Chương 3: Chapter Three: Let's Play Pretend, For The Sake Of Our Feelings
"I want you two to date each other instead," Akio repeated simply. Both Kanako and Haruna stared at him blankly for a few seconds before it finally clicked. "W-W-W-Wait, I don't think I heard you right Akio-kun," Kanako said. "I suppose I should clarify," he said.
"For this entire school year, I want you and Haruna to go out. Then, after that year, I'll date whichever one of you does a better job in your relationship," Akio stated. "Who the hell would agree to that..." Haruna said as she looked at the ground, clenching her fists. "This shouldn't even be some sort of game. JUST PICK ONE OF US OR NEITHER, IT'S THAT SIMPLE!" she snapped, looking up with eyes filled with both pain and anger.
"I guess it could be," Akio agreed. "But I still stand by my earlier question. If best friends suddenly hate each other, what does that say about your quality as a lover? But, if the two of you were able to convince me that you genuinely care for one another like you used to, it would assure me that your feelings for me are also genuine."
"So let me get this straight..." Haruna began. "To show you we're both serious, we have to convince you that we're not just good friends again, but lovers? And if we can do that, you'll pick one of us to go out with for our last year of high school?" "That's right," Akio nodded.
"No way," Haruna said flatly. "I refuse."
"There's absolutely no way I'm spending any more time than necessary with this loser. Even being around her this long makes me sick. And now, instead of just giving a yes or no answer to our confessions, you expect us to act like lovers?! How the hell are we even supposed to pull that off?! WE'RE BOTH GIRLS DUMBASS!!!"
"You really don't get it do you?" Akio sighed. "Get. What?" Haruna said through gritted teeth. "Well if I have to explain it to you, it kind of loses its effect. It's such a shame that you apparently aren't serious, especially after giving such heartfelt confessions," Akio said. "I am serious!" Haruna yelled. "I love you Miyashita-kun! But this... you're asking the impossible of me, of us. I can't stand this girl and it's the same way back. Neither of us can do this 'deal' you're proposing."
Akio sighed again. "Well, I guess if you feel that strongly about it, I have no choice but to retract my deal and reject both of you outright. Thank you both very much for your feelings, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Then, Akio began to walk away. Haruna watched as he did, feeling so much pain in her heart with each step that Akio became further away. She wanted to stop him. She wanted to just have him all to herself. "Why does it have to be like this?" Haruna thought sadly.
"I'll do it," a small voice suddenly said.
Haruna's sadness quickly switched to shock as she turned her attention to Kanako. Her words had made Akio stop too. "Kana-chan?" he said. Gathering her resolve, Kanako took a step toward Akio and gave him a look of determination. "If this is what it takes to be with you Akio-kun, I'll gladly take on this challenge," she said. "WHAT'RE YOU SAYING, YOU IDIOT?! DON'T YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS?!" Haruna screamed at Kanako. "I understand exactly what it means. However, I've had these feelings for so long, and I won't have them wasted and thrown away like this!" Kanako stood firm on her words, leaving Haruna speechless.
"I know Akio-kun won't pick me just because of this. But, if there's even a small chance, I have to try!" Kanako thought. "Akio-kun," she continued. "Maybe it sounds reckless, and irresponsible, but still... I want you to know that I'd do anything for you! So if I have to put up with Haruna, then I'll do that!"
"Put up with huh?" Akio repeated. Kanako flinched. She knew instantly it was the wrong choice of words. "So Haruna-chan, what do you have to say to such a proclamation? Will you just let her do and say as she pleases, or will you fight for what you desire as well?" Akio prodded.
Haruna was extremely tense, her whole body filled with both rage at Kanako for saying what she did, and confusion at Akio for this whole situation. She couldn't stand the thought of pretending to date Kanako, but at the same time, her getting ahead like this was probably worse. Back and forth Haruna's thoughts went, until finally, she came to a decision.
"Fine," she uttered. "I'll do it too. I'll prove to you that I'm serious Miyashita-kun, even if it means I have to stomach being with her." "You don't have to act like I'm some diseased rat or something," Kanako thought, annoyed. "I'm glad to hear it," Akio said with a smile. "Then, from this point on, I expect you two to act like lovers for the following year. Both of you please do your best," he said with a bow. Then Akio left for the doors he came out through.
It remained silent other than the soft breeze that sifted over and through the two girls' hair and uniform. A word wasn't spoken between them until they both heard the latch on the doors click shut.
"What... in the hell... is wrong with you?" Haruna turned on Kanako. "N-nothing. I just... I just couldn't let him walk away..." Kanako said softly. "I know how you feel about me Haruna, but we both feel the same way toward Akio-kun. S-so why don't we make the best of this, okay?" Kanako said as she stuck out her hand. But, instead of shaking it, Haruna smacked it away.
"Make the best of this?! Are you kidding me?!" Haruna was getting riled up again. "W-Why are you mad again?" Kanako panicked slightly. "How can you be okay with this?! This entire thing is so dumb and messed up! Damn it, there's no way this is happening!" Haruna shouted. "I don't think it's so bad..." Kanako muttered. Haruna stared at Kanako with a maddening expression, before just sighing.
