Greetings! I come a week since the last update with another one. It's shorter that the more recent chapters but it serves its purpose.
What is that purpose, exactly? Well, let's just say it involves a Morning of Melancholy for everyone involved... What, is that hint not good enough? Well then just read and find out!
Enjoy if you can - if you can't, I apologize.
LUCKY STAR
Following a grueling series of exams, the second trimester ended not with a high note but, rather, a slow fade. The feeling of relief that Kagami Hiiragi experienced upon the beginning of winter break was comparable to slowly sinking into a hot bath. The stress of her days would slowly drain away as she relaxed in its warmth. That analogy, however, proved quite ironic as the older Hiiragi twin felt a static chill all over her body when she awoke that morning.
Opening her eyes, she noted a terrible ache in her joints as she sluggishly turned off her alarm.
Why did I still have my alarm set? It's winter break, isn't it? I should be sleeping in, Kagami thought with a scowl and a shiver.
Sitting up and getting out of bed, she trudged towards the bathroom, still feeling the unfortunate effects of not getting a good night's sleep. Hoping to cure her drowsiness, she splashed water on her face.
That was a really bad idea, she realized. Yes, she was completely awake now, but her cheeks stung from contact with the burning cold water. It felt like she had just been slapped.
Rubbing the water and last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she began brushing her teeth. It took an agonizingly long time for her to do so thanks to how cold it was.
Already, she knew it was going to be a long day...
LUCKY STAR
With a huff, Hiyori rubbed her hands for warmth. She was wearing four layers of clothing yet the cold still seemed to be able to slip past, breaking through her defenses like an endless barrage of spiky needles from all sides. Even the heat of nearly a hundred people packed into an airport lobby didn't make the air any less chilly. Her breath still condensed into a puff of water vapor whenever she breathed. It was quite aggravating.
To her left was Konata, playing a video game on her DS with intense focus, seemingly oblivious to the cold. Peeking over her shoulder was Ko, watching eagerly as Konata mashed buttons, similarly immune to the weather's thermal embrace.
Two seats over was Yutaka sitting on Minami's lap, both of them holding each other close for warmth. Hiyori's heart leaped for joy at the sight - it was so cute, she could just burst with enthusiasm.
On the other side, on her right, was Patricia Martin, idly kicking her legs on the seat, keeping hold of her bag. She looked bored more than anything else, but an certain quiet melancholy seemed to surround her. Perhaps it was because she was leaving her friends behind for a time that she seemed so sad? After all, she was going back to America that day.
Patricia's flight wasn't until much later, of course, but they all opted to wake up early and see her off. It was Ko's idea. Not only would Hiyori get to take the reference pictures she wanted to take, they also got to keep Patricia company while she waited.
But having finished her picture taking with Ko, Hiyori was left waiting with the others. It was awkward at best but a part of her felt happy that she still had some time to be with Patricia before she left, if only a few minutes.
She realized that it was a bittersweet thing, that happiness. The person she loved - one who was her girlfriend for five whole months - was leaving the country. She knew that Patricia was going to return to Japan once break ends, but she also knew that once she left, things wouldn't be the same again. She didn't know how she knew, but every fiber of her being felt it would be so.
Patricia stood, checking her phone for the time. "I should get going," she said.
Konata fumbled a bit with her buttons but eventually exited her game and put away her DS. Ko stretched her neck, probably feeling stiff from leaning over to see Konata's game. Yutaka jumped off of Minami's lap, allowing the taller girl to stand. Seeing her friends get up, Hiyori followed suit and stood up as well.
Hiyori looked at Patricia, not sure what to say to her. So she didn't say anything, and simply stepped forward and hugged the blonde. Hiyori closed her eyes and held Patricia close. After a few seconds, she moved to let go but suddenly felt like she was being squeezed for all sides. The others had joined in.
"Goodbye, everyone..." Patricia whispered. Of the people in the group hug, Hiyori was the only one who caught those words.
As everyone slowly let go, Patricia picked up her bag and walked. Hiyori watched every step she took in agonizing slow motion.
