You liked to think of herself as a rational, level-headed girl of even temperament who possessed a normal amount of sanity for someone of her maturity. Given the company she kept (including a whimsical heiress, a self-proclaimed fallen angel, and her best friend), she felt this was a fair assessment of her mental faculties. And most of the time, she was right.

But if you were to ask her just what the heck she was doing in Riko's closet, she wouldn't have a good answer for that.

In fact, You wasn't sure how she'd ended up here either.

...Well, that's not quite true. Her memory of the past few minutes was fine. But the overall buildup to this serious breach in privacy was, to be fair, rather involved.


A Declaration:

Some time ago...

Riko and You sat at a small table against the wall in an ordinary cafe, sipping tea in silence as they waited for their cakes to arrive. Aqours had just finished performing for the Regional Qualifiers not too long ago, so the two second years were taking a moment to relax and enjoy each other's company.

And for You, there was still something that needed to be said. "Hey, Riko-chan? Thanks for helping me and Chika-chan with that rough patch," smiled You.

Riko inclined her head humbly. "Of course. I know how much she means to you, and I wouldn't want you to feel left out."

You smiled as she took a sip of tea, grateful for her friendship with the redhead. It was nice to know that, even with her heart set on Chika, Riko would place friendship above romance.

Riko continued. "Especially now that Chika-chan and I are going out."

The brunette froze. Slowly, oh so slowly, she lowered her teacup to the table. "...Excuse me?" she deadpanned.

Riko replied with a small nod. "Yeah. During our training camp, I confessed to her and told her I loved her."

You kept her face as stoic as possible, though she couldn't help but let slip a small twitch of her eye. "And how did she respond?"

"She smiled and said she loved me too. Then we watched the sunrise before heading back to the training camp."

"And then what?" You practically demanded, "Were there any other signs of romantic affection?"

"...no," answered Riko uncertainly. "We held hands?"

You let out a long sigh of relief. "Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the two of you are not going out."

The redhead frowned. "Yes we are. Chika-chan returned my feelings."

"Nope. Believe me, I've been there before. She just means it as friends," said You dismissively.

Riko pouted. "I know that I'm different. Unlike with you, when Chika-chan says she loves me, she means it."

Azure eyes narrowed as they glared against golden irises, neither girl willing to give an inch on such an important issue. "I see. Then let's settle this." You took out her phone and dialed Chika's number, making sure it was set to speakerphone.

"You-chan? What's up?" came Chika's voice.

"Chika-chan, I just called to say I love you!" said You cheerily.

"Thanks You-chan, I love you too!"

Across from her, Riko gasped. That sounded so similar to how Chika had said it to her! Could it be...?! "Chika-chan!" she yelped.

"Eh? Riko-chan?"

"I also want to say I love you!"

"Thanks Riko-chan, I love you too," replied Chika, this time noticeably confused.

Riko's brow furrowed and her nostrils flared in annoyed frustration. You smirked as the redhead realized she was correct. "Thanks Chika-chan! That's all we called for. Goodbye!"

"Wait, what's going-" You ended the call.

"See?" said the brunette smugly. "Guess you're not as special as you think you are."

Riko seethed as her first relationship went up in smoke. She exhaled loudly and fixed a glare at You. "Then I'll just have to make myself special to her."

"Oh no you don't. If anyone's going to get through her oblivious head, it's going to be me."

"I won't lose Chika-chan to you," Riko declared. "I'm going to make her mine."

You sniffed derisively at her. "I'd like to see you try," she shot back.

"Then I guess it's war!"

"I guess it is!"

Then, instead of storming out in a suitably dramatic fashion, they glared at each other in silence while waiting for their cakes to come out. They ate and paid, even exchanging curt yet civil farewells before rushing away to plot the other's downfall.

Such was the beginning of the Great Chika War.


Battle of the Bento

"Hey Chika-chan! Let me make you a bento box from now on!" declared You.

Chika looked up from her meal, mouth stuffed with half a mikan. "Eh?! Really?" she managed.

