Nagisa's Wednesday morning started off much better than Honoka's. Grandmother had opened the sliding door, bright and early, letting the cool morning air blow through the room. Normally this type of awakening would anger her, but she had such a satisfying sleep that it felt good after being under the covers for so long. Unlike Honoka, she didn't even bother making it, and just left them messy as she raced for breakfast.

Grandmother served her a bowl of buttered and salted rice once again.

It never gets old here, does it? Nagisa thought, as she shoveled her breakfast down with chopsticks.

"So…" Grandmother began with, making Honoka's bed. "How is the science club doing?"

"Okay, but I think Yuriko is playing the role of president better than me…" Nagisa put her bowl down and placed her hands on her skirt.

"Nagisa." Grandmother said her name as sternly as the sweet old lady could. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose of switching roles with Honoka? I could imagine Honoka trying her very best to lead the lacrosse team to their best."

"Yeah…" Nagisa daydreamed out the window. "I totally could see that from Honoka…"

"Anyways, you better get to school now, Nagisa." Grandmother said. "Don't forget your bento box."

"Thank you!" She said, putting the bento box in her shoulder bag and dashing off to the train station.

As soon as she got there, breathless, Fuji-pi turned around and waved at Nagisa. "Hey! Nagisa!"

The girl stopped in her tracks. That's the first time he hasn't referred to me as "Misumi-san"… She rustled her hair in frustration. No! I am Honoka Yukishiro, the girl who only considers this boy a friend! She waved back. "Hey!"

He walked over to her. "How's the experiment between you and Honoka going?"

Nagisa rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, it's going, that's for sure."

"You know…" Fuji-pi said. "I tend to help Yukishiro-san – er, Honoka- in the science club if I don't have soccer practice. There's a tournament for me this morning, which ends this soccer season for summer vacation. So if you wanted, I could…help you today…"

Nagisa's face turned beat red, and her mouth opened wide in shock. Eh!

Seeing her shocked expression, Fuji-pi also blushed and waved his hands in the air. "Un-unless you wouldn't want that-"

"No..I do." Nagisa smiled. "I'd like that. I'm glad we're friends, Fuji-pi."

"Right." Fuji-pi smiled. "Two people who care about each other and would do absolutely anything to keep them happy."

"Right. Friends." The train for the Girls' Division screeched to a stop. "Well, that's my ride. Nice talking to 'ya." Nagisa went on the train as it was just about to leave.

Fuji-pi watched the train until he could see it no more. But weren't we friends ever since I've known you?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nagisa began to eat away at her bento box and smiled. She was alone right now, but she wouldn't be for long; Yuriko would soon drag her to the library and she knew that she had to eat fast. She gobbled down some popcorn chicken pieces covered in honey garlic, her hair still lightly damp from swimming in gym class.

"Nagisa?" Yuriko walked into the room. "You did your part of the research last night, right?"

The blonde's back stiffens, her hair stands on end, and she stops in mid-chew of some dried octopus.

"You did-"Yuriko began to shout. "-RIGHT?"

"O-of course!" Nagisa waved her hand in the air. "Don't sweat it!"

The smile immediately returns to her face, as she fixes her glasses. "Excellent. Let's go to the library and compare our studies."

"But, wait, I-"

"No buts." Yuriko drags the back of her chair into the hallway.

"But, wait!" Nagisa said. "I-I left it in my locker! Let me go get it and I'll meet you in the library in five!"

Yuriko annoyingly rolled her eyes. "Okay, but no later."

As soon as Nagisa turned the hallway she dashed down every staircase, ran out the doors, and ran to the boys' division. She ignored the boys that did double takes, seeing a girl run through their hallways. She ran through the entire division. Ugh, where is he?

Nagisa skidded at a stop, ignoring the boy that had just bumped into her. She had a flashback of the conversation this morning.

"There's a tournament for me this morning, which ends this soccer season for summer vacation. So if you wanted, I could…help you today…"

That means he must have just gotten back from the tournament! The anxious blonde ran over to the bus loading zone for the boys, seeing Fuji-pi get off with his teammates. She dashed over to him, completely out of breath, the beating afternoon sun already drying her damp hair.

"Woah…" Fuji-pi said. "You're more out of breath than I am, and I played soccer all morning. What's up?"