Hiyori was suddenly in a panic. She wanted time to stop. Let them be together for a little longer. They could start over. She knew what was wrong with their relationship. She could fix things
Patricia kept walking...
Why was Patricia leaving, anyway? How could Hiyori not ask that question!? Why did it take her until now to ask it!?
She kept on walking...
She had to do something - anything! Whatever it took! She couldn't let Patricia leave! Stay! She wanted her to stay!
She kept walking until she disappeared into the crowd...
She's gone now... Hiyori thought numbly. Nothing I can do anymore... She felt her shoulders slump. I told her that we're over for good and I need to stand by that statement. I just wish it doesn't cost us our friendship... She clenched her fists. When you come back, we'll still be friends, right...? Right...?
Try as she might, she couldn't get herself to believe it.
She felt a tear stream down her cheek.
Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Ko giving her a reassuring smile.
"Whatever happens, it happens," she said. "Just remember: We'll still be here."
All around her were the faces of her friends, looking with small smiles. Hiyori rubbed her eyes and nodded quietly.
With that, the five of them left the airport
LUCKY STAR
As Kagami waited at the kitchen table for her mother to finish cooking breakfast, she couldn't help but wonder how Misao was doing.
As strange as it may sound, Kagami had gotten used to being with Misao day in and day out. Aside from the fact that they were classmates, Kagami and Misao would often hang out with each other during break time and on weekends. Even the dreaded study dates they had on Saturdays had become an enjoyable experience for her. A good seventy percent of her waking days for the past several months were spent with Misao.
Perhaps it didn't sound strange to anyone else - that amount of time with someone would naturally form some sort of connection - but to Kagami, such an attachment was strange. It was strange in that Misao had been her friend for twelve years - and were in the same class as each other for just as long - but such an attachment had only formed in the last few months.
And in the process of building that connection, Kagami had been violently broken down by a tangled mess of emotions and was slowly put back together into a fragile replica of her former self.
All of it was self-imposed, of course. Misao may have been the catalyst, but putting Kagami through all that emotional turmoil had not been intentional. Nor were the trials that Misao was subjected to - that wasn't intentional either.
Kagami was well aware how difficult she was being in the past months. Yes, it was understandable, given her state of mind at the time, but she still wouldn't forgive herself for it. She never will.
Why should she? How can an unstable emotional state justify hurting someone that much for so long? It can't and it didn't, simple as that.
And yet, she knew that Misao had already forgiven her for it - that was all but certain to Kagami.
It only served to remind her that Misao was too good for her. Kagami was a bad girl friend - she knew this because Misao herself told her she was. The statement still stood as nothing in their months together had proved otherwise. Kagami didn't deserve her.
The guilt had been eating at her for a long time. Misao's statement telling her to be selfish only served to stall the beast ravaging her insides. Eventually she would crack - and who knew what would happen then.
Still, as she well knew, her time with Misao was precious to her. Selfish or not, she would hold on to it for dear life. Until the guilt consumed her outright, she would never let go.
Snapping Kagami out of her melancholic trance was Miki, setting down a bowl of ramen. The savory warmth would be a welcome dish, Kagami felt. She gave her mother a small smile and clasped her hand's together.
"Thank you for the food," Kagami said before digging in.
She felt the heat course through her body, making the pain more bearable - the pain from the cold as well as the pain in her heart.
LUCKY STAR
Misao rounded the corner and came into view of her house. Thus ended her last lap for that morning.
She had been doing laps around the neighborhood since before dawn and in that time had passed her house seventeen times. The first fifteen was for exercise while the last two were just for kicks.
She thought of it as a substitute for track practice. It wasn't nearly as strenuous nor as long, but it was at least something to help her maintain her edge. Said edge was what helped her win gold at the 100 meter dash during regionals that year. It was also that very same edge that would determine whether she got that scholarship for the college she wanted. That said, you'd have thought she'd be practicing harder than she was.
But she was on break and it was nearly Christmas. She could afford to goof-off a little in light of the holiday.
Misao cooled down with some stretches behind her house. While doing so, the topic of college came to mind.