"Then I guess I'll explain it to you in terms your small brain can understand," Haruna said sharply. "Miyashita-kun should've just picked one of us, but instead he didn't. But he didn't turn us down either. Instead, he expects us, two girls, to date." "I-I know," Kanako said quietly. "If you know then what don't you get?! Aren't you afraid of the rumors that will spread about us or trying to explain this to your friends?! It's crazy!" Haruna yelled desperately. "If you're so worried, then maybe I'll just go find Akio-kun and tell him you already gave up," Kanako uncharacteristically spat back. "Excuse me?!" Haruna reacted.
The two girls were stuck in a stand-off. Kanako was shaking from nerves. Aside from just confessing her true feelings, now she was doing one of her least favorite things and confronting Haruna head on. "Just accept it already so this can be over!" Kanako pleaded internally. And at the same time, Haruna glared intensely back at Kanako. "You stupid pipsqueak. When did you get so full of yourself?" she thought.
"I'm not quitting," Haruna finally said. "The only reason I even agreed was so I could keep my chances with Miyashita-kun alive. I'm not going to do any of that "acting like we're a couple" junk, alright?" "T-Then what are we going to do?" Kanako asked anxiously. Haruna let out a big sigh. "Before we do anything, I'm laying out some ground rules," she said.
"First, the only time we need to be together is when Miyashita-kun will see us. That means all we have to do is walk home together and act friendly and he'll never suspect anything. Second, in no way, shape, or form am I touching you. No holding hands, no hugs, none of that crap. The closest I want to be to you is with a ten foot pole between us. Thirdly, don't you dare think this makes us on good terms again or something," Haruna laid out.
"B-but what about walking to school or e-eating lunch together or w-when we see each other in the hallways?" Kanako stuttered out. "Who cares?" Haruna said flatly. "Miyashita-kun's schedule is different from ours, so I doubt we have to worry about running into him in the halls. Plus, you're the one that's always late to class and I'm not about to join you, so I'm perfectly fine with continuing to walk separately here." "I don't think he'll believe us if all we do is walk home together..." Kanako said softly. "Yeah well nobody wants to know what you think mouse-girl," Haruna said in a harsh tone. "That wasn't called for..." Kanako said even softer. "What?" Haruna dared her to repeat that. "N-nothing..." Kanako said.
"Whatever," Haruna said. "I'm going home first. Wait at least 10 minutes before leaving." Haruna then headed toward the doors. "Wait 10 minutes before leaving," Kanako repeated quietly in a mocking tone. "What was that?!" Haruna shouted back. "Go home already you meanie!" Kanako yelled, sticking her tongue out at Haruna.
*****
As Haruna approached the lockers, she saw Akio leaning up against them. Actually, he was right next to hers. "Is Kana-chan not with you?" Akio said somewhat slyly. "Of course not," Haruna sighed. "Well y'know, most couples walk home together," he pushed. "Tell you what. I'll give you a pass for today since you just started and all. But I guess it looks like I'll have to watch you two EXTRA closely to make sure you hold up our end of the deal."
"Hey, Akio! Come on, let's go already!" another boy called. "Ah, well it looks like I need to go. See you tomorrow, Haruna-chan," Akio said as he walked off. Haruna just stood there, going over what he just said.
"He's going to watch us?" she thought. "But our schedules are so different. How will he even be able to do that?" Those kinds of thoughts kept running through Haruna's mind as she put on her outdoor shoes and began the trek home.
The walk back felt longer than usual as Haruna was lost in her own head. "I can't believe I'm doing this..." she muttered to herself. "And out of all the people this could've happened with, why'd it have to be that stupid girl?" Haruna just didn't understand. Why couldn't Akio just pick one of them? Why make such a ridiculous proposal? There had to be more to it than he was letting on.
"I'm home," Haruna called out once she was back, though it was pointless because both of her parents wouldn't be home for another hour. Taking off her shoes, Haruna marched up the stairs, threw down her bag in her room and then flopped down onto her bed without even changing out of her uniform.
Then, she screamed into her pillow.
"Haaah.... I'm exhausted..." Haruna sighed. "Seriously Miyashita-kun... what's going on?" While Haruna continued to wonder about that question, she heard the ping! sound from her phone indicating a text:
From: Chiyo Wakabayashi
Hey girl! How'd your confession go?! :) I totes bet he said yes, right?
"Siiiigh," Haruna let out. "I wish it would've been that easy." Staring at her phone, Haruna wondered how to respond. "It's such a bizarre situation. I don't think I could really explain it well in a text... I could call her, but it feels like that wouldn't work well either... I'll just tell her at lunch tomorrow," Haruna concluded and sent Chiyo the same message.
Ping!
