Five words changed the lives of four girls, while three words will bind two new pairs in one day.
Her shirt might as well have been tossed into the ocean, fished out, and put back on without giving it anytime to dry. With how many tears that had flown from Nico's eyes, it was unsure whether or not the dark haired teen was done crying, or was just unable to continue. The sun still pounded down on the pair, but that didn't stop Nozomi from keeping the distraught girl in her arms. "W….why did you stay?" Nico's words were so choked up through her tears that Nozomi couldn't understand her. "What was that?" She asked softly, keeping her voice at a low.
Slowly, Nico's eyes were removed from the damped shoulder, looking up at the turquoise eyes, "Why did you stay…Why didn't you leave with everyone else?" The sight of Nico put a tight hold on Nozomi's heart, making it ache even more. The weakened eyes in front of her looked as if they were entirely red, from the pupils to the rims. Why did she decide to stay with Nico? The violet haired girl pondered the question, yet knew what the answer was. "It's because I care about you, Nico…." Nozomi explained, following up with a warm smile, "What kind of a friend would I be if I left you at your lowest point?" This time, it was Nico who had to think about the question. Without giving her a time to answer, the violet haired girl gently chuckled, "Besides, don't you remember? I was the one who told everyone to leave…"
The dark haired girl gently nodded, wiping her exhausted eyes as she sniffed a few times. She still couldn't figure out why Nozomi would just stay with her…It didn't involve her, it was between her and Maki. It felt good, though, knowing Nozomi would listen to her if she needed to talk. "I….I just….I l-loved her…I-I don't know what happened…" Nico downheartedly claimed, her eyes falling to the ground. The consoling friend smiled, gently nodding as she pulled Nico back into a hug, "You always think you can go farther with your friends…because you feel like you've connected with them, you know?" Nozomi asked, yet had a feeling this was the last thing Nico wanted to discuss. "You don't know this….because we kept it secret and weren't supposed to tell anyone…but Eli and I tried dating for a bit…"Hearing the news, the red eyed girl let out a gasp, leaning out from the hug as she looked into Nozomi's eyes, "Y-you and Eli? W-what happened?"
Recalling the time she spent actually dating Eli, it wasn't something Nozomi really wanted to discuss. This was a different time, however…Eli and herself had patched things up afterwards and were back being good friends; Nico was freshly heartbroken. "It just didn't work out…We figured it was best to stay friends…." came her truncated response. "It just goes to show that love is a mysterious thing…something that we might never be able to understand. You shouldn't feel down about not working out with Maki….What you should do is focus more on picking your spirits back up…and then try and patch things out with her." "Like…see if we can try it again?" The red eyed asked, receiving a gentle nod from the taller, "Try and be friends…If you don't work out once, there's a chance you won't work out again."
Nico went silent as she pondered the thought of completely letting go of Maki when it came to love. They thought they were a perfect match….so why didn't they work out? No….they weren't a perfect match. With that realization, thoughts began to circle through Nico's head as if they were hornets with a threatened home. Nico had done so much for Maki, and got little in return. Sure, there was love, but when she thought about it now, it didn't feel true. Maybe Nozomi was right…she and Maki didn't work out, and she'd be a fool if she were to try again. The now angered expression softened, her eyes not have leaving the ground to face Nozomi again. If Maki didn't work….what was the next step? Who else had really connected with her like Maki pretended to?
Eli was out of the question…after the little war they had fought, a relationship would not have been an outcome…What about Honoka? No…if anything that's who Maki would have run to if they had ever split. Hell, they could have been secretly dating while they were together, Nico wouldn't have doubted it. Umi and Kotori didn't seem like they'd fit…Hanayo was too shy for her tastes….and Rin was the wildcard…she couldn't really pinpoint how she felt about Rin. Maki was, of course….Maki…and that was the worst thing she could have been to Nico. But then….who was left? One, two three…yes, she was missing one other girl beside herself…Slowly, her red eyes looked back up, locking with Nozomi's.
