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An has had enough.
She loves Kohane. She knows she does, Kohane knows she does. Hell, who doesn't know she does?
But Kohane doesn't know that she loves her.
And that's something that An wants to change.
So here she is, staring at her ceiling half an hour after she actually went to bed, wondering how to go about this.
She can't just say that she loves her, Kohane would probably misinterpret it as being platonic.
So what should she do? It has to be perfect, whatever it is. After all, this is Kohane she's talking about! She deserves everything An could possibly give her, and more! In fact, maybe she deserves someone better.
An groaned, giving in to the fact that she probably wasn't going to get sleep anytime soon. She went to her desk, and got out a piece of paper to start writing down ideas.
-
Nothing.
She spent another hour fawning over that paper, only to have nothing.
An put her head down on her desk, hoping to get at least a tiny bit of rest before class started.
Then, she heard some murmuring behind her. Some guy asking about someone, a lighter voice saying she doesn't know, something, something...
"Oi, An." followed by a bonk on her head.
An sat up, rubbing at where she was hit by a book. "Hey, what's your problem!? Jeez..."
"My problem? Have you looked in a mirror? You're like a walking zombie...no wonder the classroom was so quiet when I walked in."
An noticed that Nene was also looking at her. "I'm fine, just didn't get as much sleep as I wanted."
Akito's face contorted into one of more worry. "Seriously, you good? Kusanagi said you came straight to your desk and put your head down without saying anything."
"Oh, guess I kinda did...I was just that tired?"
"Um, is everything alright, Shiraishi-san?"
"Yeah, I'm peachy!"
Akito gave her an unamused glance. Nene's eyebrows furrowed more. They weren't buying it.
Oh screw it, it's not like she was coming up with ideas herself.
"Well see...the thing is, I really really seriously like Kohane and don't know how to ask her out so I may have lost sleep trying to come up with ideas?" An's voice became smaller towards the end of that sentance. She quickly got up, clasping her hands together and bowing down a bit. "Could you guys please help me come up with stuff?"
Nene wore a relieved smile. "Hehe, so that's what it was? I'm glad it wasn't more serious."
Akito just grimaced. "Seriously, worrying me for nothing like that..."
"HA, I knew you were worried!"
"Shut it, you didn't you want my help?"
"Yup!"
At first, they didn't make much progress.
Akito told her she should just go for it, to which An responded about how awesome Kohane was and that she deserved way more than that. When Akito said that they were already good partners, and it would be fine, An asked if he would do the same if he was confessing to Toya.
No one mentioned Akito's fluster.
Eventually, Nene suggested taking her to a place that meant a lot to them both, like where they first met.
"Kusanagi, you're a genius!"
"Ah...it's nothing really, I just recently watched a musical with something like that..."
"No, no, it's great! Thanks for the help!"
"Hey, what about me?"
"You contributed? As far as I saw you shut down after I said To-"
"OK, ok, whatever. I'm going back to my desk."
"Good luck, Shiraishi-san."
"Yeah, thanks a bunch!"
Finally, An had one thing written down on her list.
-
When the lunch bell rang, An headed for class 2-B. Mizuki had messaged her earlier asking if she wanted to have lunch together, since they were actually in school for once.
When she got there, she saw them talking to Toya, who noticed An there first.
"Ah, hello Shiraishi."
"Hey Toya! Hi Mizuki!"
"Yo, An!"
Mizuki waved An over, and An pulled a desk next to theirs and sat down.
"We were just talking about this anime I recently watched about skating. I was telling Toya about how the main characters remind me of him and Lil' bro."
"Speaking of Akito, Toya you aren't having lunch with him today?"
"No, he has to help with the soccer club, so I asked Akiyama if I could eat with them today. But they did tell me they were having lunch with you today...you don't mind, right Shiraishi?"
"Nah, 'course not!" An smiled at Toya, who smiled back and got out his food.
"By the way, An, you feeling alright? I saw you this morning, I waved to you but I guess you didn't notice me. You looked pretty tired."
"...Mind if I ask you guys for help with something?"
An explained the Kohane situation to them too.
Mizuki laughed. "Seriously? Of course it's Kohane who managed to make the ever energetic An get so drowsy."
"Shiraishi, I hope you'll be ok for practice?"
"Don't worry I'll do great in practice! Singing brings so much more energy into me!"
"So does being around Kohane..." Mizuki mumbled.
"I heard that! And it's true!" An sat up straighter, proud. "Anyways, any ideas?"
Toya spoke up after a moment. "...Actually, I did read a book with some romance in it recently. In one of the scenes, the couple went on a picnic, so maybe something like that?"
"Wait, Toya, that's perfect. An, cherry blossoms are starting to come in, so you should take her to the park, it'll be super romantic!" Mizuki pitched in
"Ah, Azusawa did once mention how pretty she thought the flowers were."
"She did, thanks guys!"
Suddenly, a crash outside.
"RUI!!!!"
"Um...that sounded like-" An started
"Tsukasa-senpai?" Toya got up and started exiting the classroom, An and Mizuki followed.
There they saw it. A swarm of dozens of miniature robots running around the hallway. Rui was giving an exhasperated Nene a piggyback ride while holding a remote control, smirking in tht classic Rui way. Tsukasa had robots literally crawling onto him, yelling for Rui to turn them off.
"Tsukasa-senpai!?"
"Ah Toya! Don't worry this is-AH-nothing!!"
"Kamishiro-senpai, we've talked about this! No robots in school!" An scolded
"Sorry sorry, this was urgent though."
"Was is really...?" Nene sighed.
Mizuki burst out laughing. "HAHA!! Rui this is ridiculous!"
"Thanks Mizuki, glad you appreciate it. Haven't seen you in school for a while, have I?"
"Yeah, but I do need to meet my minimum attendance. An and Toya-kun and I were just having lunch."
"Can we PLEASE stop ignoring me!!? Nene get the control from Rui!"
"Ah, Shiraishi-san, you look better than you did this morning.", Nene promptly ignored Tsukasa.
"NENE!!"
"Yeah...thanks again for your advice Kusanagi!"
