A huge cloud mounted up in the blue sky as Umi felt a gust of wind fling over her back, then a wind began to blow. She peered at her wristwatch and was surprised to see it was no longer morning.

''Already noon? Maybe I should visit Nozomi and Nico to get an idea where to work,'' Umi spat out without thinking, then her gaze dropped to the shadow ahead of her.

''Well you're always welcome to visit us, Umi-chan ~'' Umi flinched at the melodious voice coming from her back.

Once she recognised the breathy voice, Umi looked up to see the face. A silhouette of her body appeared in her vision before she could take action. ''Nozomi? How unusual at this time.''

It was surprising to see Nozomi around this hour, and just as Umi knew her never-ending photograph classes were always towards evening. Maybe something was keeping her friend busy these days or she was rushing to do something? Classes were over though, why would she need to hurry up?

Nozomi's mouth curled up to form an enthusiastic smile. It took her a while before answering as she breathed in the air, plopping back down by Umi's side. ''Hi Umi-chan!'' She said as she took off the napkin from her mini backpack.

Umi noticed Nozomi had camera dangling around her neck and papers in her hands.

Nozomi took to Umi's inquiring eyes to explain quickly, ''I came here to give my papers to my professor,'' she began, wiping off the sweats off her forehead with her napkin. ''He had been telling me to take different shots because the last time Elichi and Nicocchi told me they could help me out for my project, but they ended up extremely drunk so they ruined the whole video project and necessary photo shots. I had to talk with him for an extended deadline.''

''I understand Nico has no tolerance to alcohol, but Eli too? I thought she would be the type who could lead a group of young drinkers. That's very unlike her," Umi said, arching an eyebrow. Once Umi has noticed Nozomi's smile broaden at the mention of the blonde girl, she folded her arms and became all ears.

"Elichi always talks big when it comes to challenging someone. She always looks defiant in her eyes, but deep down in her heart she is just adorkable and I love this Elichi regardless," Nozomi said proudly, as she gazed up to the moving clouds side by side. She found herself blushing at the thought of how charming Eli was, and her fingers trembled slightly as she gripped on to the hem of her skirt.

Eliciting such poetic confession had Umi tease just a tad. "You really do love her don't you Nozomi? I mean Eli." Nozomi wasn't surprised as Umi asked with a great interest in her voice. Something flipped in her stomach once Umi brought up the sensitive topic. She intertwined her hands upon her abdomen as if she could stop the fluttery sensation twirling inside the pit of her stomach. "You two were such great friends in high school and are lucky to be able to see each other again.''

Nozomi was genuinely silent with closed eyes and her mouth slid into a lopsided grin. One would tell she enjoyed to hear how their relationship was summed up in someone else's perspective, ''I guess our Umi-chan has learned so many things huh,'' Nozomi teased, her hand in her chin knowingly. This indecorous behaviour and the playful tone she was using were actually the Nozomi-way to evade that question.

Umi though, deepened her judgmental gaze at her friend, slightly discontent.

''Kotori-chan changed you a lot by the time. I can't even seem to recognise that old introvert Umi-chan who had always been busy with responsibilities back in high school." Nozomi giggled in her palm, smugly smiling. "Love changes the person."

Despite being polar opposites, Nozomi and Rin could become her friends in high school and they got closer as time flew by. Most of the time Nozomi was aware of everything just like a mother. She could even help Umi and Kotori get together eventually by giving advices, and supporting them with Rin. They might be the best friends Umi could possibly ask for, besides her genki orange friend.

Unlike Umi, Nozomi was the epitome of moral cowardice when it came to herself and opening up to someone was the hardest part at all. Even if Umi could clearly see the strong affection between Eli and Nozomi, only Eli's confidence would make the first move.

It was no surprise that her purple-haired friend was escaping from the consequences of her actions, from the possibility of being rejected. There was the barriers of many thoughts that have been preventing her from considering herself as the jewel, and she was already missing the utmost importance in her own life: her kindness, her charitable and sweet side.

Umi knew them by heart just as how Eli did too, in a more specific and deeper way.

At that moment Umi only gave a sigh. She knew she strongly disliked the way Nozomi behaved. As much as Umi would do, she couldn't suddenly give a hand to her friends because it needed a period of time to put everything in order of priorities. So she thought she would bombard her with some relationship questions later.

