nothing more than the desire to hurt someone. Tell me, do you even feel guilty at all for causing Haruna's injury? Or for trying to cause us to break up? How about that kiss you just stole from her just now?"

"How did that kiss feel, Ikehara-san? I'm sure it was awful for you, because in the end, you are currently incapable of actually enjoying what love is supposed to feel like. Instead, I bet Haruna's lips felt grating to you, dealing damage you weren't expecting and making you sick all the same. That's all just a guess of course, but I think I'm right. The paleness in your face tells me as much."

"You regret what you did just now, but not for the right reasons. Not because you tried to make it look like Haruna was cheating on me, but because you shared a kiss with someone that wasn't me. And that's why your love is so broken. You can't even process the idea of being with someone other than me."

"Well, I'm here to tell you you're going to have to learn if you ever want to be in a true, loving relationship. Because I will never return that affection. I will crumple it up and throw it away, because it's nothing more than garbage to me. I already found the person I love, and I want nothing to do with anyone else's feelings that come my way."

"So change, Ikehara-san. I don't care how you do it, but take a damn hard look in the mirror and think about all of the horrible things you've been doing. I may hate you, but I also know you can't stay like this forever. You need to find a better way to live. I don't know how that will be, but I do know it can't involve me. So whether it's finding a new love, a new perspective, or going on some soul-searching journey, change. Because if you don't, I can guarantee you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."

Kanako paused, and in that moment, she noticed a small crowd had gathered. The cooking club members had naturally appeared after seeing Kanako rushing toward the door when she heard the raised voices of Katsumi and Haruna. Other than them, a few other members of various clubs in other rooms had come out into the hallway to see what was going on. All any of them had been able to do was stand and watch in wide-eyed silence as Kanako delivered all of her pent-up rage unto Katsumi.

As for Kanako herself, while she noticed the people gathered, she didn't care. She had to say it all, or else nothing would ever change. In the worst case scenario, Katsumi would somehow find a way to escalate her actions even further, meaning that her acts may very well become criminal in a more extreme way than they already had. So Kanako resolved to say her peace, every word of it, until she was satisfied.

"Ikehara-san," she said, becoming a little more calm. "You have caused me nothing but pain, grief, and suffering. When you first came back, I was actually happy to see you. I thought that maybe we could be friends like we used to be and spend time together. But, as soon as you told me you loved me, I think some part of me knew that what I wanted would never happen. I tried to ignore those feelings, hoping that we could just figure it out, but as the days went by, it just became more and more clear that it was impossible."

"You destroyed every chance at happiness you had, Ikehara-san, all for me, a girl who would never love you. And that, I think, more than anything, is incredibly sad."

Having said all of that, Kanako moved over to Haruna and pulled her down a little, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. Once she pulled away, she looked straight into Haruna's eyes. "Now your lips are mine again," she whispered. It made Haruna blush, and Kanako turned back to Katsumi as she took Haruna's hand in hers. "Never come near me or Haruna again," Kanako stated. "Because the next time you do, I don't think I'll be able to resist the urge to punch you." Then Kanako turned away and began walking, Haruna in tow.

As for Katsumi, she had been verbally beaten into submission. Never before had she ever experienced such a tongue-lashing from someone, and she had never thought a rant like that would come from Kanako of all people. It gave her mixed feelings. A part of Katsumi was angry at being lectured, but a part of her was also beginning to understand just how badly she had screwed up. At the very least, there was something she wanted to say to Kanako. It most likely wasn't going to mean much, but she felt she needed to say it nonetheless.

"Kana… Nakatomi-san!" Katsumi called out. She used Kanako's last name to provide a sense of formality, but also because she was already starting to understand that it really was time to give up on her feelings. "I need to start putting distance between us," Katsumi thought. It hurt her to even think such a thing, but after the explosion that had come from Kanako, even Katsumi in her reckless, desperate state knew that she didn't have a choice. Regardless of her own feelings, it was clear now that Kanako would never see her the way Katsumi wanted her to.

