Chapter 9
Realization
Mirai walks towards Hanzo Girls' Academy when she notices Hibari and Yaguu holding hands while talking and laughing. Look at those two, she thinks. They're so happy together. It's been about 2 weeks since they made up and summer break ended. I'm happy for them. I really am, but… She raises her hand to feel her heart beating rapidly. Why…is my heart…beating like this?
Hibari and Yagyuu enter their homeroom class and take their seats while the other girls are talking amongst themselves. Hibari looks back in the halls to see Mirai walking by, but with a serious look on her face.
Hmm… the flower eyed girl thinks. Now that I think about it, Mirai-chan's been acting a bit strange. Ohhh, I hope she's okay. Although…most of the girls talked to her during break and some that teased her apologized.
Asuka comes up to her with a concerned look on her face. "I saw Mirai-chan earlier this morning and it looked like something's bothering her. I wonder what that could be."
"Who knows?" Hibari sighs. Other than that, Mirai-chan is in pretty good shape, considering the attention she's getting day by day.
**Late Afternoon**
"Mirai's making new friends now," one of Haruka's fangirls say. "Isn't that surprising?"
"More like shocking," another says. "Geez, you'd think this girl would quit, but no! They just HAD to apologize for their behavior and then be all buddy-buddy with her!"
"That's so stupid," the third girl says.
Haruka is reading a book when she looks up at the three. Her face is now better and less swollen than earlier from where she got pranked by Yagyuu. "Don't worry about it, ladies. Mirai-chan has had enough torture after all this. I hope Hibari-chan's doing okay, though."
"I can't believe that flower eyed girl would be friends with that tiny girl," the first fangirl tells the honey-blonde.
"She's just lonely, that's all," Haruka says. "And besides, if Mirai-chan didn't make friends with Hibari-chan, she might have done something way worse than quitting school from getting bullied. She even made friends with Yagyuu-san." She sets the book down and winks at the girls. "Darlings, be honest with me. Who do you think is hotter: me or Yagyuu-san?"
"It's obviously you, Haruka-sama," the first fangirl says. "No one can match your amazing beauty."
"Plus, you're more popular than Yagyuu-san is," the second fangirl adds.
"I saw Yagyuu-san the other day and she's nothing compared to you," the third one says.
"Ahhhh, I see~" she says as she giggles. "So, Yagyuu-san is not your type."
"The only girl we go for is you, Haruka-sama~!" the first fangirl says.
"True~!" the other two girls say in unison.
**Later**
"Want to grab a pizza?" Yagyuu asks as she and Hibari walk out of the building. "I'm hungry."
"Sounds good~!" Hibari replies happily. She then notices Mirai walking by. "Hey, Mirai-chan!"
The petite girl stops and looks at the couple. "Oh, hey, Hibari. Hi, Yagyuu. What's up?"
"Do you want to come with us to the pizza place?" pink haired girl asks. "I heard they have a special today, so I thought I'd try it out."
"No thank you," Mirai says. "I'm…pretty busy with stuff. Maybe next time."
"Oh, okay," Hibari says in disappointment.
"See you later."
With that, the petite girl walks away with Hibari looking at her in concern. Yagyuu puts a hand on her shoulder with a smile on her face.
"I know you're worried about her," she says, softly. "But for now, let's leave her alone for a while."
"I see…"
**Next Day**
Hibari meets Mirai in the halls one day and asks her if the two can have a talk for a bit. The petite girl obliges and the two walk over next to the window.
"Are you feeling okay?" Hibari asks. "You seem a bit spaced out yesterday."
"I'm okay, thanks," Mirai replies. "I guess I was a bit tired, so I went and took a nap." She decides to change the subject. "So, how are you and Yagyuu doing? Any special dates that you two went to?"
"No, nothing special," Hibari replies. "We don't have enough money, but as long as I'm with Yagyuu-chan, anything is fine."
"I see."
"Being together with Yagyuu-chan again made me happier than earlier," the flower eyed girl continues. "I love her, after all."
Mirai stares at her for a bit before nodding. "I'm glad…you two are doing well together."
"Yagyuu-san," a classmate calls. "The teacher wants you to help her with something."
"Sure." The silver haired girl looks in Hibari's direction, who is waving at her. Yagyuu blushes as she strikes up her Love Sign.
The flower eyed girl happily does the same and Yagyuu walks away smiling. She laughs to herself.
"Mou~! What was that!?" Mirai shrieks.
"U-um…we're saying 'Hi' to each other," Hibari replies. "We do a love sign with each other." She puts up an "L" shape. "See? This stands for 'I love you'."
Mirai stands frozen for a second until she lets out a chuckle. "Oh, come on! That's just…so childish, right?"
Hibari eyes the petite girl with a smile. "Are you jealous?"
"Huh!? N-no I'm not! Why would I be!?"
"That look on your face tells me so."
"Y-you're lying!"
Hibari giggles. "You're so cute sometimes, Mirai-chan."
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No, I'm being serious."
"Yeah, right!"