Entrance exams had come and gone in the span of last month. She was unsure of her standing in terms of test scores but she had a good chance of getting in regardless as long as she was granted a scholarship. Kagami on the other hand had been aiming for a prestigious university - Misao was fairly confident that she'd get in but Kagami was always the sort to worry about stuff like that. Ayano also seemed to have a nice chance of getting into the school she wanted. As for the girls from the class next door, Miyuki was all but certain to get into her school as she had the highest scores in the school, while Imouto and Chibi still had no idea.
But really, none of them were completely sure of anything. After all, the future isn't set in stone. Complications might happen to change things they were once sure of and suddenly they're all walking completely different paths to what they were expecting.
One thing was for sure though: After they graduate high school, everyone would be going their separate ways.
Misao recalled Konata's spiel about slice of life anime some weeks ago: How the little things in one's high school life like the friendships shared with people were things to treasure while they had it. The fact that they were seniors had caught up with Konata. It caught up with Misao as well. Truly, she's gonna miss them when they're gone...
Misao laughed. "Look at me, moping like this. If Masaru were awake he'd be sure to blame this on Kagami." The wry smile she wore was one she couldn't control. There was just no helping it.
"And he'd be right about it too. Kagami is exactly the reason I act like this. This is the effect of the girl who thinks too much on the girl who doesn't think enough."
She sighed. "It's a lot harder to deal with things than when I was always winging it." She opened the door. "But life's hard. If these changes are from being with Kagami all the time, then I don't regret it. It's just me growing up and people won't ever stop growing"
She stepped inside the house, closing the door.
"I don't regret it. I never will."
LUCKY STAR
Tsukasa opened her eyes to a world of darkness.
Sitting up, she looked around, slowly letting her eyes adjust to the lack of light. She was in her bed in her room, the curtains were closed, and the sky was probably cloudy - explaining why it was so dark.
She leaned over to her nightstand, clicked on her lamp, and checked the time. The clock said 11 am.
A voice inside her head wondered: Why was I allowed to sleep until eleven? Normally Kagami would wake me up at around six so we wouldn't be late for school.
Then it clicked that they were on vacation.
Oh, Tsukasa thought with apparent surprise. Ehe, I forgot...
Setting out of bed, she walked down to the kitchen where her parents and sisters were no doubt waiting for her. When she arrived, it turned out that she was only half right. Her parent and sister were there - both words singular.
"Good morning, Mom, Sis," the younger twin greeted, taking her seat at the table.
"Good morning, Tsukasa," Miki replied cheerfully
Kagami chuckled. "Well, at least you're awake before noon. Morning" She then rubbed her chin, deep in thought. "Looking back, you've been pretty good about waking up these past few months. Waking up at eleven is a bit of a step back isn't it?"
Tsukasa frowned. "Is it?"
"Uh... I don't know? Probably? You've been partially awake every time I went into your room to wake you up these past couple months. And in the weeks before summer break, you were been waking up all on your own."
Tsukasa blinked. "Oh..."
I guess it IS a step back... Tsukasa realized. I should try harder to wake up all on my own. If I could do it before I can do it again.
"Well, you certainly look determined, I'll give you that. Here's hoping you manage to follow through on that" Kagami said with a reassuring smile.
Tsukasa nodded.
Then there was a ring on the door bell.
LUCKY STAR
Konata walked the streets feeling an odd mix of drowsiness, sadness, and excitement - she figured that the last part with the excitement was the reason she felt it was weird. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling nor was it the weirdest feeling she experienced, but she couldn't help but take note of it.
After Patricia disappeared into the crowd, Konata and company commuted back home. Yutaka and Minami separated first - they were going on a sort of date, if Konata recalled correctly. Hiyori and Ko dropped off next, heading home by Konata's best guess. That left Konata sitting alone on her seat in the train until it reached her stop.
And when it did, all Konata could do was walk quietly back to her house. Once there, she opened the door, entered, kicked off her shoes, and climbed up to her room upstairs.
Her father still had some days work left before he got his two weeks of break - and with Yutaka out on a date, the bluenette was left with the house to herself.
Konata being Konata simply locked herself in her room and streamed the anime episodes that she hadn't been able to watch when they aired. She was well aware that it was piracy but she planned to buy the DVDs and merchandise of it anyway so she figured that she could afford to be a little greedy - no commercials and instant replay were why she like streaming so much.