''I would like to continue this conversation in your home. It's been a while I've seen Nico."

-8-8-

Once Nozomi and Umi entered the house without confirming their presences to Nozomi's roommate, they were welcomed with the fresh fruity acetone scent, then they heard the upbeat music pulsing from the living room boom.

Psychic Fire minna minna tou!

As of the moment when the song began to mingle with Nico's rap part restlessly, Nico notably wasn't singing the original lyrics. She was occupied with painting her toenails while talking someone with her phone. She tilted her head, pressing the phone in between her shoulder and cheek. Her back was facing the living room door so neither Nozomi nor Umi was seeing her face directly.

"Of course she'd date me if she could see how great the Nico nii ~ But she must be blind, Kotori. I mean I used to check her out cause the medical department is next to our cafe Pompompurin where we were meeting up all the time as you know." Nico gave a dejected sigh, fed up she threw her arm in the air. A little timid, she was struggling to find the words. "But… I'm no longer in the school to see her."

Umi's eyes widened, as she looked at Nozomi to give her a brief explanation. Nozomi mouthed, "Another time." She winked, grasping Umi's shoulder lightly.

Due to the financial support Nico was giving to her family, she was unable to pay the school fee. Even if her mother was opposed to this idea, Nico got a part-time job and suspended her studies for a while. But her eyes always held a glint of humor and her strong sense of responsibility never left her in poor spirits. With the warm smile that her father had always reminded her to put on, she could find the strength to overcome her sadness.

After a prolonged silence with the phone call, a lengthy talking on the other line changed Nico's face to satisfaction. A slow smile worked its way across her face as Umi realised her girlfriend on the phone would make not only her life brighter, but everyone around her. Kotori could bring the snippets of happiness to Umi, just a smile that Umi could never forget rest of her life.

"Well.. I'll go back to the school soon so that red-head will notice my presence," Nico announced, radiating utter confidence. She had that piercing voice that would definitely impress a certain red-head.

Nozomi and Umi exchanged stares, half-annoyed due to the the narcissist girl in her natural habitat. They chuckled softly, attempting to suppress the giggly voice with the back of their hands. There was no way Umi would be as collected as before in spite of the previous unexpected case she had heard.

Before Umi could briskly step into the living room, Nozomi stopped her in the middle by holding her from her collar. "Wait." She put her index finger on Umi's lips to silence, as she pushed her back feebly.

''This is preposterous." Umi frowned. She kept the breathy explosion of words in herself, yet was

ready to flare up against Nozomi's irregular attitude. As much as it'd be interesting to hear the secret love life of her friend, Umi had no heart to eavesdrop. "I would rather having talked with her than to have heard everything from a distance sneakily Nozomi," she whispered, giving a polite rejection to the purple-head.

Slightly alarmed by the sudden intrusion, Nico's ears perked up at the audible whisper, then she slowly hung up her phone. "Nozomi you home?" she called her out, as she put down her self-care cosmetics to the coffee table next to her and shut down the laptop.

Nozomi sighed. Nico probably heard of them and they were found out in a moment. She walked in gingerly. "I was about to make a surprise for you ~" she chanted hecticly, pulling Umi closer by her shoulders to present. "Ta-da!"

Once Nico turned around 180 and faced the newcomers with an unwelcoming gesture like 'no-hate but wut the fuck, Nico-nii needs some privacy hello?!' Nozomi and Umi panicked in sheer shock when their eyes witnessed a sour expression with… what was that? A mask?

Nico was wearing a starch face mask on her face and she looked like an alien, but on fire. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly standing up, she stepped forward right away.

"Ah come on! Don't stay silent! It's my day off so I was resting and taking care of myself today." showing herself with her index finger. "This beauty deserves a smooth skin y'know?"

Taking advantage of this moment, Nozomi embarked on what seemed to be called bantering. "Your manner is probably travelling across the universe. No wonder where it is," she rambled, avoiding the eye contact with a wide grin.

Nico grunted with a sulk in her face. "Just as your sense of shame."

"Just as how we are still waiting for your breasts to grow."

Umi found herself in the middle of war. A war of non-stop blabbering. She only waited by the door, leaning her back to the wall and listening to one another.

"Hey! I have a poem for you, tits."

Roses are red

Violets are blue

If I had a brick

I'd throw at you

"I'm sure Maki-chan likes poems too, Nicocchi." Nozomi giggled in sly delight as she wiggled her eyebrows at Nico, then she found her comfy couch to plop down, crossing her legs.