Kanako stopped walking, but she didn't turn around. All she did was stand and wait to hear what Katsumi had to say. "I'm…sorry…" Katsumi managed to squeak out. It was all she was able to say at the moment, but Kanako didn't even acknowledge it. After she heard those words, she waited a moment longer to see if there was anything more, and then she continued walking. The only reaction Katsumi got was from Haruna, who turned to look at her. The expression she had definitely had some hate in it, but it almost looked like Haruna felt pity for Katsumi. "Don't look at me like that, you idiot…" Katsumi thought. "You're the one that won…"

Once Kanako and Haruna were out of sight, Katsumi headed off the opposite way. "Maybe she's right…" Katsumi thought. "Maybe I need to change… But how am I supposed to do that? I've held onto these feelings for Kana-chin for so long… It's practically been my life. Just how am I supposed to let go of feelings like these? Is that even possible?"

After loving Kanako for so long, Katsumi wasn't sure if she even could give up. There was some part of her heart that still wasn't crushed yet, telling her to keep going, that maybe, somehow, it would all work out and Kanako would choose her. However, finally, the more reasonable side of Katsumi was getting a louder voice, and it was telling her that she was finished. With her internal conflict going back and forth, Katsumi sighed. "Just what am I supposed to do now?"

*****

Once they had left the school, Haruna and Kanako only went a short distance before stopping to sit on a bench. The weather outside was getting a little on the hot side, but Kanako hardly noticed. She was still fuming from her one-sided fight with Katsumi, and it was only when she could feel Haruna next to her that those feelings of anger abated somewhat.

"I-I'm sorry…" Kanako eventually mumbled. "For what?" Haruna asked, confused. "I showed you a pretty unseemly side of me," Kanako said. "Ah…" Haruna let out. "Yeah, that was… pretty brutal…" "You always say that I can be so scary when I get angry, and I never understood that," Kanako said. "But today, I think I kind of understood…"

Kanako fell silent, the only sound to fill the air the rustling of leaves as a slight breeze swept through. "Maybe… I went too far," Kanako said quietly. "I said such awful things to Ikehara-san." "Yeah, but she needed to hear it," Haruna said. "I know…" Kanko said. "But… It was like I just couldn't stop myself. The whole time she kept pestering us, my anger just kept building and building. I felt like I would explode with how mad I was getting and, well… I guess I finally did. I just couldn't take it anymore…"

Nervously, Haruna glanced at Kanako. "H-Hey, um… are you mad at me?" "Huh?" Kanako let out. "Why?" "Because, y'know… You saw Ikehara-san kissing me…" "Oh…" Kanako said. She thought for a moment, then answered. "I'm upset that she got to kiss you at all, and I guess I'm a little mad you didn't get away from her sooner. However, I also know how tricky Ikehara-san can be, and I know you were definitely being kissed against your will, so it wasn't cheating in my book. I guess all it really amounts to in my mind is that I'll have to kiss you three times as much to make you forget all about it."

Haruna blushed a little at the thought. "T-That sounds like a good solution," she said. Kanako smiled, but it quickly faded. "Hey…" she said. "Ikehara-san's kiss… was it… good?" "Hell no," Haruna responded immediately. "I felt like some deep-sea creature was trying to make out with me. It was so gross." Kanako giggled a little as Haruna continued. "Your kisses are definitely way better," she said smoothly. "Oh yeah?" Kanako said softly, leaning in closer. "If Ikehara-san is like a deep-sea creature, then what do I compare to?" "Hmm… Cake and honey," Haruna said back just as softly. "Because you're just so sweet."

The two girls kissed, but when they pulled apart, Haruna had an uncertain look on her face. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?" she asked. "It just feels like you're moving on too easily…" Then gently, Kanako wrapped her arms around Haruna's shoulders. "I am a little," she said. "But that's a feeling that will fade with time. And I know you weren't actually cheating, so I just don't see any point in dwelling on it. I'd much rather spend my time making you forget all about it than staying mad at you over something that wasn't really your fault."

