"You know Honoka-chan, when you asked us if we wanted to go on a double date with you at this theme park, this isn't what we were expecting..."
"I uh... wanted to keep it as a surprise for you guys!"
"Honoka, these aren't the terms we agreed upon!"
"Geez, you make it sound like you signed a contract to date me, Umi-chan!" Honoka tried to pull off a cute pout but the bluenette wasn't having any of it.
"I was expecting Nishikino-san and Yazawa-san or Ayase-san and Tojo-san, not... this".
"D-don't say that Tsubasa-chan... Ahaha... haha..." Honoka nervously laughed as she started to feel the tense atmosphere that was brewing around her. Amber and topaz eyes clashed with emerald ones and Honoka was in the middle of the crossfire. The ginger tugged on the collar of her dress and gulped, trying to quickly come up with a way to defuse this situation between all of her girlfriends. It probably didn't help that they didn't know that they happened to be sharing the same partner.
After a few more moments of tense silence, Umi firmly grabbed Honoka by her wrist, catching the ginger by surprise with a small yelp. "Well, as much as I'd like to say that it's a pleasure to see you Kira-san, we have a date to attend to" Umi said with a very polite yet aggressive smile.
Before the bluenette could take off with the ginger, Tsubasa grabbed Honoka by her other wrist and didn't let her be moved by an inch "Excuse me, Sonoda-san, but Honoka specifically asked me on a date for today."
Umi tugged Honoka's arm but Tsubasa wouldn't let go. Umi saw the determination in those green eyes. She wouldn't be giving up easily. Her polite smile quickly 180'd into a frown as she pulled on Honoka's arm again, Tsubasa responding with a tug on her own. The two were so focused on glaring at each other that they failed to notice Honoka's pained expression and whimper.
"U-Umi-chan, Tsubasa-san! Please stop, you're hurting Honoka-chan!" Kotori chirped in and the two almost immediately let go with their determined looks turning sour with worry. Once they let go, Honoka rubbed her wrists and Kotori ran to her side "Are you okay, Honoka-chan?"
Honoka kept rubbing her wrists for a bit before smiling at her ash burned girlfriend "Yeah, thank you, Kotori-chan. My wrists just hurt a bit." Umi and Tsubasa quickly glanced away, the bluenette rubbing her own arm while the brunette rubbed the back of her neck "I'm surprised by how strong Tsubasa-chan can be actually" the ginger gingerly commented and made the shorter girl blush a little bit.
"Honoka..." Umi finally spoke up "why didn't you tell us about her? I..." she took a glance at Kotori and quickly corrected herself, "We would've never imagined that you had feelings for Kira-san."
"It uh... it had happened when you and Kotori started to go out a month ago." Honoka began to explain, a melancholic look taking over her face. "I was happy for the two of you y'know! I wanted to support you guys as much as I could, because what kind of friend would I be if I didn't want you to be as happy as you could ever be? That's why I kept my distance from you two, I kinda felt like I was in the way." Honoka kicked her foot on the ground. "But I couldn't help but to feel lonely. And it really sucked because I knew that it you two being happy should be top priority but I really did want things to go back to normal."
"But we also realized how wrong it felt to leave you out Honoka-chan!" Kotori chimed in, holding the ginger's hands and giving them a gentle squeeze.
"We should've realized sooner that we love you just as much." Umi added.
"Yeah, and I love you guys too." Honoka smiled warmly and brought up Kotori's hands to her lips and quickly kissed them. "But it took you guys a bit to realize that" she said quietly before letting go of ash-haired girl's hands. "While you guys were with each other I ended up hanging out with Tsubasa-chan. A lot. We hung out at the arcade, the park, Akihabara and even went to karaoke several times." The brunette found herself smiling as she too began to remember. "And by the time 3rd time we had gone there, without even noticing it..." Honoka blushed and rubbed her cheek with her finger. "We were holding hands and k-kissing on the couch." Honoka nervously chuckled. Tsubasa also blushed brightly but instead of shying away she smiled proudly.
"That still doesn't explain why you never told us Honoka." Umi didn't feel sorry at all for bursting the bubble of happy memories that the two leaders shared.
"I-I guess I was just so happy that I forgot to mention it..." Honoka rubbed the back of her neck.
"You forgot to mention that you were two timing us?!" Both Umi and Tsubasa said in chorus.
"Yes! N-no, I mean no!" Honoka yelped as she waved at both of them "I-I don't want to have two relationships! I-I mean-!" The ginger tripped on her words harder than the time she danced No brand girls during the rain "I... I set up this date with all of you so you knew about all of this. A-and that... if it's at all possible," Honoka grew quiet for a moment "I know this is very selfish but I want this to work out! I want to date all three of you!"
Everyone went quiet, too long for Honoka's liking. No one was doing anything and the ginger was starting to regret all of this.