"Oya? Advice on what?" Rui put a hand on his chin
"Well I'm trying to confess to Kohane, Nene helped me out this morning with an idea on how to do it! Akito did too I guess, but like, he doesn't count." It was remarkable how forward An was about this whole thing.
"Ah, Akiyama and I were just helping Shiraishi with that ourselves."
"Hmm, if you want any other ideas, Shiraishi, I do have one." Rui pitched in
"I'm all ears!"
Rui nodded. "Why don't you express your feelings with a show? I have first hand experience with it, and I think it would make her feel special."
"Good idea, Kamishiro-senpai! Ah, but how would I make a show for her? I have no clue how to write a script like you guys, and I don't exactly have acting experience..."
"How about," Tsukasa started, "singing to her instead? It's certainly be more fitting, considering what your group does. And based on what I've heard from Toya, you all hold singing dear to you, right?"
An gasped. Partially because of how responsible and wise Tsukasa suddenly sounded, but mostly because of how great of an idea it was. "Thank you guys so so much!"
"Of course Shiraishi. All the best." Tsukasa flashed his soft, caring, big brother smile at her.
"NOW CAN SOMEONE GET THESE ROBOTS OFF OF ME!!!???"
-
Finally, things were starting to come together! An had more than enough ideas now!
But which one should she choose? They were all really good...
Oh well, she'll start from the top and try it all! Just in case one doesn't work.
And she can save the rest for later dates or something, because why would she need all three of these ideas just to confess when she could do it in one go?
Bring Bring
"Eh? Who could that be..." An picked up her phone and immediately answered after seeing the contact.
"Hey Haruka!"
"Hello An, how have you been?"
"Good, just finished practice...now whatever did the ever so famous idol Haruka Kiritani call me for?"
"Heh, just wanted to check in on you. We haven't really talked for a while, have we?"
"Now that I think about it not really...let's hang soon, yeah?"
"Yeah...we should go to Pheonix Wonderland again with Minori and Kohane."
"Again?"
"Mhm. I know we've done it before, but that hangout was pretty special to me, you know? I feel like I got closer to Minori, and you and Kohane. It was like a fun double date. Platonic, though."
"Oh, speaking of...I'm trying to confess to her."
"Really? Wow, An, you're finally gaining guts."
"Hey!"
"Kidding, kidding...well maybe you can confess when we go out together."
"I have ideas of how to do it already, but I'll keep that in mind, just in case!"
"Ye-huh? Sorry An, I'm going to hang up now. I just remembered I have a call with our manager to get to now."
"Wow, busy as ever, huh? No biggie though. Talk to ya later?"
"Mhm, bye An." Click.
Well, An has one last thing to add to her list now.
-
1. Take her to Weekend Garage
2. Picnic under cherry blossoms
3. Sing to her!
4. Pheonix Wonderland double date
-
First, An's gonna take her to Weekend Garage.
Weekend Garage, the place they first met and fell in love with each others voices. The place they met Akito and Toya and sang so much. They've made so much progress, and got so much closer here. An is sure it means a lot to Kohane too, so it'll be perfect!
They just finished practice together as a team, and fortunately for An, Weekend Garage was empty except for her dad, who she talked to earlier and got to leave as well.
"Well, I should also start heading home then, bye An-chan!" Kohane started leaving Weekend Garage with Akito and Toya.
"Wait, Kohane! Do you...have a moment?"
Akito gave her a knowing look. So did Toya actually. He asked Akito about what he, An, and Nene talked about when An revealed that they gave her advice that morning.
"C'mon Toya, let's go. Bye guys."
"Yeah, goodnight Shiraishi, Azusawa. Good work today."
"Ah, goodnight Shinonome-kun and Aoyagi-kun!", Kohane responded, giving them that adorable hamster smile.
Frankly, if the BAD DOGS weren't as gay as they were, An would be jealous that they got that smile directed at them.
The boys left, and Kohane spoke up. "What did you need, An-chan?"
"A-ah...right so, um, the thing is..."
"I'm in love with you Kohane, please go out with me!"
...is what An wish she said.
But no.
Here's what she really said:
"...I was wondering if you liked th-the drink I made for you today?"
"...Um, yeah, it was amazing. But, are you ok, An-chan? You look really red..."
Kohane came a bit closer, and almost put her hand on An's forehead, but An stumbled away before she could actually touch her.
"I'M OKAY."
Kohane looked very taken aback.
"I MEAN- sorry Kohane...I was just anxious about that drink cuz I've never made anything like that, y'know." An hoped her voice was as calm as she thought it was. "Um, Weekend Garage is special, y'know? I wanna make sure I only give out the best I can make."
Kohane stared at An with worry written all over her face, but she seemed to relax after a moment. "Heh, that's so like you An-chan, determined as ever...don't worry. Your drink was super sweet and tasty!"
And An may not have been super calm before, but something about the way Kohane smiled at her managed to get rid of all her nerves in an instant.
"Well, I really should get going now, it's getting dark."
"Right! Sorry for holding you up, do you want me to drop you off?"
"No, I can still go on my own. Besides, I don't want you to drop me off and have to walk home alone when it's even darker."
"Ok..."
"See you tomorrow, An-chan!"
"Yeah, bye, Kohane!"
Kohane started walking to the door. "K-Kohane!"
"Hm?"
"...Get home safe."
"Hehe, I will. I'll message you." Kohane waved and leaved. An meekly waved back.
As soon as Kohane left, she fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands.
Damn it!
-
"Seriously, you chickened out?" Akito grumbled the next day at school, when they were walking to class together.
"Look, she smiled at me, and like, the world collapsed. You don't get iiit!"
Akito sighed. "Look, it's ok to be nervous for things like this. But things won't change if you aren't able to show her your emotions."
"Yeah, I know. Geh, it's just hard." An started drooped her shoulders.
"C'mon, you have no reason not to be confident. Your feelings will get through, believe in yourself."
"Aww, is Akito caring about me?" An smirked.
"Shut it before I take it back."
An and Akito went into class and sat down.
"Hey, Akito? You're right. I'll do it right from now on, for Kohane!"
"Yup, there ya go."
