Chapter 42

"… … … Whew… This should be enough for now"

It was a Saturday, and Yuriko had just finished studying for her final exams, it was still sunny outside and there was still quite a lot of time until evening

"…" <Hmm… What should I do now?… Ah! Let's call Aki-chan and Ayano-chan and invite them for an outing!>

With that in mind, Yuriko picked up her phone and pressed to call the number on Aki's phone

"… … …"

"Yu-chan hello! Do you need something from me?"

"Yes! I was thinking of inviting you and Ayano-chan for an outing now!"

"Ah!… About that… I think we two will be unable to hang out with you this week and the next…"

"Eh?… Why?!"

"Well… That's because… 'This is tyranny! I demand my freedom, Aki! Give me freedom!' Oi! Shut up! I'm having a call right now! And go back on answering those damn questions!… … … Well, as you can see I'm currently busy forcing Ayano-chan to study for her tests, and I'll definitely have to teach her for the entire week just to make sure she won't get any red mark"

"Ah… I understand… Sorry to bother you…"

"Don't worry about that, anyways good luck with your tests. Bye!"

"Ah! Yes… Thank you, and for you too, bye"

*Phone beeping*

"… … … *Opens her notebook again*"

And with that the call ended, now with her plan shattered, Yuriko stayed silent for a moment, before she began pouting with an angry face as her eyes teared up

-

A few days later

-

"…"

Yuriko was making her way back to her classroom with a somewhat depressed expression, from being unable to spend time with her two friends. It had been a few days since she was able to have a proper conversation with either Aki or Ayano since one was busy teaching and the other was being forced to study whenever they had free time

Not only that but there was also the fact that Yuriko was too lenient whenever she helped Ayano study, so Aki didn't have any other choice but to keep holding Ayano from running away to Yuriko

Yuriko understood all that, but she still felt pretty annoyed and sad from being the only one left alone during the week before the tests

"Haa…"

As Yuriko approached her classroom, she sighed right before she put her hand on the door handle to open it, but then…

"Hey, what do you think of Nanami-san?"

"Nanami-san? Well…"

She heard the voices of two boys inside the classroom talking about her

"I like her. She's beautiful and has those big badonkers"

"I get it, I get it. What about her friends though?"

"Who?"

"You know, Takahashi-san and Inoue-san"

"Them? Well… They are pretty good-looking, but Inoue-san is too annoying and Takahashi-san is definitely a hoe"

"Oh! So you know about that as well? I heard rumors that Inoue-san has been cheating to get good grades and that Takahashi had gone out with a hundred or so boys already"

"…"

When Yuriko heard the two boys bad-mouthing her two childhood friends, her expression which was one of depression quickly changed to one of anger as she had a beautifully scary smile while a shadow was cast over her eyes. But yet again, before she could open the door, another voice came from inside the classroom

"Hey! What are you two talking about?"

"About Nanami-san's friends"

"Ah… You mean Takahashi-san and Inoue-san?"

"Yeah"

"From the stuff about them that I heard from others, Nanami-san should really stop hanging out with them"

"You're right, from all the rumors about them. I'm pretty sure they're either bringing or blackmailing her to hang out with them"

"About that, I heard some things about Takahashi-san and Inoue-san, and they were that Inoue-san apparently scam older men and threatens to accuse them of sexual harassment if they don't give them money, while Takahashi-san apparently sleeps with old men for money"

"Those rumors sound pretty far-fetched"

"They aren't! I heard them from a friend of a friend who knows a person who's friends with the person who witnessed the two walking pretty close to old men in the shopping district"

"Heee? That sounds pretty untrustworthy, if I may say"

" " "?!" " "

When the three heard a pretty familiar voice saying those words in a furious tone, they all got surprised and looked at the owner of the voice at the same time. It was Yuriko, who was smiling but her closed eyes meant that it wasn't out of happiness

"N-Nanami-san?! Y-You got it w-wrong we-"

"Are you going to say that you didn't mean to say that I should break my friendship with Aki and Ayano when you said it earlier?"

"Erk…"

"Those two are my very important friends, and I really hate hearing others badmouthing them and then telling me who I should be friends with. Today, I'll overlook everything that I heard from you three, but don't expect a second time"

" " "?!" " "

The three and everyone else who happened to be in the classroom, felt a chill running down their backs when they heard those last words of Yuriko. As for her, she picked up her bag and belongings, then she left the classroom in a hurry

"…"

After a few minutes, Yuriko was at the shoe lockers, which were currently empty, there she ended up cooling down but Yuriko still felt angry, so she began to pout and stomp the floor in anger, then as she was doing that…

"I knew it was you, Yu-chan"

"!"

When Yuriko heard that voice, she turned and saw Aki and Ayano standing behind her

"Aki-chan…"

"Did something happen, Yu-chan?"

"Ayano-chan…"

Seeing the two, Yuriko dashed at them and tightly hugged them… Way too tightly for both of them

"Y-Yu-chan… Loosen your arms a little bit… I can't breath" *Desperately tapping Yuriko's back*

"… " *Tapping Yuriko's back even more desperately*

After a few seconds, Yuriko loosened her hug, before she started talking

"Nee… We'll always be best friends, right?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, we'll always be your best friends, Yu-chan!"

"Yup, yup, whatever that you might have heard from the others. You know that they're all fake rumors"

"… … … I missed talking to you two"

" "It has only been a few days!" "

Aki and Ayano looked at each other with small smiles on their faces

"Yu-chan… You really need to train on being able to endure staying alone for some time

"…"

"Yu-chan… This is necessary since there'll be some times that we might not be able to see each other for more than a week. Like if I go on a vacation overseas with my family"

"… Fine…"

"There, there. Yu-chan, don't worry about that it'll be a good experience for you"

Yuriko pouted at Aki's arguments while Ayano pet her head

"Well, Yu-chan… For today, let's all have a study session together… But don't be lenient to Ayano under any circumstance!"

"! Yes, I will!"

"Yay! A study session with Yu-chan!"

"…" <I'm regretting this already, but… Yu-chan is always cuter when she's happy>

Aki sighed internally but she showed a happy smile at seeing that Yuriko's mood had improved. The three later made a group study session in Aki's house, and Yuriko was very lenient to Ayano to Aki's regret, after the study session ended, Yuriko forcibly made the two take a bath with her by throwing a tantrum and making a face that she was on the verge of crying in front of them