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The evening sun bathed everything in an orange tint as two young girls sat upon a hill. The view of their town in the distance made it an ideal spot to spend time away from their friends and relax, enjoying only each others' company. The tree they were under swayed gently to the light breeze that rolled by as one girl stretched her arms out, a smile on her face. Her small red hair strand and buns fluttered lightly from the wind.
"Haaah. Akari really likes the breeze here. It always feels so good..."
Akari turned to look at her friend. Chinatsu just nodded, wearing a calm smile of her own as her gaze remained fixed on the skyline, watching as the sun slowly began to set behind the buildings and trees. The breeze made her pink and puffy pigtails rustle a bit more than Akari's hair buns, but Akari thought that just made them look so much softer and fluffier.
"The sunset, too! Akari loves how it makes everything look beautiful."
A small hint of a blush appeared on Chinatsu's cheeks. She hugged her knees a bit before finally responding.
"Mmm. Everything...Like you, Akari-chan..."
Normally a response like that would send Akari into stuttering fit, but she sat there perfectly calm. A small blush appeared across her face as well as she continued to stare at Chinatsu. Their eyes locked and shimmered with feeling as Chinatsu began to make her move. She crawled over to Akari, not once averting her gaze.
"I love you, Akari-chan...With all of my heart..." Akari smiled warmly. It was as if she was expecting this response the whole time.
"Mmm...And I love you, Chinatsu-chan."
This was the moment Akari was hoping for. Their faces grew closer to each other as their eyes slowly closed, anticipating contact. However right before they could close the distance everything in Akari's field of vision suddenly became hazy. Chinatsu's face, the scenery all around them, everything becoming cloudier, On top of that, Akari suddenly started to feel like she was being shaken back and forth.
"Akari-chan?...Akari-chan!...Mou, Akari-chan!"
With a quick shake of her head Akari was able to re-focus everything. There was just one difference though; She was no longer on a hill. She was back in her classroom at Nanamori Middle School. As Akari looked around she saw that the class was mostly empty now, a few of her classmates still packing up their bags for the day. Chinatsu stood next to her, bag slung over her arm and ready to go.
"W-Wha? What happened...?"
"You've been staring out the window ever since class ended! Yui-senpai and Kyouko-senpai are probably already waiting for us in the clubroom!"
A daydream. That's all it was. Akari couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. It was a very realistic-feeling dream to her. It didn't take her long to recompose herself.
"Ah, s-sorry! I was just...distracted. Eheheh."
"Mou...Akari-chan can be so hopeless sometimes."
Chinatsu huffed slightly. If there's one thing she didn't like, it was being kept away from her beloved Yui-senpai for too long. Still, she smiled a bit at Akari as she finally stood up from her desk with her bag in hand. At least she hadn't stalled her for too long. Akari responded with a giggle and a small blush of embarrassment as she followed Chinatsu out of their classroom. It didn't take long for her smile to fade into a look of worry, though. She really wished that daydream was real. For someone like Akari, being able to stand out has been hard for a while now. When you have feelings for someone, however, it becomes even worse. This crush had been driving Akari crazy for months now. Ever since Chinatsu forced her first kiss onto her, her heart had been feeling anxious. As terrifying an experience as it was, it still felt nice. Since then Akari's feelings had only increased. While Chinatsu was a little rough around the edges, especially when it came to cooking or her artistic skills, she was still nice, fun and very, very cute. The only things standing in her way though were Yui and her own lack of presence. How could someone like her ever hope to pry the eyes of someone as focused as Chinatsu off of Yui? Even for just a minute? Just thinking about it saddened her slightly.
"Yui-chan is smart and cool and responsible...it's obvious why Chinatsu-chan likes her so much...Akari could never reach a level like that..."
As the two girls made their way down the stone path to the former meeting place of the Tea Ceremony Club, where the Amusement Club now called home, Akari sighed quietly to herself, still watching Chinatsu from afar even if they were only a couple of steps apart.
"What chance do I have?...Akari's just a good girl..."
