One reason led to another, and now both Rise and Naoto were patting Ayane's head. It was after her performance and the way she quietly sat down that got them feeling like they should do something. So they closed in on her, pincer style, and moved their hands to her crown.

"You're such a sweetie pie," Rise said as she rubbed the side of Ayane:a head. It felt as if she was rubbing a stuffed bear. "Was Senpai always good to you? Like did he baby you and stuff?"

"Only when I wanted him to," Ayane replied sheepishly.

"Man, I'm jealous." Rise's bluntness could smash a mountain. Although there was no ill will in her words, Rise couldn't mask her face from dejection. "I guess he really liked the cute, cuddly, and domestic type."

"You're very pretty and homely yourself, Rise-chan." Ayane said.

She shifted her gaze downward. Her throat felt sparse as her tongue felt stuck. Still, she remembered her time with Yu. She locked gaze with Rise and began to speak up.

"To be honest, I thought with all of you around him he wouldn't ever pick me as his girlfriend." Ayane began with a clear voice. All eyes were on her now. "Satonaka-senpai is a tomboy, very active and energetic. Amagi-senpai is very refined and graceful. Rise-chan you're a top idol and an absolute beauty to boot! And you, Naoto-chan, you're a really cool and beautiful girl. Honestly I was very jealous of all of you for being really close friends with him.

"But I want you all to know that I really, really love Yu!" Ayane declared then and there, like an emperor in the warring state period. "I love his smile, his laugh, his body, his quirks, his cooking, his work, his effort, and everything about him. I love him more than he thinks he loves himself. I will never lose when it comes to love!"

Rise and Naoto were silent. Before them was a worthy opponent strong enough to beat them in battle. She was radiant, full of energy, and smothering them like the sun.

To that display of affection, Rise could only relent to her and Naoto could only support her. It was a good decision for them tk befriend each other. Seeing Ayane now made them think of her in a different light.

"Also, um," Ayane hesitantly spoke. "Thank you for being my friend. Rise-chan, Naoto-chan, I'm so glad Yu had introduced me to all of you. He's really kind and compassionate when it counts, doesn't he?"

A warm atmosphere seeped into the room, as if Ayane had invited them. Ayane was grinning from ear to ear, happy about her current status quo. Rise sighed, wondering what to do with this cute apple. Naoto, meanwhile, was concocting a devious plan in her mind.

"Oh my, she's boasting about her boyfriend to us." Naoto had a sly grin showing on her face. "Miss Kujikawa, should we press her to spill all the silly beans that she might have?"

"Absolutely, Miss Shirogane." Rise pulled a pair of cute glasses out of her pocket. "We should tickle her. Make her tell her about all Senpai's embarrassing secrets to us. As expected of the Mad Detective!"

"Um," Ayane tried to object, but nothing came from her mouth except one word; "Help?"

It was said that the laughter from Matsunaga's house was heard all over the neighbourhood. That day, three distinct laughters were remembered fondly. The scoldings that followed afterwards were forgotten the next day.