Chapter 12 – The (Really Late) Welcome Party

"Seriously?! You spoke to your father last night?!"

"Yep. First time in a few days." Mugi said as the four of us were eating breakfast in the small Tamura residence.

"W-Well…what did he say?"

"What I expected him to say. How I should forget about you being my half-sister and should come home already. And so, I told him off. Saying that he either accepts Miharu or don't bother calling me again."

"And?"

"He hung up after that."

"I see…"

"*sigh* It's what I expected to hear from a guy like him. He was always difficult to compromise with. So, it looks like I'm staying here for a little longer. Sorry to be a burden, Tamura-san."

"It's fine, Mugi." Yoriko said. "You've been a great help around here these past few days. It gives Mikuru a little time to catch up on her studies."

"Her studies?" Mugi and I both asked.

"She's starting high school next year."

"Really?" I asked. "Aren't you 14, Mikuru?"

"Yes. But due to some technicalities, I am able to start high school in the spring."

"Uh…technicalities?"

"I was born on Christmas Day."

"W-Woah, seriously?! On Christmas?!"

"It's kinda funny, actually." Yoriko said. "She was actually two days early. I guess you can really call it a Christmas miracle."

"Wow! That's so cool!"

"Your birthday and Christmas on the same day. You really have it made presents-wise, Mikuru-chan." Mugi said.

"*giggle* I guess, Kotobuki-san." Mikuru said with a small smile.

W-Wow. This is the first time I've seen Mikuru smile since moving here. It's so cute!

"Hello? Anyone here?" We heard a voice coming from the front lobby.

"Huh? Someone's here to check-in? I don't have anyone scheduled for the rest of the year." Yoriko said.

"Wait, that sounds like Ricchan." Mugi said.

"Ritsu? Why's she here this early?" I asked.

We went out if the Tamura residence to see Ritsu carrying a bunch of small bags with what looked like party decorations inside them all.

"Hey, hey. Morning, ladies. I brought stuff for the party."

"This early, though?" I asked her. "We were still eating breakfast."

"No rush, no rush. I'll just get a head start then. That reserved spot is all fixed up, right?"

"*sigh* Yeah, it is." I then turned to Mugi. "Although, I'm still pissed that you had me do such a tedious task. I can still feel the mold around my feet."

"Grow up, Miharu." Was all Mugi said.

"Great, then. I'll just get to work. You guys will show me the way?"

"I'm not." I said. "I'm going to 7-Eleven."

"Y-You rather go to 7-Eleven this early than to help me out?!"

"Hey, for the first time in my life, I can get a Slurpee whenever I want and I'm taking advantage of it."

"Miharu…" Ritsu gained a sweatdrop.

"I'll take you, Ricchan. It's right this way."

"Don't destroy it back up again. I would like other guests to use it in the future." Yoriko said.

"We won't."


Mugi's POV

I took Ricchan to the back where the reserved room was and we started decorating for a little bit. It was still pretty early and I was still a little hungry. So not much was done in the time we worked.

After I ate and changed clothes, though, we got to talking. And, uh…I kinda accidentally brought up what happened yesterday with my father.

"Oh, my God! Seriously?! What is wrong with him?!"

Ricchan didn't take it so well.

"Ricchan, it's fine. Me being strained from my parents isn't all that bad. I mean…I still got Miharu."

"Yeah, but you can't rely on Miharu forever, you know. One of these days, Mugi…"

"I know, I know. But…" I went silent for a bit. Wondering what I should say next. "For…For most of my life…I was alone. No one to play with or read bedtime stories with. Both of my parents were too busy with their jobs and didn't really care for me. That's what the butlers and maids were for. Typical rich girl stereotype."

"W-Wow, Mugi. Y-You actually mentioned a stereotype…"

"*sigh* Yeah. I was too oblivious to notice how obvious it all was. I mean, a blonde rich girl who knows little to nothing about common-folk life thanks to her over-protective parents who showers her with anything she wants. How did it take so long to see it?"

"Mugi, you're starting to scare me."

"Huh? Oh. Sorry, Ricchan. I guess I'm not acting like myself, huh?"

"Yeah…I gotta admit. You being sad is not normal at all."

"*sigh* Figures. Sorry for bringing down the mood."