Activities for the Amusement Club were the same as always: Reading manga, drinking tea and talking about various topics. Today wasn't much different. As Akari took a sip of warm tea she looked over to her three other good friends sitting at the table with her. To her right was Kyouko, inking a page for her newest Mirakurun doujin. Usually when she worked on her doujin she always tended to be focused, which isn't the type of word you'd use to describe a girl like Kyouko, but this time she was constantly switching between focusing on her work and pouting at Chinatsu and Yui, who were seated on Akari's left. Yui was quietly reading a manga while Chinatsu was spending her time clinging to her arm, nuzzling it lovingly. Yui wouldn't have minded it much if it weren't for the fact that Chinatsu's grip felt like a steel vice squeezing down on her forearm. A few beads of sweat trickled down the side of Yui's face. She was wondering which would give first: Chinatsu or her arm. It was an answer she didn't want to find out.
"Hmmmph...Chinatsu-chan! Why don't you hug me the way you hug Yui? I need your love too, y'know!"
"Because you'd probably take the opportunity to dress me up in Mirakurun cosplay or something, that's why! Yui-senpai would never do something so lewd to me. Right, Senpai?"
Chinatsu looked up at her princely crush with sparkling eyes, her grip becoming a little tighter. Yui chuckled nervously. Not just at the current conversation, but also out of concern for her own well-being. She could have sworn she felt something crack when Chinatsu increased her squeezing.
"O-Of course not, Chinatsu-chan...but could you ease up just a tiny bit? I-It feels like my arm is gonna snap in two..."
Kyouko huffed. Why did Chinatsu have to cling to Yui? She'd give anything to have the girl who looked just like her favorite magical anime character fawn over her every day.
"Mou! So does that mean you won't dress as Mirakurun again for this weekend's Comiket?"
Chinatsu quickly unhanded Yui's arm, crossing her own and puffing out her cheeks in an annoyed fashion. Of all the things she didn't like about knowing Kyouko, it was the forced cosplay that got on her nerves the most. Her tone became a lot more annoyed.
"Absolutely not! Do you know how embarrassing it was to dress up like that the last time?!"
"Eh? But your cosplay was a huge hit during the Summer convention though!"
Yui couldn't help but look cynical after hearing Kyouko try to justify her request.
"That depends if you consider shattering a little girl's dreams as a 'huge hit'..."
Kyouko casually ignored Yui's comment as she kept trying to convince Chinatsu to change her mind, but no matter how hard she tried or how much she tried to guilt her she just wouldn't budge.
"No. Means. No."
"Buuuu...Fine then. The rest of us will still have plenty of fun regardless. Right, Akari?"
"..."
Akari hadn't been paying much attention. While the other girls' conversation had gone on she'd been sitting quietly, her eyes affixed on Chinatsu the entire time. It wasn't until she noticed Yui waving her hand out of the corner of her eye that she realized they were trying to get her attention.
"E-Eh? What was that...?"
"Kyouko and I wanted to know if you were gonna come with us to Comiket this weekend."
"Comiket?...O-Oh uh...I'm not sure...It was really interesting last time, but wearing that Ganbo costume the whole time was a bit hot and uncomfortable..."
She didn't like skipping out on a weekend hanging out with and helping her childhood friends and she did enjoy the busy and energetic atmosphere an event like Comiket produced, but spending most of that time walking around in a giant, ball-shaped costume wasn't exactly Akari's definition of fun even if a lot of the event attendants thought it was cute.
"Don't sweat it. I'm sure Ayano and Chitose wouldn't mind coming along again. It's not a big deal."
"Oho! Good idea, Yui! I totally forgot about Ayano! She made a great Rivalun the first time we invited her."
Kyouko nodded sagely. This was a perfect back-up plan.
"Yosh! Then Ayano and Chitose will be Amusement Club Replacement Members Number One and Two!"
"Oi, we're not replacing any club members. Don't say something like that."
It was too late. Kyouko was too busy hyping herself up for the weekend and Yui knew that when she got excited there was no way to bring her back down to Earth. Leaving her to continue her doujin work, eyes now glistening with excitement, Yui turned to Chinatsu and Akari and smiled in a carefree way.
"Sorry about this, you two..."
Akari could tell Yui felt a bit bad leaving her and Chinatsu behind. She smiled back to show it wasn't that big of a deal. To her, at least.