But An couldn't help but think,
What if Kohane would be better off without this?
-
1. Take her to Weekend Garage
2. Picnic under cherry blossoms
3. Sing to her!
4. Pheonix Wonderland double date
-
An made sure everything was perfect for today. In fact, she's probably spent more time checking the weather today than she ever has before.
She told Kohane to wait for her after school today, saying she'd take her out for a date, like that one time they hung out!
But Kohane doesn't know An's romantic intentions this time.
As soon as the bell rang, An practically sprinted to Weekend Garage, where she left her picnic basket. Some of the customers were a bit baffled as to what she was doing, grabbing a picnic basket in her frazzled state, but most summed it up to An shenanigans.
Anyways, An grabbed the basket and quickly headed to Miya Girls straight after.
Thankfully, Kohane said that she had to stay after school for just a bit to talk to a teacher about a question she had on a lesson.
An would never understand nerds.
She messaged Kohane when she neared the entrance, and Kohane responded with a quick I'm by the entrance.
An bounded to the entrance, commenting on how cute Kohane looked in her uniform and how she'd definitely enjoy the day what An prepared. Then, An made a bold move, taking Kohane's hand in her and leading the way.
She didn't miss the way Kohane let out a hamster-like "Eek!" at the contact before relaxing.
You made her uncomfortable. Way to go, An.
But it would be weird to let go now.
Instead, An forced herself to talk about her day as usual, and eventually, she eased up.
Then they reached the cherry blossoms. Kohane had figured out easily from the basket that they were going to have a picnic, but she didn't know it would be here!
"An-chan, look how pretty it is."
And An was looking. Not at the cherry blossoms, but at the spring beauty admiring them.
She was prettier than all of them combined.
"Yeah, gorgeous..."
"C'mon, I want to see what you brought!"
Kohane helped An lay out a mat, and An started unpacking the basket. Some sandwiches, Pocari Sweat, and...
"Peach buns..!"
"Yup, I made them just for you!"
"What!? An-chan, you shouldn't have..."
"No no, you absolutely deserve this, tell me how it tastes now."
Kohane took the most adorable little bite. "An-chan, it's amazing!"
"Hehe, great! Then I'll be making them more in the future, look forward to it!" An winked, and Kohane turned just the slightest shade of pink. Huh.
The two made nice small talk, about all sorts of things. School, music, pets, hairstyles, the new wxs play...it was always easy for the two of them to keep conversation flowing with each other.
Eventually, they fell into a peaceful silence. An hyped herself up.
She was ready.
"Kohane-"
"Kohane-chan! Oh, and is that Shiraishi?"
"Hey, you two, having a picnic?"
"Ah, Saki-chan, Shiho-chan! Hi guys!"
"Oh...hi guys..."
Kohane glanced at her. An adjusted herself.
Shiho had her bass on her back, so...
"Um, heading to practice guys?"
"Yup! Icchan and Hona-chan are already there, but we got held back by a school project. Your picnic looks soooo good."
"Thanks, Saki-chan! An-chan made all of this, isn't it great?"
Oh my gosh is Kohane showing off my skills to other people seriously my heart can't handle this-
"Really? That's amazing...even the peach buns? Aren't those your favorite, Kohane?" Shiho said, seeming to inspect the bun Kohane was holding.
"Yeah! They're really good, wanna try one? If An-chan is ok with it of course..."
"No problem here, try some!" An responded
"Thank you, Shiraishi!"
"Thanks."
The leo/need girls stayed for a while longer, before realizing that they should probably hurry up to practice. They said their farewells and headed off.
"That's right, An-chan, were you saying something earlier? Before they came."
Well...the mood just didn't feel the same as before, so...
"Oh that was...no, nothing."
"Ah...if you say so."
Now it was just awkward. Perfect.
After a few more moments, they packed up and headed to practice.
Maybe another time.
-
After practice ended that day, An sat with Toya in a booth in Weekend Garage. Kohane and Akito were off talking to a venue owner to get details about an event they're going to participate in.
"...And then the vibe wasn't right anymore, so I couldn't do it..."
"Don't be discouraged yet Shiraishi, you'll have other chances."
"Yeah, but it was going so good! I really thought it was about to happen!" An had her arm draped across the table, her head resting on it. Toya reached over and pat her hand.
"Don't give up, you got much closer than you did last time, so that counts for something, doesn't it? It's progress to be proud of. You and Azusawa will get there, I believe in you both."
An sighed, but then smiled. "Thanks Toya."
Toya nodded at her.
"What's next on your list now? You're going to sing to her, yes?"
"Mhm."
"Ok, Akito and I can give you guys some time before practice then. Maybe tell her we have club activities?"
"Do you guys?"
"No, we'll probably practice on our own somewhere else for a bit."
"Ehhh? Toya of all people is willing to lie?"
Toya looked down, slightly embarrassed. "It's for a good cause isn't it? So it's ok this one time."
An was, admittedly surprised. She can't let this chance go to waste now, can she? "Yeah! I'll do my best!"
-
1. Take her to Weekend Garage
2. Picnic under cherry blossoms
3. Sing to her!
4. Pheonix Wonderland double date
-
This next idea was one that An was particularly excited for, because she was singing, duh!
And she's singing to Kohane. Literally combining the things she loves most in the world.
There was no way she was messing this one up.
She's spent a lot of time racking her brain over which song she would sing, and landed on a song called Hana Obore. Vivid BAD Squad had been contemplating adding it to their setlist, but hadn't actually started working on it. But honestly? It captured how she felt with Kohane so well.
She's spent the last few days practicing extra on her own to sing that song perfectly.
The next week, once school let out, An once again rushed to Weekend Garage to set up the mics and warm up before Kohane arrived.
And after a moment, the angel walked in.
"Hi An-chan! You're already warming up? Wait, where are Shinonome-kun and Aoyagi-kun?"
"Yeah, I got here earlier, so I decided to start preparing. Akito and Toya are stuck with some club stuff, they'll be here later."
An actually talked to Akito and Toya at school earlier. She has probably 35 minutes left before they arrive to start actually practicing, but she can message them if she needs more time.
