Late-Night small talk

Hearing her beloved crush's voice call her name, Nozomi snapped and blinked as she realized it when the pigtail-haired girl lifted her head up. She saw the look of concern from her beloved crush and kouhai give to herself. Seeing that made her let out a small huff and smile while chuckling as she just realized that the pigtail-haired girl made her beloved crush and kouhai to be worried for herself.

"I apologize for behaving like that, Ayachi. I got lost in my thought for a moment while thinking of something. I'm ashamed to be seen like that by my dear kouhai."

"No, no. It's okay, Nozomi-senpai. I am just worried if you're suddenly getting sick or anything since you've been quiet until I call your name."

"Don't worry, Ayachi, I assure you that I am not. However, thank you for worrying about me though. I highly appreciate it. Anyway, let us change the subject. What are you doing at this hour, Ayachi? Did you have already finished your part-time job or something?"

Ayaka shrugged and replied to her pigtail-haired senpai.

"I don't have any schedule for today, senpai. I'm here because I just met with Nico-senpai when I was about to buy groceries, so knowing that she helped me choose them. I've learned a lot from Nico-senpai and am thankful for that!"

"Oh? Nico-chan helped you with groceries? That does seem to be what she would do since Nico-chan is quite a handful with chores and anything related to them. No, instead of a handful, I'd say she is talented and possess some good skills of being a housewife even though she does not appear to be so."

"I couldn't agree more with you, Nozomi-senpai. I might only know through her homemade bento, but Nico-senpai seems to be someone that would make a good wife of someone. Ironically, and supposedly, someone that lives alone as me would be good at chores and similar things… but the truth is that I'm not good at those fields."

The orange-haired girl confessed with embarrassing blush and expression on her face when saying that. Her pigtail-haired senpai could only let out a small chuckle of amusement when she heard from her orange-haired kouhai, which embarrassed the latter even more.

"Ayachi, it's not an obligation to possess such a skill, so you don't have to feel like that. However, if you still think of such, maybe you could learn a thing or two. I am also the same as you since I live alone while my parents always work overseas or move from different places. No one would laugh at you for not having such skills."

"Thank you for that, Nozomi-senpai! And for the cooking part, Nico-senpai promised me a lesson someday, so I think that got me covered at a certain part. I couldn't always rely on someone's help, ain't it?"

Nozomi nodded in agreement with Ayaka's statement since it was correct. However, the urge within the former increased, and she wanted to pamper the latter since the pigtail-haired girl wanted to make her beloved crush happier. But, Nozomi held that urge since she patiently waited when Ayaka's cooking skills increased satisfactorily. Because if Ayaka could cook something good, she wouldn't only get cooked delicious food by the orange-haired girl, but the pigtail-haired girl would also get a feast to her eyes when she saw Ayaka in an apron.

'That would be a good investment. Waiting for it would be worth it. Seeing Ayachi in a cute apron and cooking something… I envy Hanayo that she has Ayachi as her girlfriend. No, I mustn't give up. Maybe Hanayo actually allowed Ayachi to have multiple girls in her relationship. Maybe tomorrow I could talk about this matter with Hanayo first.'

She nodded after making a decision in her head. Nozomi had already decided to do it but asked that matters to Hanayo instead of Ayaka. Since she thinks it would be the safest choice than with her crush, even though it's actually not. However, she didn't know that, and maybe she would know tomorrow when the pigtail-haired girl asked it.

'I'm no mind reader, but it looks like Nozomi-senpai wants to do something that might surprise someone tomorrow. I hope it is something exciting and involve all of us. I want to ask her about it since I'm curious but let's not do that.'

Ayaka thought when reading Nozomi's facial expression and assumed that to her head. What she thinks is not wrong since Nozomi would do something that might cause the orange-haired orphan to be surprised tomorrow since Ayaka didn't know what Nozomi was thinking right now, but instead of bad, that would be a good thing for Ayaka.

As silence and awkwardness filled the two girls, Nozomi let out a fake cough and tried to say something to break the current atmosphere between them as she smiled with her usual facial expression to her beloved kouhai.

"Ayachi, what you've said is correct. However, you shouldn't hesitate to ask the help from us. After all, we aren't stranger anymore to each other, right? You may not be an idol like me and everyone else, but you are still our precious friend."

Ayaka nodded understandingly with a bright and beautiful smile on her face. She clearly and fully understood what her pigtail-haired senpai meant since, despite being included in the circle of μ's, Ayaka somewhat still felt alienated because she is not a school idol like them. However, that feeling of doubt and alienation slowly decreased as she kept being told like that by them.

"I understand it now, so thank you, Nozomi-senpai. Thanks to everyone in the μ's since you and everyone are kind enough to me who isn't an idol. I always thought you and the rest of μ's won't accept another person who isn't an idol to be part of your group of friends."

"Of course, we aren't like that, Ayachi. Maybe Maki-chan and Nico-chan can cause you a bit of misunderstanding initially, but after you get to know them more, you will know the truth. Isn't that right?"