136 Chapter Two: When Past Joins With Present

In the quiet of a one-bedroom apartment, a girl slowly opened her eyes. Light just barely slipped through the slits of the blinds over the window, but it was enough to tell the girl that it was no longer night. Checking the time, she saw it was a little before her usual alarm.

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, her long, untied blonde hair trailing after her. Blinking a couple of times, she finally slid out from under her covers. "Cold…" she complained as she began to change from her purple pajamas that matched her eyes into her school uniform. She put on the navy blue, pleated skirt, then the long-sleeved white top that went with it. Finally, she completed the look with a bow over her flat chest, lavender in color.

She combed her hair, then proceeded to try to tie it up. This was always a struggle, as it seemed that no matter how much she fought, two long strands never wanted to stay tied up. Despite it being fruitless though, the girl tried anyways, messing with her hair for a good ten minutes before eventually giving up. Her failed effort left her hair tied in twin buns, with a strand hanging off the bottom of each one. With a sigh, she swore that one day she'd get it all tied up, and then left her room. This was how Michi Fukuhara started her day.

Unlike most girls her age, Michi didn't walk out of her room and find a parent making breakfast or a sibling waiting at a table. Like always, her apartment was empty except for her, the white walls seemingly echoing that feeling. It was a feeling that in the beginning, had bothered Michi. Then, as she had gotten more used to living alone, it didn't bother her as much. However, after meeting Chiyo, and especially after having fought with Chiyo so much lately, that loneliness felt more pronounced than ever.

"I don't understand why," Michi thought, annoyed as she prepared her own small breakfast. "It's not like Chiyo has spent a lot of time here." But as she thought that, she also couldn't help but imagine if that was the case. If one day, she and Chiyo might fall into a routine of the gal coming over for breakfast completely unannounced, and then Michi complaining about it but making her food anyways. Honestly, it all sounded entirely feasible. They could sit and eat together, talk about all sorts of things, and even walk to school together…

Michi shook her head, though not necessarily with a great amount of resistance. "It's not like I really want to do those things anyways," she told herself. "Besides, even if I did… it's not like it's possible right now anyways…"

She sighed as she finished preparing her rice. Over the past few days, Michi had been doing a lot of thinking and currently, she found herself at odds with the things she wanted. One on hand, she wanted to be mad at Chiyo for not only a perceived betrayal, but also striking her. On the other hand, Michi could already see the past repeating itself. Just like with Kanako, it was Michi's own actions that were causing her friendship to fall apart.

When it had come to Kanako, Michi had completely believed she was in the right. She knew what was best for Kanako, Haruna was the bad guy, and love between girls was wrong. But, in a bizarre twist for her, a girl she had once claimed to hate was the one turning everything in her life upside-down. In particular, she was beginning to question her claims against girls dating girls.

If she looked at everything that had happened with Kanako through the lens of love, Michi found that everything made sense. Haruna wouldn't leave Kanako alone because she was in love with her. Kanako defended Haruna because she cared about her, and then later, because she loved her. At the time though, all Michi had been able to see was her hatred for the girl who had, in her eyes, really hurt Kanako.

The closer Haruna had gotten to Kanako, the farther away Michi became from the girl she called her best friend, but that was mostly because of her own stubbornness. It was realizations like that one Michi was able to have because Chiyo was challenging her. The gal wasn't directly calling her out on her behavior (at least not often), but through Chiyo's own actions, Michi started to see the faults in her arguments.

In the end, it was her own stubbornness that had put her in the position she had been in, and now once again, Michi found herself in similar straits. She was ultimately faced with a choice, one she had picked wrong for last time.

Put the past behind her and fight to make sure she didn't lose Chiyo.

Or, remain steadfast in her beliefs and find some other way to keep Chiyo around, but also keep a distance between them.

Sitting down at her table with a bowl of miso soup and another bowl of rice, Michi had a pensive look on her face. This was not a choice that was occurring to her only right in this moment. This was a choice that she had been thinking about on repeat for days now. In the end, this was what her internal conflict boiled down to.