"Oh ok, I'll start warming up now too."
"Actually, I have something I want to show you."
"Huh? Something you want to show me?"
"Yup! You come here first."
An put her mic down and ran across the cafe where Kohane had just put her bag down at their usual spot. She grabbed both of Kohane's hands and walked backwards, leading Kohane to the stage.
Thank god Kohane didn't react much to the contact this time, it made it easier for An to keep her doubts down.
(And while An was trying to keep her doubts down, Kohane was trying to keep her blush down.)
An paused when they were in front of the stage, and looked Kohane in the eyes.
"I've been working on a song lately, one that matches my feelings for you perfectly. So pay attention, ok?" An smiled at Kohane, who was still trying to process what was going on.
But before Kohane could respond, An let go of her hands with a quick squeeze and went up to the stage, grabbing the mic and starting the music.
The opening melody played, and An starting singing.
"Naite wa saite awa ni natte~"
Kohane's eyes widened, realizing what song this was. Hana Obore!
Wow, An-chan already learned the song! She's so awesome...
Kohane continued to watch, with sparkling eyes, her hands clasped together, and a growing smile on her face.
After a moment, An got to the slower part of the song.
"Kore kara itami mo yorokobi mo ajiwau deshou, te o toriai nagara~"
Kohane was entranced.
An-chan's voice is amazing, so powerful, but it can also be so soft...after all this time, it still makes my heart pound.
Wait..."Holding each others hands"? Didn't she say this song was...about me?
Kohane flushed for a moment at this realization.
But An wasn't done with the song quite yet.
When she reached the last chorus, she turned her energy up a notch. She looked straight at Kohane, as if to say "Don't stop watching me yet." and winked.
While the wink may have caught Kohane off guard, her fluster actually died down quite a bit. Instead, she found herself getting lost in An's rhythm.
Hehe...I want to keep moving forward with An-chan too.
Once the song finished An paused for a moment to catch her breath, then immediately looked to Kohane to see her reaction.
"How was that, Kohane? Did I sing well?"
"An-chan...that was awesome! It was amazing how you adapted your voice for each part..."
"Hehe, thanks! I've been practicing! Actually, when I was working on it, I thought about how your voice would suit that one line at the beginning of the bridge."
"Hm, I should give it a try. Can we split up the lines? I want to learn this song too!"
"Yeah, here." An pulled up her phone with the lines on it. "So I think I can take this part..."
An and Kohane started practicing the song, and time flew. An might have felt her phone buzz in her pocket a few times, but she ignored it, too caught up in the music. Soon enough, they heard the bell of the door chime.
"Ah, Shinonome-kun, Aoyagi-kun, over here!"
Wait, Akito and Toya are here? But they said...
SHIT.
Akito sent her a look, like a question of what happened. Toya also glanced at her from where he was getting caught up by Kohane on what they were practicing.
Kohane said something that turned Toya and Akito's attention back to her though. Then Akito asked her something. "Wait, so you guys went straight to practicing after she showed you that song?"
"Um, yeah."
Akito and Toya sent another look towards An.
SHIT SHIT SHIT.
-
"I'm sorryyyy!"
"You don't have to apologize Shiraishi."
"No, you do have to apologize. We lied for you and everything...you had ONE JOB." Toya glared at Akito when he said that.
It was the next day at lunch and the three were talking about what had happened.
"I know ok!? I thought the music would help me relax about the Kohane thing but then I got too caught up and I just totally blew it!" An complained to the two boys sitting across from her in the courtyard.
Akito snorted. "Relax about the Kohane thing? You fucking forgot about the Kohane thing! Honestly..." Toya glared at Akito.
"Ok ok I get it! Lay off already dude!"
"Akito, it's not her fault." Toya, being the voice of reason between the two as always, intervened. "You can't blame her for getting caught up in the music, it happens."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Thanks Toya...BUT I WAS SO CLOSE THIS TIME!!!" An's hands went up to her head.
Some students turned to look at the three.
"Oh my god quit yelling...besides it's not the end of the world. Don't you have one more thing on that list?" Akito pointed his pocky at An.
"Yeah, taking her to Pheonix Wonderland with Haruka and Minori."
"There. Just make it count, ok?"
"Akito's right. You got this, Shiraishi. Go into it with a positive attitude."
"Yeah, thanks Toya!" An grinned at him.
"Seriously do you just have something against thanking me or what."
"Mmm, you're just unthankable, you know?"
"No I don't? Fuck you mean unthankable?"
"Language."
Akito sighed.
An thought about it. Toya and Akito(not that An would admit it) were right. She couldn't give up now, she still had a chance!
"Hehe, I'll show the world just how awesome lesbians can be!!"
"Once again, quit yelling!"
-
An waited anxiously at the meeting spot the next week, right outside of Pheonix Wonderland. She tapped her foot, humming the rhythm of City.
Then she saw a very familiar blur of blue and brown heads.
"Hey, Haruka, Minori, over here!" An waved to them.
The other two sped up once they saw her, meeting her half-way.
"Hey, An."
"Hi An-san! Kohane's not here? I thought she would be coming with you."
"We were gonna come together, but she had something to take care of last minute with Count Pearl, so she messaged me to go ahead."
"I forget that Kohane has a snake a lot, it's surprising with the vibe she gives off." Haruka commented.
"I know, right. Gave me a shock too..." An crossed her arms.
The three continued to make small talk, until Minori piped up.
"Ah, I think that's Kohane-chan over there!" Minori waited a moment, squinting in the distance to be sure. After confirming it was indeed Kohane, she waved and called her over, animated as ever. Kohane jogged up to them.
And wow.
An couldn't stop staring at Kohane as she came closer.
She was wearing this cute denim skirt with a black belt, paired with a cream colored slightly cropped top and a pink colored shirt over all of it. And her hair was down. She had a pink hair clip holding it back, matching her shirt.
She looked so pretty.
"Kohane-chan, you outfit is so cute!" Minori exclaimed.
"I agree, I've never seen you with your hair done. It really suits you."
Kohane brought a hand to her face.