"It's fine, Yui-chan. I'm sure Chinatsu-chan and I could-..."
It only took a second before it hit Akari; She and Chinatsu would be by themselves while Yui and Kyouko are kept away with Comiket. This was the chance she had been waiting for. A chance where she could spend time with Chinatsu without any interruptions or distractions. A chance to show her all of her good points. A chance to finally get her to notice her feelings. While Akari's mind was suddenly buzzing with these new-found possibilities, she failed to realize that she stopped in the middle of her response to Yui. Both her and Chinatsu were staring at her, puzzled about why she suddenly looked so confident.
"Uh...Akari?"
Akari refocused her attention to her two friends, a gleam in her eye and a determined smile on her face.
"Don't worry about us, Yui-chan! Chinatsu-chan and I will find plenty of fun things to do while you and Kyouko-chan focus on Comiket! Right, Chinatsu-chan?"
"Yeah, I guess..."
Chinatsu initially wasn't all that interested. An entire weekend without a chance to be with her beloved senpai? That deemed it boring. She did like hanging around with Akari, it's not like she didn't enjoy going doing various activities with her, but this sudden turn of events only served to sour her mood. As Chinatsu sulked, Akari was busy trying to think up ways to spend quality time with her crush. There were so many things they could do and so little time to do them. She had to narrow things down before she got too excited.
"This is perfect. While Yui-chan is busy, I can use this chance to show Chinatsu-chan how I feel about her...hopefully..."
Time moved by quickly since then. The following Friday came and went right before Akari's eyes and before she knew it, Saturday was upon her.
Akari casually made her way down the streets and through the pathways to Chinatsu's house. At school the two girls decided to spend a day out and have a little fun, just what Akari had hoped for. Still though, a tiny bit of doubt remained, fluttering around in her mind. What if this didn't work out the way she was hoping? What if nothing changed no matter how hard she was willing to try? Akari immediately attempted to shake these thoughts out of her head. She needed to be confident in herself. Before long she found herself standing in before Chinatsu's front door. After a moment to herself, she rang the doorbell.
"Ah, just a second!"
Chinatsu's voice rang out from inside. She must have just finished readying herself. It didn't take long before she opened the sliding door to meet with Akari.
"Akari-chan! You came earlier than I expected!"
"Eheh. A-Akari didn't want to keep you waiting, so she thought it'd be better to get here a little earlier instead...!"
"Mmm! I'm actually really looking forward to this."
Chinatsu smiled happily. Her mood was surprisingly bright. Akari was quick to notice this and blushed slightly. Things were already starting out well for her, she knew it.
"R-Really?"
"Uh-huh! I was kinda sad that I didn't get to see Yui-senpai much at all yesterday since she had to help Kyouko-senpai prepare for her stupid convention, so this should take my mind of things for now."
"O-Oh...Well...Akari's glad she could help...!"
Akari put on a smile of her own, but she knew it wasn't a truly sincere one. What sounded like excitement for being able to have fun together turned out to be just something else Yui-related. She couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged about that. Chinatsu noticed a slight change of Akari's tone when she responded, but she paid no mind.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"
In one swift motion Chinatsu quickly took off ahead. Akari quickly tried to catch up a bit, stumbling a bit in surprise. Her slight sadness was silenced for the time being.
"No...Akari can't lose hope so soon. I've gotta stay positive. Besides, we've still got the whole day ahead of us...!"
The pair swiftly made their way into the shopping district in no time at all, scanning the windows of the various shops and boutiques before finally deciding to take a look inside a small clothing store. Time passed by steadily as the two looked through various clothes, though Chinatsu was having a harder time finding something she though would look nice. Her brow furrowed a bit as she held up a blue shirt to her chest, wondering if it would look good on her or not. It was then that she heard Akari call to her from behind.
"Chinatsu-chan! Try this one!"
She turned around to find Akari happily holding up a pink blouse. It was simple in design, nothing too noticable about it, but somehow that made it a bit cuter. Chinatsu tilted her head quizzically. She wasn't really sure if Akari understood what she was trying to go for. Even if it looked cute in the end there was no way an overall plain-looking blouse like that would catch Yui's eye. Still, she decided to humor her friend for now.