Perhaps in the past, Michi would've easily chosen the latter. After all, it's easier to remain stubborn, especially for someone like Michi who's so averse to change. However, there was a key difference between when she had been fighting with Kanako, and her current fight with Chiyo.

Someone else was threatening to intervene.

In Kanako's case, it had merely been Haruna coming into Kanako's life more and more, but with Chiyo, it was Chitose who held Michi's friendship with Chiyo in her hands. While Michi didn't exactly know Chitose well, she knew the older Wakabayashi well enough to know that if she said she'd stop Michi from seeing Chiyo, she meant it. In other words, if Michi didn't get her act together, Chiyo would be taken from her. That was something she knew she didn't want, but unlike with Kanako, that feeling was even stronger. There was something inside Michi that told her, screamed at her that she absolutely could not screw up again. That voice, which before may have been drowned out by pure stubbornness, was now the loudest voice in her heart.

She couldn't ignore it. There was no way she could. No matter what Michi thought, no matter what Michi told herself, there was no denying that she had messed up, and it was time to fix her mistakes before it became too late. This wasn't like with Kanako, who was just a good friend. This was more.

This was about a gyaru who by all accounts should've never been able to become friends with Michi because of Michi's own prejudice.

This was about a gal who kept pushing the bounds of what Michi would accept.

This was about a girl who, somehow, had become the most important person in the world to Michi.

Smiles and tears. Laughing and screaming. Coming closer and then… closer still. Michi had said she wanted to create distance between herself and Chiyo, but all she had managed to do in the process was risk losing the very person who had come to mean so much to her. How could she try to cut out the one who had been there for her when things had been hard? How could she try to say it was for the best that the one who kept supporting her was kept at a distance?

How could she be so cruel to Chiyo?

It was like slapping the gal in the face. Thinking of it that way, Michi and Chiyo were even. And that betrayal? Perhaps Chiyo had gone against something Michi kept insisting upon, but that paled in comparison to Michi herself betraying the feelings of Chiyo and everything she had done for Michi. If her stubbornness was like a wall, there were now so many cracks in it that it could no longer stand. That threat Chitose had made was the last it could take, and Michi's realizations, as she had them one by one, delivered the final blow.

Her heart hurt. Her chest ached. She wanted to cry as she began to understand just how badly she had screwed up. This was not something that could be fixed with a simple apology. Michi had gone beyond that. While she knew the gal was resilient, there was also only so much a person could take. Had Michi crossed that threshold? Was it possible that she had hurt Chiyo so much that there was no chance of recovery? There was no way for her to know, and that fear continued to smolder inside of her.

Finishing her breakfast, Michi took care of her dishes before giving herself one final look-over in the mirror. She had just felt like she had wanted to cry, so she wanted to make sure her eyes hadn't swelled just in case she had cried without realizing it. "Good," she thought as she saw her eyes were fine. "It would be hard to explain to others if they saw me looking like that."

With everything taken care of, Michi grabbed her bag and headed for the door. Because she lived alone, she had long fallen out of the habit of announcing that she was leaving, but just this once, she felt like she needed to. It wasn't as if the soon-to-be empty apartment could give her any reassurances, but at the very least, Michi felt like it would help boost her spirits for one reason or another. Taking a moment to gather her courage and at least somewhat silence her fears, she looked into the short hallway that led to the living room.

"I'm heading out," she said softly, then even quieter she added, "wish me luck." Then, turning back to the door, she opened it and began making her way to school.

*****

Just as Michi had been getting ready for school, Chiyo was doing the same. Of course, her routine was quite different from Michi's. She put on her uniform, but the collar had been stretched and pulled, showing a decent amount of the gal's cleavage. The skirt too had been modified, sitting much higher than anybody else's and just barely covering her butt. She also added white, loose socks, along with golden hoop earrings and plenty of makeup to go with her auburn and gold-colored hair tied in a high, side ponytail. Taking a good look in the mirror, she smiled. "There," she said, satisfied, and then she went out to the kitchen.