However, Kanako then briefly got serious. "But if you ever do cheat on me for real, there will be hell to pay," she said. Haruna gulped. "I-I swear I'll forever be loyal." Kanako smiled. "Good. Then I'll do the same." And so, with a new fear instilled into Haruna's heart, the two girls then got up from the bench, brought their hands together, and began to head home.

*****

That same night, Haruna called Chiyo to tell her about what happened. "And then she kissed me-" "SHE DID WHAT?!" Chiyo screamed, causing Haruna to yank the phone away from her ear. "I CAN'T BELIEVE HER! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT BITCH?! LIKE, DOES SHE HAVE A SCREW LOOSE OR SOMETHING?!"

"Chiyo, calm down!" Haruna shouted back. "You're gonna blow out my phone's speaker if you keep screaming like that." "Sorry," Chiyo said with a huff. "But I just can't believe Ikehara-san actually went that far. Who even does that?" "Yeah, it definitely wasn't a fun experience," Haruna said. "I wish I would've been there," Chiyo said. "Maybe I could've stepped in." "That… probably wouldn't have been necessary," Haruna said. "Huh? Whaddya mean?" Chiyo asked.

"Kanako went off on Ikehara-san," Haruna explained. "I mean, it was really bad. I've never seen Kanako that angry before." "She did?" Chiyo asked. "Well, first she slapped Ikehara-san, but then it was like the restraints came off," Haruna said. Chiyo laughed. "Kana-chan slapped her, huh? I would've paid to see that." However, Chiyo's joy didn't last long. "Still though… Will this really be the end of it?" "Wouldn't it be?" Haruna said. "How would Ikehara-san even recover after what happened? Honestly, she did look at least a little remorseful when we left the school." "She's put on an act before though," Chiyo pointed out. "I wouldn't put it past her to try something else."

"I really think it's over, Chiyo," Haruna said. "Haru-chi, can you really be cer-" Chiyo began to say, but she was cut off by a sudden yelp from Haruna. "Eh? What happened?" Chiyo asked. "Oh, n-nothing," Haruna sputtered. "It's just, uh… Kanako didn't want to leave my side tonight, so she's laying next to me right now. She fell asleep, but then her hand kinda… grabbed my breast just now." "It's not like there's much to grab, Haru-chi," Chiyo teased. "Oh shut up!" Haruna yelled. "At least I won't have shoulder problems by the time I'm thirty. Besides… Kanako said she likes them…" She was muttering that last part, but with her mouth so close to the mic, Chiyo heard every word. "Whatever keeps your guy's boat afloat," the gal snickered.

But even with that light banter, Chiyo still got serious again. "Are you sure I shouldn't say something to Ikehara-san too?" "I don't really see why," Haruna said. "You should've seen her, Chiyo. Her spirit looked totally crushed." "If you say so…" Chiyo mumbled, though Haruna could tell she didn't sound convinced.

Haruna sighed. "Chiyo, please, just leave it alone. I really feel like if you do something, you'll only make it worse." "Huh?" Chiyo said. "What's that supposed to mean?" "I mean that sometimes you end up putting others way too far ahead of yourself," Haruna said. "So I'm telling you: Ikehara-san is done. It's over. Just trust me and let it go."

Chiyo was quiet for a moment. "Chiyo?" Haruna said. "I just can't believe her…" the gal muttered. "Girls like that… they don't just quit after one thrashin'... Sorry Haru-chi, but I've got a personal stake in this too. I've gotta do somethin'." "Chiyo, don't-" Haruna began to say, but her words were stopped by the double beep of the call ending.

Haruna's arm fell, bouncing lightly against the bed as she gripped her phone. "Chiyo…" she said quietly. Haruna really did appreciate how much her best friend cared about her, but she had a feeling that somehow, things wouldn't end well if Chiyo got too involved. "Why can't she just think about herself for once?" Haruna wondered.

