A/N: I had to turn to music for help on writing this chapter, especially when it got around the more serious bits. Dekomori POV was harder... Tried my best to write her in character. This story will go back to Nibutani POV next chapter.
That fake! How dare she ignore me! Dekomori watched Nibutani leave the classroom. The older girl had completely ignored her, something which annoyed Dekomori profusely. Nibutani always got fired up when she was challenged to a fight. It became a daily ritual for the two girls, so it felt odd that Nibutani backed away. It contradicted her usual behavior too much for Dekomori to let it slide.
"What's wrong with Nibutani today?" Yuuta asked. Dekomori pouted. "Who does that fake think she is? No one turns down a battle against the Mjolnir Hammer! I'll get my revenge, I swear! Fake Summer will meet face to face with death!" Dekomori raised her fist in the air. She wasn't going to let fake Mori Summer get away that easily. She needed an excuse to challenge Nibutani at a time when she couldn't escape.
Dekomori had grown quite fond of their spats. She found them to be a lot more fun than she originally expected. Dekomori actually came to look forward to Nibutani's presence every day, though she'd never openly admit it to Nibutani. She was never good at explaining how she really felt, especially about issues like love. She thought it was easier to hide behind her chuunibyou persona than to explicitly state her feelings. Her battles with Nibutani were the only way she knew how to express her affection for the brown haired girl.
"Don't worry about her Master!" Mitsuki said. "I'm sure she just has a lot on her mind today. You can play with me instead!" Dekomori blushed slightly. This girl had kissed her, and now she was acting like nothing had happened. Dekomori felt comforted by the fact that Mitsuki said she wouldn't surprise her again, so Dekomori saw no reason why she shouldn't join her. Dekomori closed her eyes to gather her composure and then shouted, "Right! We have a lot to do today! I need to come up with the perfect plan to get back at fake Mori Summer!" Dekomori quivered in excitement. A huge smile spread across her face.
"I don't know if it's a good idea to mess with Nibutani." Yuuta said. "I don't think you noticed, Dekomori, but she was unusually angry. I've never seen her that genuinely upset before." Dekomori fell quiet. She had been recovering from the kisses when that took place, so she had missed Nibutani's reaction. She wondered if it was as bad as Yuuta made it sound.
"Nibutani can't afford to fall prey to human weaknesses!" Rikka exclaimed. "You're not helping!" Yuuta retorted. He grabbed Rikka's cheek and tugged at it. Rikka emitted a small cry of pain.
What's she getting angry for? This can't be about me can it? She usually comes directly after me when I've successfully riled her up. What's wrong with that fake? Dekomori felt herself getting worried. If Yuuta was right, there was something off about Nibutani. Dekomori wasn't too fond of that idea.
"Don't worry Deko. I'll keep an eye on her for you." she heard Kumin whisper. The third year had moved next to Dekomori, who had been too focused on her thoughts to notice. Kumin smiled, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Dekomori's face turned red. "W-Why should I care if that Fake Summer is having problems? She probably just realized how talentless and boring she is compared to me and got jealous!" Dekomori crossed her arms and looked away, an obvious blush across her face.
"Yeah! That's definitely it!" Mitsuki agreed. Dekomori thought she saw a brief flicker of annoyance in her eyes, but it passed as quickly as it came.
"I highly doubt that's the reason." Yuuta sighed. He sat down, already growing tired with the commotion around him.
Mitsuki stuck her tongue out at him. "It doesn't matter anyway. The important thing here is that I have a brilliant idea! I think you'll love it, Sanae!" Mitsuki grinned. "I propose a club tournament! We'll battle for the title of Ultimate Champion!" Dekomori felt her excitement return. This would be the perfect opportunity to draw Nibutani in. Dekomori grinned.
"That is an excellent idea, my loyal servant!" she praised. "We'll hold a tournament and I'll defeat that fake once and for all!" Dekomori put her hands on her hips and laughed boisterously. Rikka and Mitsuki, both equally as excited, joined Dekomori as she sat down to begin planning out the event. The three girls huddled over a piece of paper, whispering, and scribbled ideas as they came to mind. Yuuta and Kumin observed their process.