The woman waiting for her was Chitose, a tall, short-haired cool beauty sort of girl who was usually pretty relaxed. She was also busy with college, though she still spent plenty of time with Chiyo. Wearing a thin, navy blue tank top and black short-shorts, she looked like she hadn't been awake for long.

"Mornin' big sis!" Chiyo said happily. "Yeah, mornin'," Chitose said with a sleepy smile. "You hungry?" Chiyo nodded. "Yeah, I am, but I probably won't eat much." "Why not? Don't tell me you're gonna start dieting or something," Chitose said, eyeing her little sister. "Nope, just not all that hungry is all. But, I can eat," Chiyo said, though it was obvious to Chitose something was on her mind. "She's probably thinking about Mi-chan again…" she sighed internally.

In all honesty, Chitose liked Michi. She thought Michi was a fun girl to tease, and it was clear to her that she had a good heart when it mattered most. On top of that, she seemed to care about Chiyo a lot, and had even helped her and stayed by her side on a number of occasions. Considering how Chiyo's life had been up until her second year of high school, Chitose was grateful for everything Michi had done for her little sister.

But… At the moment, Michi was doing nothing but hurting Chiyo, and that was something Chitose wouldn't stand for. She was willing to give Michi some leeway due to her relationship with Chiyo, but that was only going to go so far. Chitose didn't want to have to be the bad guy and separate the two, but if things got any worse…

"Ah! Hey, Chitose, the toast is burning!" Chiyo cried. "Oh, whoops," Chitose said, looking down at the toaster that was now starting to pump out smoke. "Well, whatever. We can just make more," she said with a shrug as she took out the burnt bread. "Are you okay? You don't usually like, zone out," Chiyo asked with concern. "Oh, just thinking about my lil sis," Chitose said. "I appreciate it, but I'm afraid my heart belongs to someone else," Chiyo said, taking the conversation in a different direction as she made a dramatic show of her words.

"Yeah, yeah," Chitose said. "Whatever ya goofball," she added, bopping Chiyo in the forehead. All Chiyo did in response was laugh, and soon after that, the small breakfast for the Wakabayashi sisters was ready. As they ate, they talked about this and that, and once they finished, they both got ready to head out, with Chiyo leaving first.

"I'm off!" Chiyo announced. "Alright. Oh, Chi," Chitose said, stopping her sister. "Make sure ya don't get too down about stuff, 'kay?" "...Right," Chiyo said, understanding what Chitose meant. Then she left, making her way to Iwanai High.

Along the way, she ran into Haruna and Kanako. Naturally, they were holding hands. It was usually at this moment that Chiyo would run up to them and give them a happy greeting, but this time, she waited back for a bit. All she did was watch them as they held hands and talked with smiles on their faces. "They're seriously so cute together," Chiyo thought, the sight warming her heart. However, the feeling didn't last long though, as a different feeling, a feeling of emptiness, began to take over.

"It must be nice… to have someone like that," Chiyo thought sadly. "I wonder… will I ever get that chance?" Only a few weeks ago, Chiyo had really started to think that she had a legitimate shot at finding love for herself. The girl she had been pursuing had seemingly been reciprocating Chiyo's feelings, and it had led Chiyo to believe that maybe what she had once thought was impossible, might actually be possible after all.

But then, all her hopes were dashed. The memory of Michi screaming at her to get out of her apartment was still very fresh in her mind. It really felt like this time, Michi meant what she said. And yet, even if Michi really did hate Chiyo now, the gal just didn't have it in her to give up. Perhaps her pursuit would dwindle, and she would need to back off on her closeness, but her feelings would never die. That was something Chiyo was certain of. "Geez, I've really got it bad, don't I?" she thought. "Maybe I'm just too stupid to know when to give up on the person I love."

"Huh? What're you doing back there Chiyo?" a voice suddenly said. Being brought back from her thoughts, she looked ahead and saw Haruna looking back at her, along with Kanako. "G-Good morning Chiyo," Kanako said pleasantly. "It's kinda annoying when you jump on us all the time, but having you quietly follow behind us is even worse, so just get up here," Haruna said.