"That? Well...alright."
She took the hook of the hanger holding the piece of clothing, held it up to her chest and examined herself in the mirror; It looked great. By itself it didn't look like anything special, but it accented Chinatsu quite well. The shade of pink complimented her hair color, too. Her eyes widened a bit. Akari made a really good choice after all.
"O-Oh wow...I really like it!"
"Mmm, Akari had a feeling you would! I love how it matches your hair!"
Chinatsu smiled. Everything about it just worked for her...there was just one problem; She didn't have enough money to afford it at the moment. What she did have on her was to use at the movies later and to buy food if the two of them stopped anywhere. She couldn't risk splurging when she already had plans. Chinatsu sighed a bit. She didn't want to leave it behind, but she didn't have much choice.
"It is really nice...It'll have to wait, though. Maybe if I'm lucky it'll still be here after I save up my allowance for another week or so..."
"U-Um...if Chinatsu-chan really likes it that much, then Akari could buy it for her...!"
Chinatsu spun around in surprise, unsure if she was really serious about her offer. She knew Akari was a kind girl and was usually always willing to help her friends out, but she didn't expect her to go so far as to buy something for them without a real reason for it. The friendly smile that Akari was wearing was all the proof she really needed. Still, it was such a sudden offer to make. Was it really alright with her?
"A-Akari-chan...are you sure? You don't have to, you know! I can just save my money, no big deal...!"
Akari shook her head, still smiling.
"We don't know if it'll still be here by the time you come back. Besides, it'll look too nice on you to just leave here, don't you think? Just leave it to Akari!"
Personally, Akari had expected something like this to happen. While she had money for the movies and for food she also brought some extra just in case she saw something she liked. Technically seeing her crush wearing a cute blouse that she helped pick out counted as something she liked. Other than that she had no issue helping out someone she cared for. Akari was definitely living up to her title of "Good Girl". Suddenly she was enveloped in a tight pink-haired hug.
"Ooooh thank you so much, Akari-chan! I really, really appreciate it!"
"E-Eheh...It's nothing at all, Chinatsu-chan..."
Chinatsu didn't notice the light blush staining Akari's cheeks. She was glad that she was able to do something for the girl she loved. On top of that, this hug made her feel acknowledged. For someone like Akari, this was a rare but wonderful feeling. Soon after, the duo made their way out of the store. Chinatsu was happily clutching a bag containing her new pink blouse. Akari smiled. Seeing Chinatsu happy was its own reward.
"Ehe. I can't want to try it on when I get home later!"
"Mmm! It's like it was made for you!"
"You think so? I bet Yui-senpai will love it, too. I can't wait to wear it for her the next time we see each other!"
"...Y-Yeah! I'm sure Yui-chan will think it looks nice, too..."
It kinda hurt Akari a bit knowing her attempt at showing Chinatsu more of her selfless side was viewed as helping her look cuter and more eye-catching to Yui. She kept her smile on as best she could. She had to keep a stiff upper lip and try again. This was only the first stop, after all. She'd definitely have her best chance once they reached the movie theater. Her hope needed to hold out for as long as possible.
"Hmmm..."
Both girls stood before the wall of posters showcasing the currently playing films outside the theater. There was a wide variety available, spanning from action flicks to anime movies to even a documentary or two. With so many choices it was no surprise that the pair had been staring at the posters for a couple of minutes now. As Akari scanned through the left side of the wall, Chinatsu took care of the right.
"Mou, there are so many to choose from. Akari can't decide which to pick..."
"I'm fine with anything as long as it's not...h-horror-related..."
"Ah! R-Right! Don't worry, Chinatsu-chan. We'll pick something good!"
Chinatsu shuddered at the thought of having to sit through a horror movie. Scary things didn't mesh well with her. Akari shuddered, too. Not only did she also not do well with scary things but she remembered when Yui showed her what happened to her arm when she and Chinatsu went to see a horror movie together earlier that year. While Akari did love Chinatsu, she didn't want to risk getting a cling-shaped bruise on her arm. After looking up and down the wall once more, she finally found a movie she thought was worth suggesting.
"Hey, how about this one?"