Maybe this whole thing is hurting me more than I actually believe. Yes, I got Miharu. And she's the best thing that's ever happened to me. But…to get such a thing…the relationship with my parents…

I'm no longer in the same house as them. They rarely even call to check on me. The only time was last night and that wasn't even a check-up and more so a "come home right now!" type of thing.

It's like they've…disowned me.

I-Is this what…r-rejection is like?

I then felt tears run down my eyes. But unlike the ones with Miharu the other night, these were forced tears of sadness. I couldn't make them stop. It was like a water facet had broke while the water was running and it was flooding my eyes.

I wanted to stop. I really did. I didn't want to cry. Not in front of Ricchan.

But my emotions…they wouldn't let me. I had lost control of my own feelings. After seventeen years of being locked up inside me…they finally escaped.

And I was a mess.

I was crying so much that I didn't even notice that Ricchan was hugging me the whole time. I was that upset that I didn't feel a sudden tingle around my chest.

These bottled-up emotions…they're finally taken over.

"*sniff* Wh-Why, Ricchan? Wh-Why does it…hurt so much?"

"There, there. Just let it all out, Mugi." Was all Ricchan said as she continued to hug me.

Nothing much was said for a good while. I was too busy crying while Ricchan was too busy hugging me while I cried. This was the first time I've ever cried this much for this long. It was definitely longer than when I was crying over Miharu's naked body.

Which is incredibly soft, by the way. Don't tell her I said that.

"You feeling better?"

"Yes. I am. Thank you again, Ricchan. I-I…n-needed that."

"*giggle* Yeah, clearly. Just know that if and whenever you need someone to talk to, you always got us. We're your friends and we want to help as much as we can, got it?"

"Sure thing, Ricchan." I said with a smile.

We then hugged each other again to end it all off. But it ended earlier than I wanted too.

Mainly because…

"L'embrasser…"

"L'embrasser…"

"L'embrasser…"

"Cut it out, Miharu." I said to her.

"Miharu?" Ricchan asked.

"Haha. Alright, alright." Miharu said as she fully came into the room with her Bloop Razzle Slurpee in hand. "It's just you two were hugging so much that I thought it was going to happen."

"As if, Miharu. It wasn't like that." I said.

"W-Wait, wasn't like what?" Ricchan asked.

"Miharu was whispering something in French while she watched us hug. And if I had to guess what it means…"

"*giggle* Aw, Mugi. You're picking up my French already. Such a good half-sister." Miharu teased.

"Wh-What did she say?" Ricchan asked.

"I was saying "l'embrasser". Which, in French, means…kiss her."

"K-K-K-KISS HER?! M-M-M-MIHARU, WHAT THE HELL?!" Ricchan immediately began to blush profoundly at what she had just learned.

"Huh. So, you're not a lesbo?"

"L-LIKE HELL, I AM! I mean…no offense to actual lesbians or anything! But I'm freaking straight!"

"But then what about those stories on FanFiction that depict you and Mio-chan as lovers?" I asked.

"TH-THOSE DON'T MEAN ANYTHING! A-AND STOP BREAKING THE 4TH WALL!"

"Alright, alright."

"D'accord, d'accord."

"*sigh* Geez." Ricchan calmed down as she sat down on the floor. "I can totally see how the two of you are sisters."

"*giggle* Right?" We both said.

"Miharu-san. A package came for you." Mikuru said.

"Huh, really? I'm getting mail in Japan? Sweet! Who's it from?"

"Uh…I-I really don't know. The sender's address isn't in Japanese. Or English, for that matter."

"Not in Japanese or English?" Ricchan asked.

"Then it has to be…" I said.

"Oh, yeah! It just has to be from my dad!" Miharu cheered as she took the package from Mikuru and started opening it.

"Your dad, huh? He still lives in France, right?" Ricchan asked.

"Yeah. He couldn't move down here with me because of his work. He's an archeologist."

"Woah…" Us three Japanese girls were amazed.

"Now, let's see what's in here…*gasp* Oh, my God! He remembered! Hell yeah! I got my Switch back!"

"A what?" Mikuru and I silently asked in confusion.

Such an odd name for a video game console…

"You got a Switch?" Ricchan asked.

"Hell yeah, I do. Plus a bunch of games, too. Mario Kart, Smash Bros., Puyo Tetris, all that other stuff."

"Ooh! Let's play Smash! I wanna take you down with Yoshi!"