The violet haired girl smiled, glad that Nico had brought her eyes from the ground. "Starting to feel better?" She asked, not wanting to raise her voice up beyond a soft tone. Suddenly, Nico felt a warm sensation draw to her cheeks. What was it about Nozomi all of a sudden that made Nico feel so…tingly? All of a sudden that soft tone of her voice was sending a sensation from her brain to…her heart. No…it couldn't…Nozomi never…she never felt this way about her. To Nico, Nozomi was always that friend who had shared her rather impish nature. All those chest rubs from behind…were those supposed to mean something else?
"Are…you alright?" came the sudden question of the violet haired girl. Nico was far too quiet for too long, which wouldn't have been an issue, had her cheeks not became gradually more red over the time being. Letting out a gentle gasp, Nico quickly turned her eyes from the source of her blushes, "Y-yeah…I-I was just in thought…" was her excuse, quickly standing up. "Come on…we shouldn't spend the rest of the day sulking on the roof, right?" The black twin tails explained to the brighter pair, holding a hand out to help her out.
Where the sudden strength to stand up had come from, Nozomi was unsure. Even Nico herself really wanted to just stay on the roof and sulk a little more, but she had to occupy herself. Nozomi was invading her thoughts for a reason she didn't want to accept yet. Those feelings just made her consider more things…and she wanted to avoid those thoughts. Only the foolish people would suddenly get back into the driver's seat after an accident. Nico was smart enough to know that she had to recuperate her heart before she let it make another decision.
Regardless if she trusted Nico was ready to get up, Nozomi reached out and accepted the smaller hand into her own. Standing up, she gave another warm smile to Nico, "How about you come over my house? If you need to talk more, we can do it there and be a little more in private." The offer was tempting to Nico, but she had to try and keep away from her. She had to keep herself spaced from Nozomi while she cleared through these thoughts…see if she was truly the one.
"How about we meet up for dinner later?" came the counter offer of the red eyed girl. Nozomi was far too nice of a friend for Nico to just completely turn away. Those turquoise eyes had always been around for her when she needed them…it'd be a crime to completely turn her down, especially after she spent what felt like an eternity letting her cry into her shoulder. "We can both get home and relax a bit…since we're both exhausted." Nico tried to justify her reason for not wanting to hang out right away. Of course, Nozomi wasn't exactly exhausted, as the fatigue from practice had worn away during the crying session. She wasn't going to bring that up, though, as Nico was probably the exhausted one.
"Sure, just send me a text when you're ready, we can meet up." Nozomi offered Nico, who nodded in response, "I'll do that…Thank you…for staying with me." And with that, the red eyed girl took a step closer, pulling her into a hug. Nico made sure the hug was as tight as she could make it; yet there was the…large obstacle…in the way of making it too tight. The purple haired girl gently chuckled, kneeling down slightly to give her a better hug. Nozomi always knew her size got in the way of hugs, and kneeling down slightly always helped that issue. "Hey, you know I'll always be here if you need to talk. But you're a big girl, alright? You shouldn't let that hold you down….Here, let me do this for you." With that final statement, her turquoise eyes shifted to her bag, pulling out a familiar set of cards. "You're going to do a tarot reading?" Nico asked, a small smile coming onto her face. Something about Nozomi pulling out her cards…It gave her a sense of relief. Just because Maki broke up with her, didn't mean the entire world was change. Some things were always going to be the same.