The poster she pointed out depicted a young woman standing beside a tree while looking at a small town nestled in a forest out in the distance, a few other scenes from the movie were showcased around it. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a romance movie. Watching something like this would definitely help Akari get closer to Chinatsu in some form. Romance films always tended to bring out peoples' emotions and that could lead to plenty of chances: Sharing laughs, wiping tears or, most importantly, holding hands. Chinatsu took a look at the poster herself and immediately perked up.
"Oh, I overheard a few girls from our class talking about this movie! Apparently it's supposed to be really well-done."
"Then let's see it! What do we have to lose?"
"Mmm, alright. Sounds like the best choice."
A quick visit to the box office and snack stand later and the two were comfortably seated in the center area of the theater. They only bought two small drinks and a small popcorn to share since they were planning to stop somewhere to eat before going back home, but they knew it'd be more than enough to hold them over until then. As the movie went through its paces, Akari and Chinatsu went through theirs. They laughed together at funnier scenes, grew tense together during more dramatic moments and even teared up a bit together when emotions ran high. Before long, the climax of the movie was upon them. Akari glanced over at Chinatsu for a moment. The girl was completely immersed in the film. Her eyes were sparkling, her cheeks red and her hands gripping the armrests of her seat...her hand. This was the moment Akari had been waiting for. If she could hold Chinatsu's hand she'd be one step closer to being able to express her feelings.
Small beads of sweat appeared on her face as she moved in on Chinatsu's hand. She couldn't help but hesitate slightly, the thought of awkwardness starting to cloud her mind. Time seemed to slow down the closer she got. She gulped; There was no turning back now. Unfortunately, life always did like to pull the rug out from underneath Akari's feet at crucial moments. Right as Akari's hand was about to make contact, Chinatsu pulled hers away to rest on her lap. Akari stood frozen for a few seconds before shrinking back into her seat. Chinatsu was still too engrossed in what was happening on the screen to even have noticed what her friend was trying. The movie was just about done, too. There was no way Akari would get a second chance at this and she knew it...she just hated that she had to accept it for now.
"Haaah. That movie was so good!"
"Y-Yeah...I really liked that part where the main character realized who her true love was. It was so sweet...!"
"Mmm, I thought the same thing! Oooh, I can't wait to tell Yui-senpai about it. I'm gonna ask her if she'd like to come see it with me!"
"...A-Ah. I'm sure she'll accept..."
As the girls exited the theater, Akari just couldn't muster up a smile. She was glad that Chinatsu was walking ahead again, that way she couldn't see her looking so down. Nothing had been going the way she'd been hoping today and it was really starting to take a toll on her. There wasn't much else for her to do at this point other than finish her day out with Chinatsu by eating together.
"Come on, Akari-chan! There's a WcDonald's a few blocks away! Let's stop by there, okay?"
"Oh, sure...That sounds fine to me..."
Akari sped up her pace a bit. She didn't want to be left behind, but this feeling of failure just kept weighing her down. She trudged with Chinatsu all the way to the restaurant, the pair soon sitting together with their meals. Akari nibbled lightly on her hamburger, watching as Chinatsu ate happily. She really had no clue about what Akari had been trying to do all day, did she? Probably because her mind is always buzzing with thoughts of her and Yui. That's what most likely made her ask the question.
"Hey Chinatsu-chan?...Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm? Sure, what's up?"
"I'm kind of curious...Why do you like Yui-chan so much?"
"Eh? Why?"
Chinatsu only had to think for a second before lighting up like a star, looking as if she was about to start swooning over her own words.
"There are plenty of reasons why! The way she's able to handle Kyouko-senpai so easily is like watching a tamer train a vicious lion! On top of that she's intelligent, she's responsible and she's so cool and considerate! Yui-senpai is like the handsome prince of my childhood dreams!"
In her mind, Chinatsu envisioned herself standing before a large castle the likes of which you'd only see in fairytales. She was wearing a regal-looking dress fit for a princess, watching as the castle gates slowly opened to reveal her dashing Prince Yui riding towards her on a white stallion. Her smile sparkled like diamond as she slowed her graceful steed down in front of Chinatsu, extending her hand out to the flustered and lovestruck girl before her.
