Hey guys. So, I've wanted to write a sequel fic for Just the Girl for quite a while now. But it's only now I've gotten to get down to business with it. I'm in the progress of writing the next two chapters, both happening during Yaya and Tsubomi's relationship.

Just a heads-up, since I'm in college now and I have little free time, and not to mention I have a shitload of other fics that I should really update (fuck me, right?), updates will be slow. So I apologize in advance.

Anyway, this first chapter, in short, is my interpretation of how Yaya and Tsubomi met and how Tsubomi got into the Spica Saintly Chorus.

The first day of school is always quite dragging, especially for young Tsubomi Okuwaka.

This was the first time she ever had to go away to school. Her parents wanted her to develop a streak of independence as early as possible, so Tsubomi, being an obedient child, followed suit and entered Spica, one of the three prestigious schools atop Astraea Hill.

"You can do this…you can do this…you're a big girl…" Tsubomi repeated in a mantra inside her head once she started walking.

Behind her, there happened to be a tall, dark-haired girl who was running to catch up to a blonde-haired girl who was just ahead.

"Coming through!" yelled the tall girl as she shoved the pink-haired girl out of the way and onto the ground to reach her friend.

"What the hell?" grunted Tsubomi as she stood up and wiped off the dust from her uniform. Unfortunately for her, she missed her chance to spot the girl who pushed her. It was just a blur.

Tsubomi really wanted to run up to her, look at her in the face, and show her a thing or two.

"If I find out who shoved me, I'm going to tear her a new…"

She clenched her fist tightly, but almost immediately let it go after realizing it wasn't really worth her time.

"Sigh, whatever. This campus is big, so there's a chance I'm not going to see her."

Later, after setting her stuff down in her room, Tsubomi decided to explore campus. When she went to her school building, she saw a flyer for the Spica Saintly Chorus posted on a wall. The auditions were to take place in the choir room and to start after class.

This particularly interested her since she grew up loving music and performing, courtesy of her stage actress mother. However, it seemed she was a little apprehensive about the whole thing.

"Hi. Are you going to try out?" asked a soft voice.

Tsubomi turned her head to check if the question was directed at her. She saw the blonde-haired girl.

"Well, I'm planning to."

"You should. Being in the Chorus is very enjoyable. By the way, my name is Hikari Konohana, third year and a member of the Chorus. And you are?"

"I'm Tsubomi Okuwaka, first year."

"Pleasure to meet you, Tsubomi-chan. I hope that you feel welcome in your first year here in Spica."

"I hope so too, despite the fact that I got shoved down almost the second I got here."

Hikari's eyes widened in surprise, "Goodness! Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know…" Tsubomi scratched the back of her head.

"Hey, Hikari! Where are you?" called a voice not too far away.

"I'm in front of the choir room, Yaya-chan," Hikari answered.

The other girl walked over. She was tall, had black hair, and brown eyes. She also carried an aura that was a little unapproachable and somehow manages to be the opposite as well.

Tsubomi looked at her and weird things began to happen to her.

Upon seeing this girl for the first time, her pupils dilated, her hands started to shake, her lips trembled, and her heart rate suddenly went up. Within seconds, her entire being was stiff. She had never felt this way about another person before and she wasn't sure what the hell was going on.

"Hm?" Yaya observed to the pinkette, "Who's she?"

"This is Tsubomi Okuwaka from the first year. She's planning to audition for the chorus," she introduced the younger girl to her friend, "And Tsubomi-chan, this is Yaya Nanto, also a member of the chorus."

The tall girl brought her face closer to the first-year's face. Tsubomi's heart beat faster.

"What the—she's so close to me…what do I do?" she pondered

"Really now? This little shrimp?" Yaya questioned rather rudely.

Almost immediately, Tsubomi took umbrage and was steaming.

"Little shrimp?" she clenched her teeth, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Hikari's jaw dropped a little when her underclassman dropped an F-bomb. Rather than insulted, Yaya felt amused that Tsubomi was standing up to her.

"Whoa, Hikari. This one's got a mouth on her," she boasted to the blonde girl.

In response, Tsubomi thumped Yaya on the forehead.

"Ow! Why you little…"

Once both girls were in a fighting stance, Hikari intervened by getting in between the girls and blocking them with her hands to prevent any casualties.

"Calm down, both of you," the blonde girl protested.

"Only if she apologizes for thumping my forehead!"