From: Chiyo Wakabayashi
Aww, but I wanna know nowwwww :( :(
Haruna laughed a little. "She's so impatient." The good mood was cut short however by quickly remembering recent events. "What am I going to do... I need to figure out a way to convince Miyashita-kun that I'm the better choice, a way good enough to make him forget about the deal he came up with. But what would that be?"
While Haruna was lost in thought, her mother and father arrived home. "Harunaaa, you here?" her mom called. "Yeeess," Haruna called back. "Why does she even ask? She knows my club hasn't started yet." Haruna then rolled onto her back and went back to thinking about her new fake relationship. No matter what she thought though, she ended up at the same ending every time: "Why does he have to dredge up the past like this?"
*****
"I can't believe I actually waited for 10 whole minutes..." Kanako said disappointingly to herself. "Why should I listen to her anyway?! It's just Haruna!" As the breeze rustled the leaves above her, Kanako thought back. "I miss those days..." she said with longing. "Well, I should probably be getting home."
Walking back to her locker and then beginning the walk home, Kanako found she had a lot of time to think. It's not like things were any different. She always walked home by herself. While Kanako knew she was fortunate to find good friends in Michi, Itsuki and Mayu, it also happened that they lived in the opposite direction of her. "But I guess my days of walking home alone are numbered..." Kanako thought.
There was an impending sense of dread above Kanako and if it could've taken shape, it'd look like a storm cloud. "I can't believe I'm going to be walking home with Haruna again." Kanako stopped in her tracks at that thought. "How long has it been since we did that?"
The past was a confusing memory for Kanako. On the one hand, there was a lot she remembered fondly. Her time spent with Akio playing in the neighborhood park were especially good times. But even the times spent with Haruna had been nice, at least up until junior high. "Now it's like trying to make friends with an angry cat," Kanako thought. "Or maybe a grumpy bulldog is more accurate."
On the other hand was Kanako's confusion for why things were the way they were. All she really knew was how her and Haruna's friendship ended, but she didn't know why. Remembering stuff like that always felt somewhat overwhelming. But Kanako also knew that Akio was right about one thing: how can two people who are best friends suddenly not be?
Kanako also wondered about the deal she agreed to. It was definitely weird and out of the ordinary. Alright, waaay out of the ordinary. But, she wasn't as against it as Haruna, which gave Kanako an odd sense of pride. But still, the fact remained that they are both girls, and acting like they were dating was definitely going to bring up a lot of questions with her friends.
"I doubt if I tried to explain it to them they'd even understand. Itsuki-chan would probably just get confused, Mayu-chan would just nod along, and I know Mi-chan would yell at me and tell me that it was a horrible idea to agree to that," Kanako sighed. "Maybe I just shouldn't tell them. It'll be easier that way."
Once Kanako got home, she headed straight upstairs to her room to do her homework. But her efforts were futile as her mind kept drifting back to earlier. "I'm going to have to spend more time with Haruna..." she thought. "Or maybe not, considering she's trying to avoid me as much as possible." That was when the frustration Kanako had felt before suddenly came rushing back.
"Argh! What's her problem anyways?! She's always such a jerk to everyone as it is, but it's even worse to me! I can't stand it! And now I have to pretend to date her?! Why did I agree to that without a second thought?!" Kanako flailed around in her desk chair as she shouted to herself, her motions ultimately causing her to tumble to the ground with a loud thud.
"Kanako, what's going on up there?" her father called. "N-Nothing! Everything's fine!" she yelled back. "Geez, I've gotta get it together. At this rate I'll be doing homework until midnight." With that being said, Kanako set her chair back up, sat back down and went back to work, trying the best she could to avoid thinking about her new "relationship."
*****
The next morning, Haruna woke up with a groan. "I'm so tired... Barely got any sleep last night," she thought. Slowly, she dragged herself out of bed and changed into her uniform, then stared at herself in the mirror. "I look awful." What was once potentially a morning that could've been filled with joy and a new boyfriend was now just full of annoyance and despair. "Haruna, come on! Your breakfast will get cold!' her mom called. "Coming," Haruna groggily called back.
After she ate, Haruna grabbed her stuff and left for school. Shortly after getting out the door, she looked to her right at her neighbor's house. In all regards, hers and theirs were practically the same. The only difference was that the neighbor's paint job was a lighter shade of beige. There was really nothing about that house that should bother anyone. And yet, there was one thing that irked Haruna.
The name on the nameplate: Nakatomi.
Part of how her and Kanako had become such good friends in the past was because they lived right next to each other. The two families would get together a lot to hang out so naturally the two girls really only had each other because neither of them had any siblings. Occasionally Akio and his family would come to events as well (they lived only two blocks away).
"I bet that idiot's still asleep," Haruna thought begrudgingly. "Well whatever. It's not my problem if she's late." So Haruna began heading to school and like usual, it wasn't long before Chiyo joined her.