She looked to her right, where Kanako was sleeping soundly next to her. "Well, right now, I've got my own problem to deal with. If my parents find out she's sleeping in here right now, I'll get an earful…" Gently, Haruna tried shaking Kanako awake, but the girl only shifted a little. "Mm…" she let out. Haruna couldn't help but smile. "Cute," she thought.

Laying down flat, Haruna began running her fingers softly through Kanako's hair. "She really was my hero today," Haruna thought. "So I guess as a reward, I'll let her stay… for a little longer…" Before Haruna knew it, her own eyelids were fluttering, and soon, she fell fast asleep.

*****

"What do I do?" Chiyo wondered. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, a sole lamp the only light. Dim as it was, it only illuminated the brown couch Chiyo was on, along with the nearest beige wall and a few framed pictures. The gal stared into the shadows ahead of her as she thought about her next course of action.

Admittedly, there was a part of her that knew Haruna was right. Most likely, Katsumi's campaign for Kanako's heart had come to an end. But, Chiyo hadn't gotten to see it for herself, and without her own proof, it was hard for her to entirely believe that Katsumi was done. Her past experience told her that somehow, things would get worse if Chiyo did nothing. "I know she's not one of the girls I knew back then," she thought. "But her behavior is just so similar that I can't help but think of Ikehara-san as one of them."

Chiyo pulled up her legs, pulling herself into a ball as she cupped a mug of tea in her hands. "...Is it really so wrong to put another person's happiness before my own?" she wondered. "Haru-chi is my best friend. I just want to make sure she can secure the future that will make her happy…"

In order to do that, Chiyo felt she needed to completely put an end to any of Katsumi's remaining ambition. "But what should I do? It's not like she's intimidated by me…" There was one plan that Chiyo had come up with before, but she was hesitant to go through with it. "If I do… it could ruin everything…" she thought. "But if it's for Haru-chi's sake, then I…"

*****

About two days later, a rumor had spread like wildfire through Iwanai Municipal High School. The main topic of conversation had become about Haruna and Kanako, and just what was the truth about Katsumi. Plenty of people had been told about the hell that Kanako had rained down on Katsumi, but there were still those that, despite hearing that, couldn't move beyond the kiss.

"Nakatomi-san really let Ikehara-san have it, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but I heard Endo-san was at Ikehara-san's house the other day. Don't you think that sounds a little fishy?"

"They have been getting closer lately. Maybe hate really did turn into love?"

"It happens all the time in manga, right? I could totally see it happening in real life."

"I guess it's possible Nakatomi-san really is just in the dark. I mean, Endo-san and Ikehara-san did kiss. It's hard to ignore that…"

Whispers abounded through the halls, but from Chiyo's perspective, it looked like Haruna and Kanako were ignoring them all. They were walking down the hall toward their classroom, and the couple were holding hands and having pleasant conversation as per usual. "It's like nothing's changed between 'em," Chiyo thought. She wished she could be as confident as those two, but she couldn't. "These damn rumors could end up bein' their undoing…"

It was precisely those rumors that provided the final push Chiyo needed. She ignored her uncertainty, making up her mind that to truly make sure Katsumi's feelings were no more, she had to step in. "If I just leave things as they are, everybody will believe Haru-chi really did cheat. I can't let that happen. There can't be even a sliver of hope left for Ikehara-san." That thought alone was unusually vindictive for Chiyo, but it was because it mattered so much to her. After all the trouble Katsumi had caused, and all the reminders she had given Chiyo, the gal felt more than motivated to take action.

Chiyo made it into the classroom after Haruna and Kanako. Looking to the corner of the room, she spotted Katsumi, sitting with her head toward the window. She had been like that for the past two days, hardly paying attention to anything other than what was outside. The teacher had tried to yell at her for it, but when she turned in a pop quiz that got a perfect score, he gave up.

However, Chiyo wasn't fooled. "I've seen you put on this act before," she thought bitterly. "I'm sure she's just playing innocent, waiting to strike again." How much fighting strength Katsumi had left, Chiyo didn't know, but however much it was, she wanted to make sure she knocked out the last of it. "Today's the day this really ends."