"No way! Take back what you said about me being a shrimp! Or else…"

"Or else what? You're just a child! What could you possibly do to me?" Yaya taunted.

"I'll show you…" Tsubomi raised her fist.

"Girls!" Hikari raised her voice a little bit, catching the attention of Yaya and Tsubomi, "Yaya-chan, you don't want to get caught picking on first-years, do you? And Tsubomi-chan, you don't want to cause trouble on your first day, do you?"

"No…" the other two girls answered in unison.

"Good. Now, get along, you two. And Yaya-chan, we should probably get going. It's fifteen minutes to Math class."

Yaya warned Tsubomi, "I'll deal with you later."

"I'd like to see you try, Yaya-senpai." she answered back.

As soon as Hikari and Yaya were out of sight, Tsubomi began to softly bang her head on the wall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why couldn't you keep your cool, Tsubomi? Why did you make a bad first impression?" she asked herself, "Oh, now I know why! Yaya-senpai is so rude and boorish and unruly and…"

She looked at the raven-haired girl once more from behind.

"…beautiful. Just before she insulted me, what in the hell was I feeling? My heart was beating and I couldn't stop looking at her. Is this…a crush?"

Once she thought about that, Tsubomi shook her head in disbelief.

"No, it can't be! She called me a little shrimp and I thumped her in the forehead! Is it even possible to still like a person after that?"

Right, because real life is like a shoujo manga and the way to first encounter the boy or girl of your dreams is to meet cute. Trust me, that meeting was anything but cute.

"D'oh! Quit your sarcasm, narrator!"

Okay, but you're going to have to do something about those feelings, Tsubomi.

"Sigh, you're right. Still, my audition is the matter here and I'm going to concentrate on that. If I get in, I'll be able to perform and be with Yaya-sen—

Damn it, no! Don't think about that!"

Hahaha.

Later that afternoon, Tsubomi was about to audition in the choir room. No matter what, she was determined to get in. She entered the choir room, ready to take it on.

The choir room had a large chalkboard nailed to one of the walls and there was a huge space, where she was to perform for the core members. On the other side, there was a long table where two of the core members, Kumi Morinaga and Ami Sanada, were seated to oversee the auditions. Tsubomi made it to the large space.

"Good afternoon," greeted Morinaga, "Please introduce yourself and why you are here."

"My name is Tsubomi Okuwaka and I'm here to audition for the Chorus."

"What are you going to sing for us today?" asked Sanada.

"On My Own from Les Misérables."

"All right, Okuwaka-san. Whenever you're ready."

Tsubomi took a deep breath.

On my own

Pretending he's beside me

All alone

I walk with him till morning

Without him

I feel his arms around me

And when I lose my way I close my eyes

And he has found me

During this time, Yaya was walking near the choir room and was stopped in her tracks when she heard somebody singing.

"That voice…whose voice is it?" she questioned as she stopped to keep listening. Inside, the core members observed her well.

In the rain the pavement shines like silver

All the lights are misty in the river

In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight

And all I see is him and me forever and forever

And I know it's only in my mind

That I'm talking to myself and not to him

And although I know that he is blind

Still I say, there's a way for us

"I've never heard a voice like that…It's beautiful," Yaya continued to listen just as Tsubomi was about to belt out the next lines.

I love him

But when the night is over

He is gone

The river's just a river

Without him

The world around me changes

The trees are bare and everywhere

The streets are full of strangers

I love him

But every day I'm learning

All my life

I've only been pretending

Without me

His world will go on turning

A world that's full of happiness

That I have never known

The dark-haired girl was in awe with that particular note. Every time she tried to sing that part of On My Own, she just couldn't hit it right. The girl auditioning inside was one she was jealous of and impressed with.

I love him

I love him

I love him

But only on my own

After hitting that last note, Tsubomi found herself hyperventilating. The core members whispered to one another regarding her chance in the Chorus. There was a mix of hopeful and doubtful looks between them, making the first-year a little nervous.

"Thank you very much, Okuwaka-san. We will let you know if you passed your audition in a few days," informed Morinaga.

"Thank you for having me," bowed Tsubomi shortly before beginning to exit. Yaya quickly hid by the wall when the younger girl opened the door and went on her way back to the Dorms. Yaya sighed in relief when she wasn't discovered.

"Tsubomi? The girl with the stunning voice is Tsubomi?" the girl wondered in disbelief. Just then, her ears caught a conversation going on between Sanada and Morinaga.