However, after a few hours, she eventually ran out of new stuff to watch. Part of her wanted to rewatch something she had already seen but a bigger part of her wanted something else.
Thus she stood and began changing back into her casual winter clothes. If she was bored where she was then she'd go somewhere else to have a good time. She was sure that the Hiiragi twins wouldn't mind a surprise visit by their favorite otaku.
Konata couldn't help but snicker at the though as she locked her door and began walking back to the station.
LUCKY STAR
Tsukasa opened the door and blinked at her guest. "Konata," she said. "Good morning."
Konata looked at her with her signature cat-smile. "I'd tease you by saying that it's not morning anymore but it technically still is," she said with a chuckled. "Good morning, Tsukasa. Surprised to see me?"
As Konata's smile turned into a grin, Tsukasa merely closed her eyes and nodded. "Maybe," she answered. "I'm still not sure if I'm still asleep."
"Ah, but you are. I'm dream-Konata and I've come to take you away!"
Tsukasa opened her eyes and gave her a worried look. "What? But I haven't had breakfast yet."
"It's nearly noon," the bluenette reminded
"I haven't had lunch yet."
"Then have lunch and then let's get outta here."
The youngest Hiiragi thought for a bit. "Well, it's still being cooked," she muttered. "Why don't you come in while we wait." She gestured for Konata to enter.
And enter she did. "Don't mind if I do," she chimed, slipping her shoes off and setting them near the door.
"You're getting better."
Tsukasa beamed. "Thanks. I don't really get to practice much at home."
"Well, you could always try it with Kagami," Konata suggested.
"I can't. I can't think of ways to open."
"Well, that's what you have me for," Konata said, proudly puffing her chest. "Speaking of Kagami..."
At the two entered the kitchen, Tsukasa noted that Kagami was in the middle of drinking a glass of water and unexpectedly choked on it. "K-konata... Good morning," she said standing awkwardly from her seat.
Konata frowned. "I know I came unannounced but is it really that surprising that I'm here right now?"
Kagami scratched her cheek and looked away, no doubt unsure as to how she'd respond that question. "Eh, no but I... well... Actually, yes. It is pretty surprising that you're here right now," she said answered with apparent firmness. "Aren't you supposed to be with Patricia right now?"
Konata chuckled. "That? That was hours ago. Patricia's long gone by now."
"Then why didn't you come here earlier?" Kagami asked dryly.
Konata shook her head. "Oh, Kagami, don't you know me?" The pony tailed girl raised an eye brow at her playful tone. "I had a prior engagement of the utmost importance."
"Ha, knowing your priorities, it must have something to do with anime and video games."
"Well, you're not wrong," Konata said, closing her eyes and smiling innocently. She opened one eye and the grin became her signature cat smile. "The wording is a little off, though. A little tweaking is all it will take."
Kagami gave her a look of annoyed skepticism. "Do you honestly expect me to rephrase what I just said?"
"Nope," Konata replied, closing both eyes and smiling once more. "Anyway, the other excuse is a little more relatable..."
Tsukasa watched as the two interacted. Having learned and perhaps even mastered the basics of improv thanks to Konata's lesson, she saw their conversation in a new light. All the cues and little nuances in their banter were now things she could identify. That said, what she saw amazed her.
Her attempts at keeping up with Konata's wits were akin to that of two dancers moving with skill and confidence to the beat of the same song. Konata and Kagami's back and forth was more comparable to a duel between two masters of the sword. Their words were their weapons and they struck with a grace and precision that was simply awe inspiring.
"In any case, that's not the reason I came here," Konata said, bringing an end to their topic.
Kagami crossed her arms. "And what pre-tell is this reason of yours?"
Without a single shred of hesitation, the blue-haired otaku answered. "Tsukasa of course!"
Upon hearing mention of her name, Tsukasa's mind went into overdrive.
"Aw, that's sweet. You wanted to be with me?"
Konata smiled. "It was the first thing that came to mind."
Tsukasa tilted her head curiously. "What was the second thing?"
