This is the new story I wrote as a sequel/spinoff thing from my other story "A Slight Misunderstanding". I suppose it wouldn't hurt to read this without reading the other, but you may be confused.
I posted this chapter a while ago, but it sucked so I updated it with this better one with less mistakes. Also, I didn't like the ending of the old one so I changed it.
Chapter One: A Letter
Nearly two weeks have passed since the chaos that Tomo had sparked came to an end. An atmosphere of relief and satisfaction blanketed the group of friends as they knew the rough time was behind them. Chihiro and Kaori had grown closer to each other than they had ever imagined and the group of girl they occasionally saw came to be close friends. Yomi and Tomo's bond of friend ship had grown to a more intimate level as well. Though, the same could not have been said for poor Osaka and her imaginary relationship with Kagura. While the two couples displayed their affections for each other frequently on the rooftop during lunch, Osaka made the same attempts with her "girlfriend" only to be shot down even when asking for nothing more than a small hug. Even Sakaki did not mind receiving small hugs here and there.
Osaka could do no more than watch as her fellow couples exchange affections in front of her. When she was in the hallway, where Public Displays of Affection were forbidden on school grounds, she saw Tomo sneak in a kiss or two on Yomi. There was blatant hand-holding between both couples as well; no faculty member seemed to mind the holding of hands. It seemed that Kagura was aware of Osaka's intentions, but never informed her "girlfriend" of a break up so the poor girl believed that she was with her.
Everyone knew that the deal between Kagura and Osaka was a fake relationship, Osaka knew as well. Though, it was awkward watching as their friend tried to milk the lie for all it was worth. Nobody said anything as they were afraid that the news of the break-up would be painful coming from an outside source. Yomi spoke with Kagura about the issue multiple times urging her to tell Osaka, but Kagura, apparently, thought a pretend relationship would sort itself out. Yomi strongly disagreed with Kagura and could not keep her concerns to herself any longer. She had to tell someone.
It was after school, Tomo made her way to Yomi's house as she always did. She entered through the window, her favorite entrance, and tossed her school bag in the corner like a pile of bricks. She didn't care about the burden that it carried. She was more interested in seeing her Yomi, though; she was prepared for the Yomi that was standing in front of her. The Yomi that had a straight face and crossed arms. Tomo smiled nervously and made way for the television. Yomi stepped in front of her, "Not now, Tomo, we need to talk about something."
Tomo smiled, "What's wrong Koyomers."
Yomi sighed and looked at Tomo, "You sure have a lot of nicknames for me Tomo." Yomi walked to her bed and sat down.
"Is that really troubling you? I can just go back to Yomi if you like." Tomo joked.
"Ha ha," Tomo's friend laughed sarcastically, "No, it's Osaka. Have you noticed how sad she looks?"
Tomo nodded swiftly, "I noticed, actually, I just thought that she and Kagura where fighting or something. They'll get over it soon, I bet."
Yomi adjusted her glasses, "Tomo, you are aware that they are not really dating, correct? Kagura did it for some stupid reason." Tomo nodded once again and let Yomi continue to speak, "I'm worried because Osaka is taking it too seriously. She almost wants to believe that Kagura really is her girlfriend."
"You're worried she is crazy?" Tomo asked sarcastically, "That is basically what you just described."
"No, not that she is crazy, but that she taking this whole thing with Kagura too seriously. I know she should not have put much faith in the relationship in the first place, but I heard from Chihiro that Kagura is partly to blame. She gave Osaka false hope and she started to get the wrong idea. I talked to Kagura a few times about this situation and she won't help at all." Yomi threw her head down against the pillow on her bed.
"So, both of them are at fault."
"In a way that is true, but still, Osaka is a victim. Kagura was getting a little physical with her in first and that is why she has this belief."
Tomo frowned, "Ah, I get it. Kagura can give it but not take it."
"Er...I suppose." Yomi was a little put off by the phrasing Tomo chose to describe the situation.
"You're bumming me out, Yomi." Tomo hopped up on the bed and pecked her girlfriend on the cheek, "I can solve this for you!"
Yomi smiled, "You have the memory of a goldfish. Remember what happened last time?"
"It all turned out good didn't it?" Tomo leaned to Yomi for a kiss, which was returned.