"Yoshi, huh? Hehhehheh. I highly doubt it. I'll dededestroy you with Dedede."

Was that a pun?

"Oh, it's on!"

"Uh…Kotobuki-san. Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Mikuru-chan asked me.

"Not a clue, Mikuru-chan." I replied with a sweatdrop. "Not a clue."


Some hours of decorating and destroying Ritsu in Smash (me 3, her 1), everyone had shown up and we were in the reserved room settling down a little. It's really cold outside and some wanted to warm up a little before the party actually started.

"Thank you again for letting us do this for Miharu, Tamura-san." Mio said.

"Well, I couldn't really refuse since this was for her from her friends…but there seems to be a few more than I was originally told."

"Oh, right." Yui said before grabbing hold of her younger sister. "This is my baby sister, Ui!"

"B-B-Baby?! O-Onee-chan!" Ui began to blush out of embarrassment.

"And then here is my best childhood friend, Nodoka-chan!" Yui then grabbed Nodoka.

"B-Best childhood friend? Yui, that's not a thing. Pick one or the other." Nodoka said. Also with a blush of embarrassment.

"I see." Yoriko said with a sweatdrop.

"And then the girl who's already trying to sneak some food is Jun Suzuki. You'll need to keep an eye out on her sometimes."

"G-Geez, way to rat me out, Azusa!" Jun said. "And what was with that description of me?!"

"I see. Nice to meet you all." Yoriko said.

"Hey, where did Miku-chan go?" Yui asked.

"Uh…Miku-chan?"

"She probably means Mikuru." I said.

"O-Oh, right." Yoriko then looked around a bit. "Aw, geez. Sorry, girls. She's a bit shy. Mikuru, come on out. Don't be shy."

"B-B-But, Mother…" Mikuru silently said as she peaked out from behind the supply closet door.

"When did she get in there?" Mugi and I asked in shock.

"Come on, Mikuru. You can't be this shy when you start high school next year. You gotta get a hold of yourself."

"I-I-I know, but…but…*whine* I can't do it!" Mikuru then closed the door in a panic.

"*sigh* That's my daughter for you. When her shyness takes over, there's little hope in convincing her."

"Aw, phooey! That sucks!" Yui whined.

"Um…Tamura-san. Do you think I can talk to her?" Mio asked.

"Huh? Can you really?"

"Well…her shyness kinda reminds me of…someone I know."

"You mean yourself?" Ritsu asked with a cheeky grin.

"Sh-Shut it, Ritsu!"

"Well, I guess you can try. Though, there are times where not even I can get through to her. She can also be stubborn at times."

"I-I can still hear you, Mother!" Mikuru yelled from inside the closet.

"Strong hearing, too…" Mugi and I said. Again, in shock.

"I think I can figure out something." Mio said.

"Well, if you insist. Thank you for the help, Mio-san."

Mio went over to the closet door and knocked quietly. We really couldn't hear a word she said because she was whispering at such a low level. Like crazy low.

Then all of a sudden, the door opened and Mio went inside. Blowing our minds to the max as we were trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

"W-Wait, what?!" I asked.

"H-How did she…" Yoriko asked.

"Yep. That's Mio for you. The ultimate shy girl." Ritsu said with a sweatdrop.

"Damn…" Was all Yoriko and I could say at the moment.

And then a minute or two after that, both girls had come out of the closet. Mio looking pretty satisfied while Mikuru was a lot calmer than before.

"My God…that's the fastest Mikuru has ever calmed down. What did you say to her?" Yoriko asked Mio.

"Sorry, Tamura-san. But I promised Mikuru that it would stay between us. It's a very sensitive topic to her."

"I hope you understand, Mother." Mikuru added.

"I, uh…I guess I can let this sly. I'm just amazed you got her out of there so easily."

"Well, like I said, Mikuru reminds me of…someone I know."

"Again. You mean yourself, right?" Ritsu asked with another cheeky grin.

"I-I'll hit you!" Mio began to blush while holding up a fist.

"Well, since that's everyone now, can we start this party now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm with Miharu-senpai. I'm starving for some food." Jun said.

"You mean the food that you stole wasn't enough?" Azusa asked her.

"L-Lay off, smartass!"

"Wait!" Yui yelled all of a sudden. "There's still one more person left to come!"

"Huh?" We were all confused.

