"So it's true? It's really true?"

Chinatsu stared in disbelief at Kyouko, who nodded smugly.

"Yes, indeed! Your splendid and illustrious senpai, Toshinou Kyouko, is going out with the President of the Student Council, Sugiura Ayano herself! Truly, there is no maiden in Japan who does not succumb to my irresistible charm!"

Rumours of the wildest sort had been swirling about the classrooms and corridors of Nanamori Junior High, and the members of the Amusement Club naturally wasted no time in reaching the first-hand provenance for confirmation at their next club meeting.

Kyouko, who never minded people paying attention to her, started spinning an elaborate tale, more akin to outrageous fantasy than what actually happened, that culminated in Ayano kneeling on one knee, "tears streaming down her face like rivers", begging Kyouko to accept her hopeless, devoted, consuming love.

"And so I, the great and good Kyouko-sama, tenderly deigned to accept the feelings of the lovestruck Ayano, who had pined and suffered for me for so long."

Having reached the end of her tale, Kyouko puffed herself up, ready to bathe in the adoration of her audience. Reactions, however, varied: Akari gaped, impressed; Chinatsu frowned, clearly less so; Yui, eyes gazing someplace far away, continued sipping her tea.

"Ehehe." Akari was the first to recover. "Congratulations, Kyouko-chan!"

"Wow, so in the end Sugiura-senpai managed to…" Chinatsu muttered. More loudly, she asked, "Was what Kyouko-senpai said really true, Yui-senpai?"

Yui looked up blankly. "Excuse me?"

Chinatsu sighed. "Weren't you listening, Yui-senpai? You're so distracted today." She repeated her question, adding, "Um…would you like more tea?"

Yui looked at her cup. It was quite empty. "Ah, thank you, Chinatsu-chan."

While Chinatsu busied herself pouring the tea, Yui recounted a more unbiased account of what she saw. Knowing looks were exchanged between the Amusement Club underclassmen, especially toward the end, when Yui mentioned what Kyouko said about her handout.

"I think Yui-senpai's version sounds more plausible," Chinatsu summarized the sentiment in the clubroom as she handed Yui her tea.

Kyouko pouted. "You're only saying that because you're jealous, Yui."

"What of?" Yui snorted. "I'm just relieved to be handing you over to Ayano, so you'll only be bothering her from now on."

The conversation lapsed into an uneasy lull. Each of them felt an uncomfortable premonition that things would no longer be the same as it always had for the Club; but no one wanted to voice that sentiment aloud.

At length Kyouko broke the silence, which was typical of her, by announcing that she was going to leave early, which was not.

Exclamations of surprise broke out around the room. "What? Why, Kyouko-chan?" Akari sounded strangely dismayed.

Chinatsu, who was rather shrewd about these things, asked, "Is it because of Sugiura-senpai?"

Kyouko nodded. "We're going on a date later today. Although, in fact…" she looked at the clock. "We were supposed to have met five minutes ago."

"Geez, that's so irresponsible of you, senpai." Chinatsu shook her head. "Why did you have to choose a day when the Amusement Club is meeting?"

"Ayano is very busy with Student Council work recently," Kyouko explained, "and today's the only day she could find the time. So!" She stood up. "I'm going to have to rely on my kouhai to keep Yui entertained this afternoon."

At this, Chinatsu looked pointedly at Akari, who said, with extreme reluctance, "But Chinatsu and I are planning to go to the amusement park later."

Kyouko froze. "Oh?"

Akari smiled sheepishly. "My sister wanted to go to the amusement park with me, but a lecture came up at the last moment and she couldn't avoid it. She asked if there was a friend whom I could go with instead, and I didn't want to waste the tickets, so…" She stole a glance at Chinatsu, with the very faintest of a blush.

"What?" Kyouko flung herself at Chinatsu. "If I knew about this I would have thrown Ayano over! Akari, give me your ticket; Chinatsu-chan, please go with me instead. I still have your Mirakurun outfit stored at the back…mmf!"

With her usual dexterity Chinatsu dodged behind Yui, who from experience born of long practice fended off Kyouko's advances with a well-placed punch. "Ow…" Kyouko moaned, clutching the newly-acquired bump on her head. "Yui, you're so mean."

"I don't think you should be doing that anymore, Kyouko," Yui said. "If you're dating Ayano, it's not good for you to be flirting with other people."

"But I do that sort of thing all the time!" Kyouko protested.

"You got into that habit because we've been friends since we were children, so it didn't mean anything to us. But now, with Ayano…it's not good, Kyouko. There could be misunderstandings."

Kyouko stared at Yui. "It didn't mean anything to us, huh?"

"Nothing at all." Yui held her gaze.

"In that case," Kyouko leapt to her feet. "I'd better get going. Good afternoon, everyone!" With a carefree wave, she skipped off towards the direction of the school gate. An awkward silence fell over the remaining girls.

"Well…Chinatsu-chan and I should be going, too," Akari said.

"Have fun." Yui smiled warmly, if distantly.

Akari got up and, with an apologetic nod, headed for the door. Chinatsu followed close behind. Not long after they left the club Chinatsu tapped her friend on the shoulder and said, "Akari-chan, I forgot something at the club. Please go on ahead; I'll catch up with you later."