"Ah, thanks both of you! Um..." Kohane turned towards An. "An-chan, do you like it."
That snapped the aforementioned girl out of her trance. "You look...beautiful, Kohane."
Kohane gave An a close-eyed smile, with her hand still on her cheek. "Hehe, thanks An-chan!"
An was going to explode.
They headed inside the amusement park, and let the hangout officially begin!
Of course, they had Kohane plan out the day for them, and the first thing she chose to kick off the day with was a show at the Wonder Stage.
They headed over there, and after five minutes, the show begun.
Some light music played in the background.
An actress came out wearing a knight suit. The girls watching recognized it to be Nene.
"Ah, I've searched far and wide, yet it seems no one wants to help me on my quest..."
Nene was the lead of this play, for a change. She took on the role of a knight who was on a mission to slay a formidable threat to the kingdom, which no one could ever beat before.
However, she needed a friend to help her do it. But everyone she asked denied her.
One day, when she was practicing, another girl, new to the village, was watching her.
It was Emu.
"Wow, your skills are super cool!"
"Eh? Thank you...who are you, actually?"
"I'm Kina! Are you an actual knight?"
Nene told her about her mission, and Emu talked about how cool it was. Eventually, they teamed up.
Huh.
An looked over at Kohane, who surprisingly, was already looking back at her.
"Uh, Kohane?" An whispered.
"Ah-I was just thinking...they're kind of like us." Kohane whispered back.
"Hehe, I was thinking the same thing..."
Out of instinct, An gave Kohane a quick side hug.
"A-An-chan! Focus on the show!" Kohane whispered-yelled in response.
An whined a bit but eventually let go. Minori and Haruka giggled at the interaction.
The show ended with Nene and Emu slaying Tsukasa, the villain. It was overall a nice story focused on friendship, unlike Wondershow's usual plays.
But it was sweet. It filled An's heart.
Once the show ended, the girls wanted to see their friends backstage, but they learned that they had already left because of work they had to help with at the Pheonix Stage.
So instead, they decided to go on some rides. The more adventurous ones, that they wouldn't want to go on after eating.
Kohane mapped out a great route for them, so they could go on as many rides as fast as possible.
After a while, Minori felt pretty dizzy, and despite insisting she was fine, the four decided it was enough rides.
It was a good thing too, An hadn't quite built up the endurance to these rides that Kohane had.
Haruka helped Minori in case she was feeling dizzy, but frankly, her being so close didn't really do anything for the other girl.
After getting some food, they talked about what rides they wanted to go on next.
"Well, we should definitely go on some calmer rides, considering how we just ate..." Kohane started spewing information, as the Pheonix Wonderland expert. "So we could do the ferris wheel, carousel, spinner, teacups-"
"Can we go on the teacups!? AH-Sorry for cutting you off, Kohane-chan! I just haven't been on those since I was kid..."
"Hehe, it's ok. I also kind of want to go on the ferris wheel later, the view should be really nice this time of day!"
That's when An noticed Haruka smirking at her from across the table. She opened her mouth to ask about it, but before she could get a word out, Haruka beat her to it.
"In that case, why don't Minori and I go to the teacups, and you and An can go for the ferris wheel? We can meet back up after that."
"Ah, that should also work! It'll save time."
"If Haruka-chan, a-and everyone else is ok with it, I am too!"
"Well, what do you say, An?" Haruka gave her that sly smile again.
That girl...An should thank her later.
"Alright then, I'm for it too."
After a moment, they parted ways. Haruka gave An a secretive wink before leaving with Minori.
An and Kohane headed over to the ferris wheel, fortunately not having to wait in line for very long, and got on soon.
In fact, they happened to be the last people boarding the ride, so they didn't have to wait for other before the ride was fully moving.
As they neared the top, Kohane exclaimed "Woah! I've seen this view so many times now, and it never gets old..." Kohane's eyes were sparkling again, beautifully.
An looked outside their pod for the first time.
And wow, Kohane was right.
It had just started turning dark, and they could see some of the lights turning on as they watched.
The view of the park was literally getting better and better each second they looked at it.
"Yeah...it's amazing!"
An was tempted to snap a picture of Kohane and the view, but she had something more important to do first.
It was now or never.
"Kohane. I need to tell you something."
"Hm?" Kohane shifted away from the window, turning her body towards An and giving her full attention. "What is it, An-chan?"
An took a deep breath. "Kohane, ever since I heard your voice that day, well, it's like I knew we were made to sing together. And the more we got to know each other, the more that feeling grew..."
Kohane took in a sharp breath.
"I realized, well I've known for a while now, uh...I want to be with you forever." An started stuttering just a bit, but recollected herself.
"I love you, Kohane."
Kohane stared at An for a moment, wide-eyed.
Then she smiled, shyly.
"I love you too An-chan! You're the best singing partner I could ever ask for!"
.
.
.
Oh.
.
.
Oh.
An leaned back a bit in her seat, slouching a bit.
So that's how it is, huh?
An knew. Kohane wasn't that oblivious, she had to realize what An was trying to do.
But she pretended she didn't. And that could only mean one thing.
She never wanted me after all.
An could feel Kohane's eyes on her. Kohane could see her reaction, she was just refraining from saying anything. She was probably just pitying her.
An needed to get out of there.
When the pod reached the ground, An was the first to get out.
"Ah, An-chan, slow down!"
An barely turned back to Kohane. "Sorry...I...got a message from my dad. Emergency at the restaurant, gotta leave early. Tell the others I'm sorry too, ok? I'll be going now." An started walking away quickly.
She might've heard Kohane call her name again, but she pretended not to.
When she figured she was far enough from Kohane's view, she started running.
-
An's mind was foggy as she ran. As she went through Vivid Street, she refused to give in to her mind. Not yet, not when her family could see her. Thankfully, it was Friday, so she wouldn't have to bother with school either for a while.
She kept her head down and kept running.
An went around the back door, hoping none of her parents would be around there.
Fortunately, they weren't. An went up to her room, locked the door, and let her mind take over.
She didn't want me.
Of course she never wanted me, I was a fool to think she would.
An, you're always so delusional.