"Geez they never stop, do they?" Yuuta sighed. "Rikka will expect me to join in as well, so I suppose I have no choice." He brought two fingers to his temples and rubbed them in small circles. He felt a headache coming on.
"I think it'll be a lot of fun." Kumin giggled. "I'll need to buy a new pillow for this occasion."
Dekomori suddenly sprung up from her seat. "It's all set up! Now we just have to inform fake Mori Summer of the details, and we'll be ready to fight. The tournament will be held Monday after class! Use your weekend wisely and train! Do not expect me to go easy on you!" Rikka stood up and took a battle position. "I'd expect no less from my former servant. Meeting you on the battlefield will be truly delightful." The two girls ran around the room, swiping at each other in mock battle. Dekomori hummed her own battle music. "Avalon Smasher!" Rikka shouted. "Mjolnir Tornado!" Dekomori fired back.
"I wanna battle too, Master!" Mitsuki whined, causing the other girls to stop abruptly. Dekomori chuckled and put her arm around Mitsuki's shoulders, causing the purple haired girl to blush bright red. "Don't worry, my servant. You will get to test your skill in battle during the upcoming tournament. Of course, you'll be facing me at some point, so I wouldn't expect to win." Dekomori held her head high, a cocky grin on her face. Mitsuki enthusiastically nodded in agreement. Her infatuation towards Dekomori prevented her from refuting the obviously egotistical challenge.
Akiyama gives in really easily. I always challenged Rikka, even though she was my master. I'm a little disappointed. It's no fun if no one tries to match my strength. That stupid fake just had to miss out now, didn't she? Annoying fake...
If Nibutani had been there, she would have shut Dekomori down immediately. Dekomori felt a pang of longing. It never felt the same when Nibutani was absent. Dekomori considered dropping by the theatre club room to see if Nibutani was there. Since the tournament had been completely planned out, there wasn't much left to do, and Dekomori found the afternoon club session to be dull without her rival's presence. She decided that it wouldn't hurt to drop by. She might solve the mystery behind Nibutani's earlier anger as well.
"I have some business I need to attend to, so I'll be leaving early." Dekomori announced. She grabbed her bag and made her way towards the door. As she turned around to give her goodbye, she noticed Mitsuki sitting with her head tilted down, looking crestfallen. Dekomori felt slightly guilty for leaving her friend behind, but her mission to find Nibutani felt more important. "I'll see you tomorrow, Akiyama." Dekomori said. Mitsuki looked up at her. "We shall have a battle tomorrow to practice for the tournament! Prepare yourself!" Dekomori continued, in an attempt to cheer the other girl up. Mitsuki smiled and nodded. Dekomori felt satisfied and left the club room.
She made her way down the long hallways of the school. The theatre club room was on the other side of the building, making it an annoyingly long walk. Dekomori wondered why Nibutani went out of her way to visit the magic club on the days she had theatre club. It wasn't like the two club rooms were right next to each other. It took at least a little effort to move between them. Nibutani could only manage to stay for a few minutes before she had to return, and that small amount of time was usually spent bickering with Dekomori. Why bother coming for such a short amount of time? Dekomori couldn't figure it out.
When Dekomori finally reached her destination, she hesitated. She felt uncharacteristically nervous. If Yuuta was right, Fake Summer might still be really angry. Maybe I shouldn't go... Nonsense, I am the mighty Mjolnir Hammer and I won't be intimidated by some fake! I can do this. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She waited until she heard a voice say, "come in", to enter.
There were many students scattered about the club room. They were spread out in small groups, each one wearing costumes of a different theme. Dekomori looked around, but she failed to spot Nibutani among the large crowd of students. A tall third year girl with short black hair and blue eyes approached Dekomori. She wore a distinctive samurai costume. "How can I help you?" she asked politely.
"I'm looking for fake Mor-, I mean, I'm looking for Shinka Nibutani. Is she here?" Dekomori asked. She had forced herself to develop the habit of speaking "normally" around those she didn't know. Dekomori felt comfortable conversing how she usually did around friends and classmates, but she felt less comfortable around strangers, especially those who were older than her.
"And you are…?" the tall girl inquired.