"I can't say it didn't, but you're still staying out of this."
Later that night, at Chiyo's house, Osaka was anxiously making calls with her little pigtailed companion, Chiyo, "Still no answer!" Osaka exclaimed as she threw her cell phone against a pillow.
"Maybe she is busy." Chiyo responded trying to keep her friend at ease.
Osaka was sitting on a futon on the floor with her head hanging low. She had a pitiful appearance. A small breath exited her mouth, "Maybe she hates me."
"No...no, Osaka, Kagura doesn't hate you." Chiyo rushed to her friend and wrapped her tiny arms around her.
"She has been avoidin' me for two weeks," Osaka began to tear up, "Chiyo-chan, I didn't even do anything ta hurt her. She just hates me. I don't know why, but she does."
"No, no..."Chiyo was beginning to panic. She didn't know how to appease the teary girl, "Kagura likes you, Osaka, just maybe as a friend, though." Chiyo bit her cheek. She knew she was not supposed to tell Osaka anything about the crumbling relationship she was in.
"What do ya mean?" Osaka looked up to the little girl.
"N-nothing." Chiyo turned her head away, and bit her cheek again.
Osaka's tear eyes turned to Chiyo, "No, Chiyo-chan if ya know anything, please, I want to know. Is Kagura usin' me or somethin'?"
"She isn't using you." Chiyo answered.
"Does she not want to be with me?"
Chiyo opened her mouth, but hesitated to answer. Osaka stared her down until she broke, "Y-yes."
"Why didn't she tell me? Why would she do that ta me?" Osaka slammed her fist to the ground.
"Wasn't the relationship fake to begin with, though?"
"Yes, but...she treated me like I was her girlfriend, even when we were alone. She made me think that the relationship was not just for show. I began ta think that I really mattered ta her. She made me believe that she wanted ta be with me in a more intimate way. Over the past weeks, though," Osaka paused, and began to tear up again," she made it clear that I was really nothin' ta her. She made me feel like an idiot. If she cared about me, she would have had the human decency ta tell me that everything was called off, at the very least. She played with my emotions, Chiyo-chan. Now, I need to show Kagura what she means ta me."
Chiyo was shocked by the almost vengeful speak, "What are you going to do?"
Osaka sniffled a bit, and then took a look at Chiyo and her worried face, "Don't worry about it, Chiyo-chan." Osaka forced a smile, "We should get to bed. School is in the mornin'."
Chiyo was silent, not sure whether to smile back or not.
"Thanks again for lettin' me stay here tonight." Osaka said.
"Feel free anytime." responded Chiyo, she watched as her friend tucked herself in, "I'll get the light." The girl reached for the light switch dangling above the futon and pulled. The room turned to black, there was only an unsettling glow from the moonlight shinning through the window. Chiyo gazed at her troubled friend lying beside her.
The next day, Osaka and Chiyo arrived to homeroom early.
"Why, are we here so early, Osaka?" Chiyo yawned as she spoke.
Osaka smiled silently and nodded glanced at the tired child.
"W-what are you planning?" Chiyo cried.
Osaka placed a hand on her friends shoulder, " I told ya last night not to worry."
"Hey!" The voice of their teacher, Miss Yukari, sounded from a distance, she ran up to the two girls standing in the hall, "Why are you two here so early?"
"Uh...We wanted to be on time?", Chiyo excused, "What about you? Aren't you are usually late?"
Miss Yukari blushed and opened her mouth about to respond, but paused for a second before she actually spoke, "True, but I came here to hear the sound of an empty class. I want you two out so I can enjoy it." She pushed the two students away from the classroom.
"Wait!" Miss Yukari stopped at the sound of Osaka's voice, "I need to go do something really quick."
The woman sighed, "Whatever, just hurry it up. Class starts soon and I want to enjoy this while it lasts."
Osaka ran up to a chair and opened her schoolbag. She pulled out an envelope and placed it on a chair, then ran back.
"What was that?" Miss Yukari questioned.
"Just a note for someone, I need to make sure they read it." Osaka explained.
"Oh, well I see no issues there, but what I do see are two girls that aren't leaving." Miss Yukari smiled and slightly nodded.
Both Chiyo and Osaka walked into the hall, they heard the door slam behind them. Chiyo then spoke without looking to Osaka, "That was Kagura's desk. What was in the envelope? Is that what you were writing this morning?"