Why don't you ever get? No one you love will ever love you back.
Why don't I deserve love too? No matter how much I give...
I'm so unlovable.
She slid down the door, pulled her knees to her chest, and bawled.
She didn't leave that room for a while.
-
Haruka was helping a disoriented Minori off the teacups, keeping a hand around her.
That's when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Someone sprinting, with their head down.
How reckless...
Then she noticed the blue ends of their hair, and the stars in their hair.
An.
"Minori, I'm going to message the group, can you stand ok?"
"Y-Yes, Haruka-chan!"
Haruka nodded to the other girl and got her phone out, opening it to the group chat that they had with An and Kohane.
Haruka: Done with the ride, where r you guys?
Kohane: I'm heading over there
Kohane: An left early because of an emergency tho
Haruka sent a thumbs up emoji and waited.
There's no way that's what happened.
After a moment, Kohane found the two. Haruka asked about An, and Kohane conveyed An's message from before.
Haruka let out a sigh.
"Is that...really what happened?"
Kohane looked down.
"Look Kohane, I don't know the details, but I do know you should have an honest conversation with An soon. And please...stay true to your feelings. I don't want An, or you, to get hurt..."
"...Yeah. You're right. I-I'm sorry but I think I need to go home and think about some things...I'll see you guys at school! This was pretty fun!"
Haruka nodded. "Don't blame yourself, we should hang out again, when this is all over."
"Um, bye-bye Kohane-chan! It'll be ok!"
Kohane smiled and walked away.
"Haruka-chan...what just happened?"
Ah, right. Minori has no idea what happened.
"An and Kohane are working through some things right now. But it should all be ok..."
"...Ok. I wish I could cheer them up." Haruka looked at the other girl. How could she forget? Minori must be beating herself up over not being able to help her friends...
"But," Minori continued "I think the best thing I can do for them right now is believe in their bond..."
Haruka smiled. "Yeah, you're right."
When Haruka got home that day, the first thing she did was call An. She wanted to give her space for a bit, but she figured it was time to check in on her.
But it went to voicemail. Again. And again.
Haruka had a bad feeling about this.
But, if she's remembering this correctly, An said that Vivid BAD Squad practiced every day, and for even longer on weekends since they had the morning.
Also, she recalls An saying that her other teammates were also helping her confess.
So, Haruka called someone whose number she fortunately had saved from a certain photo contest.
Ring. Ring. "Hello, Aoyagi-kun. Is this a good time."
"Greetings, Kiritani. Yes, is something the matter?"
"Yeah...it's about An."
"...Ah. How was the amusement park?"
"Well, it was going good, but then An and Kohane went on the ferris wheel together. I don't know what happened there but it ended with An running away, saying she had an emergency. And Kohane isn't saying much either."
"Oh no. Is Shiraishi doing ok?"
"Not sure...she's not answering her phone. Could you maybe check on her?"
"Hold on, I'll call her."
Toya called her back after a moment.
"She's not answering me either. She could be sleeping..."
"Yeah, just make sure she's ok at practice tomorrow?"
"Of course, thanks for letting me know."
After exchanging farewells, Haruka hung up. Now, she could only wait.
-
"So, Kiritani asked you to check on her, huh?"
"Yes. I do hope she's ok."
Akito and Toya were walking to Weekend Garage for morning practice the next day, with Toya catching Akito up on what's going on.
They entered Weekend Garage, and made their way over to their usual seats, where they found Kohane already waiting, tapping her fingers on the table and looking down.
She looked distracted.
"Good morning, Azusawa."
"Good morning!" She responded
Akito nodded as he sat in the booth, Toya going in after him. "Morning. An's not here?"
Kohane looked down again for a moment, but then turned her head back up. "No, she hasn't come down..."
Akito called out to Ken, who was walking towards them. "Ken-san! Where's An?"
Ken got closer to the three, then stopped, talking quietly. "...She's locked herself up in her room since last night. I've tried getting her to talk or at least open the door...but nothing."
Ken had been just a bit off all day, come to think of it. He had less of his chill vibe then he normally did.
He was obviously worried.
"She hasn't even eaten anything..."
"If it's alright, may I go to her room?" Toya spoke up.
"You kids do whatever you need to do. Look, I put some of the waffles we had for breakfast outside her door. Just get her to eat something, please."
Toya nodded. Ken gave them one last look before retreating to the cafe's kitchen.
Toya got out of the booth "I'll be going then."
"Me too." Akito responded quickly, also getting up.
"...I'll come too!" Kohane stood, determination on her face.
But Akito and Toya just stopped in their tracks and looked at her for a moment awkwardly, before Akito spoke up.
”Uh-Look, Koha. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it might be better if you don’t come right now…”
Kohane slumped back in her seat, looking down again.
Akito went to her and leaned down a bit, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll be back soon, k?” He said softly.
Kohane nodded, keeping her gaze low. Akito gave her shoulder a squeeze, and followed Toya into the Shiraishi household.
They made their way upstairs, to where they knew An’s room was from the few times they chilled there.
And low and behold, the waffles were still there, perfectly uneaten.
Akito sighed and knocked her door. “Oi, An. It’s Akito. Toya’s here too. Can ya open up?”
Silence.
”Please? Cmon, we just wanna help.”
Silence.
”Well…can you at least let us know if you’re awake in there? An?”
After a moment, they heard a light clack against the door. Like she’d thrown something at it.
”Thank you. Do you think you can open the door now? We only want to talk, ok?”
Silence.
”Here, Akito, let me. Go back down to Azusawa.” Toya said softly, hoping An didn’t hear what he said about Kohane being downstairs.
Akito reluctantly went down.
”…Hey, Shiraishi. You haven’t eaten anything for a while now have you?”
Silence.
”Could you please open the door. We don’t have to talk about anything that happened. But you need to eat something…I’d like to make sure you’re ok.”
Silence.
Then a light thump.
Toya waited.
He heard a click, and the door opened, just a crack. Footsteps thumped away.
Toya took the liberty of grabbing the waffle plate on the floor and letting himself in the room.
And it felt so wrong.
From the few times he came here, he knew.