"Goood morning Haru-chi!" Chiyo said happily. "Is it?" Haruna replied doubtfully. "Well I guess it isn't for you," Chiyo said. "What's wrong girl? You look terrible. Were ya thinkin' about Akio-kun so much that you couldn't sleep?" "Yeah, something like that," Haruna said. "Oooh, Haru-chi! That's adorable! So he said yes after all right?" Chiyo pressed with glimmering eyes. Haruna sighed. "Not exactly. It's complicated and it's too early in the morning to try to explain it all to you, so I'll just tell you at lunch." "Y'know that means you'll have to tell Jas-chin too right?" Chiyo said. "Yeah I know. Honestly, I trust her to keep a secret more than you though," Haruna said. "Hey!" Chiyo shot back. "I'm not that much of a gossip!"
As the two girls continued talking, they reached the school to find the front of it in a bustle.
"Come join the track club!"
"Do you enjoy reading? Then come see us, the literature club!"
"If you seek the thrill of the stage, then come join the theater club!"
"Ah, I forgot today was recruitment day," Haruna said. "Hey Haru-chi, isn't that your club over there?" Chiyo pointed to the right near the front doors. In that spot was a girl with long, long blue hair standing on top of a box while holding a megaphone. Next to her were two other girls holding a sign that read: Girls Snowboarding & Skiing Club.
"Yeah, it is. Looks like the president's all fired up too," Haruna said. "Should you go help her?" Chiyo asked. "Nah, it's fine. Besides, it looks like the others have a good hold on it. They even got a good spot this year," Haruna said. "It's must be hard to recruit students for something that doesn't even start until the second term," Chiyo commented. "That and most people aren't too fond of the cold." "That's true, but we still get a couple new people every year, enough to keep the club operational at least. Well, that's what I've been told anyways," Haruna said.
When the two girls were just about to enter the building after wading through the masses of hungry recruiters, Haruna was stopped by a sudden call through a megaphone of: "HEY, HARUNA-SAN!" Looking to her right, there was her club's president, Izumi Komatsu, standing proudly on her makeshift pedestal. "Come and help us out! Do your duty as a club member!" she beamed. "But I have to get to class," Haruna said as she tried to scoot away. "All clubs are excused for the first half of first period! You know that!" Izumi said. "Well, you look like you can handle it, so good luck," Haruna said with a wave of her hand while walking away. "Hey, come back!"
The surprises didn't stop though when she walked through the doors. Haruna found Akio next to her locker again. "Where's Kana-chan?" he asked with a bit of smugness. "Who cares?" Haruna fired back. "Ouch. So harsh to your own lover," Akio said. "SHE'S NOT MY LOVER!" Haruna shouted, causing those around her to stop and stare for a moment. Haruna let out a disgruntled "Mmmm..."
"You know, I said I'd give you a pass for yesterday, but that doesn't apply now. Day 1 and you're already off to a poor start," Akio chided. "Look, I just didn't want to risk being late is all. Is that so bad?" Haruna said, beginning to get flustered. "I suppose not. But, you two do live right next to each other, so it's not like you'd have to go out of your way to wake her up," Akio said. "Like hell I'm waking her up! I'm not her damn alarm clock!" Haruna yelled. Akio smiled. "No, I guess you're not," was all he said as he walked away.
"Hm? Hmmmm?" Chiyo hummed in Haruna's ear. "What was that about Haru-chi? Seems like you two are getting along fabulously." "Yeah right," Haruna said, slamming her locker shut after changing her shoes. "Hey, why'd he mention Kana-chan?" Chiyo asked. Haruna ignored her, electing to just go to class instead of giving an answer.
*****
As it would turn out, Haruna had been wrong about Kanako still being in bed. In fact, she had made sure to be up extra early. Why? Because with today being recruitment day, Kanako had to make sure she was to go and help her club!
But, even with Kanako's efforts of getting her homework done early and getting to bed by 10 p.m., she just still wasn't a morning person. So while Kanako was technically awake and getting ready, you could hardly call her fully conscious. Lazily as she could, Kanako put on her uniform and really only managed to half-tie her bow, then put up her hair into her daily ponytail. As she put what she needed into her bag, Kanako's phone rang.
"...hello...?" Kanako answered sleepily. "Kana-chan? You better be out of bed!" Michi somewhat yelled. "I am..." Kanako said with a yawn. "Well good. Don't forget that we have to meet in our clubroom by 7:45 so we have time to prep and get the stand ready," Michi said. "I knooow," Kanako said with another yawn. "Alright. Then I'll see you at school. Don't you dare fall back asleep!" Michi said, then hung up. "I appreciate her concern, but does she have to be so loud and bossy in the morning?" Kanako said to herself.
So Kanako finished getting her and her stuff put together before eating a quick breakfast and then headed out for school. Unfortunately, still not being 100 percent awake has its consequences, as Kanako had only taken a handful of steps out the door before tripping over a crack in her house's path to the sidewalk.
"Owwie..." she moaned as she pushed herself back up. "Well I guess I'm awake now... Geez, that really hurt..." While Kanako brushed herself off and straightened her uniform, she took a glance to her left at her neighbor's house. "Haruna..." Kanako said softly. "Why does it have to be like this?"