"If that's what it'll take me to be with you," Tsubasa took one of Honoka's hands and gave her a reassuring smile "I'm willing to give it a shot"
"Honoka-chan, you put us first when we did something selfish." Kotori took Honoka's other hand and squeezed it "I think it's only fair you get to be selfish too. You can always make things work out in the end." she said before beaming at her.
"I-I suppose Kotori is right." Umi was still hesitant to all of this but it wouldn't feel right to go against Honoka's wishes. At least not right now "I also am willing to try this."
Umi frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror. Both Kotori and Tsubasa seemed to be willing to give Honoka's idea of a 4 way relationship a serious try. Was she the only one still uncomfortable about this? What would people even think about them? Probably that they were all crazy. Polyamory was a rare occurrence and Honoka wanted to add more people into it. Was Umi the only sane one here? Or were the other three the sane ones? Maybe they were as they're the ones who are obliging with Honoka's request. Umi sighed and washed her face for the third time, this was too much to think about but she couldn't possibly spend the rest of the date stuck in the restrooms. Umi walked out and joined the other three girls who were waiting for her.
"So have you decided where to go next?" Umi asked curiously. Honoka nodded excitedly as she pointed behind Umi.
"Over there! Let's go to that one!" Honoka exclaimed and Umi felt her heart dropped when she saw Honoka pointing the largest, meanest looking and fastest roller coaster of the whole park. She took a nervous gulp and saw if anyone else raised an objection. Maybe if Tsubasa disagreed Umi wouldn't look as bad when she also disagreed.
"Ooh. Exciting. Sure, let's go."
"Ehehe~ My heart's beating so hard! I can't wait!"
Umi began to wonder if she was the only sane one again.
"Kotori... Am I the only one who isn't sure about this?" Umi sighed and looked at the ash-haired girl
"Do you still not trust Tsubasa-chan?" Kotori tilted her head and looked at Umi for a moment before looking back at the two leaders walking ahead of them hand in hand. Honoka tugged Tsubasa's arm to get her attention.
"N-no, it's not that..." Umi looked down, still doubtful about this relationship. Kotori tugged on her sleeve and then pointed at the two girls in front of them. The moment Honoka had gotten the brunette's attention she pulled her in and quickly pecked her in the lips before both of them giggled.
"Aren't they adorable Umi-chan?" Kotori rested her head on Umi's shoulder and the bluenette couldn't help but to smile. Maybe it'd be alright; maybe she was over thinking everythi-
"I wouldn't mind if Tsubasa-chan flirted with me like that too..."
"Whew! That really hit the spot!" Honoka smiled as she patted her stomach. Three girlfriends meant that she had three people who'd let her indulge in as much good food as she could eat. Well, at least two of them did, the other told Honoka not too eat too much.
"Your incredible appetite never ceases to amuse me." Tsubasa commented as she took another bite out of her sandwich.
"Honoka-chan can eat a whole buffet if she puts her mind on it." Kotori chuckled as she took a sip of her water bottle. Tsubasa giggled and Honoka puffed her cheeks in response.
"Of course I wouldn't let her. It'd be too expensive" Umi interjected, attempting to remain as the voice of reason regarding Honoka's weight control.
"Unless it's an all-you-can-eat buffet." Tsubasa quietly added, getting giggles out of Kotori and Honoka and a poorly disguised smile and eye roll from Umi.
"So... what exactly got your attention on Honoka?" Umi was stuck in the same boat with Tsubasa much to her dismay. Kotori certainly hadn't expected the limit of two people per boat when she dragged everyone to the tunnel of love. Still, if she was going to be with Tsubasa she might as well try to get the most out of it and attempt to have fun.
"Would it be cheating if I say that I like everything about her?" Tsubasa's question was simply answered by an expecting smile "Hmm... well, Honoka has this special charm behind her you know? Her positivity, her radiance, how she just puts everything of herself into whatever she's passionate about. I sometimes wish I could be as reckless her, but she brings it out of me from time to time." Tsubasa looked at the water underneath the boat for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. Umi smiled and nodded in understanding. Honoka certainly had the innate ability to rub off her own energy to others; it was rather amazing how she could rally people with her unique charisma.
"Kira-san?"
"Please, call me Tsubasa." The brunette looked up at Umi and smiled.
"Only if you call me Umi." Tsubasa nodded in response "I... I know we started today with the wrong foot, but now that I've seen that Honoka treasures you a lot and that you're... a trustworthy person, I do hope we get to work this out" Umi smiled warmly, a kind of smile that she reserved only for Kotori and Honoka. Tsubasa smiled back, trying her best to match up to Umi's smile, and nodded.
"I'll be looking forward for more dates like this then."
Honoka's perfect date would've been gone perfectly if only the Ferris wheel's carts had allowed four people in the same cart. They just had to be super tiny. She couldn't complain too much though, not when on one hand she had Tsubasa and on the other she held Umi. She'd hold Kotori's too if only she had three hands, but thankfully Kotori seemed content enough to hold Tsubasa's hand.