*****

Lunchtime came around, and all the students began clamoring about, Michi included. "Hey, Chiyo," she said. "Aren't you going to the roof with everyone?" "Hm? Totally. I just gotta take care of somethin' real quick," Chiyo said. While it wasn't technically a lie, the gal already felt guilty for hiding something.

Michi stared at her for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. I guess I'll just go up by myself." "Sorry, Mi-chan. I'll be quick, I promise," Chiyo said. Michi paused. "If you really think it won't take long, I can just wait with you." "N-No!" Chiyo suddenly exclaimed, causing Michi to flinch in surprise. "I mean… like, I don't wanna hold you up, y'know? You can get mean when you're hungry." Michi's eyes narrowed, but she decided not to push the issue any further. "Fine. Just be quick, alright?" "I will, promise," Chiyo said. Then Michi left.

"Now where's- oh!" Chiyo thought, looking around for her target. Katsumi had just gotten up and was heading out into the hallway. "This is working out perfectly," Chiyo thought. "Now all I need to do is make sure everyone around is watching…"

Dashing out to catch Katsumi, Chiyo got out into the hall, sucked in a breath, and then made as big of a scene as she could. "Wow Ikehara-san, ya sure are a hypocrite!" she shouted. Fortunately, Katsumi stopped and turned around. However, the fire Chiyo had been expecting was nowhere to be found. "What are you talking about, Wakabayashi-san?" Katsumi asked. Her tone was bitter, but it lacked bite.

Undeterred, Chiyo marched right up to the girl. "I'm talking about how you kissed Haru-chi!" she announced. "You're always calling me a whore or whatevs, but it looks like you're just as bad!" That seemed to strike a nerve with Katsumi, as she got a step closer. "Huh? Did you seriously just say that to me? Maybe I should- mmph!"

To Katsumi's shock, Chiyo kissed her. Their lips interlocked, and even when Katsumi tried to pull away, Chiyo just went deeper, inserting her tongue to really weaken Katsumi. Everybody in the packed hallway could only watch in a mix of being stunned and confused as the gal attacked Katsumi.

After a few more seconds, Chiyo finally released her, then pushed the girl away. Katsumi, having lost the strength in her legs, toppled over, landing on her butt on the cold, hard tile. "W-W-What the hell is wrong with you, you slut?!" Katsumi exclaimed. "Look at that," Chiyo said smugly. "You even kissed me." "You kissed ME!" Katsumi corrected her. "Yeah, but like, you didn't really make much of any effort to get away, did ya?" Chiyo said. "Guess anybody will do for you."

While there were plenty in the crowd that had their doubts, there were some that began to take Chiyo's logic into account.

"Well, I guess Ikehara-san wasn't really trying that hard to escape…"

"Maybe she really was the one who went after Endo-san first."

"She did announce to everyone that she only likes girls. Maybe Wakabayashi-san is right, and Ikehara-san has been secretly going around having flings with other girls."

It wasn't much, but slowly, the whispers spread, and Chiyo smirked. Then, she crouched down, leaning in so only Ikehara-san could hear her. "This is what you get for messing with my friends," she said coldly. "Your love is completely dead now, so stay away from them. Forever."

Katsumi stared at Chiyo, wanting to say something back, but she couldn't. She understood that Chiyo was right, and with the gal making it look like Katsumi was just kissing girls left and right, even any minor, future attempt to rebuild her reputation in an effort to impress Kanako was ruined now. There had been the slightest bit of hope left within Katsumi, but with a singular kiss, Chiyo had snuffed it out.

Satisfied with Katsumi's silence, Chiyo stood up straight. She was about to walk away triumphantly, but as soon as she looked ahead of her, her confidence vanished. Standing toward the end of the hall was Michi, her eyes bulging.

"...Chiyo…?"