Knowing that she needed to be on her way, Kanako did her best to push aside her worries and turned her attention back to her path. She managed to make it the rest of the way problem-free all the way to school. And, when she arrived, there was hardly a soul in sight. "I guess that makes sense. We're one of the few clubs that has to be here this early," Kanako thought.
So Kanako headed inside the building, changed her shoes, and proceeded to the clubroom section of the school. After climbing a flight of stairs and walking ahead a little bit, she was hit with the wafting smells of pancakes, eggs and baking pastries. Stopping at the door she needed, Kanako looked up at the sign that designated what the club was. The sign read: Cooking Club.
"G-Good morning everyone," Kanako said softly as she slowly opened the door. However, no one seemed to hear her, as all members of the club were hard at work at one station or another. "Oh, Kana-chan! Good, you're here!" Naomi Akiyama greeted her while flipping a pancake. She was the current president of the club and a third-year (indicated by her lavender-colored bow). Her brown hair was always worn in a very tight and complex-looking braid. When Kanako asked her about it once, Naomi said it was to keep her hair out of the way as much as possible and to prevent hairs from falling out, not to mention it's a lot easier to put a hair net over that style when necessary rather than when her hair isn't tied.
"It's about time you showed up!" another girl said. "Hurry up and put this on!" A shirt was thrown to Kanako, which surprised her, but she managed to catch it. When she unfurled it, Kanako saw a pink shirt with a smiling piece of toast in the center. Above it was the word 'Cooking' and below it said 'club.' "U-umm, are these really what we're wearing?" Kanako asked, hoping the answer was no. "As you can tell, Naomi-senpai picked them out," Michi said as she walked by. "I thought they were really cute!" Naomi said. That was the other thing about Naomi. She had absolutely no sense of style.
"Just put it on! Come on, we don't have time to waste!" The girl that was yelling at Kanako was the same girl that had thrown the shirt at her. Her name was Rina Takano. A girl fairly similar in build to Kanako, she wore her hair in long black twintails, tied on each side with fanciful red and white-colored ribbons. She could get pretty bossy, even more than Michi, and she always seemed easily agitated. When Kanako first met her, she wasn't really a fan of Rina. But as time went on, she saw that Rina was actually nice, it was just hard for her to express that in a way that didn't come off as mean. "Ah, geez Saki, watch the pan! It's going to burn!"
Then there was the other girl, Saki Uchida, the only first year so far. She actually joined the club immediately when the year started. For some reason, Rina had taken something of a liking to her, so she always got extra attention. But even though Rina can be hard to deal with, Saki never had a problem. That was because she was also a major airhead.
The shortest of them all, Saki wore her green hair in short but fluffy pigtails and she had a face that reminded you of a bunny. She was also a bit of an anomaly. Being an airhead, Saki had a tendency to burn whatever she was cooking and being as short as she was didn't really help either. However, on the off-chance she didn't burn the food, it was always the best tasting thing the other girls had ever had. "Maybe that's why Rina's so hard on her. She wants Saki to be consistent," Kanako thought as she changed in a nearby bathroom.
When Kanako got back, the room was still in a flurry, but she noticed two people were missing. "Hey, where's Mayu-chan and Itsuki-chan?" she asked. "Oh, Itsuki-chan made sure to get here early enough to help set up the stand with Mayu-chan," Michi explained. "Once they're done, Mayu-chan is coming back, but Itsuki-chan has to go help with the track club." "Oh, that's right. I forgot," Kanako said. "Kana-chan! Grab a pan and start cooking! We still need more eggs!" Rina shouted from the back. "R-right!" Kanako panicked slightly, then got to work.
When all was said and done, the group of them had a massive stack of pancakes ready to go, plenty of eggs served in various ways, and some muffins and breakfast-styled crepes. "Alright, looks like that'll be enough to start. We'll cook a little more outside, but it shouldn't be too much since we only have an hour or so to work with," Naomi said. "Everybody grab a plate and let's go!"
As soon as students could smell the scents of freshly made food, they came rushing to the stall that had been set up by Mayu and Itsuki. "Calm down everyone! Make a line!" Rina shouted at them. "It's great that so many people want our food!" Saki said happily. "I agree, but it would be nice if they didn't get so worked up about it," Michi said as she prevented someone from knocking paper plates and napkins off the counter.
As the morning continued, Kanako spent most of her time cooking because her voice wasn't loud enough to be able to advertise and she didn't do well with a whole crowd at once. "Tch, that girl... she seriously makes our school look like a joke!" Michi scoffed. "Huh? Who're you-" Kanako began. Then she saw who her friend was talking about. It was Chiyo Wakabayashi.
Kanako knew about her, but a lot of what she could say she knew were only rumors. Like she once had a threesome with two college guys. Or that she secretly had a kid with a teacher. There was even one rumor that went around saying she hosted an orgy at her house (though the principal actually made an announcement about that one to the whole school and told everyone there was no truth to it). All in all, Kanako had only ever met Chiyo once very briefly in junior high, so it was hard to say how much of those rumors were actually true.
