Chapter 2: Past
"So Maki, why did you fall in love with me?"
Maki nearly choked on her chicken in surprise by my question. She quickly gulped down some water from her glass and then gave me one of her signature glares. We were currently eating at a fast food restaurant after school. Ever since we started dating a month ago, we usually go out to do something together almost on a daily basis if the both of us were free. Maki turned out to be quite clingy and easily jealous. The way she pouts when I teased her was also cute.
"W-what kind of question is that?! Nico-chan, you idiot!"
With that, she put all her attention into finishing her chicken and failing to hide how extremely red her face had become. I chuckled at Maki's reaction and then noticed crumbs on Maki's cheek. I quickly lean forward over the table to lick it off. Maki froze for a moment before steam literally came out of her ears in embarrassment.
"N-n-nico-chan, you freaking idiot!"
Maki took her schoolbag and quickly left the restaurant. I hear several other customers whispering among themselves at the spectacle they just witness. I knew I needed to run after her. I paid for the bill and ran to catch up with my girlfriend. I found her sitting on a bench nearby and when she saw me, she huffed and purposely looked away from me. I sat beside her and she still did not turn to face me so I decided to apologize.
"Maki…I'm sorry."
Maki still did not turn.
"I was serious though about the question. What part of me attracts you?"
Unlike Maki, who was smart, beautiful, talented and the heir of the Nishikino hospital, I was just an average normal girl. I was orphaned at the tender age of ten. I lost my parents and my sisters in a terrible unexplained accident. The Koizumi family was kind enough to take me in and I was treated like their own daughter. I had no special skills instead needing to work hard in multiple fields so I could work multiple jobs to save money for my future as I did not want to depend on Hanayo's family too much. I was also an anti-social loner who only ever had four friends in her entire life. Maybe after hearing the anxiety in my voice that Maki turned to me, giving me a smile and chuckled.
I frowned at her response. I was being serious and she found it funny. Maki got up from her seat. She put her hands behind her back and look up at the orange evening sky.
"I used to ask myself that question. What exactly made me come to love you? You certainly left a first bad impression on me back then."
I blushed in embarrassment remembering my first meeting with Maki.
Hanayo and Rin had been coming to my classroom to invite me to some club they joined. I refused due to having other commitments like part-time jobs. However, they kept on coming every day for several consecutive days and some of my classmates were getting annoyed by Rin's antics so I gave in. Rin then grabbed my left hand and dragged me to a clubroom with Hanayo close behind us telling us to slow down.
In the room were four other girls. From their ribbons, three of them were second years and the last girl was a first year just like Rin and Hanayo. After entering the room, Rin let go of my hand and ran towards the ginger-haired girl who was sitting, like some kind of boss, at the end of the table facing the door.
"Honoka-chan, I got us a new member!"
A new member? What the heck was Rin talking about? I looked over at Hanayo who quietly went to take a seat in the room acting as if she had no idea what was going on. One of the second-years, the blue-haired one, seem to be sizing me up.
"Why are you wearing the third-year ribbon?"
If this was an anime, there would be some kind of sound effect explosion that could describe how close I was to losing my cool. Well, I was often mistaken for being younger than my real age. Hanayo seem to notice something bad was probably going to happen so she quickly rectify the second-year's mistake.
"U-umi-senpai, Nico-chan is a third-year."
The girl, whose name was Umi, raised an eyebrow doubting Hanayo's words. Another second-year, one with ash-gray hair, walked up to me and held out her hand for a handshake. I shook her hand out of politeness.
"I'm Kotori Minami, nice to meet you! Rin and Hanayo has told us quite a bit about you, Nico-chan!"
"Did they now?"
Hanayo flinched and Rin hid behind the ginger-haired girl who sweat dropped. Kotori seemed to not notice me glaring at my two childhood friends who would really get it from me later.
"By the way, the blue-haired girl is Umi Sonoda."
Umi nodded her head to acknowledge her introduction. She was still sizing me up for some reason. Is she interested in me or something? Kotori then pointed at the ginger-haired girl Rin was hiding behind.
"Over there is Honoka Kousaka and she is the president of our club, the 'Otonokizaka' club."
How original…naming the club after the school. Honoka waved me with excitement.
"Welcome to our club, Nico-chan! I promise you, we will have lots of fun together!"
Seriously, my interest in the club was still nil despite the somewhat warm welcome. Kotori then introduced the redhead first year who seemed engrossed in a book.
"That is Maki Nishikino, a classmate of Rin and Hanayo."
So the girl was that 'Maki' that Rin and Hanayo kept on harping about. The girl was indeed beautiful just like Rin said. Before I knew it, I found myself unable to stop looking at her. Maki seem to notice that I was staring and looked up from her book.
"What are you staring at?"
"I was not staring at you."
"You were so staring at me just now."
"I did not!"
"Did to!"