"Sanae Dekomori. Nibutani also belongs to the Far East Magic Napping Society of Summer, and we were wondering about her whereabouts this afternoon."
"Ah, you must be that first year that Nibutani is always complaining about. You're a lot different than she described." the other girl laughed. "I expected you to be some obnoxious crazy person." Dekomori's eye twitched. She'd get back at Nibutani for that one later.
"I hate to tell you this, but we haven't seen her either. Well at least after she stormed out of here earlier." the girl continued. "She looked pissed off about something though." Dekomori concluded that it was probably the surprise she had left Nibutani on her costume that had caused her to leave. It explained why Nibutani had shown up at the club room, but was that really the source of her anger? Dekomori wasn't convinced.
"Thank you." Dekomori said. "I apologize for the intrusion." Dekomori bowed and excused herself from the theatre club room. That stupid fake isn't here either. Did she go home already? Dekomori felt disappointed. She had hoped to see Nibutani so she could tell her about the tournament and maybe get some answers to her questions, but Dekomori had no choice but to put it off until the next day. Not wanting to return to the magic club, Dekomori decided to head home for the day.
The next day, Dekomori arrived at school with fresh determination. Today she was going find fake Mori Summer and ambush her. The older girl would definitely want to join the tournament if it meant getting her revenge on Dekomori. Nibutani couldn't possibly be as angry as yesterday, so now was the perfect chance to strike. Geheheh I'll make sure to surprise fake Summer as payback for yesterday. She won't see it coming! Dekomori felt incredibly excited about her plan. She marched through the hallways, a huge smile on her face.
Upon reaching her classroom, Dekomori flung the door open enthusiastically, surprising her fellow classmates. She walked to her desk, a noticeable spring in her step, and sat down. One of her classmates, a petite girl with light brown, shoulder length hair, approached her and said, "Wow, Sanae, you look really happy today. Did something happen?"
Dekomori grinned and replied, "Today is the day I take down the imposter once and for all! Her magic will no longer be used for evil!" Dekomori laughed confidently.
"Huh? Imposter? Magic? What are you talking about?" the confused girl asked. Dekomori was too absorbed in her thoughts about her proposed ambush to answer. Eventually the girl grew tired of attempting to get Dekomori's attention and wandered off. Dekomori was successfully ousted out of her daydreaming when Mitsuki entered the classroom and tapped Dekomori's desk.
"Good morning, Master!" Mitsuki greeted cheerfully, "How are you doing today?" Dekomori slammed her hands on her desk and leaned forward. "Today is a very important day, my servant," Dekomori stressed, "We have a mission that will take place directly after class! We only have a short window of time before we miss our opportunity, so we'll need to move as quickly as possible! We cannot afford to miss out on the chance to rid the world of the fake and her corrupted magic!" Mitsuki squealed and jumped up and down, excited at the prospect of helping Dekomori with her plans.
As soon as the bell rang, indicating the end of the class period, Dekomori and Mitsuki rushed out the door and headed for the exit of the building. They crouched beside a nearby wall. "Fake Summer passes by here every day on her way to lunch. This is where we'll set up our ambush." Dekomori explained. Mitsuki listened intently. "I need you to keep a look out and tell me when she approaches. When she's about to turn the corner, I'll stick my leg out and she'll fall like the fake she is!"
"Of course, Master!" Mitsuki responded. She leaned slightly around the corner, keeping an eye out for the second year. A minute or two passed before Mitsuki exclaimed, "I see her, Master! Nibutani is approaching and at an increased velocity, I might add." Dekomori snickered to herself and listened carefully. As soon as she heard the sound of rapid footsteps, she stuck her leg out from the corner. She heard a loud thud.
She looked towards the source of the noise, and she saw Nibutani lying face down on the ground, having tripped over Dekomori's leg. Nibutani turned and looked at Dekomori, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief, not fully comprehending what had just happened to her. My plan worked! What are you going to do about it, Fake Summer?
"Geheheh, you have fallen into my trap yet again, fake Mori Summer! You fall so easily! You cannot possibly hope to survive in the tournament with your lack of skill!" Dekomori snickered. This was bound to sufficiently rile Nibutani up. Dekomori noticed Nibutani's jaw clench in anger. She was finally about to see the other girl act normally again.