However, Kanako's focus wasn't on Chiyo. It was on the girl walking with her, who of course, was Haruna. "Please don't come over her, please don't come over here, please don't come over here!" Kanako pleaded internally. Then suddenly, she saw Chiyo point, and for a second, Kanako thought it was to her booth. But, following her finger, she figured out that Chiyo instead was pointing to the Girls Snowboarding and Skiing Club. "Oh yeah, I forgot Haruna was in that club," Kanako remembered. The only reason she even knew that though was because she overheard Haruna talking about it in the hallway one day last year.
As the two girls continued their trek up to the school, Kanako breathed a sigh of relief. "I really don't want to see her..." Kanako thought. "But, then again, I guess I have to now..." "Hey Kana-chan, you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost or something," Naomi said. "H-huh? O-oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just lost in thought I guess, ahaha..." Kanako tried to play it off, but Naomi didn't seem convinced. "Well, if you say so. If you want to talk about it though, just let me know." "Thanks, Naomi-senpai," Kanako said.
The rest of the morning went off without a hitch and the club quickly ran out of both food and supplies. "Sorry everyone, but that's it! Thanks for trying our food and if you want to make some of your own, come join the Cooking Club!" Naomi announced to the remaining crowd. While most did walk away somberly, a few did stay to put down their names. "I think that went pretty well!" Naomi said proudly. "Yeah, we got so many people. If only that many would actually sign up," Rina said. "Well, we should probably get this stuff taken down and back to the clubroom. If we hurry, we won't even miss the beginning of first period," Michi said. "Ever the goody-two-shoes aren't you Fukuhara-san," Rina snarked. "Better than keeping my nose in the air like I'm some kind of elite," Michi fired back. "What's that supposed to mean?!" Rina yelled. "You know what it means!" Michi yelled back.
"There they go again..." Naomi sighed. "It's good to see they get along so well!" Saki said with a smile. "U-um, Saki-chan, I don't think you understand what getting along looks like," Kanako said. But with Rina and Michi's fight quickly concluding, the club members got all of their stuff back inside and put away, then they went their separate ways to class.
*****
"Sooo, it's finally lunchtime Haru-chi! Ready to spill the beans?" Chiyo asked excitedly. "Yeah yeah, I know," Haruna said as they headed for the roof. "Let's wait for Jasmine-chan though so I don't have to repeat myself."
As the two of them walked, Haruna wondered how her friends would react. "It would be great if they took it well," she thought. "But then again, this whole thing is so ridiculous I don't even know if they'll believe me." Back and forth in her head Haruna went, trying to decide whether or not she really should tell them the whole truth. But, before she could make a decision, they had already arrived at their destination.
"Oh, there you are," a girl said. "It's rare for you to beat us here Jas-chin!" Chiyo said as she scampered over to the girl. The one in question was Jasmine Hiraoka. She was half-American and half-Japanese and it showed. Blessed with good looks from both sides, Jasmine was a naturally sexy seductress. Though despite both their appeals to the opposite sex, Jasmine was practically the opposite of Chiyo. Her approach was a lot more subtle, but it still had the same effect. It also helped that Jasmine's voice was constantly in a sultry sort-of state. Practically everything she said dripped with an alluring tone that just pulled you in, guys and girls alike. Her droopy eyes helped too, so that whenever she looked up at someone, it was like she put a spell on them. Really, the only things Chiyo and Jasmine had in common was dying their hair, although Jasmine's was pink and wavy, and they were both well-endowed in the chest area.
"So you didn't forget about us after all," Haruna joked. "Hey, that's not nice. How could I ever forget my precious friends," Jasmine said as she caressed Chiyo's face gently in her hand. "Ooooh..." Chiyo let out, beginning to blush. "Knock it off Jasmine-chan," Haruna said. "Hm? Does it make you jealous or something?" she cooed. "As if!" Haruna exclaimed. "Oh, that's right! Haru-chi couldn't be jealous because she's got a new squeeze of her own!" Chiyo blurted out. "Ch-chiyo!" Haruna stuttered, caught off-guard by the statement. "Oh? Is that true Haru-chi? Who's the lucky guy?" Jasmine asked.
Once she regained her composure, Haruna let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll tell you everything." So, the three girls sat down and as Chiyo and Jasmine ate, Haruna told them all the juicy details. Like how she decided to confess yesterday, how Kanako showed up at first instead of Akio, and how the two of them got into yet another fight and Akio saw it. Then she told them about both her and Kanako's confessions and finally, Akio's proposal, to which they somehow both agreed to.
When Haruna was done explaining, Chiyo and Jasmine just blankly stared at her. "W-well, say something already!' Haruna said, beginning to feel awkward. "How bizarre," Jasmine finally said. "That's so freaky! Who says something like that?" Chiyo said as she started to laugh. "And the funniest part is you agreed Haru-chi! Couldn't let little Kana-chan get one up on you? Or maybe you do swing that way after all!" Chiyo said that last part with a fake gasp of surprise.