The brunette let out a wide smile. "Sure! It'll help me practice my cooking."

"But you're already a good cook. Unless..." Chika's eyes lit up as she figured it out. "Is there a special someone you want to be a super perfect chef for?!"

You's smile wavered ever so slightly at the ginger's denseness. "You could say that."

The Next Day...

"So? What do you think, Chika-chan?"

"It's delicious, You-chan!" reviewed Chika as she shoveled another bite of food into her mouth. You smiled winningly, certain this would elevate her in Chika's heart and stomach.

Just then, Riko arrived. Her hands, now noticeably wrapped in bandages, carried not just her usual sandwich-shaped sandwich bag but also a bento box. "Chika-chan, I made one for you too!"

The ginger made a noise of confusion as she chewed. Currently out of her best friend's sight, You glared at Riko who only smiled sweetly in response. "You made one too?" asked Chika incredulously. "Why?"

Riko maintained her saccharine smile as she removed the lid and gathered up a bite of food in her chopsticks. "Because I also have a special someone I want to practice cooking for," she replied, holding out the food as to feed Chika. "Now say ahhh."

"Ahhh..."

Chika chomped down.

"How is it?" asked Riko.

The ginger coughed and slapped a hand over her mouth as she chewed. "Wonderful!" she squeaked out, "Absolutely wonderful!"

"Chika-chan, you're crying," pointed out You helpfully.

"They're... tears of happiness because Riko-chan put so much effort into making something special," managed the ginger, voice cracking midway through her sentence.

"Now you're turning green," observed You.

"...Excuse me." With that, Chika stood and bolted out of the classroom for the nearest bathroom.

With the target of their affections gone, You shot a smug look at the now fuming redhead. "Better luck next time, Sakurauchi," she patronized. "You'd best stick to your sandwiches and leave the bentos to the pros."

"This is far from over," hissed Riko. She grabbed more of her bento and held it in front of her face. "And you know what? This is an indirect kiss from Chika-chan," she retorted before placing the food in her mouth.

A good several seconds passed before Riko dropped the chopsticks and sprinted for the bathroom, her face turning a putrid green to reflect the activation of her gag reflex.

You let out a laugh at Riko's definitely-not-worth-it indirect kiss before casually standing to go join them. She was doubtlessly the victor in this particular skirmish, but why not drive the nail in? After all, how humiliating would it be to have your arch-nemesis hold your hair while you hurled?

After Action Report - Yousoro Victory

Record of Battle - You 9 : Riko 8


Academic Attack:

"I am so screwed for this test!" wailed Chika, dropping her head to her desk in despair. The ginger groaned in an exaggerated manner, her classmates shooting her weird looks as they left for the day.

"There, there, Chika-chan," comforted Riko, "It'll be okay. I know! Why don't I tutor you?"

"Really? You'd do that for me?" asked the ginger, regaining her usual energy.

Riko smiled. "Of course."

The Next Day...

"I'm here!" announced Riko as she opened the door to Chika's room, ready to study.

"Riko-chan! Thanks for coming," greeted Chika.

"Nice of you to drop by," added another voice.

Riko startled. "You-chan?! ...Isn't this a nice surprise?" she managed, eye twitching. "What are you doing here?"

The brunette shot her a smirk. "Chika-chan mentioned she was having trouble with studying for our exams next week, so I thought I'd be a good friend and drop by to help."

"...I see. Well then, why don't you take it away while I get settled?" offered Riko.

As You began waxing lyrical about the Warring States Era, Riko sat and took out her textbooks and papers. She let You continue as she painstakingly arranged everything in its proper place, intolerant of anything being even a single millimeter out of place. No, she wasn't struggling with OCD; she was just letting You dig herself deeper with her complete lack of knowledge about their class material.

"But You-chan, that really doesn't sound right to me," said Chika almost pleadingly.

"Of course it is," assured You confidently, "After the Battle of Dan-no-ura, Sakamoto Ryoma united the disparate clans into a single imperial entity, thus ending the Warring States Era and ushering in the beginning of modern day Japan."