Hearing that, Chiyo couldn't help but smirk and take advantage of the situation. "Well, if ya really want me to!" she shouted, then took off at top speed toward the couple. "W-Wait, Chiyo!" Kanako cried, but it was too late. The gal dove at the two of them, this time sending all three girls down to the ground.

"Ow!" Haruna yelped. "Damn it Chiyo!" "Ahahaha! That was fun!" Chiyo laughed, feeling no guilt whatsoever. "Please be more careful…" Kanako groaned. The three of them then got up, and luckily no one was hurt. The only damage done was a little dirt on their uniforms.

Continuing on, Haruna asked Chiyo why she was hanging back. "Uh, well…" Chiyo said awkwardly. "Guess I was just admiring ya as a couple." "Admiring us?" Haruna repeated. "Well, somethin' like that," Chiyo said, walking ahead of them. "Is it just me, or does she seem weirder than usual?" Haruna asked. "I wonder what's wrong…" Kanako said.

Reaching the school gates first, Chiyo looked around. "Yeah… I figured we wouldn't get here at the same time," she thought. Of course, the girl she was looking for was Michi. In the past, they had tended to show up around the same time, but recently, it had only been Chiyo. Turning toward the four-story, faded white school building, Chiyo made her way to the front doors.

By the time she made it to her desk, she had managed to thoroughly depress herself. "Even if Mi-chan is here today, she probably won't talk to me…" she thought. "I know this is just how things are now, but I really hope they change soon…"

*****

Michi stood in front of the school. At this point, nearly all of the students in attendance had arrived. Only a few minutes remained until the gates would close, so she knew she had to go in soon, but she found it incredibly difficult to move her feet. It had already taken her much longer than usual to get to Iwanai High in the first place.

Essentially, she was starting to get cold feet. What if she tried talking to Chiyo and she refused to respond? Something like that sounded unlikely considering how the gal usually acted, but Michi couldn't help but think about the horrible possibilities. "Then again, I guess I deserve it if she wants nothing to do with me anymore," Michi thought. "I actually shouted 'I hate you' at her…"

"Hey, you there," a male teacher said as approached the gate. "If you stand there any longer, you'll be late." "R-Right, sorry," Michi said quickly, crossing the ling to be on school grounds. "Hurry on inside," the teacher told her, so Michi ended up doing just that. After all, she did still have a reputation of being a good student (though she had to wonder how her recent extended absence had effected that viewpoint).

Changing her shoes at her locker, Michi then made her way to the classroom. It seemed their teacher was running late, so plenty of students were still grouped up here and there in the room and talking. Surprisingly, Chiyo was sitting alone. Jasmine, Mayu and Itsuki were beside her, and Haruna, Kanako and Hinami were behind her, but she had chosen not to join either group. Seeing that made Michi feel even worse. "It makes it feel like without me, she's all alone…" Most likely, that was an exaggeration, but at the same time, Michi couldn't recall Chiyo spending as much time with anybody as much as she did with her.

Trying to sneak by, Michi quickly went past Chiyo's desk and sat down. Of course, being placed next to each other just made things more awkward. "I have to say something," Michi thought. "If I want things to get better, I have to be the one to say something." She opened her mouth once, then closed it, then opened it again. She was looking at Chiyo, but being unable to find words, she went back to looking straight ahead. "Just say something, idiot!" Michi screamed at herself.

"M...Morning…"

She finally managed to get out a single word. Whether it was even loud enough for Chiyo, to hear, she had no idea, and as for the face she was making, Michi was sure it was some expression that conveyed nervousness. Carefully, she glanced over at the seat to her right, and then her eyes went wide. There Chiyo was, staring right back at her looking just as surprised. However, unlike Michi, Chiyo's expression soon shifted into one of absolute delight.

"Mornin' Mi-chan!"

It was a step. The first step of many on the long road that Michi knew she was going to have to travel. What that road stood for, whether it was to make up for her guilt, to make a change, or to hold onto something precious, she couldn't really say. Perhaps it was all three. If it was, then it was all the more reason for Michi to follow that path. And if it wasn't any of the three, well, she figured it didn't really matter. "All that matters is making sure Chiyo can't be taken from me," she thought.