"I don't!" Haruna said as she smacked Chiyo on the head. "Owwie..." Chiyo whimpered. "I could care less about that dolt! The only reason I agreed was so I could keep my chances with Miyashita-kun alive! As soon as I figure out a way to get rid of that idiot and convince Miyashita-kun he should go out with me, I'm kicking her back to the curb where she belongs!"
"Harsh," Jasmine said. "Hah?! Harsh? Are you for real Jasmine-chan?! That girl has always been a thorn in my side, and now look at the mess I got dragged into because of her! The sooner I get out of this, the better!" Haruna said with a huff. "It really is weird though. Why would Akio-kun make such a request? Oh, maybe he has a thing for girl on girl action!" Chiyo tried to deduce. Haruna gave her another smack on the head. "Ow, geez! You're gonna give me a concussion if you keep hitting me like that!" Chiyo whined. "Then stop saying stupid stuff," Haruna said flatly.
"Anyways, I'm happy that you're here Jasmine-chan. I really didn't want to have to explain that twice," Haruna said. "Yeah, that makes sense. I've just been so busy, y'know?" Jasmine said. "Busy sexing it up with your new boyfriend," Chiyo muttered. This time Jasmine hit her. "A slut like you couldn't possibly understand what it means to have a true relationship," Jasmine chided. "S-s-slut?! Excuse me?! I just like to have fun! I can't help it if the guys flock to me! I'm giving them what they want!" As the two continued to bicker, Haruna wondered how they were actually friends.
Chiyo wasn't entirely wrong about Jasmine. While it was true Jasmine didn't sleep around as much as Chiyo, she made up for it by having a growing list of ex-boyfriends. Whenever she started dating someone, all of Jasmine's free time became devoted to that person. The only time she was available was if the boyfriend wasn't. Her latest victim was the captain of the soccer team. They started dating at the beginning of the new school year, so it's been a little more than a week.
The rest of lunch continued like normal, though Haruna's new "relationship" with Kanako kept getting brought up until finally, the bell rang. "But still Haru-chi, I'm really surprised you agreed. You're just so straight-laced y'know? Well, I guess not anymore. Get it? Straight?" Chiyo laughed. Haruna and Jasmine both stared at her. "I'm going back," Jasmine said. "Same here," Haruna followed. "Oh come on guys, that one was good!" Chiyo cried as she chased after them.
*****
At the same time, Kanako was having her lunch with the regular crew of Michi, Itsuki and Mayu. "Hey, Kana-chan? How'd your confession go?" Itsuki asked excitedly. Kanako nearly choked when she heard the question due to remembering what had happened. "What do I say? I can't tell them about the deal I made. There's no way they'd believe me! And even if they did, what would they think?" Kanako thought all of this while drinking her tea to clear her throat.
"Sorry Kana-chan! I didn't think that would surprise you so much!" Itsuki apologized. "N-no, it's okay," Kanako said as she put down her tea. "It's just... things didn't go as I'd hoped..." "I'm sorry to hear that Kana-chan. It always hurts to get rejected," Mayu said in a comforting tone. "Well, not exactly..." Kanako said nervously. "Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Michi pressed. "I shouldn't have said that!" Kanako panicked. "Now what? It looks like they really want to know..."
"Well Kana-chan?" Michi stared at her intensely, waiting for an answer. "W-well, I um... The thing is..." "So he said yes?!" Itsuki assumed. "N-no! He definitely didn't!" Kanako exclaimed. "Huh? But if he didn't say no, it has to be yes right?" Itsuki asked, confused. "Y-you're not wrong, but..." Kanako said softly. "What do I do? I can't bring myself to tell them..." Only one other option came to mind.
"Sorry, I'm not feeling too well, so I'm going to go to the nurse's office," Kanako said, suddenly standing up. "Want me to go with you?" Michi asked. "No!" Kanako shouted. Michi was taken aback. "I-It's fine. I'm not a little kid anymore you know. I can go places by myself!" Kanako said. Then, she ran. "Wait, Kana-chan!" Michi called, but it was no use.
As Kanako headed to the nurse's office, she thought back on her actions. "Ughhh... I can't believe I opted to run away," she said to herself. "I just can't tell them... There's no way..." When Kanako arrived, she called out to see if the nurse was in. "Is anyone here?" All Kanako got was silence. "Well, staying for a little bit won't hurt, right?" she said as she went to lay down on one of the beds.
Unfortunately, all laying there did was give Kanako more time to think. "This isn't making me feel any better," she thought, when she heard the door open. "Oh! Excuse me, nurse? Sorry, I just needed to rest for a little... bit..." Kanako trailed off when she saw it wasn't the nurse who had shown up. Instead, it was Michi.
"M-Mi-chan? W-What're you doing here?" Kanako asked. "I came to check on you, obviously," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Thanks, but I'm fine. You should really get back to class-" "You're definitely not fine, Kana-chan," Michi stated. Kanako looked down at her hands. "What's going on? Can't you at least tell me?" Michi asked as she moved to take a seat on the edge of Kanako's bed. "I... can't..." Kanako said, quiet as a mouse. "Why not?!" Michi yelled. "I just can't okay?!" Kanako yelled back, surprising Michi yet again. "You wouldn't understand..."
