Chapter Text
Lately, Rin had had something on her mind. Having told herself time and time again that it wasn't there to no avail, hoping to keep it under wraps, she realized there was no choice but to acknowledge it.
She was in love with Hanayo. Hanayo, her best friend since they were in middle school together, her shy, violet-eyed, best friend.
Rin felt like it was wrong for her feelings to change like this. Although she had had fleeting crushes on boys before, she'd never felt this way about a friend. They were only friends. Nothing else. No matter how much Rin's heart pounded in the other girl's presence...
So she'd made up her mind, as she walked on her usual route. On the way to school, she'd pick up Hanayo at her own house... and then? Rin didn't really know what exactly she was going to say. But saying anything would be better than keeping it hidden. It was tough, painful to keep it locked inside her heart. In a physical sense, even. Rin wondered if she had some sort of heart disease causing the inexplicable pressure in her chest.
The gate to Hanayo's house was right there. Rin felt like she was going to faint from the blood rushing to her head. If she was like this already...
And she was there. Hanayo was right there. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for her; she had no idea. No idea. "Good morning, Rin-chan!" she greeted, her violet eyes showing a genuine smile. She looked so cheerful, it was kinda cute. Rin cheered up too, seeing Hanayo's smile. "Morning, Kayochin!"
As they walked, Hanayo fidgeted with her glasses. "Rin-chan, um, guess what?"
"What?" Rin's heart was going a mile a minute. Calm down, she told herself. Just stay cool... On the outside was her normal catlike smile, but she couldn't hide her blush.
"You have to guess!" The corners of Hanayo's mouth were turned up and her cheeks were a bit red. Rin couldn't look at her eyes now, as if they would blind her like the sun. "Let's see... Ooh, did you get high marks on that last test? Kayochin's so smart, it's bound to happen nya!"
"I'm not smart!" Hanayo had always been easily flustered by compliments. It was a cute point of hers. "If you're gonna be unfair, maybe I just won't tell you..." Was she being hesitant or mischievous? Rin couldn't tell.
"Tell me, Kayochin!" Rin whined. "I can't take it nya!"
Hanayo seemed like she was still embarrassed from the earlier compliment. "Umm..."
"Come on!" Rin begged her.
Hanayo was fidgeting with her hair and slightly turned away from Rin. "I... I wanted to ask, if you'd... go on a date with me..."
Had she heard right? "Like, as a couple nya?"
"Yeah..." Hanayo was the one confessing?! That doesn't happen. Rin was dreaming. "I see, this is a dream nya!"
"Huh?! It's not! I'm serious! You don't have to if you don't want to though..." Hanayo seemed real enough in the morning sunlight, and Rin squeezed the strap of her bag in nervous exhilaration.
"...Where to?"
"Huh?"
"Where do you want to have... our date?" Both of them were equally red in the face.
"You decide, Rin-chan! This is too embarrassing!" Hanayo hid her face in her hands and made a whimpering noise.
"You can just... call me Rin?"