"Um…" But Chinatsu gave her a light shove and was already walking away. Akari tilted her head, puzzled; after a while, with a slight shrug, she continued on her way.

Chinatsu found Yui still sitting in the same position she last saw her. Yui looked up in surprise at her entrance. "Is something the matter?"

"Senpai, you were really quiet this afternoon. Are you truly all right?" Chinatsu paused. "Could it be that you are…bothered about Kyouko-senpai?" When Yui looked away and did not reply, she pressed on, "Do you…would you like me to keep you company? I mean, if you are feeling lonely…" she trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Chinatsu-chan," Yui replied, not unkindly. "But I don't want you to keep Akari waiting."

Chinatsu jerked back, as if physically struck. "Oh. I understand. Then, take care, Yui-senpai." She turned away and ran off again, this time without looking back.

For a long while Yui did not move. Somewhere in the distance, the school bell started to ring. The gentle, familiar melody rolled through the empty room, summoning with it ghosts of vestigial memories, of warm, happy days long past. As the sounds slowly faded away Yui seemed to deflate. Her back curved and her head sank to nestle in the crook of her arm, and she remained in that position for a very long time.

"How do I look?"

Ayano fidgeted as she stood before Chitose, who gave her an encouraging smile. "You look very pretty, Ayano-chan."

This was, Ayano decided, the frilliest outfit she had ever worn in her life. The embroideries at her shirt collar and sleeves, the delicate laces threading her skirt hem, the soft, light blue denim jacket – she glanced at herself in the mirror and could not help but wince a little. "Are you really sure this suits me?"

"In this dress, Ayano-chan, you're the cutest girl I have ever seen," Chitose said, and she meant it, too.

Without quite knowing why Ayano found herself blushing. "I-it's embarrassing if you say it so suddenly," she protested huffily.

Chitose giggled. "Have fun with Toshinou-san today."

"Yes!" Ayano perked up at the very mention of the name. "I mustn't keep Toshinou Kyouko waiting! I must be off to my da – da – date –" All at once the full significance of the situation struck Ayano, who swayed slightly where she stood.

Chitose touched Ayano lightly on the arm. "I'm rooting for you, Ayano-chan," she said softly.

Slowly, the tension drained out of Ayano's body. Chitose had that effect on her; that was why they always got along so well together. Her poise regained, Ayano drew in a deep breath and strode manfully towards the door. Today was her big day – today nothing would, nothing could go wrong! Today, she was going to meet, and then go on a date with, Toshinou Kyouko!

That was over half an hour ago. Ayano stamped her feet impatiently near the entrance of the mall, rubbing her hands against the first whispers of the winter winds as she strained her eyes for a glimpse of her date.

Though a bright student, Ayano was uncharacteristically slow when it came to learning about the behaviour of her crush. So not only did Kyouko manage to catch Ayano completely unawares again when she cupped her hands around Ayano's eyes, Ayano even blushed the same shade of red that she did a week ago.

"Guess who?" Kyouko asked the exact moment Ayano shouted, "Toshinou Kyouko!"

"Woah." Kyouko stepped back. "Love sure is a powerful thing, huh?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Ayano spluttered, exasperated in spite of herself. "Who else would…"

But Kyouko had already stopped listening, and was describing a slow circle around Ayano. "Wow, you're dressed up."

"S-so?" The clothes that Kyouko wore, in contrast, were casual; and Kyouko herself, despite her teasing, sounded somewhat out of breath. This puzzled Ayano. How could Kyouko have been so late if she had rushed here all the way?

Before she could ask, however, Kyouko grabbed her arm, an act that immediately put all questions – and, indeed, thought – out of Ayano's mind. "Come on – let's begin our great lovey-dovey date!" Kyouko announced, half-leading, half-dragging a blissfully stunned Ayano towards the shopping complex. Just before they entered, Kyouko leaned towards Ayano and whispered, "I think you look very cute, Ayano-chan."

"O-of course I do!" Ayano said when she regained her ability of speech. Her heart was soaring in a flight of pure ecstasy, and though she tried her best to feign indifference when she spoke, neither she nor Kyouko was fooled in the least.

Ayano's original plan was to entertain Kyouko with a tour of window-shopping around the mall, but fifteen minutes into the excursion made her conscious that her date had grown somewhat listless. This caused Ayano considerable worry, which was only dispelled when they passed by the arcade games section of the mall.

"Hey, Ayano, can we check this out?" With remarkable alacrity Kyouko made a beeline towards the arcade. Ayano could only look on, bemused and helpless, as an utterly absorbed Kyouko started expertly manipulating the various ingenious contraptions and gadgets on one of the game machines. In short order a bright, upbeat strain of melody indicated that Kyouko won a prize.

"You seem to be very good at this," Ayano offered tentatively. Kyouko spun around.

"Here! Allow me to dedicate this spoil of victory to my beloved lady, the incomparable Ayano!"

Quite flattered, Ayano accepted the gift. There was a heartbeat's pause. Then Ayano said, "Thank you very much, Toshinou Kyouko, for your very nice gift of a…uhm…"

"It's a kappa!"