All Michi could do was sit there. She wanted to lecture Kanako, but seeing the expression she was making, it clearly wasn't the time for that. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you. Come on, it's nothing to cry about," Michi said as she wiped away the recently formed tears in the corners of Kanako's eyes. "I don't know what happened between you and Miyashita-san, but I want you to know that whatever it is, you can talk to me about it okay? It doesn't have to be now, just whenever you're ready," Michi said with a smile. "Thanks Mi-chan," Kanako said through a sniffle.
Michi left, and it wasn't long after until Kanako followed. However, it didn't take long for her to feel not-so-great again. As the day went on, Kanako kept remembering that today, her and Haruna were going to be walking home together. "Maybe it won't be that bad," Kanako told herself. "It might be okay... maybe..."
*****
When the bell rang to signal the end of the day, Kanako, Michi and Mayu met up to walk back to the lockers together. "Hey guys, wait for me!" Itsuki suddenly called. "Huh? Don't you have track practice?" Michi asked in an accusing tone. "Nope! With today being about recruitment, all that's happening is the third-years showing potential new recruits all the things they can do, so I don't need to be there!" Itsuki explained happily. "Well I guess that means we can all walk home together," Mayu said pleasantly. "Except for Kana-chan! Why'd you have to live in the opposite direction anyway?" Itsuki joked. "H-huh? It's not like I made that decision!" Kanako said, flustered.
The girls continued their conversation all the way through changing their shoes and heading out the doors. But as they were about to leave the school grounds, Kanako noticed a tall figure leaning up against the outside wall.
"Finally! Come on you, we're going home," Haruna said roughly. "Y-yes..." Kanako said, wearing the expression of a lectured puppy. As the two of them walked away, the other three girls wondered what just happened.
"Wasn't that Haruna Endo from class 2-A?" Mayu observed. "I've heard of her. A lot of people say she's a real jerk. I didn't know Kanako knew her though," Itsuki said. "Mi-chan, do you know anything?" "I know that they supposedly hate each other..." Michi said. "Well whatever! We can ask Kana-chan about it tomorrow!" Itsuki said as her and Mayu began to walk away. "Hey, Mi-chan! You coming?" Itsuki called as Michi kept staring at Kanako and Haruna. "Huh? Oh, right. I'm coming," she said, joining the other two, but still left wondering what was going on.
While the three girls speculated, Kanako and Haruna were making their way home in a very uncomfortable silence. "Come on Kanako, say something! Even if it is Haruna, you have to try to be friendly!" Kanako thought. "S-so, d-did you join any new clubs?" Kanako asked tentatively. "Huh? Why would I? I'm already in one, stupid," Haruna said rudely. "Well, some people are in multiple ones. Like, my friend Its-" Kanako started to say but was cut off. "I don't care about your friends or what they do. Just stop trying to make small talk already. It hurts my ears to listen to that high pitched voice of yours," Haruna said.
Now Kanako was beginning to get frustrated. "Do you have to insult me with every sentence you say to me?" she thought. "But still, I need to keep trying!" "U-um, did you have a bad day? Because, you know, you seem mad," Kanako said. Haruna suddenly stopped walking. "Yeah, I'm mad," Haruna said. "But it has nothing to do with my day, clubs or any of that stuff." Haruna began to march toward Kanako. "It's because of you," she said, sticking her finger right into the spot above Kanako's cleavage. "I knew it..." Kanako sighed inside.
"Let me make something clear. I have no desire to actually act like a couple with you. So, don't try to ask me how my day was or about stuff I did, because it's none of your business. We're not friends anymore and we're definitely not some pair of lovers. All we're required to do is act nice when Miyashita-kun can see us, no more, no less. When he's not around, just leave me alone," Haruna said.
"T-then!" Kanako started. Haruna stopped walking again. "Then if that's true, why are we walking home together?" Kanako asked. "I just did that so Miyashita-kun would think I'm actually trying. He may live near us, but it's not like he's going to follow us or something. I hardly ever see him when I come this way," Haruna said. "But-" Kanako went to say. "Would you shut up already?! You're so annoying!" Haruna shouted. "Thank God we're almost home." Haruna then stomped ahead, leaving Kanako all alone.
"Huh," a boy some distance away from the two girls said to himself. "How very interesting." Pulling a picture out of his wallet, it showed him, Haruna and Kanako together having a blast. The inscription on the back read, "Together Forever."
"I have to admit, I feel bad for Kana-chan. But, if this works, it'll have been worth it," he said, putting the picture away. Then, he got a phone call. "Akio, hurry up and come home! We still have to get food for dinner!" his sister said on the other end. "Ah, right. I'll be there soon," he said, then hung up. Akio took one last look at the downtrodden Kanako. "Just hang in there, Kana-chan."
End of Chapter Three
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