"Come, my darling Chinatsu-chan! Allow me, the prince of your dreams, to whisk you away to a life of happiness!"
Back in the real world Chinatsu was too busy cupping her cheeks and swaying back and forth to pay attention to anything around her. Akari just watched, sweating slightly at how awkward a sight it was before Chinatsu finally regained her composure.
"I-I see..."
"What about you, Akari-chan? Don't you have someone you like?"
"E-Eh?!...Well...I do. B-But I've been having trouble getting her to notice me. She never does no matter what I try to do for her..."
Akari felt slightly embarrassed and uneasy talking about a subject like this, especially to the girl she liked of all people. However, she wasn't exactly prepared for the response she was about to get.
"Mou, Akari-chan. Your crush must be pretty dense to not notice what you do for her, y'know!"
"...Huh?"
"I mean you may not have a lot of presence, but if your crush doesn't notice anything you do for her then maybe they should learn to open their eyes a bit more!"
These words shot through Akari's heart like a volley of arrows. Chinatsu was talking about herself, she just didn't know it...and that hurt. It was pretty much the equivalent of her admitting that she doesn't notice anything Akari does for her, no matter how hard she tries. Sleeping over at each others' houses, spending the day with each other, even being forced to practice kiss with her on some rare occasions, all of it didn't mean much other that being a friend. Akari's heart sunk. There were no other options for her now that she knew that her efforts might never pay off in the end.
"You really won't notice me will you, Chinatsu-chan...You're already too in-love with Yui-chan...There's no way someone like Akari could ever stand a chance..."
Depression was the only thing occupying her mind and her heart now. From when they finished their meals, to the walk out of the shopping district and all the way back up to Chinatsu's doorstep, Akari didn't feel positive in any way. She'd dealt with being constantly forgotten, with being continuously left behind and with having to deal with streaks of bad luck but learning that not even loving someone could work out in her favor was too much for her to bare. Still, she plastered on a smile as she and Chinatsu exchanged their goodbyes.
"I had lots of fun today, Akari-chan."
"Y-Yeah...Akari did, too...!"
"Mmm! I can't wait to tell Yui-senpai all about it! So I'll see you at school on Monday, okay?"
"Mmhmm...Have a good night, Chinatsu-chan..."
Chinatsu waved politely before shutting the door behind her. Akari turned, ready to make her way back home herself before suddenly slumping down onto the front step. She buried her face in her hands. Her emotions were at their limit, her heart like a cracked dam about to bust open from the pressure. She couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I should have known...I should have known this wouldn't have worked...That nothing would have worked..."
On the other side of the door, Chinatsu was just putting on her indoor slippers when she could have sworn she heard a faint, muffled voice from outside. Was Akari still there? But she'd gone home already, hadn't she? Curiously, she quietly pressed her ear up to the door to get a better listen. It was Akari's voice, but something sounded different. It sounded somber and heavy with sadness. Certainly not the chipper and happy Akari that Chinatsu knew.
"Akari shouldn't have bothered in the first place...Yui-chan's already ideal for Chinatsu-chan...there's no way I'd be able to live up to someone like that even if she did love me..."
Akari lifted her head, tears trickling down her face. She couldn't wallow in sadness here. She had to go back home. That's the only thing she wanted to do now. She stood up slowly, wiping as many tears from her eyes as she could.
"Maybe if I'm lucky my presence will increase a bit in the future. Then I could try again...someday..."
Slowly she made her way down the pathway and to the street, finally setting her course for home. In the end, defeat was the only word that she could use to describe the day. Meanwhile Chinatsu stood leaning against her front door. Her eyes were wide in surprise and shock. Did she really hear what she thought she heard? Akari, the girl she'd probably consider her best friend despite her low notoriety, loved her this whole time? She clutched her forehead. She was still having trouble trying to process this discovery.
"A-Akari-chan...She-...I-I didn't-...If she had a crush on me this whole time, that means that..."
Her words from back at the restaurant started repeating in her head.
"Your crush must be pretty dense to not notice what you do for her, y'know!"