Nico fumed, after a momentarily pause she piped up rather mirthfully, "Maki and poems? That's jarring…" She put her hand in her chin, smirking. "Well.. Nozomi you know what's more jarring? Your drunk cries at the gay bar we went last week. Just because you thought your love for Eli was unrequited, no need to get upset if you don't know the consequences of it, tits." She threw her arm around Nozomi's shoulder with a smug smile. "And putting 5 lemons in your water isn't gonna balance out the fact you chugged 6 vodka cranberries in under 25 minutes."

Checkmate!

Nico radiated a fierce, uncompromising intelligence while Nozomi's playfulness fell away like a discarded cloak. And Umi was just pinponging her gaze between them, quite astonished. Beating Nozomi in a war of words was something utter victory to Nico since Nozomi was rarely left speechless. She momentarily basked in as she thought she would perpetuate this moment in all hearts.

"In this case I have to use my extensive vocabulary to verbally pummel you who attempted to besmirch my reputation, nico ~" Nico could keep a lid on this situation even after her peppery words escaped from her lips.

" ." Nozomi muttered, forcing a smile in a stooped posture. Worry lines framed her mouth and tugged at her eyes. Nozomi knew the implications behind that sentence and Umi had wondered why her purple-haired friend suddenly became so dejected.

Nico worried about Nozomi, whose voice had trailed off gradually. "Look, I'm sorry,'' she threw her arm over Nozomi's shoulder when she moved her nearby. ''I was so caught up to the moment when I could finally beat you, but my first intention was not to break you. Well, Eli and you... it's none of my business I know, but the deal is... sometimes as a friend of you, I feel like I have to set my hands to make my friend happy.''

Umi's face softened, strong emotions welled up within her, then she noticed Nozomi feel the same with a warm smile on her face. ''You can do everything for everyone to make them happy except yourself,'' Umi interjected half way through a lengthy segment on this war, then both looked at her instantly.

Nico nodded. ''She is right. You need to be selfish every now and then,'' she paused for a moment and took a deep breathe, ''Now listen to me 'cause I'll never say it again, Miss Russian lover-''

''Quarter. She is a quarter. A gentlewomanly Russian cupcake," Nozomi corrected while her cheeks were getting pinker with each word she emphasized.

''Ugh… You love sick…'' Nico's gaze flipped to Umi, pointing her index finger at her. ''You too. I remember this Sonoda Umi.. Actually it'd be impossible if I never knew or heard of you since you are dating my friend.''

Umi's cheeks tinted with pink as she bowed her head. "I'm taking care of her!"

"Cute." Nozomi giggled, her normal-self has returned with coziness and 'magical friendship' words.

"More like gallant. Anyways, what I'm trying to say that both, you and Eli, are made for each other. Go on, confess and start dating at all! Otherwise no rest for your love life no rest for me either, roomie. Remember my advisory words!''

First thing Nico witnessed wasn't a word, but a laugh. She lifted her eyebrow, looking at Nozomi in confusion.

''I… haaha.. I can't take… I can't take you seriously with that mask on your face.'' Umi laughed even harder at Nozomi's attempts to hold back and regained a semblance of control.

Futile attempts to stop laughing from Nico's words, Nozomi found herself calmer and more cheerful. Earlier the dark thoughts were only shadowing her vision, her road to be confident. It worth now, she was finally laughing, smiling and happy tears began to fall down on her cheeks. Nozomi had nothing to lose by confessing to Eli since she had these friends behind her, to support her.

''What about a concert date?'' Umi suggested.

''Sonoda, Sonoda, Sonoda… I thought you'd know from your experiences so that you would never bring up that topic, but I was so wrong.'' Slightly disappointed, Nico cleared her throat before piped up again, ''The atmosphere is important since the first dates will be remembered all the time in our hearts. And a concert date… Concert is a natural aphrodisiac. Didn't your lil' birb teach you that already Umi?''

Umi opened and closed her mouth several times before forming words, her blush developing into a burning flame. ''Nico, that's such an inappropriate way to put into words. You could easily say that that wasn't a first thing to do in first dates.''

''Ah come on Umi-chan! Tell me that Nozomi doesn't want to get in Eli's pants in the first place,'' Nico shouted, folding her arms in a sulk.