Nibutani looked as though she wanted to retort, but she was cut short when Mitsuki cheered, "You're so amazing, Master! You took down the imposter in one strike, and she didn't even see it coming!" Dekomori felt a rush of confidence.
That's right, the fake was bested by me again! There's no way she won't retaliate now! I know how she hates to lose. Dekomori glanced at Nibutani, and she was slightly surprised at the other girl's reaction. Nibutani stared into space, avoiding eye contact with the two younger girls, and said nothing. Hmm this is odd behavior coming from the fake. Maybe she needs another push…
"You're awfully quiet today, Fake Summer!" Dekomori exclaimed in one last attempt to shake Nibutani out of whatever rut she was stuck in, "Do you finally give up and accept defeat at the hands of the Mjolnir Hammer? It's about time you recog-" Dekomori trailed off when she heard a sound come from Nibutani. It seemed like she had said something, but it had been too quiet for Dekomori to hear. Dekomori felt confused, and she waited for the brown haired girl to clarify on what she had just said.
Suddenly, Nibutani stood up and commanded loudly and clearly, "Don't talk to me. Leave me alone. I don't want to see your stupid face. Just go away!" Dekomori felt her heart crash in her chest. She stared at Nibutani, unable to comprehend the words just spoken to her. When their eyes met, Nibutani glared at her, and then she turned around and stomped away. Dekomori felt tears form in the corners of her eyes. She was used to Nibutani yelling at her during their fights, but never before had Nibutani's words held so much venom in them. They felt so sincerely bitter when she spat them out.
Dekomori felt a hand on her shoulder. "Master…" Mitsuki looked at Dekomori, worry etched across her face. Dekomori shook slightly and her lips trembled. "I-I'm fine, it's okay." Dekomori said, her voice wavering. She smiled weakly and attempted to give a thumbs up, but her arms were shaking too much.
"Master, you're crying..." Mitsuki pointed out. Dekomori brought a hand up to her left cheek. It felt wet. Dekomori hadn't noticed the tears that streamed down her face. She laughed faintly, "I-It's okay. I'm not crying. Fake Mori Summer must have cast a debilitating spell on me in an attempt to weaken my body." Dekomori's voice fell to a whisper, "She must feel insecure about her ability to defeat me." She suddenly felt the urge to run far away, until she could no longer bear to run anymore.
Dekomori stood up and muttered, "Let's head back to class. Lunch will be ending soon. Missing class results in less information we could use for battle…" Dekomori stalked off before Mitsuki could say anything. The purple haired girl followed silently behind her.
Dekomori sat alone in the club room. She had come up earlier than she usually would, hoping to avoid being questioned by her classmates about her decline in mood. Dekomori wondered if Nibutani would visit the club this afternoon. She doubted it, considering what had happened between them. Dekomori sighed. I don't understand what I did wrong. Fake Summer has never gotten this angry before. I don't understand… Dekomori felt tears well up again. She stared out the window and tried to distract herself from her aching heart.
Dekomori heard the door to the club room slide open. She turned and saw Mitsuki walk in, her expression solemn. She walked over to Dekomori and sat beside her. They sat in silence. Both girls gazed out the window at the courtyard below. Classes had just gotten out and many students were gathered in the yard. They stood in small groups, chatting and laughing with their friends. Dekomori sighed wistfully. Maybe if she had heeded Yuuta's advice and stayed away from Nibutani, things would have been fine. They could have all stood laughing with each other like the students down below. Dekomori longed for the normal times to return.
"You shouldn't let what she said get to you." Mitsuki's voice cut through the silence. "It was wrong of her to yell at you like that. I don't know what her problem is, but she shouldn't take it out on you. It isn't fair." Dekomori didn't answer. Was Mitsuki right about that? Did she truly not deserve the anger that was directed at her? Dekomori wasn't so sure of that.
