µ's Side
The Navigators

"Hurry up Kayo-chin!" Rin ran across the streets while holding her best friend's hand and dragging her at a pace that the latter could barely keep up with.

"Wait, Rin-chan!" Hanayo felt out of breath, she wasn't used to such a workout so early or to being so energetic, "Someone, help!"

Much to Hanayo's relief she felt someone pushing her, keeping her strong enough to help match Rin's pace but soft enough to prevent a fall.

"Hurry up, Hanayo, we need to make a quick stop before reaching our classroom!" Nico was the one pushing her.

"Nico-chan! Good morning nya!" Rin spared a quick glance at her before facing forward again "Then, Navigators, go!" Rin cheered, lifting her fist, then Nico followed and lastly Hanayo. They imitated Rin's action, showing their spirits.

For then on, everything was going to be great, or so they thought.

The three girls ran through the school gates, completely ignoring the boards in which their names were written, listing the first years names and groups, they ran across the halls as if they weren't just freshmen in the school and didn't stop until they reached their destination: the student council room.

Hanayo and Nico stopped for a second. They had to recover their breath after the long race the three of them had, they couldn't help it, they were so fired up.

"Rin…" Nico said looking her in the eye, Rin understood the message and knocked on the door.

"Come in," A soft voice came from inside the room, they smiled, because it was a voice that the three of them could recognize, just as Nico predicted.

"Nozomi-chan!" Rin shouted, opening the door to tackle hugging said girl, Rin was very fond of Nozomi, and after so much time- almost two years- of not seeing her, it really fired up Rin.

"It doesn't surprise me that the two of you are student council members," Nico said knowingly, but there was also a smug tone in her voice, the cat-like smile pasted on her face didn't help that much either, "You nerds."

"Nico," Eli's eyebrow twitched, "Is that the way you should talk to your upperclassmen!?"

"Ehhh? Weren't you the one who banned all kinds of senior-junior interactions back then?" There it was. Eli tried to think of a comeback but the words got stuck in her throat, she did in fact say that.

"She did."

"She did, nya."

Nozomi and Rin teased Eli at the same time. The blonde pouted.

"You should be on my side, Nozomi," She said with an expression Nozomi could only call 'adorable', "You bully."

"Now, Eli. Nozomi. Give me the club application forms."

Eli and Nozomi stiffened, looking each other in the eye, then Eli just sighed.

"Well, where are the other two members?"

Rin tilted her head, confused, "They are here though."

"We aren't going to join this time girls."

"Eeeh!? Why not!?" Nico was confused, "After everything that's happened, are you going to-" She stopped when Nozomi's hand fell on her shoulder.

"Well, a lot has happened, and Nozomi thinks it's best if we don't join, or at least not so soon," Eli sounded apologetic enough to convince the others, "It's not like we're against you three in this, if you get the the members and do the paperwork there shouldn't be a problem, we are still friends, remember?" She offered Nico a paper, the girl looked at it, pouted, and finally took it.

"Come on, Nico-chan, we need to get to our classroom soon."

"Yeah, that's right."

Rin was about to open the door when Eli spoke, "By the way, girls, it's good to see you again, we both missed you."

There was a soft look in her eyes and a warm smile in her face, one that worked well enough to bring Nico's spirits up.

"Let's go, nya!" Rin took her friends' hands and dragged them out, but instead of running they just started walking.

Eli and Nozomi just closed the doors and sighed.

"They don't know yet, do they? How much things have changed."

"It doesn't seem so."

"It's going to be hard for them."

"You could help out a little, if you just weren't so stubborn about this."

"That was what the cards told me was right."

— — — — — —

Aquors Side
"Not A Fateful Encounter"

"And then the fliers went flying like bouah! And like fueah! and when I ran to chase them I saw it-"

Chika's rambling was stopped when she ran out of words to say as she stared at the sky, she was talking with her lifelong friend Kanan, "It was an all-you-can-eat coffee shop! It was a miracle, don't you think!?"

Kanan's brow twitched, "Weren't we here to talk about you wanting to become a school idol!?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm going to give it a try, being a school idol."

"What does that have to do with you finding a buffet?"

"Because there I found a cute blonde watching a school idol video and after talking a bit with her I decided that I'd give it a try."

Kanan sighed, she was starting to feel desperate, "Is that all? That's the reason you want to become a school idol?"

Chika felt intimidated by Kanan's tone and the fact that the girl had suddenly stood up from the table, "Calm down Kanan-chan, it's not like it's something bad or anything."

"You want to become a school idol just because you talked with a 'cute' blonde in a cafe."

The way Kanan explained it definitely made her feel a bit guilty for her motivations. The hard edge in her voice only reinforced her guilt further.

"Well, if you put it in that way, yes, it's a bit of a drag, but-" She was interrupted again as Kanan slammed her hand on the table and started to pick up her stuff.

"You'd better stop there if you're going to do it with that half-assed motivation, for your own good."

Something clicked in Chika's head as she stood up as violently as her friend did moments ago, surprising said girl a little.

"It's not half-assed, and I'm not going to stop without never starting, so just you watch, I'm going to do it," The girl walked away, still sulking, "And after I'm done with it I'll make you eat all the sashimi in my house, got it!?" And thus Chika walked away from the diving shop, to where the boat was waiting for it's departure time.

"Eat all the sashimi? That's pretty clever of you," Kanan said as if her words and the almost fight she had with her friend didn't just happen. She stared at the sky, "I'm not that good at playing this role, you know? I seriously miss you girls… Dia could make that girl quit if she wanted to, though."

=======

"Bye, bye, Mari-senpai, it was pretty fun having you as a friend all this time, be careful on your way home," A girl waved goodbye to her friend as the latter was boarding an expensive looking car.

They had flown together from America to Japan, but now it was time for them to part ways, her friend lived in Tokyo after all and she was going to Numazu.

They didn't feel sad about it, because they could call each other anytime.

"Bye bye, Minacchi! Take care of yourself and don't walk around wearing weird costumes! Not without sending me a pic!"

"I only did it that one time!" The girl cried at her friends teasing, as the car started moving and faded out of view due to the city's traffic.

She missed her already.

"Kotori…" An unexpected voice came from behind her, she turned around, facing her mother, the woman had a warm and welcoming expression. But beside her she couldn't find the other two figures she expected the most, "Welcome home."

Slight disappointment came down on her but she just smiled back, "I'm back, mom."

=======

Mari couldn't help but set her gaze out the window of the car, focusing on nothing in particular, the memories of what happened two years ago coming down on her harder and harder as she approached her destination.

"It been a long time, hasn't it? Two years… I can't wait to see you Kanan. Dia."