"Kumi, what do you think?"

"I don't know, Ami…I mean, she can hit the high notes pretty well, but isn't she a little bit too young?"

"That's what I thought. She's really good, but she might overshadow the other singers. And she'll get picked on for her age. It's probably best if she wasn't in," Sanada suggested reluctantly.

"Maybe you're right…"

Yaya was appalled with what she was hearing. Sure, she underestimated and nearly brawled with Tsubomi earlier, but the stunning performance she gave was proof enough that she has what it takes to be in the Spica Saintly Chorus. Impulsively, she opened the door to filibuster the two core members.

"You're making a big mistake by not letting her in," Yaya called them out, surprising them.

"Nanto-san? Were you listening the whole time?" Morinaga interrogated her.

"Yes, I was. And I heard Tsubomi sing. I've never heard such a remarkable rendition of On My Own until now. She deserves to be in this choir."

"If we let her in, everyone else might question her credibility as a vocalist and since she's a kid, she might lose focus and undermine the group. We're just trying to protect her," Sanada argued.

"No disrespect, but that's bullshit," Yaya scoffed, "Being a kid doesn't make Tsubomi any less of a talented girl. And besides, one more voice will make a richer harmony. Isn't that what we need to make this choir?"

"Nanto-san, why do you care so much anyway? It's not like you know her," Morinaga questioned her.

"I kind of do. I met her this morning. She's not exactly whom I'd call my favorite kind of person, but even people like that deserve a chance to do what they're good at and be loved for it. Please reconsider. Let her in."

After her statement, Yaya left the choir room, leaving the two core members to decide Tsubomi's fate.

A few days had passed and Tsubomi was ultimately chosen as a member of the Chorus. As the pinkette was mingling amongst other members of the Chorus, Yaya was talking with Hikari, admitting what she did days ago.

"No way. You actually convinced Morinaga-san and Sanada-san to let her in?" Hikari grinned.

"Yes, but you can't tell Tsubomi. Ever," Yaya insisted.

"Okay, but I'm surprised that you actually care."

"I did for the sake of the choir," Yaya denied, "and nothing else."

Hikari wasn't buying it, but she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

After Tsubomi was done socializing with other people, she walked over to Hikari and Yaya. She slightly blushed at the sight of the taller girl, but pouted just before the latter could notice and turned to Hikari.

"Hey, Tsubomi. Congratulations on passing your audition," the blonde girl commended her underclassman.

"Thank you, Senpai. I was scared I wouldn't make it, but I did it. I made it," beamed Tsubomi.

Hikari faintly elbowed Yaya to coax her to acknowledge Tsubomi.

"Um…good for you," muttered Yaya.

"Uh…thanks," Tsubomi answered, trying not to blush again. Just a little acknowledgement from Yaya made Tsubomi feel warm inside. Because of that, her attempt to not blush failed. And it was noticeable.

"Why are you blushing?" questioned the raven-haired girl.

"Can you two keep a secret?" she asked, earning nods from the two other girls.

"Another reason why I joined the Chorus is because there's someone I like here."

"Really? Who is it?" Hikari's eyes widened.

"I…can't say."

Judging by the expression on Tsubomi's face, Yaya was deducing the person she likes was right in front of her. She then put two and two together. Or, so she thought.

"It's Hikari, isn't it?" Yaya guessed, making a big question mark appear above Hikari's head.

Tsubomi was aghast, "Wait, what?"

"Admit it, you think Hikari's cute. Everyone does."

Hikari chuckled, "Well, Tsubomi. I'm flattered, but there's someone else I like though. I hope you understand."

"No wait, you've got it all wrong! I don't—"

But before she could finish, a classmate of Yaya and Hikari's called them over.

Tsubomi was wincing at first, but after a few seconds, breathed a sigh of relief.

"I guess it's better if Yaya-senpai doesn't know how I feel about her; at least; not yet. This is the first crush I've ever had. I don't want to mess it up."

She then watched Yaya chat with her friends and cracked a smile.

"But still…I have hope you'll like me back one day, Yaya-senpai."

Author's note:

- Yeah, I broke the fourth wall.

- I plan to again in the future, but not as often. After all, I'm no Deadpool.

- I was originally going to use"On The Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady for the audition piece. And now I'm thinking "Reflection" from Mulan. Dang it.