"Yui…who are you talking about?" Nodoka asked.

"Um…hello? Is anyone here?" We heard a new voice.

"Ooh! She's here! I'll go get her!" Yui then ran out of the room and after a few light screams, she came back with a girl I didn't expect to see here.

"Um…h-hello, everyone."

"Himeko? What are you doing here?" Ritsu asked.

"Well…I kinda ran into Hirasawa-san the other day and she invited me to come. Although…I do think I'm intruding."

"Nonsense, Hime-chan! You're always welcomed!" Yui cheered.

"A-A-Always welcomed, huh? Th-Th-That's nice, Hirasawa-san." Himeko began to blush.

Wait, why is she blushing?

"Yui…you really need to stop with these last-minute additions." Mio said with a facepalm.

"Hehhehheh…Sorry, Mio-chan. I guess I forgot to tell you guys."

"*sigh* Well, what do you think, Miharu? Can Himeko stay?"

"Of course, she can! Anyone who helps me get my Bloop Razzle Slurpee every day is definitely welcomed here!"

"You're letting her stay over a Slurpee?" Yoriko asked with a sweatdrop.

"Thank you, Miharu-san. I appreciate it a lot." Himeko said.

"Okay. NOW that's everyone." Yui said.

"And just what do you mean by "NOW"?"

"Gah! Cette femme au cul effrayant qui est horrible dans son travail se présente à nouveau!"

"Pfft! Baahahahaha! Oh my God, Miharu-senpai!" Azusa broke down laughing at what I said about Sawako.

"Grr…seriously, I feel like you're using the language barrier as an excuse to insult me." Sawako said.

"Je pourrais être…" I replied with a cheeky smile.

"You're here again, Sawako? What, do I have to trespass you from here or something?" Yoriko asked her former classmate.

"Geez, Yoriko. If you're going to be this sour every time, then I might as well come here every day to change your perspective of me. Maybe a special costume would work, perhaps?"

"Tch! Mikuru, where's that mop?! I'll bind this woman to a hospital bed!"

"W-Wait, you're not serious about that, right? Y-Yoriko! Yoriko!"

"Come on, Sawa-chan. Let's have a special reunion, just you and me." Yoriko sounded completely pissed. To the point where it was scary as all hell.

"N-N-NO, THANK YOU!" Sawako yelled in fear as she ran out of the room.

"GET BACK HERE, DAMN YOU!" While Yoriko gave chase right after her.

"W…Wowie…" Yui said after the rest of us were left in shock.

"T-Tamura-san must have a huge disdain for Yamanaka-sensei, huh?" Nodoka asked.

"The two of them have a history that goes back to their high school days." I said. "And Yoriko hated every minute of it."

"I see…"

"*sigh* There goes Mother's 4-year streak." Mikuru said.

"St-Streak?!" We all asked in shock.

Note to self: Don't piss off Yoriko.


Azusa's POV

Tamura-san was able to calm down from what happened with Sawako-sensei (although, it was kinda fun to see her getting chased out of here by someone with a mop) and the party started soon after that.

We were probably an hour or two in. Talking with each other and, for a little bit, teaching Miharu-senpai some Japanese. I'm not sure what led to that. But we gave up when the word shiitake came up and she ended up saying…um…well…remove one of the I's and add a T and you'll understand.

It truly surprises me how Miharu-senpai can comfortably swear so easily…mostly in a different language, but still…

"Having fun, Miharu-senpai?" I asked as I was sitting next to her.

"Yeah, I guess. This month-late welcome party isn't too bad. Although, to be completely honest…I didn't really want a party to begin with."

"You didn't?"

"Not really. In fact…" Miharu-senpai went silent for a bit. "In fact, I actually wasn't planning to make any friends when I moved here. Let alone, finding my half-sister."

"You weren't?"

"Well, you see…I only told Mugi this, but the reason I moved to Japan is because my mother was from here."

"Really? That's interesting, Senpai. So, that explains why only your first name is Japanese."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But…if your mother is Japanese, then why are you living with Tamura-san and not her?"

"Well, it's because…my mom passed away a while ago."

"O-Oh." Now I felt bad for bringing it up. "I-I'm so sorry, Miharu-senpai."

"*sigh* It's fine. I really do miss her, though."

"I'm sure you do."

"But…there's more to that."

"Huh?"