"Actually," interjected Riko with the tiniest hint of smugness, "Sakamoto Ryoma was not involved in the Warring States period. He was born two hundred years later. And the Battle of Dan-no-ura took place over three hundred years before the Warring States period."

There was a brief silence as Chika and You both checked their textbooks.

"...I guess I don't know Japanese history as well as I thought I did," admitted You begrudgingly as her cheeks puffed into a small pout.

"It's okay, You-chan," encouraged Chika, "I'm sure Riko-chan will be glad to tutor you too! She's super smart!"

The redhead smiled condescendingly at her competition. "Of course. I'd be delighted to help a friend in need," she offered, playing up her magnanimity as best she could.

The brunette grumbled her thanks as she put pencil to paper to jot down notes. Riko had doubtlessly won this round and dealt the brunette a stinging loss, but there would be plenty more battles in the future. Of that, You was certain.

After Action Report - Piano Chick Victory

Record of Battle - You 25 : Riko 26


Serenade Skirmish

"Chika-chan! Riko-chan!" called You from below. The brunette tossed up a couple rocks to impact against each girl's window, shortly before her friends stuck their heads outside to see what the fuss was all about.

"You-chan? What's up?" asked Chika.

"Yes," added Riko with an undercurrent of annoyance. "Do tell; what are you doing here?"

You grinned. "It's a bright and beautiful Friday night so I thought I'd swing by and serenade you!" she enthused, speaking more to Chika than Riko.

Riko's mouth dropped open in indignity. "That's not fair!" she called, "I was just about to ask Chika-chan if I could serenade her!"

"First is first," smiled You cheekily. "So, Chika-chan? What do you say?"

The ginger looked down with stars in her eyes, having never been serenaded before. "Let's do it!"

"Yousoro!" exclaimed the brunette as she pulled out her instrument of choice.

"Is that a guitar?!"

"Yep!"

"You-chan, are you sure you know how to play that thing?"

"Of course I do! I've analyzed plenty of musicians online. I'm pretty sure I can mimic their movements."

"That doesn't work with musical instruments!" called Riko, insulted that You thought she could learn to play music from pure observation.

Chika however, was more amenable. "Let's hear it then!"

You smiled and whipped out a bow. As in, a musical bow that one would use to play a violin, or a viola, or a cello. If You had the requisite skills, then playing a bowed guitar could be feasible. Alas, she did not.

She cleared her throat in preparation.

"Chika-chan is my best friend in the world~!" she sang angelically.

The sound of nails being drawn on blackboard screeched out as she pulled the bow on the strings, causing Riko to slam her hands over her ears and howl in pain as her eardrums threatened to burst. For some reason, Chika was fine.

"Chika-chan is my best friend in the sea~!"

Then You accidentally let go of the bow, and the guitar strings shot it forward.

"You-chan!" shrieked Riko as she ducked. The bow flew through her balcony door and into her room, where it knocked over her bookshelf before spearing into her pillow. "You destroyed my pillow!" she shouted angrily.

"Um... oops?" offered You with a helpless shrug.

"Maybe you should stick to singing," remarked Chika with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah... that's probably for the best," admitted You. "I, uh... I guess I'll return the guitar tomorrow."

"Hold on!" ordered Riko. "How am I supposed to sleep tonight?!"

"It's okay, Riko-chan," interrupted Chika with a smile. "You can have my pillow, and I'll grab a spare one from another room. Sound good?"

The redhead blinked at her good fortune, but smiled serenely and accepted. Chika threw across her precious head cushion before disappearing off into the ryokan to find another. Riko hugged it to herself smugly as she looked down at You's jealous blue eyes.

"I suppose I should thank you for this," she said, rubbing her face against the cotton, "Even if you did almost burst my eardrums."

"I hope your pillow was very expensive," snapped You.

"It was!" retorted Riko, suddenly angry again. "I had to wait in line for five hours for the special limited edition swimsuit Chika-chan bodypillow and you ruined it in five seconds!"