*****

"First of all, I'd like to welcome you to Iwanai Municipal High School," said a man with a hunched posture seated in his chair and a balding head with silver hairs to show his age. This man was the principal of Iwanai High, and currently, he was speaking to a young lady who would be joining the student body. Naturally, the man was seated at his desk, and the girl was across from it.

"Thanks for having me," the girl said. "Or, I guess it's more like, thanks for having me back, haha." "Right, you were a student here once before, correct?" the principal asked. The girl nodded. "Mhm, that's right. Although that was a super long time ago now." "Hearing someone as young as you say something was a super long time ago certainly makes me feel even older," the principal bemoaned. "But anyways, we are happy to see that you've returned."

With that said, the principal leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and propping his head up with his hands connected together like a shelf. "Now then," he began, becoming more serious. "While we appreciate your desire to enroll here, we have also been doing our due diligence. It's nothing extensive, mind you, but just like any other institution, we want to know just what kind of student we'll be accepting. Firstly, we looked at your grades. I must admit, when I saw them, I was quite amazed. Your grades and mock exams place you in the upper 10 percent of the country for academics. Truly remarkable."

"Thank you," the girl said with a small bow. "I was always raised to strive for the best." "I can see you've really put in effort," the principal said. "And, along with your grades, you participated in several sports, is that right?" "Yes, sir," the girl confirmed. "I was on the volleyball team and the track and field team." "Did you do well in those sports?" the principal asked. "Well, I suppose if you consider making it to nationals for track good," the girl said smugly. The principal laughed. "Yes, I think I would call that very good indeed."

"But," the principal said, becoming serious once more. "I must say, while your academics and athletic prowess are extraordinary, there is one thing that we are concerned about." "Oh?" the girl said. "What's that?" "When looking over your transcripts, we saw that several of your teachers left unusual comments, so we decided to follow up on them," the principal explained. "And after speaking with those teachers, we found that we kept hearing the same complaint. 'She has a tendency to disrupt class,' they'd say. When we pressed for further details, they seemed reluctant, but one of them finally told us what the real problem was."

"It seems that not only are you open about liking the same sex, you seem to also attract many girls to your side, which constantly causes commotion."

The girl was silent for a moment. Then in a heavier tone, she said, "Is that… going to be a problem? I was under the impression that schools weren't allowed to turn people away just because of who they love." However, contrary to the girl's expectations, the principal put up a hand. "That's not exactly the problem," he said. "Just as you said, it would be unlawful for us to turn you away sheerly because of your own personal sexual preference. My concern stems from two things, and they are things that I hope you will keep in mind." "...alright," the girl said. "Let's hear it."

"First is the issue of causing commotion. If you wish to have a bunch of cute girls at your side, I suppose that is your right. However, I and the teachers would appreciate it if you could keep such activities to a minimum when they could possibly disrupt class. Do you think you can do that?"

"I mean, it's not like I was some playgirl or anything," the girl said with a huff. "A lot of the girls just got smitten with me, that's all. I wasn't really pursuing them or anything." "So you're saying it can't be helped?" the principal asked. "Yup," the girl nodded. "Can't be helped." The principal felt like that was probably the same argument that the girl made at her old school, but he also had no way to counter it, so he had no choice but to move on.

"The second issue I have is in regards to a recent controversy we had at this school." "Controversy?" the girl asked. The principal sighed. "Oddly enough, even in this small town, you won't be the first person to say they love someone the same gender as them. In fact, those people go to this very school. In interest of discretion, I won't tell you their names, but I'm sure you'll find out who they are soon enough. After all, they're usually the topic of a conversation or two on a daily basis around here." "They sound interesting," the girl said, a gleam in her eye. "I suppose that's one way to put it," the principal said, sounding exhausted by the whole situation.

"Anyways," he continued. "The point I want to make is that that controversy is still fresh in the minds of the students and teachers here. I won't try to stop you from being open about liking other girls, but please keep in mind that announcing it for all to know could end up causing you some serious backlash." "Got it," the girl said.