"Chiyo-chan..."Osaka looked down guiltily, "It was just a letter."
Chiyo turned and grasp to Osaka's sleeve, "Please don't do anything you will regret."
"I said it was just a letter. It has a message for Kagura and that is all."
Chiyo let go of the sleeve she was grasping, "I will trust you Osaka."
The two girls silently stood beside each other and neither one spoke nor looked at each other. Moments passed slowly and uncomfortably until someone showed up. It was Sakaki. She looked at the two girls waiting and waved. Chiyo waved back and Osaka nodded. Sakaki joined her friends and stood alongside them. After about a moment without talk she began to wonder what had happened. Before she could open her mouth to ask why they were so quiet there was a soft, warm sensation on her hand. It was Chiyo. Sakaki blushed and smiled softly at the girl, but her smile was returned with a worried eyes. It was a cry for help she could not ignore.
"Uh..." Sakaki spoke almost in a whisper, "Wh-what's wrong?"
Chiyo didn't answer, she just hugged Sakaki who embraced the child, knowing she needed some sort of comfort. Osaka turned away from the two and thought to herself, "I hope she forgives me."
Slowly, students showed up for class. Some in pairs, some alone, the hall was eventually filled up by Miss Yukari's class. Kagura was amongst the crowd, though she kept her distance from Osaka. Chiyo noticed that Osaka, too, seemed to be ignoring her. It made her question if Osaka really had anything planned or not, for the time being she believed that, despite her words, Osaka had made a "revenge plot" or something of that nature. The girl's current behavior, though, made it seem more as if she gave up and perhaps the letter written was a friendly message informing that she wanted everything to be normal again. There was no way to be sure.
As the time passed the students had realized that the doors should have been opened to let them in. It wasn't long before a teacher took notice of the crowd of students in the hall. Nyamo, walked over befuddled, "What's going on here?" she asked.
A random student answered, "The door is locked and Miss Yukari hasn't shown up yet."
"She is inside. I saw her." Osaka corrected the student.
"Ok, then I know what to do." Nyamo responded. She could hear the students muttering to one another. She walked through the mob to the door and tried to open it. It didn't budge. She then knocked on it. No answer. Quickly she was getting fed up. She brought her eye to the small gap between the door and the wall. Inside was her friend sound asleep in her chair. Nyamo growled. "Wake your lazy butt up, Yukari! Your class needs you!"
"Wh-wha..." Miss Yukari burst from her slumber.
"Open the door!"
"Nyamo? Am I drunk? Why are you yelling at me?" Miss Yukari asked half asleep.
"I don't know if you're drunk. If you are, I'm gonna report you. Now, open the damn door!" Nyamo shouted and pounded.
"What? Oh crap! What time is it? This is your fault gym teacher! You told me to sit in my classroom without students!" Miss Yukari stomped over to the locked door and slammed it open ready to confront the woman.
"You're the one who fell asleep! Now start teaching!" Nyamo jabbed Miss Yukari with her finger, "I have my own class to get to!" She ran off with the last word in the argument.
Miss Yukari stood at the doorway pushing her students into the class, "Ok, everyone get in"
The crowd of students quickly organized themselves, Osaka was especially fast. She was at her seat waiting for Kagura to sit down and notice the envelope. The girl took the bait. Osaka smiled as she already saw Kagura turn to her. Osaka stood up and they met in the middle of the room. They had to speak fast, Miss Yukari was preparing her lesson and the class was nearly seated.
"Look Ayumu!" Kagura flashed the envelope.
"Oh, what is it?" Osaka played dumb.
"Hehe, I read the letter, but I'll tell you at lunch when I tell everyone else." Kagura winked.
Osaka smiled, "I can't wait to hear.
Chiyo was observing the exchange between the two girls and she could only wonder what Osaka had brewed up. From the smiles and laughter from Kagura, plus the fact she voluntarily spoke to Osaka, Chiyo thought that her friend had taken the honorable route upon dealing with the situation. Chiyo always searched for the good in people and in situations and tried hard to keep herself from thinking that there where more sinister motives behind Osaka's smile, but there was a strange feeling she could not shake off. It chilled her spine, the feeling, and it worried her.