Even though she had a companion sitting right beside her, Dekomori hadn't felt this lonely in a long time. It reminded her of her days before she met Rikka. She had always been popular with the students around her, but they had liked her for her high scores on tests and her generosity. No one seemed to understand who she really was. It wasn't until she met Rikka, that she felt like she belonged somewhere. The loneliness she had felt growing up suddenly disappeared with the addition of her internet friends. When Dekomori finally got to meet Rikka, and later, Mori Summer, she couldn't have felt happier.
But then Rikka became involved with the Dark Flame Master, and she suddenly had less energy to focus on Dekomori, who slowly felt her happiness slip away. It managed to slip through her fingers no matter how tightly she grasped at it. The loneliness crept back into her life and it hurt. She had grown dependent on Rikka's company, and now the other girl was heading in a direction that Dekomori could not follow. It pained her, but there was nothing she could do about it, no matter how hard she tried. She loved Rikka and would support her no matter what, even if it meant casting aside her own feelings.
It wasn't until Nibutani became a significant figure in her life that she began to feel her suffering disappear. The days Rikka had given up on her chuunibyou had been agonizing for Dekomori. Seeing Rikka deny who she really was had broken her heart. She vividly remembered Nibutani holding her in her arms one day, trying to calm her down from a crying fit. Dekomori had felt a sense of security in the arms of her rival, though it had come too late. She had suffered to the point of giving up as well.
When Rikka finally accepted her chuunibyou again, everything returned to normal. Only one thing remained changed, and that was the way Dekomori felt about her companion. Dekomori would never forget the feeling she had when Nibutani comforted her. As time went on, she felt her attachment shift from Rikka to the older girl. They spent more time together, fighting mostly, but that never mattered to Dekomori because it made her happy. It was fun chasing Nibutani around and she genuinely enjoyed it when Nibutani chased her back. It felt like they had bonded. It was a strange bond, but it was there nevertheless. It was a bond that grew more intense with time. Dekomori never expected to fall in love with Nibutani, but it happened, and it happened quickly.
Dekomori smiled fondly at her memories with Nibutani. They truly were some of the most enjoyable moments of her life. Her smile faltered, however, when she remembered the issue at hand. Dekomori wasn't sure if they'd ever recover. The idea of them never patching up their seemingly severed bond terrified her. Dekomori didn't want to feel alone again. She wasn't sure if she could handle the overwhelming loneliness she had felt before.
"Sanae." Dekomori heard her name called. Mitsuki was looking at her as if she could read her thoughts. "Worrying about her isn't going to change anything," Mitsuki insisted, "If she doesn't want you around, there's nothing you can do about it. You should just forget about her. You have other people who really care about you." Mitsuki's words stung. Did Nibutani really not care about her? Dekomori felt confused. They were fine before and now suddenly everything was backwards. No matter how hard Dekomori thought about it, she couldn't understand why Nibutani was so upset with her.
Dekomori's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the door slide open for a second time. Rikka, Yuuta, and Kumin walked into the club room. They seemed to have noticed the negative atmosphere because they looked tense and uncomfortable. They walked over to the table in the room, set their bags down, and sat down around it. No one seemed to know what to say.
Yuuta eventually broke the silence, "Did something happen? Is it about Nibutani?" Mitsuki nodded and answered, "It's better that we don't talk about it. It was a messy situation." Yuuta nodded back in understanding.
"Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing Nibutani this morning." Kumin chimed in. Dekomori's ears perked up. "I bumped into her at the shopping district this morning after I bought a new pillow. She still seemed off. She suddenly ran off in the middle of our conversation. She looked really uncomfortable." Kumin explained, worried. Dekomori frowned. That only made her have more questions.
"What about the tournament?" Rikka asked. "Is that going to be cancelled now that Nibutani is indisposed?" Dekomori thought that that might be the best course of action. There was no point to the tournament if there were members missing.
"No, I'll try to talk to Nibutani about it before class. Hopefully she'll show up. It's best to keep to our original plans. We don't want to put pressure on her by suddenly making her our primary focus." Yuuta answered. "Understood." Rikka replied.
Dekomori had a feeling that Nibutani wouldn't show up, even if asked to. The thought upset her. "I'm going home." Dekomori announced quietly. She didn't want to be there anymore, especially if the group was going to continue to talk about Nibutani. She gathered her things and left the room, without a single goodbye. Dekomori walked home, feeling disheartened.