An’s room was a place of personality, and life. She once told him that she liked keeping her windows open because of how much livelier it made the vibe feel.
And she was right about that one.
But now, the windows were closed, the lights were off, and it was just…too quiet for An.
The girl he could make out in the little bit of light that inevitably got in was sat at the edge of her bed, staring forward.
In the darkness, her eyes looked almost like dark voids, yet Toya could see the slight redness.
Something told him not to turn the light on.
”Thank you for letting me in.”
Toya walked closer to An, passing the star slip she threw earlier, now lying on the ground, and tentatively sat next to her. He gave An the plate.
”Please…eat.”
An slowly picked up a waffle. Toya refrained himself from letting out a sigh of relief.
They sat in silence as An finished her waffles, then Toya took her plate from her and put it on her nightstand, making a mental reminder to take it once he left.
”How do you feel?”
”…Well, could be better.” An’s voice sounded better than Toya thought it would…but it was lacking her charm.
”I’m sure…do you need anything though? Still hungry?”
”Nah, don’t have much of an appetite…sorry about practice.”
”Don’t worry about that. Take care of yourself first, ok?”
”…Right…um, I can’t really sing right now, but I might be up for our evening session.”
”Please, don’t push yourself…no one is expecting anything from you.”
”Yeah, and I’m grateful and all, but sitting here all day probably isn’t the best for me huh? So I’ll try to come this evening. Even if Kohane’s there…so don’t worry about that.
A moment passed.
”…Kiritani is the one that called me. She saw you running.” Toya felt like he owed that explanation.
”Of course she did. I owe her big time.”
”Do you…want to talk about it?”
”You said we didn’t have to.” An said sharply.
”We don’t.” Toya was fast to respond, hoping he didn’t miserably screw up.
”…I’m sorry. I know you’re all trying to help.”
”Don’t apologize.”
”No, I should. I’ve only been making you all worry…I’m so sorry…” A started tearing up again.
Toya pulled her into a hug. Something he had slowly started feeling much more comfortable with, especially when one of his closest friends was in this state.
An’s arms slowly wrapped back around him, and they stayed that way for a while.
”Toya, I’m sorry, but I think you should leave." An slowly let go of him.
"What? Can you tell me why?"
"I just...I want to be alone." An voice got quieter. "My head is still a mess, please, let me take care of myself..."
"...I don't know if I want to do that, Shiraishi."
"...Please, leave. I-I just can't...people, right now. I'll be better later today, I won't ignore you, so please."
An was looking at him desperately.
Toya could tell that her mind was still frazzled. And he didn't want to push her over the edge.
"Ok, I'll tell everyone that you're doing ok, just need some space. I'm going to stay in touch with you though, to make sure you are fine."
"Thank you Toya, really."
Toya reached over and grabbed An's hand. "Everything will work out." he whispered.
An didn't respond, so Toya let go, grabbing the plate and exiting the room, saying a farewell.
-
Akito headed back downstairs into the cafe, where Kohane was sitting.
They made eye contact, and the girl sat a bit straighter when she saw him. Akito took a seat.
"How is she doing?"
"Dunno. Didn't answer me, but I think Toya's with her now."
Kohane didn't respond.
"Ok, you wanna tell me what really happened yesterday? It's clearly eating up at you."
"...I guess there's no point in keeping it a secret."
So Kohane spilled. About everything that happened.
"But, I-I thought it was too good to be true, so I told her I wanted to stay singing partners forever too...and then she took off when we got to the ground. I feel so bad, she looked so, h-heartbroken..." Kohane started tearing up.
"Hey, hey, what happened is what happened. No point crying over it. Now, you can only control what's next. So answer me right now, Kohane. Do you romantically like An or not?"
"Of course I do!" She responded immidiately. "I always have...but I screwed it all up."
Akito sighed of relief. "As long as you both still have those feelings, there's a chance. Just talk to her, as soon as possible."
"But An-chan probably doesn't even want to see me, she must hate me."
"No way. This is An we're talking about, remember? She could never hate you. Even if she thinks you rejected her, she isn't the type to hate someone for that."
That's when Toya walked through the door.
He sat down in the booth next to Akito who asked how An was doing.
"She's ok. I got her to eat, but she'll need some space."
Ken, who was listening in, said "Thanks, kiddo. I mean it."
Toya nodded. "Anytime, she's my friend after all."
Then he turned to Kohane. "How are you doing?"
"Um...I made a mistake. But I do like An-chan, so I'll fix it, as soon as I can."
Toya looked relieved. "Good."
Akito pitched in. "Go home for now, Kohane."
"Eh?"
"You look a mess. If I were to guess, you probably didn't get much sleep." Kohane looked guilty. "Yeah. Go rest and figure out what you're gonna do next."
"But, we have that event tomorrow!" She protested.
Akito sighed. "With An this way, who knows if we'll even go to it."
"Shiraishi said that she thinks she'll come to evening practice. We can take a call then."
"Don't they have a 24-hour cancellation policy though?" Kohane asked.
Ken pitched in. Apparently, he was still eavesdropping. "That event tomorrow, right? If you kids need to cancel, let me know. I'll put in a word for you. The venue owner and I have known each other for a while, and he owes me some favors anyways."
"Thanks, Ken-san. Well, that settles it. C'mon Toya, let's warmup."
"Yeah, take care, Azusawa. Things will be fine."
"Yeah, ok. Thanks guys..."
Kohane left Weekend Garage.
-
Eventually, Kohane got her mind to quiet down for a bit and took a nap, at least long enough to have enough energy for the evening.
She went to evening practice with determination to make things right.
She would talk to An, confess her feelings, apologize for everything.
When she arrived at the park, An was the first person she saw.
What have I done!?
An looked dead on her feet, with heavy eyebags. Her star clips were gone.
"Oh, hi, Kohane."
"A-An-chan! Hi...can we-"
"Let's warmup. Toya and Akito are coming."
"Right..."
Everytime Kohane tried, An avoided talking with her for too long.
So the entire evening went by, and Kohane wasn't able to fix anything.
And the same thing happened the next morning.
