Disclaimer: I don't own LoveLive! or the characters. But I own this story.
"Would Miss Nozomi Toujou report to the chairwoman's office immediately?"
The announcement echoed throughout the school, the hallways, and the classrooms, including the one with the summoned girl. Quiet murmurs and curious glances were given her way, but Nozomi merely walked out of the classroom with a blank expression. Had she not been so close to Nozomi, Eri would not have noticed the slight shiver her friend had underneath that calm façade.
But when Nozomi returned, even their classmates noticed a change of air in the ex student council vice president. Because she merely packed her belongings, handed the teacher a note and left the room once more.
"Is everything alright?"
Eri stared at that sentence for the umpteenth time. She sent that text as soon as she could after Nozomi's sudden departure. That was now already an hour ago. Eri's fingers fidgeted. Nozomi was not the type to be on her phone at all times, but she was not the type to ignore a text for this long as well. Whatever had happened in the chairwoman's office had affected Nozomi a lot. It bugged Eri that Nozomi had gone through something, but it bugged her even more that she couldn't pinpoint what that was. At times, with the years they had been friends – best friends, Eri felt as if she Nozomi as she knew the back of her own hand. Yet, that was not something she could so easily admit or be confident about. While Nozomi had pushed her and encouraged her to be more honest on her feelings, Eri couldn't quite say she did the same for Nozomi. She had been… invited, per se, on occasions when Nozomi had opened more about her past, herself. And Eri beamed at the fact that she was the first in each and every one of them. Eri sighed. She only knew of Nozomi of how much Nozomi chose to let her see.
Her phone vibrated. With a speed she didn't know she possessed, Eri whipped her phone out only to be disappointed. She sighed once more as she read Honoka's enthusiastic text reminding the μ's to meet up for practice after school.
It wasn't until practice had ended she received some reply from Nozomi. And Eri didn't like it.
"It's nothing to worry about."
Nothing. She had heard that word from Nozomi too many times. Too many times Nozomi had eluded away from her. And this time, Eri was not going to let it be merely nothing. Instead of texting back a reply, she called. Once. Twice. A few more times until she finally heard Nozomi's voice instead of an automatic robotic voicemail. She ranted. She asked if Nozomi thought of her so little.
"You were there for me when I had… nothing. I want to be there for you, too, you know?"
What she heard as a reply was not something she had expected. Eri had half expected silence, or some curt response from Nozomi saying it really was nothing. But what came from the other side of the phone was a strangled cry – one that was desperately attempting to be quiet, not to be heard. Never in their time together had Eri seen Nozomi cry, less in tears. But simply hearing another cry being swallowed in struck her heart. Eri gripped her phone with one hand, gripping her chest with the other. She opened her mouth to apologize; though she knew her voice would crack, she had to. She didn't want Nozomi to cry, not because of her… not when she couldn't comfort her in person.
When she heard Nozomi's tearful "it's fine," Eri was merely grateful no one was in the clubroom with her. No one had to see her this heartbroken.
Each step she took felt heavier and heavier as she went up those of the shrine. Nozomi said she was fine and would meet Eri at the shrine. She glanced up at the gate of the shrine, the red torii. It felt as if the gate was the last border between her and Nozomi. Once Eri passed the gate, she would be seeing Nozomi, who was in tears merely minutes earlier. Subconsciously, she clenched her fists. She was unprepared. She felt unprepared. But… then again, she wasn't ever prepared for Nozomi to approach her, to push her forward. She owed it to Nozomi. When she said she wanted to be there for her friend, Eri meant it with all of her heart.
With a deep breath, she took the final step forward.
After a moment of awkwardness of an empty courtyard, Eri managed to find the small garden in the back of the shrine, exactly where Nozomi was sitting in front of a small pond. She quietly approached the violet-haired girl.
"Hey."
"I knew you would be able to find me."
"Only because you told me."
"I didn't tell you I'd be back here."
Eri merely grunted in response as she settled beside Nozomi. Even though the garden was only of them and the few fish in the pond, Eri felt awkward with the slight distance in between. But before she could inch closer, Nozomi finally talked of what Eri wanted to know that day.
"My parents passed away."
Eri's head snapped toward her friend.
"It wasn't anything unusual… just a car crash."
Her throat immediately dried up. Her parents. No wonder. What else could have affect Nozomi this badly?
"After all these years that I've been alone, it doesn't make a difference really. If you think about it, it really doesn't…"
The blonde looked at her friend disbelievingly. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed Nozomi's wrists, forcing her friend towards her. She yelled that Nozomi couldn't possibly mean all that. She chided that the Nozomi she knows better than to say that. Or so she planned to do. But all words disappeared in her throat when Nozomi's hollow emerald eyes, tired from nonstop tears, met her own cerulean ones. Eri softened.
"It's okay to be honest."
She whispered. She loosened her grip on her friend's wrists to embrace her instead. She soothed Nozomi's back as the said girl broke down. Eri's eyebrows furrowed. Her heart broke once more at Nozomi's broken cry.
"They promised… to visit this year…"
Eri clenched her eyes shut. Nozomi seemed so small, so vulnerable. And she wanted nothing more than to hold her like this, to protect her. She would do anything to bring that smile of Nozomi's back. And so she did.
With all the courage she could muster up, she nuzzled into Nozomi's face. And the hand that was on Nozomi's back moved to caress her face. The emerald eyes widened. They were still filled with sadness, but anticipation – and perhaps even a hint of desire – also settled in. Eri's own cerulean danced with care, love, and a tint of desire as well.
Not breaking eye contact, the ex student council president leaned in. When another pair of lips was on her own, all Eri had felt was pure bliss. And she pressed harder… inching closer… in hopes Nozomi would feel the same as well.