Chinatsu chuckled to herself, her face solemn and glum. She really was as dense as she said. She glanced over at the bag containing the blouse Akari bought for her and sighed. Everything was starting to seem a lot more obvious to her now. Ever since they first met at the beginning of the school year, Akari had always been there for her in one way or another. When she needed help with homework, Akari was always the first to suggest a group study. When she didn't have much else to do on weekends or school breaks, Akari was always the first to suggest a sleepover or a fun activity. Whenever she needed love opinions, Akari was always the person she'd go to...and that must have been hard for her. Still, no matter what bad luck she'd encounter or unfortunate event she'd end up going through, she was always smiling a minute after. This time though...
"Everything Akari-chan's ever done for me...It wasn't just because she was a good person. It was also because of her feelings...for me..."
Akari soon arrived home, making her way up to her room and flopping onto her bed, not bothering to turn the light on or to change into her pajamas. She was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. She clutched her nearby pillow and stared at the ceiling, a hint of sadness still visable in her eyes. She just wanted the day to be over.
"Akari will probably just stay inside tomorrow...Maybe I'll feel a bit better after having some time to myself..."
And so tomorrow came. Spending Sunday by herself was a lonely decision, but after the events of the day prior Akari really needed some alone time. After sleeping in a bit longer than usual, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. The house was empty. Her parents were out and her big sister Akane had left a little while ago to meet with friends of her own, but not before leaving her darling little sister some breakfast for when she woke up: A Japanese-style omelette, two sausages and some toast with jam on it. Akari smiled a bit as she sat down to eat. She could always count on her sister to lift her spirits even if it was by just a little.
Her peaceful meal was soon interrupted halfway through by the ring of her doorbell. Akari's head tilted slightly. She wasn't expecting anyone today and she didn't recall her parents or sister saying otherwise. A package maybe? Either way the only way she was gonna find out was by answering the door.
"One minute!"
After taking a quick minute to compose herself she finally opened the door and was extremely surprised at who she was met with; Chinatsu. She stood awkwardly, fidgeting slightly while keeping her eyes planted at the ground around her feet. Akari thought she was dressed pretty cutely before she realized she was wearing the pink blouse she had bought her the day before. It looked even better on her now that she was wearing it for real.
"C-Chinatsu-chan...W-What's the matter...?"
It took Chinatsu a second to reply. She took a deep breath, a determined expression appearing on her face.
"Akari-chan! C-Come with me!"
Immediately after saying this she took hold of Akari's hand and started tugging her along. Akari was taken by surprise. She followed for a second before stumbling and trying to resist. This was really sudden, after all.
"Chinatsu-chan, wait a second! A-Akari doesn't even have her shoes on yet!"
After Akari had readied herself she was quickly lead through the neighborhood streets and into the park by their middle school. The trees shook from the morning breeze as it blew through the path the two girls were taking towards a more open, cirular area. There were a couple of benches placed around the perimeter for any weary walkers or joggers to rest. Akari sat down on the nearest bench she could spot. Being pulled along the whole time, especially not long after waking up, made her tire out quickly. She still wasn't completely sure what was going on as she tried to catch her breath. Chinatsu stood before her.
"Hah...Chinatsu-chan...hah...W-What's...What's this all abo-"
Before Akari could finish, Chinatsu bowed sharply.
"AKARI-CHAN. PLEASE FORGIVE ME."
Akari was taken back by the sudden apology. Forgive her? For what? She couldn't really think of anything Chinatsu had done to her that could be considered bad.
"Forgive you? I-I don't really understand..."
"...For not noticing what you've been trying to tell me this whole time..."
"What I've been trying to-..."
Akari gasped. It didn't take her long to realize what she was talking about. Her mind went blank. How did she find out?
"Chinatsu-chan...how did you know...?"
"I-I'm sorry...I overheard you yesterday after you walked me back home. I didn't mean to..."
"Oh..."
She started to wring her hands nervously. She felt horrible yesterday but she should have known better than to break down like that outside someone's house, especially Chinatsu's. She probably felt sorry for her, that's why she brought her out where no one else was. That must of been the reason for all this...or so she thought. Suddenly Akari found herself in Chinatsu's tight embrace. This wasn't what she expected.
"Akari-chan is a really good person who's always there for me when I need it. I don't know why that never really hit me until now...I'm so stupid..."