Sunday had passed by slowly since Dekomori had spent most of it sulking. The conflict with Nibutani was still fresh in her mind, and Dekomori had little interest in doing anything. It was Monday morning, and today was the day that the tournament was supposed to be held. Yuuta had promised to ask Nibutani about it before class started, but Dekomori wondered if he'd actually go through with it. Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to check Nibutani's classroom to see if she was there yet.
Dekomori made her way to the second floor, where the second years had their classes. She stopped abruptly before reaching class 2-4, the class shared by Nibutani, Yuuta, and Rikka. Dekomori hesitated, wondering if this was a good idea after all, but ultimately decided to press on anyway. She approached the classroom and peaked inside through the window. She spotted Nibutani sitting at her desk.
Dekomori felt her heart leap. She hadn't seen the other girl since the incident in the hallway. Nibutani was slouched over her desk, scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Dekomori yearned to go up to the girl, but she knew that would only cause trouble. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her." Dekomori heard a voice behind her. It belonged to Yuuta. Dekomori nodded and watched Yuuta enter the classroom and approach Nibutani.
Yuuta tapped Nibutani lightly on the shoulder. The brown haired girl didn't budge from her position, but she must have said something because Yuuta's mouth began moving. He talked for a few minutes and then sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked frustrated. Dekomori assumed that he had failed to get across to Nibutani. Yuuta caught Dekomori's eyes and mouthed the word "sorry". Dekomori frowned, took one last glance at Nibutani's slouched figure, and then turned and walked away towards her own classroom. She wasn't surprised about what happened, but she still felt disappointed.
When Dekomori reached her own classroom, she went to her desk and laid her head on top of it. She hoped no one would try to talk to her. She wasn't in the mood to converse with anyone. Dekomori's hopes were dashed when she felt someone poke the top of her head. She looked up to see Mitsuki looking down at her curiously. "Hey." Mitsuki greeted, "How are you feeling?" Dekomori groaned, "Like death.."
Dekomori put her head back down on her desk. She heard Mitsuki say, "Don't forget, we have the tournament after school today. That should cheer you up." Dekomori didn't hear anything else after that, so she assumed that the purple haired girl had returned to her seat. She sighed. This tournament was meant to bring fake Summer and I together in battle. I can't fight her if she won't show up. I can't fight her if she doesn't want me around….
The door to the classroom opened, and the teacher walked in, ready to give today's lecture. Dekomori forced herself to push her thoughts aside so she could last thing she wanted right now was to fall behind on her schoolwork. Dekomori managed to work diligently until the bell rang. She put away her things and walked with Mitsuki to the club room. They had a tournament to put on.
The members of the Far East Magic Napping Society of Summer sat around the small table that belonged in the room, waiting to see if the last missing member would show up. They sat there for what felt like an eternity, making small talk with each other. Eventually, Mitsuki stood up and cleared her voice, "I think we've waited long enough. It doesn't look like Nibutani is going to show. We'll have to start the tournament without her." Dekomori's heart sunk. Deep down she had still hoped that Nibutani would show up.
"Can we do this with just five people?" Yuuta asked. "This tournament is supposed to have brackets. We only have five, so one is left without a partner." Dekomori had set it up so she would fight Nibutani in the first round. She didn't want to risk losing before she had the opportunity to face off against fake Mori Summer. Since the second year was absent, the tournament had lost its purpose.
"Let me sit out." Dekomori requested. "I was the one who was supposed to fight fake Mori Summer, and she's not here, so it makes sense for me to withdraw from the tournament. It is unfortunate that I will be unable to participate, though I suppose it's a good thing. You wouldn't have survived battle against the Mjolnir Hammer anyway." Dekomori faked a grin. She would never openly admit to being relieved about withdrawing from the tournament. She didn't feel like joining in anymore and it wouldn't be as fun without Nibutani there anyway.
"No, you can't sit out!" Mitsuki shouted. "You were the one who was most excited about this tournament when we sat down and planned it out! It won't be the same if you don't participate!" Dekomori looked down at the ground. The only reason she had been excited was because she had thought it would return Nibutani to normal.