**After School**
Mirai walks in town alone with her casual attire on. She's wearing a pink tank top with a yellow star printed in the middle, with a blue skirt and white thigh high socks on with some sneakers Her talk with Hibari is still on her mind, especially the part about her being jealous. She tried and tried to deny it, but whenever she thought about Yagyuu, her heart kept on beating. What's wrong with me? she thinks. I can't be jealous of Hibari, right? I mean, I made more friends now and people are being nicer to me. But now that I think about it…Hibari seems happier than I am. Why? Why is that? Is it because she's with Yagyuu?
She finally couldn't take it anymore. She knows she's lying to herself. "No…way. I really am jealous of Hibari. She's happier than me because she's dating Yagyuu. And I may have more friends than my earlier days, but that…that wasn't enough. And whenever I think of Yagyuu, I…" She puts a fist on her chest to feel her heart beating. "It's clear now. I tried to hide my feelings for so long, but now, I can't anymore. I'm…in love with Yagyuu."
**Meanwhile**
"Hibari," Yagyuu says as they are walking toward their dorm. "Your birthday is coming in a few weeks. I thought maybe we could have a private party together."
Hibari gasps happily. "That's a WONDERFUL idea!" Ohhhh, I'm SO excited! Yagyuu-chan and I are going to have a private party!
"Is there anything I'd like to give you for your birthday?" Yagyuu asks, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, anything from you is fine," Hibari says.
Yagyuu sighs. "Can you at least give me a hint? It makes it even harder for me to pick which one you like. Maybe you should think about it a little bit."
"Okay." The two head off towards their dorms to get ready for bed.
Hibari climbs on Yagyuu's bed and both of them wrap their arms around each other, pulling each other close to one another.
"I love you, Hibari," she whispers.
"I love you, too, Yagyuu-chan," the flower eyed girl whispers back.
The two lean in and share a heartwarming kiss. This is our second kiss, she thinks. I'm so happy. But I'm more excited for my private birthday party.
**Next Day**
Yagyuu walks down the halls when she sees Mirai walking by. She sees the silver haired girl and approaches her.
"Hey, Yagyuu," she says. "Do you have a minute?"
"Sure, what is it?"
Mirai looks around to make sure no one's around and beckons Yagyuu to come to the courtyard. When they do, Mirai fiddles with the hem of her skirt while the silver haired girl looks at her in concern.
"I know we haven't talked in a while," the petite girl says. "But…there's something I want to tell you."
"Huh?"
"But first, I want to say that I'm happy that you and Hibari are doing well. And I'm happy that I'm finally talking to people, but…all I can think about is you and Hibari being happy together. I was…jealous." She looks up at the silver haired girl with a serious expression, despite the small tears forming in her eyes. "I…I love you, Yagyuu."
Yagyuu gasps in surprise.
"Remember that accidental kiss?" Mirai continues. "Yes it was surprising, but I felt…so happy. To get kissed by a cool girl like you. That's when I secretly fell in love with you. I even kept it from Hibari."
The silver haired girl lets out another gasp. She couldn't believe what Mirai is telling her. All this time, from their accidental kiss…Mirai had loved her since then?
**Later**
Hibari and Yagyuu were sweeping outside as their cleaning duty.
"Whew! The weather sure is changing this year," Hibari says. "It'll get a little cold later on, though." She turns towards her girlfriend, who is standing there, staring at the ground. "Um…Yagyuu-chan?"
"Eh? Oh, sorry," Yagyuu says as she snaps back into reality.
"Are you okay? You're staring into space."
"N-no, it's nothing."
"Kay…" Hibari doesn't seem too convinced, but she decides to let it slide for now.
After sweeping, they put the brooms into the lockers when Hibari accidentally pinched her finger when she closed it.
"Ouch!" she squeaks.
"Hibari!" Yagyuu cries in alarm as she runs toward her. "Are you okay? Let me see." She gently takes her hand and rubs it.
Hibari blushes and smiles. Yagyuu-chan… she thinks. She begins to pucker her lips and lean a little forward. The silver haired girl takes notice and closes her eyes. But as she leans forward to kiss her, a flash of Mirai appears in her mind.
"I felt so happy kissing a cool girl like you."
Yagyuu pulls away and turns around, much to Hibari's surprise. "We should head out."
**Dorms**
Why, why, why!? Hibari thinks as she clutches her pillow tightly in her arms. Yagyuu is taking her bath, so she'll be taking her turn in a while. I was so ready to kiss Yagyuu-chan again! I must have looked like a complete idiot with my lips all puckered! Then, she realizes something. Now that I think about it, Yagyuu-chan was acting a bit strange today. It's like her mind was somewhere else. I don't know…something's up with her. She lies back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
**Next Day, Late Afternoon**
Yagyuu sits on the bench in the courtyard again, reading a note that says,
"Yagyuu, I need to talk to you. Meet me at the courtyard after school.
—Mirai"
"Yagyuu!" Mirai calls. "You came!"
The silver haired girl stands up, giving her the usual stoic look. "So…what is it that you want?"
"I couldn't get you out of my mind," the petite girl says. "I just couldn't. I'm in love with you, Yagyuu, but now that you're with Hibari…I…" She wipes some tears that's falling from her eyes.