"To be honest, it would help me a great deal if you would simply be more quiet about your interests, at least until everything blows over," the principal said. "Do you think you can do that?" "Sure, no problem," the girl said, although with how lightly she agreed, the principal got the feeling she hadn't really taken his words to heart.

"Well, I think that's everything. You've already signed all of your paperwork, right?" the principal asked. "Yup. Signed, dated, initialed, all that stuff," the girl said. "I'm ready to get back in class!" "Then allow me to guide you to your classroom," the principal offered. So with that, the principal and the girl made their way out of the office and toward the room the girl would be learning in.

*****

"Haa…" the teacher sighed as he stood in front of the classroom. His appearance was dreary as usual, and while he seemed stressed about something, no one was quite sure what. "Alright, so," he began. "It looks like we'll be getting a new student. I know it's a little weird because it's already a few weeks into the year, but do your best to make her feel welcome." Then, looking at the door, he told the girl in question to come in.

Walking in with a mix of both grace and pride, a girl somewhat taller than Kanako entered. Her hair was a flaming red, tied in a ponytail much like Kanako's, the only difference being the small braid hanging off the one side of her face. Her chest was noticeable, but not too large, and the rest of her body was shaped in an attractive manner, with curves in all the right places. Of course, her uniform was just like everybody else's, and unlike Chiyo's, it was in perfect condition. Setting up just to the side of the platform at the front of the room, she stood with feet together and hands behind her back.

"Hello everyone," she said pleasantly. "I'm Katsumi Ikehara. I actually used to go here a long time ago, so some of you might actually remember me. So let's see, what else should I tell you? I like to play sports, especially volleyball and run track. I guess I'm also pretty smart, so I can help you study too. Oh, right, one more thing…"

"I'm completely and totally a lesbian, so that means girls-only, 'kay? Sorry boys! Oh, but I'll still hang out with you. It's not like I'm anti-boy or anything!"

Considering how attractive Katsumi was, there ended up being a collective thud from the boys of the class when it was announced that they had no shot. Meanwhile, a few of the girls in the class blushed, wondered if that meant they'd be hit on. Because of a certain couple, the idea of girls dating girls was pretty prevalent in their minds, so they couldn't help but wonder.

It was as Katsumi was surveying the room though that several girls caught her eye. The first were the two right in front of her with their flashy looks (Chiyo and Jasmine). Another was a girl who seemed to be eyeing her suspiciously, but the next one that she noticed made her eyes go wide. Having not received a class roster yet, Katsumi hadn't had any idea who would be in her class, but one face looked awfully familiar.

"Kana-chin?!" she exclaimed, pointing directly at the girl in question. "H-Huh?" Kanako let out, confused. "How do you know- wait… Kat-chan?!" Immediately, Katsumi dashed over to Kanako and took up her hands. "You do remember me!" she said excitedly. "I just knew you wouldn't forget!" "I-It's been awhile," Kanako said. "It really has," Katsumi said solemnly. "But even so, I think we should pick up where we left off."

"Where we left off?" Kanako repeated. "Don't you remember Kana-chin? I told you I'd come back for you," Katsumi said. "I've been real faithful too. It wasn't easy, because girls just kept throwing themselves at me, but I held back, all for you." "K-Kat-chan, w-what are you-"

"Kanako, I'm back, so please go out with me!"

A silence fell over the room. Several people were shocked, but once that faded, they burst into laughter.

"Wow, how about that?"

"What're the odds?"

"I can't believe she just asked Kana-chan of all people…"

Katsumi looked around. It was now her turn to be confused. "I-I don't understand. What's so funny about this? Don't you people ask out the people you like?" "Well sure," one boy said. "But that's not why we're laughing." Then a girl spoke up. "Ikehara-san, out of everybody in the class, you somehow managed to ask out the one girl already in a relationship with another girl!"