For a few seconds, all You could do was stare at the redhead in incredulity. "...Seriously? I got mine for free in five minutes."

"...Say what," was the deadpan response.

Chika chose that exact moment to return. "I got a new pillow from the storage closet," she declared, waving the cotton plush in the air. "Hey, Riko-chan! You wanted to perform a serenade too, didn't you?"

"That's right, I did," remarked Riko as her smug face returned. "Just sit back and relax, Chika-chan. I promise this will be a lot safer than You-chan's serenade."

"Yeah, yeah," dismissed You sourly as she turned to leave. "I guess I'll head on home then."

"You-chan, wait!" called Chika. "Aren't you going to listen too?"

"What?" asked You and Riko in unison.

"Yeah! Come up here and listen with me!" encouraged the ginger. "It'll be like a moonlit sonata courtesy of Riko-chan!"

The brunette and the redhead exchanged a small glance before You mentally shrugged and acquiesced. A short time later, she found herself next to Chika, holding the ginger's hand and listening to the beautiful melodies of Aqours' composer. You spared a glance over to Chika, her eyes practically sparkling as she looked to Riko. The brunette gave Chika's hand a light squeeze, and Chika sent a glance and a bright smile at You before returning her eyes to Riko.

You wasn't quite sure what to call this particular battle, but chalked it up as a wash. She was already up 41 to 39... maybe... so she could forego a win or two. There would be more clashes later anyway, so You took this time to appreciate her rival's musical aptitude, engrossing herself in the gentle harmonies and the way the midnight breeze played with dark red hair.

After Action Report - Piano Chick Victory...?

Record of Battle - You 41? : Riko 39?


Duel of the Dates:

""Chika-chan, would you like to go out with me on Saturday?"" chorused a pair of voices.

You and Riko looked at each other, startled at the other's presence. Their faces formed reserved frowns and they began to vie for the ginger's attention.

"Chika-chan," started Riko, "I've got two tickets for a school idol concert playing in Akiba this weekend, and I'd really like it if you could join me."

"Wow! That sounds wonderful!" enthused Chika.

"Hey, Chika-chan," interrupted You, "I got us two passes to go paintballing at this awesome paintball center in downtown Numazu! What do you say?"

"Really?! That's totally amazing!" admired Chika.

She opened her mouth to say more, but a loud voice called from downstairs. "Chika! Get down here and help with the guests!"

The ginger sighed and stood, before responding, "I'm coming, Mito-nee!" She turned to her friends. "Sorry about this. I'll be back in a bit," she said. She scampered downstairs, leaving Riko and You to themselves.

Their smiles dropped the instant Chika left their sight.

"Paintball?" asked Riko, suitably unimpressed. "Why on earth would you want to go do paintball?"

You scoffed at her. "Because believe it or not, it's been one of our dreams to play paintball ever since we first heard of it when we were children. Besides, it's a lot more fun than sitting in a cramped auditorium for hours on end."

"Yes, getting shot at and ruining your clothes is a much more relaxing way of spending a Saturday," replied Riko dryly.

"Saturdays are meant for getting wild and crazy," said the brunette. "Besides, Chika-chan is a very active girl. She shouldn't have to limit herself to your pace on her day off."

"You've obviously never been to a concert if you don't think they're wild. And so what if I like taking things a bit slower? Chika-chan could use the rest."

"With that attitude you're just holding her back."

"And with that attitude you're burning her out."

The two girls glared at each other, near audible growls threatening to escape from their lips. The tension in the air was absolutely electrifying. Just as it seemed as if things would reach a breaking point, Chika's footfalls sounded in the hallway, so You and Riko quickly scrubbed the scowls off their faces and donned their friendly smiles.

"Sorry for that," apologized Chika as she entered.

"It's no problem," assured Riko.

"No problem at all," agreed You.

And with the pleasantries out of the way, they pounced. ""So Chika-chan, would you like to go out with me on Saturday?"" they chorused again.