"Before my mom died, she told me that one day she would take me here one day. And show me how she used to live in her home country. Her childhood home, her school, the places she would go to…it was always a dream of hers to have me experience the Japanese lifestyle. And when she died, I convinced my dad to let me fulfill that dream. And so…here I am."

"Wow…" It was truly inspiring. The reason Miharu-senpai moved to Japan all the way from France was to fulfill her late mother's wish. She must've cared for her mother a lot for her to leave everything she knew and loved behind to come here. It's something you rarely see nowadays.

I wish more people were like this girl…

"Hey, Azusa."

"Y-Yes, Senpai?"

"Since I told you this, can you not tell the others? I wanna tell them on my own…but not right now."

"Um…sure, Senpai. Your secrets safe with me." I then went silent for a bit. "But, um…why DID you tell me?"

"Well…other than Mugi…I see you as my best friend, Azusa."

"B-Best friend?" I then started to blush a little. I'm not sure why…maybe because I'm embarrassed or something…but hearing that from Miharu-senpai of all people somehow…feels really good.

"Th-Th-Thank you…S-Senpai. Th-That's really nice of you to say."

"You okay, Azusa? You're kinda stuttering."

"H-Huh? *clears throat* O-Oh…I'm fine now. Had to cleat my mind a little."

"I see. Well, if you say so."

"Hey, Miharu." Tamura-san called out. "I've got someone on video chat who you want to see."

"Really? Who?"

"Take a look."

Tamura-san placed the computer on the table in front of us. And with everyone looking on, Miharu-senpai answered the call and what appeared on screen was a man with brown hair.

Wait…isn't this…

"Papa!"

"Miharu, mon cher. Ça fait longtemps."

(Miharu, dear. Long time no see.)

"Papa. Je m'amuse tellement ici. Le Japon est vraiment aussi grand que maman l'a dit."

(Dad. I'm having so much fun here. Japan really is as great as Mom said it was.)

"*chuckle* Eh bien, je suis content que tu t'amuses, chérie. Je suis sûr que ta maman serait heureuse d'entendre ça."

(Well, I'm glad you're having fun, sweetie. I'm sure your mom would be happy to hear that.)

"*sigh* J'espère qu'elle va bien là-haut. Elle me manque beaucoup."

(I hope she's okay up there. I miss her dearly.)

"Nous le faisons tous, chérie."

(We all do, sweetie.)

It's sweet. Miharu-senpai talking with her dad after this long apart. I wish she can continue with this, but…

"Uh…Miharu-senpai…" I tapped on her shoulder. Then pointed to the other behind us, who have no idea what they're saying.

"Oops. Sorry, guys. I forgot." Miharu-senpai rubbed the back of her head.

"Hey, Raphael." Tamura-san said. "We've got non-French speakers here. So, you're gonna have to ease up with it for now."

"Oh, do we now? My apologies, everyone. I shall speak English from here on."

"Woah…a pure French person." Yui-senpai said.

"Not to mention Miharu's dad." Ritsu-senpai added.

"It looks like you made a lot of friends in the month you've been there, sweetie. Are you that popular or something?"

"Um…well, no. They just never seen a French person before. They all wanted first dibs."

"N-No, we didn't!" Most of us yelled.

"*chuckle* Still the jokester, I see. Who is everyone?"

"Y-You wanna meet them? Well, uh…they all go to the same school as me. Though most are in my class. Uh…Yui Hirasawa, Ritsu Tainaka, Mio Akiyama…

…Nodoka Manabe, and Himeko Tachibana."

Wait, she skipped Mugi-senpai.

"Nice to meet you, sir." The following that were named greeted the man on the screen.

"And then there are Azusa Nakano, Ui Hirasawa, and Jun Suzuki. They're a year younger than me."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Ui and Jun said.

"Ravie de vous rencontrer, monsieur."

"Oh? A French speaker in Japan?"

"Oh, yeah! Azusa here can speak French! So, I'm not really alone out here."

"I see. Well, thank you for being there for my daughter…Nakano-san."

"Vous êtes les bienvenus."

(You're welcome) I said with a small smile.

"And, uh…Dad. There's someone I really want you to meet." Miharu-senpai then went away from the screen to over where Mugi-senpai was.

Wait, when did she get over there?