"I'm flattered, but I'm also sorry," Yagyuu says. "I'm sorry that I can't accept your feelings."
"But…can I ask you a favor…" Mirai's voice is quiet for the moment.
"What is it?"
"Can we…kiss again?"
Yagyuu's eyes widen. "No way! Are you out of your mind!?"
"I know it's selfish of me to do this, but please…just please…I want to have one more kiss with you…"
Yagyuu sighs heavily and looks around to see if anyone will come. Mirai immediately comes over towards her and wraps her arms around the silver haired girl before Yagyuu can do anything else. Both of them stare at each other's eyes for about a minute before Mirai starts to lean in, puckering her lips. Yagyuu tries to back away, but Mirai's grip is too strong and her lips are about to touch hers when…
THUD!
The sound of the school bag startles the two. There stands Hibari with her flower eyes widened in shock. Yagyuu uses this chance to push Mirai away and walk cautiously towards her girlfriend. But Hibari walks over with an angry expression on her face, raises her hand and slaps her on the cheek. And then, she grabs her by the shoulders and crashes her lips against hers. And then, Hibari wraps her arms around her lover as she turns her head towards Mirai.
"What are you doing making a move on her like that!?" she cries.
"I-I'm sorry…" Mirai whimpers. "I…I didn't know…you were coming here…"
"Mirai-chan…why…?" Hibari says as her own tears start to form in her eyes. "Why did you try to kiss Yagyuu-chan?"
"I love her, okay!? Ever since we accidentally kissed, I started to fall in love with her! But I didn't want to tell you because…" She starts to sob as she wipes the endless tears from her face. "Because then…you'll hate me and we'll not be friends anymore! I just couldn't hide my feelings anymore!" She buries her head in her hands and sobs harder.
Hibari looks over at Yagyuu for an explanation.
"It's true," the silver haired girl says. "She loved me, but she kept her feelings hidden because she wanted you to be happy. She didn't want her best friend getting hurt just because Mirai was in love with me, too."
Hibari nods in understanding, walks over and hugs her. "Hey, it's okay. I understand how you feel, but you know that Yagyuu-chan and I are dating, right? She loves me as much as I love her."
Mirai sniffles as she hugs her back. Once the two pull away, the petite girl wipes the last of her tears.
"Forgive me, Hibari," she says, softly. "I promise to never do it again."
"I forgive you, Mirai-chan," the flower eyed girl says.
Mirai nods and turns to leave. "I wish you both happiness. I'm glad I got it off my chest." She then walks away.
Yagyuu looks over at her girlfriend, who is shedding tears again. Hibari plunges herself to Yagyuu's chest, sobbing.
"Why!?" she cries. "Why did you let Mirai-chan kiss you like that!?"
"I tried to push her off, though," Yagyuu says. "But…I guess that's not the point." She gently pushes her away and looks at her with a guilty expression. "I never meant to make you cry, Hibari."
Hibari sniffles as she wipes the last of her tears and smiles. "Okay. Then, I'll forgive you if I get more kisses than Mirai-chan."
Yagyuu obliges and leans in to kiss her on the lips. Just a little. But then, when she kisses her the second time, she makes it last longer. And then, Yagyuu moves over to kiss her on both cheeks and then forehead. And finally, on the lips once more. Hibari sighs with bliss as she rests her head on her girlfriend's chest.
**Meanwhile**
Mirai starts to walk aimlessly around the school building, blushing from almost kissing Yagyuu. It wasn't that bad, she thinks. Of course, I got in trouble by Hibari, but everything's okay now. I will never interfere with their relationship ever again.
But then, a familiar giggle greet her as soon as she turns a corner.
"Well, well, Mirai-chan," Haruka says as she walks over towards her from the garden. "I saw that you tried to kiss Yagyuu-san."
"Y-you saw me!?"
"Yup~! I was secretly watching you~!" Haruka replies with a wink.
"AAAARRGH! I'm gonna get you!" Mirai growls.
"Hehe~! You're such a child."
"What are you doing her anyways, Haruka-sama?"
Haruka smiles as she walks close to the petite girl. "I'm very glad you asked, darling. You see…Hibari-chan's still with Yaguu-san. But since Yagyuu-san pranked me 3 times in one day, I have no other choice but to make a plan that will surely make Yagyuu be away from Hibari once and for all."
Mirai gasps. "You wouldn't…DARE!"
The honey blonde holds up a flavor pack. "Ohhhh, I am, sweetie~! And you're going to help me on this."
"I'm NOT getting involved into your stinking plans!" Mirai shouts at her.
"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Haruka quickly goes over and grops her small chest. "How about I make everyone go against you again and tell everyone how flat your chest is~?"
"Please don't! I'll do it, I'll do it!" Mirai cries.
"Hehe~! That's a good girl." Haruka lets go and hands her the flavor pack. "Soon, Hibari-chan will be mine for good."
A/N: Okay, okay. To quote Mikey-kun: I know Haruka-san is on Haruka-san's side, but I promise you, she's not doing anything too serious! This is why I'm kinda bad at characters doing antagonistic things.
A-anyways, feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review~! ;)