"Actually," said Chika sheepishly, "I have something else planned for Saturday that I was hoping to share with the two of you." Chika reached into her bag and withdrew a trio of tickets, waving them in front of her. "I got three tickets to see two teams of school idols playing paintball against each other in an arena in Tokyo!" she all but squealed. "Isn't that great?!"

You and Riko exchanged a glance. "Absolutely!" supported You with seeming wholeheartedness.

"That sounds like an excellent compromise," said Riko with a seemingly genuine smile.

"Yay!" cheered the ginger as she gathered up the two in a hug. "I'm super happy! Now we can see something we all like, and I get to be with my two most favorite people in the whole entire world!"

Later...

You and Riko stood just outside Chika's ryokan, looking rather dejected. Though each girl was going to be spending the weekend with Chika, they also had to spend it with their arch-nemesis. And they were out quite a bit of money too.

You broke the silence first with a sigh. "So what are you going to do with your concert tickets?"

Riko shrugged. "I don't know. What are you going to do with your paintball passes?"

You shrugged too. "Don't know."

They stood in silence a little longer, staring at the golden orange sunset.

"...Let's just give them both to Azalea," said Riko.

"Why Azalea?"

"They're the most neutral in this little war of ours, aren't they?"

The brunette conceded the point.

And so it was that on Saturday, while the second years got to enjoy seeing the Cinderella Girls and STAR*ANIS go ten rounds, the Kurosawa sisters were treated to a delightful performance by Zwei Wing, and Kanan and Hanamaru got to experience paintball. Sadly, paintball was a little much for Hanamaru, and after she got home she curled up into a ball, muttering "I have seen the face of war and I cannot unsee it... zura..." over and over again. She was eventually coaxed out by Ruby and Yoshiko, but that's a story for another time.

After Action Report - ???

Record of Battle - You ??? : Riko ???


And so it was that the Great Chika War raged between these two young maidens in love, their passions inflamed as they schemed and maneuvered for the chance to get ahead in Chika's heart.

Alas, as the two clashed in battle after battle, the war began to stall. The swift victories and sound defeats they'd seen in the early days turned into grueling struggles of attrition, neither girl willing to give in as they mired themselves in impasses and uncertainties.

But no war is endless, no conflict is eternal; as the stalemate drew on between these two girls, one of them hatched a daring plan, leading into the climax of the Great Chika War.


The Gifting Gambit:

You narrowed her eyes as she turned the corner, her gaze falling swiftly on her redheaded rival as she leaned against the back wall of the gymnasium, an air of casual disdain surrounding her. Riko lightly kicked off the wall as the brunette approached, the two of them coming together until they were naught but an arm's length from each other, leering silently at the other's very existence.

You was the first to break the silence. "Why did you call me out here?" she asked curtly. Shortly after she'd awoken that morning, the redhead had messaged her, practically demanding they meet alone behind the school gymnasium.

The corner of Riko's mouth turned up in a smirk. "I just thought I'd be a gracious opponent and let you know to stop wasting your time with wooing Chika-chan."

"That's it?" scoffed You. "If you're just going to waste my time I might just start ignoring you."

"Now, now," said Riko, "Don't be so impatient and let me finish. Chika-chan is coming over to my house tonight, and I've prepared a very special gift that's guaranteed to make her fall in love with me. So you'd best give up now and get a head start in dealing with your heartbreak," she taunted as she began sauntering off.

"Do you really think I'm stupid enough to fall for whatever it is you have planned?" called You as the redhead departed.

Riko's head turned to flash a single golden eye her way. "Can you really afford not to?"


As the day dragged on, You couldn't help but dwell on the redhead's words. She knew Riko was trying to manipulate her, but to what end? What course of action did Riko expect You to take?