The name was said with hardly any voice, but seeing Michi's lips move was enough to tell the gal Michi had said her name. She also realized that Michi had seen everything. "M-Mi-chan," Chiyo uttered, taking a step forward, but at the same time, Michi took a step back. "N-No… wait… Mi-chan!" Chiyo cried, beginning to move faster. As soon as she did, Michi turned and ran.

The two girls ran through the halls, weaving through the people here and there. "Mi-chan, wait!" Chiyo begged. "I can explain! Mi-chan!" Tears were beginning to well up in the corners of Chiyo's eyes. "Come back…" she whimpered, before yelling, "Please just let me talk to you!"

But Michi wouldn't stop. The only way Chiyo got the chance she wanted was due to Michi's poor athleticism. After having run aimlessly, the two of them found themselves on the top floor of the school, in one of the lesser-used hallways. Reaching a dead end and running out of stamina, Michi stopped. Within a few steps, Chiyo caught up to her. "Mi-chan…" The gal reached out her hand, but before it could reach Michi-

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Chiyo froze, but soon, her hand dropped. "I…I'm sorry, Mi-chan," she said. "I know you hate that kinda thing… Girls being with girls… You must be pretty grossed out right? But listen, there's a reason for what I did, I swear! I-"

"I don't give a damn about the reason!" Michi shouted, her back still turned. "You told me to go ahead, but when I heard you yelling in the hall, I wondered what was going on. A-And then… I saw you… I saw you kissing Ikehara-san!"

"Mi-chan, I-"

"Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw that?!" Michi continued, cutting off Chiyo. "Why did you have to do that?! Why did you have to kiss her?!" Gradually, Michi's voice cracked more and more. "W-Why?! I just don't get it! I don't understand!"

"Why do you have this effect on me?! Why do you make my heart race?! W-Why does it feel like it's being torn in two right now?!" Michi paused, and Chiyo could only watch as Michi's feelings burst out. "Tell me, Chiyo," she said. "W-What am I supposed to do? Tell me!" Finally, Michi turned around, tears streaming down her face.

"Tell me what I'm supposed to do with these feelings!"

Chiyo could only stand in place, frozen by Michi's words. In any other situation, they would've been what she wanted to hear, but right now, it was clear there was nothing but pain in Michi's words. "I hurt her…" Chiyo thought. "I hurt Mi-chan…" That was perhaps the one thing Chiyo never wanted to do. Of course, people usually don't want to hurt the person they love, but in Chiyo's case, there was even more reason. "When she gets hurt… she pulls back…"

Chiyo had spent a long time cultivating their relationship. Shaping it, refining it, overcoming all of the bumps in the road. They had finally reached a point where Chiyo was beginning to wonder if there was a legitimate possibility that she and Michi could become a couple. But now… "I might've just destroyed everything…"

Michi continued to stare at the gal. "A-Answer me, Chiyo," she said, her voice shaking. "I… don't know…" Chiyo said weakly. Michi's mouth closed, and slowly, she shut her eyes. "I don't either…" she said quietly. "But I do know that I can't be near you right now. It just hurts too much." "Right…" Chiyo said.

Collecting herself, Michi walked past Chiyo. As she did, Chiyo called out to her. "Mi-chan," she said, getting the girl to stop. "We're not… done, are we?" Michi was quiet for a while before finally responding. "At the moment, I don't know what we are anymore…" Then she left.

Alone, Chiyo fell to her knees. The tears poured down her face as she stared in the direction Michi had gone. "I seriously screwed up, didn't I?" she muttered. "Oh God... what have I done?" Putting her hands over her face, Chiyo started crying harder until she suddenly heard two sets of footsteps rushing toward her. Looking up through her blurry eyes, she saw one girl with wavy, pink hair and another with straight, black hair.

The two of them stopped right in front of her, and the gal looked up at them. "Y-You were right, Haru-chi," she squeaked. "I shouldn'ta gotten involved… I-I shoulda just listened to ya… God, am I an idiot or what?"