"So it is." The plushie of the mythological sea monster, Ayano observed idly, leered up at her with a broad, toothy grin not wholly dissimilar to Kyouko's current expression.

"Would you prefer a different one?"

"No, it's quite all right –"

Ayano sighed. Kyouko was far more interested in paying attention to the machine than to her, but at least she seemed to be enjoying herself; and this made Ayano smile secretly, but no less happily, to herself.

The pair eventually made their way out of the arcade. Ayano was quite pleased with the puppy plushie in her arms, but Kyouko seemed to have engendered a perverse attachment to the kappa, and often brought it out to proudly examine in the light. "I think it looks a little bit like me, doesn't it?" she remarked at one point, which nearly caused Ayano to burst into a fit of laughter that she just managed to suppress into choked coughs.

They had dinner at a fast food restaurant, and then headed to the cinema. A conscientious organizer, Ayano had ordered the movie tickets online a few days ago, landing for them the best seats in the theatre. This, together with the popcorn and soda they bought near the theatre entrance, allowed Ayano to relax with a sigh of contentment. Her first date, with the girl of her dreams, was, she thought, proceeding with enviable smoothness.

The movie that they watched was a Korean drama, centred around a protagonist torn in a love triangle between her childhood friend, and the dashing heir of a large chaebol corporation. Ayano was initially anxious that the movie would not be interesting to Kyouko, whose pastime rarely involved anything that was not anime in general or Mirakurun in particular.

She was, therefore, pleasantly surprised to find Kyouko watching the movie with rapt, even entranced, attention. I had no idea Toshinou Kyouko enjoys Korean movies so much, Ayano thought, and mentally made a note for future reference.

The movie took the better part of two hours, and when it was over Kyouko left the theatre in a daze. Ayano was not surprised: the movie had been really good and she, too, was in a contemplative state of mind. As they strolled towards the exit of the mall, Ayano said, pensively, "You know, I feel kind of bad for the childhood friend."

She found Kyouko looking at her with what she felt was unwarranted surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah."

When the heroine was kidnapped by a mafia organization, whose leader nursed a grudge against the patriarch of the chaebol, her suitors were forced to work together for her rescue. At the climax of the movie, the childhood friend took a bullet meant for the heroine, and, with his dying breath, expressed his wish for her to live happily with his rival. The movie's epilogue hinted that, despite being blessed with a grand wedding, a long life and a large, prosperous family, the heroine was never able to forget her childhood friend, or his sacrifice.

"I mean, he loved her for so long, but in the end…"

"Yes, I guess it's quite sad." But Kyouko sounded like she was talking of something else.

The night air outside the mall was crisp and sharp. Ayano breathed in deeply, savouring the faintly bittersweet tang of Japanese autumn. The date had gone very satisfactorily, but something nagged at her, and she tried to pin down what it is.

She remembered it.

"Hey, Toshinou Kyouko," she began.

"This is really pretty, isn't it?"

"Eh?" Ayano looked around her. The pavement shone with the lights of a dozen street lamps and the coruscations of the high-rise buildings all around. A few dry leaves weaved and danced along the pavement. High above, an airplane, position lights flashing intermittently, bore its passengers away from home to some far, distant land.

"Yes, it is," Ayano whispered wonderingly. Then she recalled Chitose's advice again. "Toshinou Kyouko, I was wondering if, I mean, to commemorate our first date…"

"It's getting pretty late. I think we should be going home, don't you?"

But Ayano was not to be deterred. "Toshinou Kyouko," she tried again. "Before we leave, since we are going out and all, would you like to ki –"

"Thank you for the date, Ayano," Kyouko turned around and grinned at Ayano. "It was very fun."

Ayano's shoulders slumped a little. Then she smiled too. "I understand. Until next time, Toshinou Kyouko." Before Kyouko could protest, Ayano leaned over and hugged her tightly. She turned around and walked quickly away, her face as bright red as the neon lights about her.

Kyouko gazed at her retreating back, a wistful smile playing about her lips. Ayano really is a good person, she thought. Then: I wonder how Yui is doing. She took out her mobile phone and started dialling Yui's house number.

Yui left Nanamori High when the sun began to set, and the journey back to her house seemed much longer without Kyouko's usual inane chatter to fill the air. She ate a dispirited dinner and was doing the washing up when the phone began to ring.

Kyouko. Yui's heart skipped a beat. She dashed over.

"Hello."

"Yui, is that you?"

Yui's heart sank. "Yes, Mom."

There was a long stretch of silence as Yui, her face impassive, listened yet again to her mother's entreaties. At length, she said, "All right, Mom. I agree."

There was a shorter pause. "How about the end of the term? Please let me have a month to settle things here. Then I'll go and join you and Dad at Tokyo."

At the shopping mall entrance Kyouko put down her phone in disappointment. Seems like Yui is doing all right after all, she thought, if she's chatting with someone on the phone at this time of night. She's perfectly fine without me. The thought caused Kyouko a pang of hurt; she tried to shrug it off.

No matter how things are between us now, Kyouko reflected as she walked home, at least we'll have plenty of time to sort them out.