Dozens of scenarios poured through her mind, but at brainstorm's end You was no closer to divining Riko's motives. And really, Riko was right: You couldn't afford not to investigate and interfere. Sure, they both held a roughly equal standing in Chika's heart if You was reading the situation correctly, but there was always that 'what if'. What if Chika loved Riko just a little bit more? What if Riko's special gift was actually as good as she said it was? What if this was just a ploy for Riko to capture You and imprison her in the often-theorized-but-unconfirmed super secret sex dungeon below her house?!

...Okay, it probably wasn't that last one.

Still, You resolved not to take any chances. After confirming that Chika was indeed going over to Riko's house (proving that this wasn't some misdirection ploy), You tore off in the direction of the redhead's place as soon as school ended.

It was time for some breaking and entering.


Back to the Present...

But of course it didn't go as simple as she'd planned. Riko and Chika had arrived much earlier than expected, forcing You to hastily reorganize all the yuri hentai she'd haphazardly pulled out and practically dive into Riko's closet to hide. In retrospect, she probably should have known Riko was lying when she said she had classroom duty.

So now here she was, sat on the floor of her rival's closet amidst a smattering of clothes, shoes, and other miscellanies that You didn't care to think about.

If she was lucky, the pair would soon head down to Riko's living room and You could escape out the window.

If she was unlucky, they would stay in the room for hours until the buses were no longer running and You had to walk home in the coming thunderstorm.

...Because of course there would be a thunderstorm forecasted for tonight. You hugged her knees tightly, frowning as she contemplated the possibility of losing the next several hours of her life to doing absolutely nothing while her rival got ahead in the game of love, just as she was currently doing if the muffled sounds of pleasant conversation between Chika and Riko were anything to go by. It left a sour taste in her mouth.

Just how unlucky was she right now?

The closet doors suddenly pushed back and You looked up into the smug face of her arch-nemesis. Riko shot her a knowing and cruel smile, and You realized that despite knowing it was a trap, she'd still fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Riko opened her mouth to seal You's fate, but the brunette was saved by the divine intervention of her brilliantly shining angel.

"Hey Riko-chan, how are things going with you and You-chan?"

The redhead turned around, the question having thrown her for a loop. "How are things... What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.

The ginger chuckled. "Oh, there's no need to dance around it. The two of you are going out, aren't you?"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Riko aloud.

'WHAT?!' exclaimed You in her head.

"There's no need to hide it anymore," continued Chika. "I mean, you've both gotten pretty obvious over the past few weeks. Always asking about what the other one is doing, always staring at each other with such intense eyes, always acting so jealous when I'm around..." She giggled. "It's so cute!" Then her face turned serious. "But I can tell the two of you have gotten to the point where things are getting serious, and you've been doing this and that, so I just want to make sure you won't hurt her."

"We have not been doing this and that!" screamed Riko in furious denial.

"Oh really?" retorted Chika, crossing her arms. "Then why does your room smell like You-chan?"

"Th-Th-That's-!" stuttered the redhead helplessly. Chika could only give a victorious smirk as her friend fumbled. "Just look!" exclaimed Riko as she pulled back the closet doors fully and hauled the brunette from her hiding spot onto the floor.

It only occurred to Riko afterwards that she realized that this in no way disproved Chika's theory.

You looked at Chika. She looked at Riko. She looked back at Chika. "Chika-chan thank god you're here!" she cried, "Riko-chan abducted me and stuffed me in her closet!"

"I did no such thing!" shrieked Riko.

"How else would you explain why I was locked in your closet?!" shot back You, "How else would you know exactly where I was?!"

"You broke into MY house because you're a dirty little thief and wanted to steal MY amazing and incredibly thoughtful gift!"

"So now you're going to ridicule me too?! Because keeping me locked away wasn't enough?!"

As Riko and You engrossed themselves in their argument, Chika could only blink in stupefaction. Then she began to giggle. Her giggle turned into a chortle, and drew her friends out of their argument as they looked to her.

"What's so funny?" asked Riko.

Chika grinned. "You-chan came out of the closet." She laughed some more as the pair could only stare blankly. "Get it?! Because You-chan's super gay and she-"

"We get it Chika-chan," chorused the pair with exhaustion.