The question was given an almost immediate answer. "Kagami," Konata said. "You two are my two most favorite people in the world."
"Hmm." Tsukasa thought for a bit. "How many people do you know?"
Konata sweatdropped. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you said we were you favorites in the whole world," She began. "But the world is huge, isn't it? There are so many people that you couldn't know everyone. So then I wondered how many people you do know."
"That's question's a bit..."
Tsukasa smiled. "Don't worry, you don't need to answer it. I can't think of how many people I know off the top of my head either."
"I'm sure Miyuki could."
"She probably could," she agreed. "But isn't she a little forgetful though?"
"Hmm. You're right. She is really forgetful... Though you have to admit it makes her really cute."
"Yeah, it does. You said it was one of her 'mo-eh points', right?"
"That's right, moe!" Konata exclaimed. "Her quirks, glasses, and big boobs are all moe points!"
Tsukasa looked down to her chest. "I wonder what my moe points are..."
Konata grinned. "Are you sure you wanna know?"
In truth, Tsukasa really did want to know, but decided against it. She evaded the question. "Maybe later. What about Kagami? What are her moe points?"
"Ah, now that is quite a topic of interest."
Kagami, who had been staring in bafflement at the entire exchange, quickly stopped the conversation with the raising of her voice. "Okay, hold up. Stop. Please." She rubbed the bridge of her nose, holding up a hand in a gesture asking for a moment. "Right... I am really confused. Please explain to me what just happened? Did Tsukasa just steal the mic?"
"That," Konata said, with a pause for dramatic effect. "Is a really good figure of speech. I might use that some time. Anyway, that is an excellent question." She turned towards the younger twin. "Tsukasa?"
Said younger twin averted her eyes in embarrassment. "I... well... wanted to do what you guys do..."
Kagami blinked. "Do what we do?"
"Your back and forth. I wanted to be part of it too..."
The older twin blinked once more. "What?"
Tsukasa whimpered, frowning at how badly she was explaining. She couldn't quite put it into words and was very thankful that Konata had figured out what it was without her needing to explain. Her sister however, needed to be told more to understand, it seemed. That was something Tsukasa was having difficulty with.
Konata quickly stepped in. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to have trouble with that," she said, giving the younger twin a reassuring smile. She then turned to the older twin.
"Now," she began. "Have you ever noticed how all of our conversations flow?"
Kagami scowled. "What do you mean?"
Konata expounded. "Have you noticed that we seem to be able to talk for hours on end, seamlessly shifting from topic to topic?"
"Now that I think about it, yeah, we kinda do that a lot," Kagami muttered. "Okay, so what about it?"
"Do you have any idea how difficult pulling off that kind of back and forth actually is?"
"Uh..."
"Of course you don't. The two of us grew up honing our wit to be as sharp as they are right now," Konata explained. "I had my teasing and jokes while you had your snark and sarcasm."
"There are several ways I can take what you just said and a number of them can lead to a painful forehead for you..."
"See, you're doing it right now."
Kagami grumbled in annoyance but didn't push it.
Konata sighed. "What I'm saying is: Tsukasa has a hard time keeping up with us. She can never manage to get a word in because we both have wits sharper than is good for us."
Kagami frowned. "That's..." She looked at Tsukasa. "Is... Is that true...?"
Tsukasa watched Kagami as her negative energy spiked. She could almost see the guilt and shame radiate outward from her older sister. She was all but certain that telling the truth was the wrong move. This had to be handled carefully. Her only problem was how exactly she was going to do that...
She took a deep breath and answered. "I wanted to reach you," she began. "You were always so far away. Whenever you're with Konata, it seemed like you were a world away. Even when you were by my side, it felt like you were leaving me behind." She looked at Kagami and smiled. "But I wanted to be part of that world. I wanted to be able to see what you saw and hear what you heard. I wanted to be able to keep up with you and Konata. I wanted all that..."
As Kagami's face slowly fell, betraying the pain she felt inside, Tsukasa continued, firmly and fiercely. "But I didn't want to be a burden. I didn't want to slow you down." She shook her head. "No, I wanted to match you. So I ran as fast as I could and pushed as hard as I could. I thought that if I did that, I'd be able to catch up." She looked at the bluenette standing next to her and smiled softly. "And thanks to Konata, I think I was finally able to do that..."
