I only wanted to show my appreciation towards my main fandom. And the main protagonist is on my favorite list, so I wanted to try with her.

Happy early birthday for our dearest heroine.

Please enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Live!

When one tends to fall in love, that person would understand about it right away.

As for Honoka and Umi, they are either too dense or too innocent.

"Umi-chan, Umi-chan." Honoka spoke up.

"What is it Honoka?" Umi, the blue-haired girl who was scribbling on her notebook turned her face to Honoka.

And it turned out that turning towards her wasn't necessary.

"Gotcha~" Honoka grinned, shoving up her index finger to Umi's cheek, which irrirated Umi.

"Honestly," Umi took Honoka's hand away from her face, "if you have time to do this, you should really use it to study rather than messing around," and squeezed it, "right?"

Honoka yelped. She really had done the wrong thing.

They were at Honoka's room. Due too Honoka failed most of her classes, her grades flunked. Umi decided to help her, and Honoka accepted it gladly.

Umi was being kind towards her. She was really kind, even Honoka knew that. But it feels like Honoka just added another problem, aside from her bad grades. Now, she made her best friend mad. And that might cost her fingers' functions away.

"I- I got it Umi-chan, I got it!" Honoka said, trying to take her hand away from Umi's death grip. After Umi let go of her, Honoka caressed her hand with the other one. "Geez, you're no fun."

Umi sighed at Honoka's retort. "Should you be having fun when your grades are miserable?"

"At least motivate me! With your harsh and strict way of teaching, of course I'd be bored!" Honoka whined. She puffed her cheeks, showing her childish side, which was successful on making Umi reconsider her attitude while teaching Honoka.

"..Is that so?" Umi's face relaxed for a bit, face was full of concern. It was true that whenever Umi did something, she would do it seriously, way too serious. And if she failed to help Honoka due to her way of helping, she'd be embarrassed to call herself as her bestfriend.

"Then..." Umi put her hand on her own chin, trying to think up of something, "..How about, if you got high scores on the next test, you can ask me to do any favours." Umi said after she had the idea.

"Any- Like, anything?" Honoka beamed. She leaned her face closer to Umi with her sparkling eyes, clearly interested on the bet. Umi, on the other hand, surprised a bit from the nearly nonexistent distant between them, "Y-Yeah, anything." Umi gulped, while looking away from Honoka due too embarrassment from being stared by Honoka.

Luckily for Umi, Honoka pulled herself away and cheered for herself, "Yeay~! Let's go to study then, Umi-chan!" She said. Umi gave a soft smile to her dearest friend. "Yeah, let's."

…

Next week after that, the test started. Honoka had passed the week of sufferings. But she knew that it'd be worth. Not only the time she spent with Umi was worth, the prize she'd get if she succeed also would be more worthy.

And her efforts didn't go wasted.

"Umi-chan, Umi-chan!" Honoka yelled to Umi right after her name was called by her teacher to get her test papers back.

"What is it, Honoka? Why are you yelling?" Umi asked her friend who was being jumpy. She didn't know yet that it was because Honoka was overexcited.

The same also went for Kotori who looked at her with clueless look.

"Look at these!" Honoka said. She also noticed Kotori nearby and told her too. "Kotori-chan too!"

Following Honoka's demand, both looked at Honoka's papers. And turned out that Honoka wanted to show off her scores, since they were unbelievably good.

"Honoka-chan, amazing-!" Kotori spoke up.

"Y- Yeah, even I can't believe this." Umi followed. Honoka only grinned proudly. They were all above 70. Already good enough for Honoka's case.

"So, I'm here to take your words, Umi-chan!" Honoka exclaimed.

Umi looked up, it took a while before she noticed what was Honoka talking about. "Oh right, I did say something like that."

Honoka's smile became wider, "Then, let's go on a date!"

"...Excuse me?" Umi asked. She couldn't believe what just Honoka said.

"Let's go on a date!" Honoka remarked. And louder than before.

Umi regretted that she asked for the second. It just made her became flustered. "Y- You don't need to say that twice!"

"Ehh? But you asked me to.." Honoka talked back.

Kotori who was totally clueless only looked at both of them confusedly. "Girls.. what is this about?"

"You see, Kotori-chan," Honoka turned her face to Kotori, "Umi-chan taught me so that my grades would get better."

Kotori nodded in understanding. "And?"

"And she said that I can do anything with her if that happened!" She finished.

"H- Honoka! Don't put it like that!" Umi shouted, her face became redder with Honoka's interpretation.

"All you have to do is to say yes, you know, Umi-chan," Kotori said to Umi. Umi looked at Kotori, who was smiling to her. As if she was saying that it'd be fine. "you promised, didn't you?" Kotori continued.

Umi nodded. Kotori was right. She didn't have the right to deny Honoka. Not like going on a date with Honoka itself was a bad thing.

Umi gave a defeated sigh. "...You're right."

Honoka kept staring at Umi. She was eager to get an answer from Umi. "So?"

"Yes, let's go on a d-date." Umi said, a bit embarrassed by the 'date' word.

"Like I have any other choices." Umi murmured, before sighing heavily.

And it ended with Honoka's wide smile and her giving a V sign.

…

"Why are we here, I wonder." Umi said.

They were at a familiar place, both for Honoka and for Umi. Namely Homura's sweets, as known as Honoka's house. As for the exact place, they were on Honoka's room.

"Umi-chan.. you're making me sad if you say that." Honoka said back from her bed, in where she was lying on it.