"Look, Chika-chan," sighed You, "We're not dating. The only person either of us wants to date is, well... you."

"You-chan's right," added Riko, "We love you, Chika-chan. And we both want you to be our girlfriend."

"I love you guys too," replied the ginger, "But it's super clear that you're going out, whether or not you realize it." She hummed in thought as her mind went off on another tangent. "Hmm... you know, the two of you are pretty in denial about this, and sometimes you're actually bordering on anger. I wonder if there's a Five Stages of Grief for being in a relationship?"

Riko and You facepalmed. This dense baka mikan girl still wasn't getting the message. It looked like there was only path left to them.

The two spared each other a glance and locked gazes, silently nodding in solidarity. As one, they turned back to Chika.

The clueless ginger blinked as her friends advanced on her.

"...eh? Why are you both taking off your clothes?"

"..."

"Why are you taking off my clothes?"

*Kiss*

"...Alright, sure!"


Some time later...

"Ah! I think I found my bra!" said Chika happily as she reached a hand behind Riko's piano. Sure enough, her hand reemerged with an orange piece of lingerie, which was soon tied around her body once again. With the minimum of modesty now preserved by clothing, she stretched to the sky, letting out a small groan of satisfaction.

On the bed, You and Riko lay next to each other, separated only by the space Chika had been occupying only a minute previously. Despite the wonderful afterglow and feelings of satisfaction dancing along every fiber of their beings, they still couldn't help but stare up at the ceiling nervously.

"So... what happens now?" asked You hesitantly as she sat up.

"Now? Well..." pondered Chika, "I guess the three of us are in a relationship now." She giggled. "This is great! Most people only get one girlfriend, but we each get two!"

From her bed, Riko sighed. "Chika-chan, we've already told you: You-chan and I don't have those feelings for each other." Next to her, You nodded her agreement.

The ginger frowned. "I took a half-hour break earlier and neither of you even noticed. Believe me, the things the two of you did to each other went WAY beyond friendship!"

The two former love rivals sat in stunned silence for several embarrassing seconds.

"...I noticed," muttered Riko quietly.

"I don't believe you," said You suddenly. "I'm sure I would have noticed if you'd just gotten up and left our... threesome..." she finished awkwardly.

Wordlessly, Chika reached over and plucked a camcorder from Riko's desk. She flipped open the side panel and displayed a recording of 27 minutes and 43 seconds. The thumbnail was quite telling.

"...Oh," conceded You.

They let pass another minute of silence.

"What do we do now?" asked Riko, bundling up the blanket around her in a pointless effort to preserve her modesty.

"Hmm..." The ginger brought a hand to her chin as she mulled it over, deep in serious thought for the perfect way to celebrate their new three-way polyamorous relationship. Eventually, she nodded as an idea popped into her brain. "Let's get waffles!"

You and Riko looked at each other, then shared a shrug. Waffles sounded pretty good right about now...

~~~END~~~

.

.

.

Omake:

"Just look!" exclaimed Riko as she pulled back the closet door and hauled the brunette from her hiding spot onto the floor.

It only occurred to Riko afterwards that she realized that this in no way disproved Chika's theory.

You looked at Chika. She looked at Riko. She looked back at Chika. "Chika-chan thank god you're here!" she cried, "Riko-chan abducted me and stuffed me in her closet!"

"I did no such thing!" shrieked Riko.

"Then how do you explain these?!" retorted You, holding up her hands.

Clasped round her wrists was a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs she'd found while digging in Riko's closet.

Riko let out a screech of absolute mortification, while You smirked at her victoriously.

"...kinky," offered Chika.


AN: And there you have it! The longest ChikaYouRiko I have written to date!

Let's just run down the list of things I wanted to include...

· Chika as the center of affection

· You and Riko being adversarial

· Reference to other idol anime/franchise

· Reference to a birthday set item

· Reference to Spongebob

· Reference to another story I wrote

Yeah, seems I got everything. :P

Thanks for reading!