"Do you…have…?" Nagisa choked out. "Any science…projects? I need it to….bail me out…"

"I should have one…" Fuji-pi dug through his shoulder bag, handing Nagisa a bunch of papers stapled together. "There you go."

Nagisa began to run back to the Girls' Division. "Thank you!"

"Wait, Nagisa!" Fuji-pi shouted. "I need that for-"

"What?" Nagisa shouted, looking back as she was running.

"N-nevermind. You can keep it!"

Nagisa made it just on time to the Girls' library. She passed off Fuji-pi's work as her own.

Yuriko looked through the papers. "Wow, Nagisa…" Yuriko said. "This is really impressive! It looks as though a third year wrote it!"

Nagisa rubbed the back of her neck. "It was nothing."

"No, this is definitely something." Yuriko turned to smile at the plagiarizer. "You know, I didn't give you a chance because I didn't expect much out of you. Boy, was I wrong!"

All of a sudden, a piercing screech from the intercom caught everyone's attention.

"Attention students." The vice principal's voice boomed through the school. "The second year girls' science fair is moved to Friday at 8:00 pm, I repeat, Friday 8:00 pm."

"We shouldn't have to worry!" Yuriko said. "With Nagisa's amazing research skills, we'll rock that science fair!" She pat her on the back.

"I don't believe this…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nagisa glanced at the clock, which read 4:15. The bell rang twenty minutes ago, where's Fuji-pi? She sunk in her lab coat. I could seriously use some help…

As if on cue, Fuji-pi ran into the room. "Sorry I'm late Nagisa. I had…things to deal with."

"It's okay." Nagisa threw on some safety glasses. "How was your day?"

"How was my day-?" Fuji-pi thought back to how they lost the soccer tournament that morning.

"Where were you today, Fuji-pi?" One of his teammates nudged him. "I didn't see that soccer super star today at all."

"Sorry guys." Fuji-pi rubbed the back of his neck. "I stayed up all night working on that research project for science after lunch."

"Well, t's a good thing you did it." His teammate said. "The teacher would've made you clean the chalkboards like crazy after school!"

Fuji-pi lightly smiled. "I've had better, but nothing to complain about."

Fuji-pi and the rest of the club worked on their science project while Nagisa "supervised" it all. Yuriko let it all go since she thought Nagisa wrote such an amazing research piece.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nagisa and Honoka spent that evening in front of Akane-san's shop. The air was slightly stiff, since Honoka was slightly grumpy.

"So." Honoka tried smiling. "How was your day?"

"Pretty good!" Nagisa smiled wide. "Fuji-pi and I-"

"I meant…" Honoka's blood boiled. Is she honestly using my discomfort to get to Fuji-pi, when she really can all this time? "The science club. Is it doing okay?"

"Pretty good." Nagisa swung her legs. "But with Fuji-pi helping-"

"ENOUGH ABOUT FUJI-PI!"

"Honoka…"

"Don't 'Honoka…' ME!" Yukishiro-san stood up. "I asked for this to end, but you used it to get around your boy problems!"

"They're not 'boy problems'." Nagisa said. "I am Honoka Yukishiro, a girl who is afraid of nothing, a girl who only considers that boy a friend!"

Silence killed each other inside. Nagisa watched as an old lacrosse ball rolled down the street with the wind. "Fine." Honoka nearly whispered. "You're Honoka Yukishiro. I'm Nagisa Misumi. You only consider that boy a friend but I'm in love with him and will do anything to get him." Then she stood up and walked away.

They both cried themselves to sleep, because they had become those girls they had set out not to be; being someone they're not to fit in.

Gotta go for now! I'm going to dye the underside of my bangs a new color I got, bright blue. Normally I either do dark blue or purple, but I'm looking forward to this.

Mepple: Oh…about the dye…

Pollun: *runs in the room with his fur dyed purple* I'm pretty – popo! I'm pretty – popo!

Curewhite3616: What the-!

Lulun: *Dark blue* Look at us – lulu! Look at us – lulu!

Curewhite3616: Oh come on, Lulun isn't even in here until Max Heart and Pollun isn't in this timeframe!

Mipple: *Bright blue*

Curewhite3616: AIREINAII!