Haruna got down on her knees and wrapped her arms around Chiyo, followed by Jasmine doing the same. "I-I just… wanted to help…" Chiyo cried. "I know," Haruna said back gently. "W-Why… why did it turn out like this…? S-She probably… hates me now… gh…snf… wahhhhhhhh!"

Chiyo started crying even harder, and Haruna and Jasmine held onto her as she did.

*****

Considering Chiyo was in no condition to go back to class, and Haruna and Jasmine would've been too worried leaving her on her own, the three girls decided to go back to Haruna's house. At the moment, they were all sitting in Haruna's room. Three steaming hot cups of tea were held in each of their hands. The three of them had walked back in silence for the most part (other than Chiyo's sniffles), so Haruna and Jasmine were still waiting for an explanation.

"Sooo…" Jasmine began. "Why were you kissing Ikehara-san?" "Ugh…" Chiyo groaned. "I just thought… that maybe if it looked like she'd kiss anyone, the rumors about Haru-chi cheating would stop…" "I guess that makes sense," Jasmine said. "But it's still stupid." "But what if Ikehara-san decided to try something else?!" Chiyo said in a panic. "Hasn't she done enough damage?!" "Looks like the only damage that happened was the damage you took," Jasmine said bluntly, causing Chiyo's shoulders to slump.

"I appreciate what you were trying to do, Chiyo," Haruna said. "But Ikehara-san really is done. I could see it in her eyes." Chiyo was silent, staring down into her cup of tea. "I won't sit here and tell you 'I told you so,'" Haruna continued. "So let's just agree it was a mistake and move on." "...'Kay…" Chiyo said, barely audible.

"The real question is, what're ya gonna do about Fukuhara-san?" Jasmine asked. A worried look came over Chiyo's face. "I don't know… I think all I can do right now is give her time…" "Don't wait too long," Jasmine said. "That girl seems like she can get some crazy ideas when she's left to think on her own."

The three of them went quiet again, but then Chiyo thought of something. "Hey, how'd ya know where to find me?" "Hinami-chan saw you," Haruna explained. "She was coming back from talking with a teacher and saw what happened, so when she saw you and Fukuhara-san run off, she followed. Once you two stopped, she came back to tell me and Jasmine-chan." "Oh…" Chiyo said. "Hinami-chan's a good girl…" "Yeah…"

"...If you two weren't here, I wonder what I would've done…" Chiyo suddenly said. "Huh? What do you mean?" Haruna asked. Chiyo looked at her. "I feel like… If like, I was on my own, I might've fallen back into old habits, y'know? Finding some guy to fill in the holes, making me forget about stuff for a bit… Then I'm sure I'd wake up the next morning and feel sick to my stomach because shit like that isn't really what I wanna do anymore…"

"Mi-chan… she changed my life," the gal continued. "100 percent, she changed it for the better. I wanna do everything I can for her. I wanna be with her. But now, I might've just gone and screwed it all up again… How could I just go and do something like that? Mi-chan's so important to me, and yet I ended up hurting her…"

Both Haruna and Jasmine were at a loss. They could both certainly relate to what Chiyo was saying, having both experienced significant change due to someone they know, but neither of them could respond to Chiyo's specific feelings. Only the gal herself could do that. "Why does love have to be so damn complicated?" Chiyo wondered aloud. Haruna and Jasmine each nodded in agreement, sympathizing with that feeling.

*****

Behind the school, Katsumi sat on the grass as she stared up at the tree ahead of her. "Haaah…" she sighed. "Geez… Just what the hell has my life become?" First, she had had to kiss the girl she hated. Then, she got completely rejected by the girl she loved, and then she got kissed by another girl she didn't like. Katsumi sighed again, and as she did, she heard the door near her open. To her surprise, it was Hinami.