"So you said," Umi looked at the girl right before her eyes. A wet towel placed on her forehead. "but what's the point of getting excited if you ended up sick?"

Honoka knew that. Umi was right. What was the point from staying up late and ended up like this. "But if it's a date with Umi-chan, how I wouldn't get excited?"

Umi was taken aback by what the ginger-haired girl just said.

"I- Is that so?" Umi didn't know what to said anymore.

But Umi smiled, she would lie if she said that she wasn't happy that Honoka was that excited to go on a date with her. Not to mention, Umi herself was actually a bit excited to go on a date with Honoka.

"I'm sorry... Umi-chan." Honoka said again. She smiled bitterly, which was not to Umi's liking. She felt sorry for that girl, since the most excited one was her. And yet she was the one who screwed up.

Umi moved her left hand towards Honoka's soft cheeks. "It's fine. Your health is more important."

It took a while for Umi that what she was doing was a bit bold. And shameless. Just when she wanted to pull it back, Honoka already touched her hand. "Your hand is so warm, Umi-chan. I like it."

And now she couldn't possibly take it back. Her face was reddened from the contact and from what Honoka just said. But Umi didn't know what came to her, because she felt like she needed to launch the question in her mind.

"O- Only my hand?"

Honoka whose eyes were closed, opened it back. She stared at Umi widely because the surprising question. She could feel that heat was rushing to her face. "I.. guess?" She answered quietly.

Umi's hand which stayed still, started caressing Honoka's cheek. Honoka was, again, surprised by Umi's sudden act. She looked at Umi, trying to find what she was thinking. But Umi was looking away from her. And Umi could feel that Honoka was looking at her.

"You said that... you liked it didn't you?"

"Uhm.." Honoka nodded.

Umi continued on doing so and they both trapped on awkward silent. Both also lost on their own thoughts. Thinking why their heartbeat was incredibly fast. Umi really wanted to get out, find an empty box and hide on it. But she was enjoying this. She liked how soft Honoka's cheek was. Although there was no way she would say that.

As for Honoka, she was so happy even in this silent. Thinking why she had always been so happy whenever she was with Umi, she tried to find the answer. But she couldn't find it.

...Maybe Umi could help.

"Umi-chan."

"Y- Yes?" Umi startled by Honoka's voice. And now she was more surprised to see Honoka's hands were holding her hand.

"I like to be with you, Umi-chan." Honoka said. Umi couldn't believe that. How Honoka could say that with straight face?

"And I'm interesting with the world 'love'." Honoka continued, which make Umi jumped and surprised.

"R-R-Robe!? L-L-Lope!? L-L-L-"

"Love, Umi-chan." Honoka finished, chuckling at the stuttering bluenette.

"Maybe you can teach me?"

Umi was lost at words. Yes, she was capable on many things, and she could teach Honoka. But 'Love'? Umi's knowledge was just nowhere close to that word.

"I- I refuse!" Umi said, taking her hand away from Honoka's cheek.

"Eh?"

"How can you ask me to teach you about L-L-L-"

"Love."

"Yes! While I..." Umi looked down, hiding her very reddened face. She put her hands on her thighs, clenching them up. "Don't know a thing about that."

Honoka sat up on her bed and smiled softly. "Shall we find out about that together?"

"Wh- What?! No, Honoka.. We.. We can't-"

"But you said you would do me any favours."

"I am treating you right now!"

"...Did I ask for it?"

"Ugh-!" Umi's face became even redder than before. Because how irritating it was to her for losing the conversation. She really didn't expect this coming.

"Do you.. Dislike the idea that badly?" Honoka muttered. She felt like crying. She knew that she shouldn't push Umi that far, but she really wanted to know about it. The mysterious feeling that had been driving her crazy every time Umi with her.

It was selfish of her to suddenly cornered Umi like that. Umi was treating her because she was being sorry for her condition, yet...

She used an advantage of Umi's pride keeping promise. Even though that was just the same as cheating.

Words hadn't come out from Umi's mouth. If Umi couldn't even do as much as rejecting her, then Honoka should give up on it.

"I- I'm sorry. Just forget about it Umi-"

"Let's find it out!" Honoka's eyes widened. Umi finally said a thing. Moreover, Umi's answer was not what Honoka expected. And she assumed that Umi said that only out of obligation.

"It's fine, Umi-chan! You don't have to force yourself to do that." Honoka tried to convince Umi to take it back when it wasn't too late. But Umi shot a sharp glare at her, which surprised Honoka.

"Do you..." Umi murmured. Honoka gulped, she was terrified but also curious at the same time about the continuation. "...really want to make me say that I actually do this on my own will?!"

Honoka blinked, again surprised by another surprising answer from Umi. "You just said it out loud though.." She blurted.

"?! How thoughtless of me-!" Umi covered her mouth, although that was a bit too late to do that. While being embarrassed from her own acts, Umi heard a giggle from the girl near her.

"Please take care of me~!"

Umi saw Honoka's grin spreading widely on her face. That big smile of her brought nothing but another smile from the person in front of her.

…

Umi, teaching other about this thing called love? Ridiculous.

But for Honoka, it really is a special case. And, it's not like she's teaching Honoka about Love. To be precise, they're learning about it together.

The word that even the warrior doesn't know about.

.

.

Fin.

I'm sorry if this is pretty bad. I'm ashamed.

Still, thanks for reading.

I know it's still too early, but why not. Maybe tomorrow I'll come with another pairing. (At last) I got some free time after all.

Since I got accepted on the university. *PRAISES THE LORD*

Okay, have a nice day.