"Hey, if she wants to sit out, then let her." Yuuta replied calmly. "Forcing her into it won't help anything." Mitsuki tensed and balled her fists. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Dekomori?" Rikka asked. "I've never known the Mjolnir Hammer to turn down a chance to prove her prowess in battle."
"That's not the point…" Mitsuki mumbled. She walked over to Dekomori and stared at her straight in the eye. "You're letting this girl control how you feel! Yeah, she said some nasty stuff to you. So what? Why should it matter what she thinks? She obviously doesn't care about you enough to consider how you might be feeling! You don't need someone like her in your life. The rest of us care about you! Just let her leave if that's what she really wants!" Dekomori winced at her words. What she said couldn't possibly be true. It didn't make sense.
The rest of the group stared at Mitsuki, surprised by her sudden outburst. Yuuta left his place and walked over to Mitsuki, reaching out to grab her shoulder in an attempt to get between her and Dekomori. "I think we should calm down and think this through." he said softly. Mitsuki slapped his hand away before he could make contact with her shoulder. "No!" she thundered. "Nibutani hurt Sanae, and it pains me to see the repercussions of that! She's stupid, she's so stupid..." Mitsuki looked at her feet, her face red with rage. Dekomori felt her own anger rise at the insults directed at Nibutani.
You're wrong…" Dekomori whispered. Her body trembled. "You're wrong!" Mitsuki watched her in shock. "Fake Summer may be bitter and annoying sometimes, but she's always willing to put up with me! She never backs down from a fight because she hates losing! She plays with me every day even though I make her angry! If she didn't care, why would she do these things? Fake Mori Summer may be a fake, but she doesn't let that stop her from doing anything! Even though I've learned about her lies, she still wants to fight with me! If she didn't care, she would have been gone a long time ago! Don't claim to understand what that fake feels! That makes you faker than she is!" Dekomori breathed heavily, her body tired from the sudden explosion of words.
"I won't claim to understand exactly what the fake feels either, but she can't be acting out of malice. I don't know why she's disappearing, but as her long time rival, I will be waiting here until she returns so we can resume our battles." Dekomori moved over to the window and sat down. She was done discussing this matter. The others didn't dare to utter a word, worried that it might provoke Dekomori again.
A few minutes passed before the other occupants in the room began talking again. Dekomori tried to ignore most of it, but she heard Kumin say, "I'll try to talk to Mori Summer. She might listen to me." Dekomori doubted that Nibutani would be so willing to listening to Kumin. Nibutani was known for her stubbornness. Dekomori felt her heart pound in anxiety. She wasn't sure if Nibutani would really return. All she could was wait.
A couple more days passed by, and there was still no sign that Nibutani had any intention of rejoining the group. Dekomori had made an effort to stay away from the second year, no matter how much she longed to see her. If she hoped things would return to normal, she couldn't risk aggravating Nibutani and further. Dekomori wondered if Kumin had managed to get through to her. She doubted it, considering nothing had changed. The days passed by, as dull as ever. Dekomori was beginning to feel her hopes drain. She had expected Nibutani to have returned by now.
Dekomori had taken to spending time as much time alone in the club room as possible. Her usual high spirited self felt tired and defeated. She avoided conversing with the other members. She didn't even feel like talking to Rikka. Dekomori felt a familiar loneliness manifest within her. It was a loneliness that only one person could fix, and that person was now long gone in Dekomori's eyes.
Her friendship with Mitsuki had seemingly become strained as well. It was obvious that the two had opposing opinions about Nibutani. Dekomori felt a prickle of annoyance that the other girl was so quick to antagonize the older girl. It felt awkward being in the same room as her classmate, and Dekomori sometimes noticed the other girl looking at her, as if she wanted to try to talk to her. Dekomori was glad that she never did. She didn't want to put up with another argument about Nibutani.
One day, while she sulked in the club room, she heard the door slide open and Kumin walked in, her expression serious. Dekomori watched her as she walked over to Mitsuki. Kumin tapped her lightly on the shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Mitsuki's eyes lit up in determination. Dekomori wasn't sure what was going on, but she felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had an inkling that it was about Nibutani. She hoped nothing bad would happen.