"O-Oh, there you are," she said. "What, were you looking for me?" Katsumi asked. "I hope you're not here to kiss me too." "H-H-Huh?! K-K-Kiss?!" Hinami exclaimed, panicked by the notion. Her reaction was so over the top in Katsumi's eyes that she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Is that really something to get so flustered by?" "S-Sorry," Hinami said. "You just caught me off-guard s-saying something like that…"

Surprising Katsumi even further though, Hinami sat down next to her. "...A-Are you okay?" she asked nervously. "Nope," Katsumi answered plainly. "My heart has been through a huge rollercoaster in the last couple of days, except on that rollercoaster there are these chainsaws that keep shredding through my heart." "T-That sounds awful," Hinami commented. Katsumi laughed dryly. "Yeah, it really is…"

Unsure of what to say next, Hinami went with the best thing she could think of. "W-Well, Kana-chan may have rejected you, b-but I'm sure you'll find someone too!" Katsumi looked at Hinami, and apparently, Hinami took that a different way. "A-Ah! I-I don't mean me though! S-Sorry…" "Pfft! Ahahahaha!" Katsumi laughed. "You're kind of a weird one, you know that Yamane-san?" "I-I'm not weird!" Hinami cried.

"Hey," Katsumi said. "Why'd you come to check on me anyways?" "U-Um…" Hinami said. "Y-You don't really have any friends, r-right? So I thought… I-I could be your friend…" There was a pause, and Hinami blushed. "T-That was more embarrassing to say out loud than I thought it would be…"

"Friends, huh?" Katsumi repeated quietly. "So if you're my friend, that means I can tell you a secret, right?" "A-A secret?" Hinami repeated. Katsumi nodded. "That's right, and that secret is… I dated someone before I came here." "Y-You did?" Hinami asked. "Was it… a girl?" "Of course," Katsumi said with a smile. "She was kinda odd too. You actually remind me of her a bit, although she wasn't as skittish." "O-Oh…" Hinami said, giving an awkward smile back because she wasn't sure if she was just complimented or insulted.

After that, Katsumi told Hinami more about her previous girlfriend, and Hinami told Katsumi a little more about herself too. By the time they were done talking, clubs were starting to let out. "I guess we should go home too," Katsumi said, standing up. Then she looked up at the sky. There were only a few clouds hanging around, making most of the scenery bright. As she stared, Katsumi recalled Kanako's wish for her. "I need to change…" Katsumi thought. "Yeah, maybe it's time I really do that."

*****

That night, Haruna was at Kanako's house. They were sitting at the dining room table, and in between them was a plate of cookies Kanako had made several days ago. Haruna grabbed one, going to take a bite, but she was stopped by Kanako's words. "How's Chiyo?" she asked. Haruna set the cookie down in front of her. "She's still in pretty rough shape," Haruna admitted. "I feel bad for her, but she did also kinda do this to herself, so I'm not really sure what I should do for her."

Kanako had been told all about what had happened and had similar feelings about the situation. "I wonder if Mi-chan will be able to forgive her." "Do you think Fukuhara-san will?" Haruna asked. Kanako thought for a moment. "...I don't know. Mi-chan can be pretty stubborn, but she acts differently with Chiyo. Maybe she'll be more willing to forgive Chiyo because it's the girl she loves?" "I still sometimes wonder if Fukuhara-san is actually in love with Chiyo," Haruna said as she finally took a bite of her cookie.

"I just hope they can work it out," Kanako said. "I think they're really good for each other." "I don't know if I completely agree, but I know that Fukuhara-san has helped Chiyo a lot, so I can say that I agree with the first thing you said," Haruna said. "I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. After all, it's not like either of us are in any position to try and convince Fukuhara-san to forgive Chiyo." "T-That's true…" Kanako said.

"Seeing those two having a fight like this is making me feel kinda lonely though," Haruna said. "They're always so close these days, you know?" "I understand that," Kanako said. "Then should I help make you feel less lonely?" Standing up, Kanako began moving closer to Haruna. "You're welcome to try," Haruna said softly as Kanako got near to her.

The two girls spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company, though neither of them could entirely forget the new worries that had come to their friends.

End of Chapter Twenty-Three.