Kohane was so distracted the whole time, though. Frankly, Vivid BAD Squad was...a mess.
An's voice lacked a lot of it's charisma. Kohane kept messing up her steps and missing her cue.
"...I think we should pull out from that event." Toya said, after morning practice. "We're not in the best shape."
"I'm with you dude. This just isn't something we need right now."
Crap, Kohane thought.
This is all my fault. I wasn't able to tell An-chan how I felt...and now we're all suffering because of it. Now our dream is suffering because of it...
I don't want that.
"No."
"Huh?"
"I want to do the event! I know we're not doing great for it...but I'm sure we'll do good when it actually starts!"
"Maybe, but I don't think that a risk we want to take, Koha."
"...Let's do it." An said, quietly.
"An?"
"Worst case scenario, we probably have to cut out Love is War. But even if that happens, we can do the other songs...I'll make sure of it. Trust me."
"...Akito, I think we should do it."
"You too, Toya?"
"I believe in them."
"...Ugh, fine. We'll give it our all, ok?"
"Yeah!"
-
It was time for the event.
Vivid BAD Squad was performing three songs that night. Love is War with the Vivids, Uninterrupted Indigo with the BAD DOGS, and all four of them finishing with Hana Obore, their newest song.
Kohane originally wanted to try to talk to An before performing, so their show might go smoother. But to no avail.
"You guys ready?" Akito was asking them right before the performance.
He seemed concerned for them.
So did Toya, but his was more concealed.
"Yeah, we'll be fine, Akito. Chill a bit." An gave a tiny smile.
"Um, yeah! An-chan and I will be fine."
"Fine...light 'em up out there."
"Good luck, you two." Toya pitched in.
"Thanks!" Kohane responded.
Her and An stood right behind stage, ready to step on any moment.
Kohane could feel the tension between them, and couldn't help but be worried about how it would affect their performance.
"...Kohane."
"Y-Yes?"
An turned to her, stage light illuminating her from behind, and gave a determined grin.
Gorgeous.
"Let's give it out all."
"...Yeah!"
And that was enough for Kohane.
Love is War.
A song about blindly fighting for love.
Kohane resonated with it.
She poured her all into the song, she could tell that An was doing the same.
And despite all the tension hanging between them at the moment...singing that particular song with An felt so right.
Just the two of them, screaming their lungs out about their love issues.
It made Kohane's heart pound.
An-chan...really is amazing.
I don't ever want to lose her.
The moment they exited the stage, Kohane ran behind An.
Akito and Toya were up next, Kohane had one Uninterrupted Indigo to do this.
Speaking of Akito and Toya, she saw them at the edge of the stage, waiting for her and An to get off.
An gave them both a high-five, then walked past them, leaving them for their performance.
"Nice one, Koha-"
Kohane grabbed Akito's arm and pulled him down.
"Shinonome-kun, stall."
"Hah?"
Kohane ran after An, hoping he got the message.
"An-chan!"
An stopped and turned around. Good, there wasn't anyone around paying them attention.
"Kohane, good job!" An grinned. She wasn't totally back yet, but their song seemed to restore quite a bit of her typical energy.
"Good job to you too, but I need to talk to you. Now."
Kohane wasn't backing down now. She planted herself, eyebrows furrowed, determination on her face.
An nervously stuttered. "Um-the boys are-"
"I love you, An-chan."
An stopped. Slowly met Kohane's eyes.
"W-What?"
"I'm in love with you, An-chan." Kohane repeated.
"Kohane, please don't play wi-"
"I'm not playing! I mean it! And I'm sorry it took me too long to say it." Kohane relaxed her face.
"I knew you were trying to confess. Well, I suspected it at Weekend Garage, and when you took me on that picnic. I thought it again when you sang to me, but then though it was just practice. But on the ferris wheel...
I'm sorry An-chan. You were so brave to confess, but I thought it was just too good to be true, and figured you must have meant it platonically, even if you obviously weren't. I regretted what I said the moment it left my mouth.
But I'm ready to embrace my feelings now! So please, give me another chance!"
Kohane took a pause, catching her breath. She kept her gaze down.
"But of course, I'll understand if you don't-"
She was cut off by An tackling her into a hug. An buried her hair in her shoulder, Kohane stroked her hair.
"...You mean that? You actually love me? ...Why?"
"Why wouldn't I? You're kind, radiant, determined, caring, and you gave me everything I have now. You shine to me, An-chan."
Kohane was grateful An couldn't see her red face.
She heard An take in a shaky breath. "Are you sure you want...me? You could do so much better..."
"An. The reason I wasn't able to respond to you properly on the ferris wheel was because I thought I wasn't good enough for you. But afterwards...I realized that none of that matters. You loved me either way, and I shouldn't have let me insecurities get the better of me."
"Hehe...you sound so wise, Kohane! Cute..."
"A-An-chan!"
"Thank you, Kohane. I love you."
"I love you too, An-chan. But you're kind of crushing me..."
"Can't help it, you're just so cute!
"Hehe...An-chan..."
Thank god, An was back.
An let go of Kohane, holding on to her hands again. Kohane's soft hands held back onto hers.
An's mind wasn't as loud about it anymore.
"So, will you be my girlfriend now, Kohane?"
"Hehe, of course, An-chan!"
They stood there for a moment, just staring into each others eyes. Both leaned forward, just a bit.
Then they heard it in the distance. "Stay tuned, because Vivid BAD Squad has one more song for you all tonight!"
"Crap."
"Let's go."
So what if they didn't get their first kiss yet. Because now, they had time.
All the time in the world.
An and Kohane ran back, hand in hand. They stood on the side of the stage, just out of the audiences view.
Akito and Toya glanced at them from where Akito was desperately stalling on stage, hyping the audience up.
Akito glared.
An shrugged, held up their still connected hands, and grinned. Kohane grinned too.
Akito and Toya smiled softly.
An and Kohane grabbed their mics and went on stage.
"Right, Hana Obore!"
As they sang, An and Kohane looked each other in the eyes.
The same thoughts went through both of their minds.
She's amazing. I'm so happy to be hers. I love her.
I hope we stay together forever.