We couldn't hear them, but it looked like Mugi-senpai was a bit hesitant to meet Miharu-senpai's dad. It's probably too soon in her eyes.

But in the end, it looked like Miharu-senpai managed to convince her somehow. And the two were heading back over to us.

Wonder how this is going to play out…

"Dad…this is Tsumugi Kotobuki. My half-sister."

"N-Nice to meet you…s-sir."

Wow. She sounds so nervous…a total first for me since the day I met her…

"You're…Kotobuki's daughter, correct?"

"Y-Yes. I-I am."

"Well…I won't go into details right now. But it's really nice to finally meet you…Tsumugi."

"O-Oh…same here, sir. And please, just call me Mugi."

"Very well then…Mugi."

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

"Huh? Oh, pour l'amour de la baise! (For ****'s sake!) My computer battery's dying."

"Sérieusement, Papa? N'as-tu pas dit que tu allais jeter cette merde à la poubelle?"

(Seriously, Dad? Didn't you say that you were going to throw that piece of **** away in the ******* trash?)

"*sigh* Putain, je souhaite. Mais mon cul de lard d'un patron ne me laissera pas le jeter et en acheter un nouveau. Son cul bon marché est la raison pour laquelle mon travail continue à être retardé."

(I ******* wish. But my lard-ass of a boss won't let me throw it away and buy a new one. His cheap-ass is the reason why my work keeps getting delayed.)

"Ugh. Ce gros bâtard bon marché! Comment ce cuntface est-il toujours le patron de cet endroit?"

(That cheap-ass fat *******! How is that ****face still the boss of that place?)

"*sigh* Je ne sais pas putain, ma chérie."

(I don't *******know, sweetie.)

"G-Geez, you two!" I yelled with a high amount of blush on my face. With me being the only one who knows what they say this whole time, it was ******* torture.

Great. Now, she's got me doing it.

"Hehhehhehheh…sorry, Azusa." Miharu-senpai said.

"Well, I must end it here. I shall talk to you again soon, Miharu."

"Bye, Dad. Seen you soon. Have fun at work."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sir." The rest of us said.

It was then that the screen cut off. Leaving us with the home screen on the computer.

"Looks like his computer finally gave out." Tamura-san said.

"Seriously, he really needs to get a new one. If only his boss wasn't such a…"

"Miharu-senpai…" I said to her.

"Okay, I get it."

"Okay, seriously. One of you has got to start translating whenever French comes up. I was completely lost during that last part." Jun said.

"What were they saying, Azu-nyan?" Yui-senpai asked.

"U-Uh…w-well…"

"I-I wasn't listening."

"Liar! You do know!" Yui-senpai, Ritsu-senpai, and Jun yelled at me.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. Stop making false assumptions of me."

"What?!"

"Everyone, it really isn't that important. Let's just enjoy the rest of the party, shall we? *giggle*"

"You're sure in a better mood, Mugi…" Ritsu-senpai said with a sweatdrop.


Soon, the party ended and everyone had gone home for the night. I was already home and had just gotten out of the shower. Now currently on my bed waiting to fall asleep.

I've been waiting for a while now. Like 45 minutes or so. Truth is…I've got too many thoughts going around my mind. Mainly of what Miharu-senpai said to me earlier.

"Well, you see…I only told Mugi this, but the reason I moved to Japan is because my mother was from here."

"…it was always a dream of hers to have me experience the Japanese lifestyle. And when she died, I convinced my dad to let me fulfill that dream. And so…here I am."

"Since I told you this, can you not tell the others? I wanna tell them on my own…but not right now."

Those were some of the multiple thoughts running through my mind. But honestly…none of those were the cause of my sleeplessness. It's actually one simple thought. A sentence that Miharu-senpai said to me with no hesitation whatsoever.

"Well…other than Mugi…I see you as my best friend, Azusa."

"Her…best friend."

"I'm Miharu-chan's…best friend."

Why does that make me…unhappy?

Author's Note: The Welcome Party has come and gone. And as Mugi finally lets out her true emotions, Azusa suddenly questions her friendship with Miharu. Could there be something she's just not seeing? Who knows?

Well, I know. But I'm not gonna tell you. Not yet, at least.

Heads up. In the next chapter or the chapter after it, there's going to be a time skip. In fact, there's going to be a few of these throughout the story. I'll give out a small warning whenever one is coming up.

Thanks for reading. Later.