She turned back to Kagami. "So now, I'm at your side," She said with face of determination. "And whenever you run too far ahead, I'll be happy to know that I can still reach you again if I try hard enough."
When Tsukasa ended her impromptu speech, she couldn't help but notice the expression on Kagami's face. She was teary eyed and obviously moved, but whatever emotion she felt was too mixed for the younger twin to get a good read on her. She detected guilt and shame, yes, but it was intermingling with a sense of pride, joy and... relief?
Kagami walked over to Tsukasa and gave her a tight embrace. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, Tsukasa..."
Tsukasa gently patted Kagami's head. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."
She felt Konata join in the embrace. "This is the second group hug I've been a part of today," the bluenette said with a chuckle.
Tsukasa smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth.
And then a pair set of arms wrapped around them, surprising all three of those in the hug prior. "Oh, my babies have grown so mature," Miki said in a barely contained squee. "I'm so proud of you."
Kagami quickly broke free of the embrace. Her eyes were still a little teary but otherwise she already had that familiar flustered look on her face. "M-mom! When did you-"
The older woman chuckled. "I've been here the whole time, actually."
Kagami was mortified and aptly looked the part. Tsukasa and Konata were similarly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry for excluding you, mom..." Tsukasa said shyly.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I didn't mind - I was just enjoying the show," The mother responded, dismissing the issue with an offhand wave. Then she gestured towards the door and added, "I can't say the same for them, though..."
At the door was Inori and Matsuri, both smiling at their younger sisters - though the latter's was more so a grin than just a regular smile.
"That was certainly an emotional moment," Inori noted.
"Yeah," Matsuri said in agreement. "You got what you wanted, Tsukasa. You got to be in your own little world with your twin and Izumi."
Before the blood rushing to Tsukasa's head made her feel dizzy, she decided to sit down. Kagami and Konata seemed to share the sentiments as they too sat down.
Miki suddenly made an earsplitting whistle. "You had best stop teasing them. After all, Tsukasa just woke up and Konata just got here," she said, removing her two fingers from her mouth. "Now come on. Lunch is ready. Inori, help set the table. Matsuri, give me a hand with this."
As the three older women went about their tasks, Tsukasa sat with Kagami and Konata. Kagami had her face buried in her hands - probably from embarrassment - but at least she didn't seem upset anymore. In fact, she seemed kind of relieved - more so than earlier, even.
Well, I guess that solves one problem I never even knew we had, Tsukasa thought.
LUCKY STAR
Oh Tsukasa, you have no idea how wrong you are.
I begin this story with Kagami waking up, suddenly noticing how cold it's become. Immediately following that is Patricia leaving.
Cold it was. Now, this is literally making a plot point of the fact that I forgot to address why Patricia was leaving in the first place. It's gonna be difficult but I can work with this somehow.
Next up is Kagami, once again wallowing in her negative emotions. I swear, girl, you need to let all that out else it's gonna bite you back someday. Also, consider this as a warning for things to come. Kagami needs to get out of the hell hole that is her current emotional and mental state but the road out of there is gonna be really really rough. Here's hoping she can handle the bumpy ride.
Misao is in a bit of a similar pickle since, thanks to Kagami - and a little from Konata - she now is considerably more self aware. What will that mean for the future? The hell should I know? I have an ending planned, but not the specifics.
Moving on, we have Tsukasa's plight with Kagami and her perceived inequality with her sister in terms of interaction with Konata of all things. So they do just that and have a conversation with no one being left behind.
Of course, that was just an excuse that conveniently meshed well with what I wanted to tackle for this arc. In actuality, I just wanted to write conversations between these girls again - that is to say, the girls from this story specifically. This was the perfect way I was able to think of to do it. How I loved it.
Anyway, this chapter begins the next arc, taking place for a number of days. The winter is cold and bleak but still brings the hope for spring. And with spring comes a new beginning. Graduation is nearing and so is the end of this fic. Just three more months in-universe, guys!
Til next chapter!