Nozomi raised her hand. ''Well, I second that.''

Nico buried her face in her palm. "That's why I say it doesn't work out like that. Before Eli can know, Nozomi might just hunt her if she feels the mood strikes her."

"Ok enough of that, Nicocchi. You are making her quite embarrassed." Nozomi stood up, making her way to the kitchen. "How about some proverbial tea and inane relaxing small talk? You two can sit and wait for me," she rang out.

Both nodded, then Nico sprawled on the couch and Umi dragged the single sofa to sit.

''Sorry Umi-chan. I've been very tired and this whole week consumed all of my energy. I haven't got my salary yet so it's getting on my nerves.'' Nico let out a loud growl of annoyance.

''Speaking of salary, I need a part-time job that allows employees to work flexible schedules. I'm sure you know some places,'' Umi asked, standing upright with her hands on her knees.

Nico shifted her eyes to her, finally managing to calm down. "Well, I might have one for you-"

Nico was cut off by Umi's phone messages before she could form a whole sentence. Umi excused herself to walk out from the living room, she had needed privacy indeed. She pulled out her phone from her side pocket and opened the text messages.

Kotori: Honoka-chan's mother visited to us so I'll bring you your favorite manjuus in our date ❤

Umi: Really? I'm getting more excited now.

Kotori: mou Umi-chan :T

Kotori: manjuu or me?

Umi: Eh? The answer is obvious. Of course it's you, Kotori. Manjuu is just edible, but you are the who is incredible.

Kotori: you make me blush rn 8

Kotori: you're unfair. The Umi-chan after the concert date was completely different but I love your subtly flirt too

Kotori: it makes my heart doki doki💓

Umi mentally squealed as she was reminded of the concert date and how alluring and romantic it was. She grinned like an idiot at the phone screen, her thumbs reluctant to find the words she wanted to form like a verse. A faint blush acrossed her cheeks, even the tips of her ears grew redder. She was seconds away from actual swooning, but her practical nature let her think the words carefully.

Umi: To be honest, I feel like I'm discovering a new me whenever we talk.

Kotori: awww ~ thats so sweet Umi-chan. Same for me tho. im taking care of myself more bc I want you to...

Kotori: Look at me and only me!

Umi: You won this round fair and square.

Kotori: Oh! :8 when is our next match? Perhaps… /

Umi: what is this /?

Kotori: 3 slashes 3 words and guess what

Umi: Any hint?

Kotori: give me a kiss then i'll give you a hint

Umi: I…

Umi: I have to go for now. Prepare yourself tonight!

Umi was startled when Nozomi popped up in her sight, grinning evilly. She had cups of tea on the top of the plate in her hand as she paced to the living room and put down all drinks on the coffee table.

"Give her what she wants, Romeo. Hurry up or you'll miss the chance."

Not giving any chance for Umi to complain, the two were cut off by Nico's grumbling, she scattered her thoughts frankly, ''Probably sexting to each other and Umi still doesn't get what Kotori implies. Keep your mild smut out of my house anyway.''

''Oh my ~ '' Nozomi teased, enjoying the friendly antagonism. She pressed her hand to Umi's shoulder and shoved her back in the living room.

Umi glanced back over her shoulder, trying to fight back the blush on her face. Irritation surged up inside her after this remark. Nozomi and Nico could tell by the way her eyes narrowed that they would be soon grounded.

''You two!'' Umi exclaimed as she shot them a scowling glance, but she failed to response to their teasing when Nico

''We'll talk about the job later since you have a date with Kotori right, Umi?'' Nico rhetorically asked, feeling the need to change the subject before Umi could kill with her glare.

''Yes.''

''So, what's your plan?''

''I would be glad to explain it in details, but… as a friend… I want to help you two date with Maki and Eli.''

Nozomi and Nico turned their heads and looked at each other, bewildered. ''You what?''

''I was in the same class with Maki and Eli before and we had already known each other before you two even introduced to me.''

Umi felt a twinge of uneasiness as she saw that they were already thrilled by this news. It was getting even worse as her foggy mind registered what she witnessed. 'I have so much things to do huh?' She gave a sigh. 'I'm really bad at these kind of things so I need to tell Kotori and ask for her help,' She thought, then turned back to sip her tea leaving the other girls perturbed.

It seemed Umi had long days to wait.