"Ah Chinatsu-chan, t-that's not true! Don't say that about yourself..."
Akari slowly and tightly returned the hug.
"Everyone always says that Akari's presence is too low, so it's no wonder it took so long..."
"T-That's not fair, though! You still deserve to be happy too, Akari-chan..."
Hearing this made Akari slightly misty-eyed as she smiled sincerely. She could have sworn she felt the hole in her heart start mending itself bit by bit.
"A-Akari's just happy that her feelings have finally been acknowledged, eheh..."
A stray tear made its way down to Akari's cheek before Chinatsu's finger wiped it away. Her smile was warm and comforting, which was rare for Akari to see. This day wasn't so bad after all.
"Eheh...I kind of feel like the girl in that movie we saw..."
Akari looked a bit confused. She didn't anticipate something like that being brought up.
"Eh? What do you mean...?"
Chinatsu blushed. She knew what she'd say next would open up a new path for both her and Akari.
"You know, towards the end...when she realizes who her true love really is..."
Time stopped. Akari was at a complete and utter loss. She was expecting everything to turn fuzzy, revealing itself to be just another dream, but it was real. The trees around her, the bench she was sitting on and the pink-hair girl sitting before her...they were all real. Tears started rolling down her face even more.
"Y-You mean...you..."
Chinatsu nodded shyly. She was sure she made the right choice. While she had a major crush on Yui it clouded her ability to see who she was really close to in the end, and it wasn't her. Akari had proven to be the prince type that she was hoping for and while she wasn't brave or graceful or totally mature she was still kind, caring and considerate, the traits of a true prince. Akari hugged her tightly and beamed bright. All her waiting had finally, thankfully, paid off.
Yui and Kyouko were seated around the clubroom's table, going through the pictures taken during their weekend at Comiket. It was a productive event for Kyouko in particular because not only was she able to sell all of her doujin copies faster than she expected but she also found some rare Mirakurun merchandise. It was a great weekend. Kyouko showed off a picture of Ayano dressed up as Mirakurun's arch-enemy, Rivalun. The look on her face made her easy to read; She was extremely embarrassed. Behind her were Chitose, dressed in Kyouko's homemade Ganbo costume, and Kyouko herself dressed up as Mirakurun. She grinned.
"Hehehe. Ayano was definitely the star of the show this year, don'tcha think?"
"I was surprised at how eager she was to come. Y'know, considering the first time we brought her and all."
"Comiket is an addictive event, Yui. Your first time is far from your last!"
Yui chuckled awkwardly. Kyouko was a lot more involved in otaku culture than she was. A convention to her was just a busier, more entertaining day. The two friends continued rummaging through the various pictures.
"If we can convince Chinatsu-chan to come next time, she and Ayano will be a major hit!"
"Speaking of Chinatsu-chan, she's pretty late today. I wonder what's up..."
"Yeah, Akari hasn't shown up yet either...I think."
Kyouko glanced around to make sure Akari wasn't just sitting somewhere in the room without her noticing. Yui sighed at her obvious joke.
"They probably got caught up with class duties or something."
"Buuu. I wanted Chinatsu-chan to make me tea and give me snuggles!"
"...What is she? Your maid?"
As the duo continued their conversation, outside the front door of the clubhouse stood Chinatsu and Akari. The two of them decided to be late on purpose. They were both a little nervous, gulping slightly as they continued to stare at the door.
"So...Do you think this is a good idea? I'm worried about how Yui-senpai will react..."
Akari couldn't help but giggle. Despite what they've been through the last couple of days, Chinatsu still cared a bit about Yui. It didn't worry her, though. Not as much as before.
"I'm sure she and Kyouko-chan will be fine with it. After all, they are our friends."
Chinatsu nodded. Akari's sunny outlook helped calm her mind. It was something she always found intriguing.
"You're always so positive, Akari-chan. I just can't understand how you're able to do it sometimes..."
"Ehe. It's nothing special really..."
Akari gazed down at her and Chinatsu's hands, fingers intertwined and tightly connected. She squeezed a bit, smiling happily before redirecting her look to the bright blue sky up above.
"...Akari just knows to always have hope."