Katsumi slowly turned back to Kanako. "Is that… true, Kana-chin?" she said, sounding devastated. "Yes, it is," Kanako said confidently. "This is horrible!" Katsumi exclaimed. "What vixen stole my beloved Kana-chin's heart! Ah, it must be one of those big-breasted girls in the front, right? I'm sure they're good at seducing anybody they want." "T-That's not exactly wrong, but no," Kanako said, wishing she could defend Chiyo and Jasmine. Taking a glance at both of them, they each had awkward looks on their faces as they tried to make sense of the situation.

"If it's not them, then who? I don't really see anybody else that stands out…" Katsumi said, looking around.

"Hey."

Looking to her right, she saw a girl standing next to her. Specifically, it was a girl taller than her and exuding a very, very intense aura. "Could you maybe let go of MY girlfriend?" Haruna said with the strongest glare she could muster. "Huh?" Katsumi said, not understanding. "Girlfriend? C'mon, you really think I'll believe that? I mean, it's nice that you want to save your friend from what you might think is an attack or something, but pretending to be her girlfriend is going a little far, don't you think? You're not even suited for-"

"Kat-chan," Kanako said, cutting her off. "That girl is Haruna Endo, and she is my girlfriend, who I love very much." While she spoke with a smile, her words were cold as ice. It was clear the angry side of Kanako had come out. "I appreciate that you have feelings for me, but I can't return them. I am perfectly happy with Haruna, and I won't stand for you saying she isn't suited for me. Instead of making such a horrible judgment, perhaps you should actually see for yourself whether or not two people are good matches for each other before you say something so insensitive. It would really do you some good."

Katsumi felt like she had just been stabbed several times by Kanako's words. "Alright, alright," she said weakly as she recovered. "I'm sorry Kana-chin. I shouldn't have been so rude. But…" Trailing off, she looked over at Haruna, who was still glaring. "Seriously, this girl?" Katsumi thought. "What's even good about her? I can tell with one look that she's gotta be rotten."

"You look like you got something you wanna say to me," Haruna said. "I do, but out of respect for Kanako, I'll hold my tongue," Katsumi said, finally letting go of Kanako's hands. But, instead of walking away, she leaned in closer so that only Kanako could hear. "Don't worry," she said. "I promise I'll show you that I'm much better for you than that other girl is." Then, before Kanako could say anything in response, Katsumi skipped back up to the front of the class.

"Sorry for the interruption, teacher," she said with a polite bow. "Uh… yeah, sure," was all the teacher could manage to say. "Anyways, um, your seat is over there in the back left corner." Following the direction the teacher pointed, Katsumi reached her new desk. "I look forward to this school year with you all!" she said, bowing once and then taking her seat.

With the chaos settled for the time being, the teacher started class. As he did, Chiyo turned back to Haruna. "Hey, Haru-chi," she whispered. "You alright?" "Yeah…" Haruna said. "I just can't believe someone like that girl actually exists." "What, being a lesbian?" "No, being the kind of person to hit on another person's girlfriend," Haruna clarified.

"Do you think she really meant it?" Chiyo asked. "I mean, most people like, back off and stuff after finding out the person they like is in a relationship." "I'm pretty sure she's serious," Haruna said. "I hope you don't get NTR'd," Chiyo said. "I'm not gonna get NTR'd!" Haruna said, saying it a bit louder than she meant to and drawing the attention of several nearby classmates. Now embarrassed, Haruna continued in an even quieter tone. "I just have to make sure that girl stays away from Kanako."

"How're ya gonna do that?" Chiyo asked. "I don't know, but… there's no way I can let her have any alone time with Kanako. I get a bad feeling that the moment I take my eyes off her, she'll go straight for my girlfriend."

Katsumi had only been apart of the class for a few minutes, but she had already managed to stir up plenty of trouble. As she sat in her seat in the corner, she kept thinking about Kanako already having a girlfriend. "I can't believe she didn't remember my promise to her," she pouted internally. "But oh well. I guess it can't be helped. I'll just have to win her over." Then, she looked at Haruna. "Haruna Endo, huh? Yeah, this'll be a piece of cake."

"Kana-chin will be mine in no time~."

End of Chapter Two.