What the heck was the girl's problem? Not even five minutes of knowing each other and she was already picking a fight with me. If it was a fight she wanted, bring it on! I rolled my sleeve getting ready to pummel her. When I got closer to her, Maki's expression changed to fear and that made me pause. I did not notice Umi and Rin behind me planning to restraint me. I totally ruined it. I knew Rin and Hanayo invited me so I could make more friends. Maki seemed to recover a bit after I pulled down my sleeves back.
"Hmph."
She got up, took her book and left the room.
"Excuse me that was not how it went, Nico."
Maki was still standing with her hands at her hips. I laughed after telling the story and she began her account of our first meeting which included a catfight resolved with her victory which was totally untrue. The both of us laughed at each other's inability to remember it well.
"Anyways, Nico. Despite that, we still ended up seeing more of each other after that."
That was true. Despite my initial reluctance to join, I agreed to join and saw more of Maki because of that. We would fight everyday but slowly I realized that I actually work well with the girl. Maki realized the same thing. Eventually, we start to bicker even less till sometime later, Maki did a U-turn and went back to being rude to me all the time.
"I guess I just did not want to accept my feelings for you at that time. I thought I was abnormal for liking another girl. I tried to avoid you…but I kept running into you even outside of club…like you and I were attracted by some magnetic force."
"Maki…"
Seeing the worried and guilty expression on my face, Maki waved her left hand.
"It's not your fault, Nico-chan. I consulted a friend about it. She told me to just go for it and be honest with myself. She told me if it's Nico-chan, I would have nothing to worry about."
That friend of hers piqued my curiosity. However, Maki was not done talking so I kept quiet.
"However, I was still hesitant. Rin and Hanayo caught wind of my feelings for you and with their help, I finally managed to confess to you."
Maki took a deep breath before continuing.
"I keep asking myself why I like you so much but I decided not think too much anymore when I went to confess to you. Do you really need a reason to love someone, Nico?"
I could see the sincerity in Maki's eyes and feel the strength of her feelings for me. It was so heavy that it almost overwhelmed me. I counted myself very fortunate and lucky to have a wonderful girl like Maki to love me.
"Maki?"
"Yes, Nico?"
"Can you smile for me?"
Maki seem confused at my simple request but obliged. There it was…that smile. I remembered the first time she smiled at me.
The 'Otonokizaka' Club was a club that help the school in various ways from events, minor maintenance and aiding in school matters…aka a club of student volunteers. I was tasked of taking pictures of Maki to be used as the face of Otonokizaka instead of Kotori despite the second-year being the chairman's daughter. The others claimed Maki had the brightest and beautiful smile of them all but I never saw her smile before.
"C'mon Maki-chan! Smile! No, not like that! You look like some kind of twisted clown with that crooked smile."
"What do you mean, clown?! Anyways, why are you the photographer? Why can't any of the others take my photo?"
"Honoka and Umi have kendo practice. Kotori is off helping her mother and RinPana are tending to the alpacas. Now quit your whining and smile for me, Maki-chan!"
After much pointless protesting and fidgeting, Maki finally smiled. It was truly beautiful and I was totally captivated by it. I felt a tingling in my chest for a moment but never thought much about it. I did not realize at that time that I had started to become interested in Maki Nishikino.
I blushed so hard seeing her smile. Maki then slowly walked to the bench and leaned down. The distance between our faces became shorter and shorter. Maki was rarely so bold and forward…and I just had to open my big mouth.
"Uhmm…Maki. We are outside you know?"
Maki looked a bit annoyed that I ruined the mood with my stupid question.
"So?"
"Didn't you forbid me from kissing you in public?"
Maki did not say anything more and went straight for my lips. The kiss was brief but it was intense. I was out of breath when our lips parted. She then hugged me which I returned.
"I love you so much, Nico."
"I love you too, Maki."
"Promise me that you will always by my side?"
Suddenly images started to flood into my head. Images of something I wanted to forget.
"Nico?"
I shook my head and blinked. The images from my head disappeared and Maki was looking at me with a look of concern.
"Don't worry, Maki. I promise I will always be with you. You can nico-nico-need not worry."
Maki chuckled at me using my old catchphrase.
"What's with that lame catchphrase?"
I feigned being hurt.
"How can you call my childhood catchphrase lame?"
So the date ended with the two of us laughing together at a bench in the evening. I walked Maki home and kissed her on the cheek before she entered her mansion. I then began my walk back to the Koizumi home.
"The catchphrase..."
I looked back at the Nishikino mansion.
"I'm sorry, Maki."
-End of Chapter 1b-
A/N
Some AU notes.
1) In this AU, KotoUmi are childhood friends with each other but Honoka is not. Why is this so? It will be revealed sometime in the story.
2) Instead of being idols, our heroines are in a club similar to the one in YukiYuna. They help the school but occasionally the public as well.
3) Nico is childhood friends with Hanayo and Rin. Her parents and sisters are dead. She is adopted into the Koizumi family but keeps her own family surname.
Next chapter 3: Tragedy
The final part of this short first arc. Nico and Maki go on a date…which may be their last.