Nozomi nodded, starting to shuffle the cards in three small piles. "We'll do a three card spread for you…I want you to shuffle this deck and think about your past…the most recent past." One of the small piles was handed to Nico, who promptly shuffled her. Doing her best to keep the recent sad event out of her mind, she recalled her recent past of the few weeks. "Now think about right now with this stack….and what you think the future will be for you." Once the three stacks were shuffled, Nozomi set them next to one another. "The first card…your past…" Flipping the card over, Nozomi winced slightly, "The Three of Swords…separation…divorce…"
Nico gently nodded, taking a deep breath as she felt that hard feeling in her heart again. Gosh, these tarot cards always seemed to freak her out, especially as of this moment. "But fear not…from the fall of rain comes growth…you will become stronger from this experience, and your own inner love will shine through." Came Nozomi's countering, more peaceful response. Her turquoise eyes came up once more, locking with the red orbs of Nico's, "Don't let this hold you back…Let's move onto the present…"
Revealing the top card of the next pile, the present. The taller girl nodded, "Eight of Swords…You feel as if you are being oppressed...unable to move on from where you are….you feel trapped." Nozomi began on with the reading, then smiled. Once more, her voice began soft, yet full of energy, "However, you have been free all along…The oppressor in your life may be real, but you must not give away your power. Trust your inner voice, because it's time to move on." The dark haired girl gently nodded, rubbing her eyes. Had she spent too much time crying over Maki? Was this the message the cards were trying to portray to her?
The final card came up, what was Nico's future going to be? The result had made Nozomi's smile widen more, "A Major Arcana card…The Lovers…" Just the card alone had made Nico gently gasp; every card revealed had something to do with her relationship status. "Love is…love will be playing a critical role in your life in the future…" The purple haired girl began to explain, "And a decision may weigh heavily on your mind…this symbol means that you have to…." Nozomi paused, acting as if she was trying to recall what the rest of the card meant, "Heal yourself from a relationship that cannot be salvaged…"
Taking a deep breath, the turquoise eyes locked with Nico's own red ones once more, "I know it's hard…but it's something you definitely need to do…and I know you can." The thought ran through Nico's head, taking a shaking breath. The tears threatened to expose themselves once more, but Nozomi was right. If Nico wanted to go further in any other relationship, she couldn't let this one keep her down. "I'll see you at….dinner tonight." Nico slowly said as she stood back up, "Thank you, once more…." Without letting Nozomi give her own goodbyes, she turned on her heels and quickly walked down the stairs of the roof.
Nozomi was invading far too deep into Nico's thoughts, she had to get away. She was ever grateful of her for staying with her…to support her in her time of need…but was she the one? The twin tailed girl just needed to go home, relax, and get her head cleared out. Tonight, was going to decide if what she was now feeling was a true thing. She could only imagine what Maki was-….No…you and Nozomi just went through this…Who cares about what Maki thinks or is doing? Who is Maki? Nico didn't care…not anymore.
Top of Form
Packing up her cards, Nozomi couldn't help but smile as she looked off into the distance. "It's best I tell the other's Nico is alright…they're probably worried sick…" The violet haired girl thought as she pulled out her phone, shooting a text to Eli. "Hey, I talked to Nico…she's going to be alright." Closing her phone, she set it back into her bag, then tugged on the shoulder of her shirt. The once light purple color had dried itself to a darker color, standing out from the rest of the shirt. It was a good idea for her to get home and change shirts, especially because she had a special…could she call it a date? No…Nico wasn't in the mood to call it that…besides, they were just good friends…for now.
As for the rest of the group, which consisted of Eli, Umi, Kotori, Rin, and Hanayo, they had opted to go out for a snack. This was in an attempt to get what just unfolded in front of them, out of their heads. As a group, they decided to take a break at a local ramen shop, one they had visited when they needed a snack. Even with the light talk they had mustered up, there was still the eerie feeling over the entire group. What was going to become of the group if Nico and Maki had just split? Surely, it wouldn't affect the group in that way.
"Honoka…went off with Maki…I know that…" Umi informed the group, gently nibbling on the narutomaki in her ramen. Eli nodded, taking a gentle breath as she thought about the situation. Nico and Maki had broken up, obviously…Nozomi was comforting Nico…and Honoka was comforting Maki…But, this wasn't the time for the blonde to be down about this situation. The girls around her looked up to her, how she felt was how they were going to feel. So, whipping up a smile, Eli nodded.
"We should let this event get us all down…I know Nico and Maki are both our friends, but I know that they will come out on the other end just fine." Eli assured, her smile becoming a more confident one. ""Nozomi has spent enough time with Nico to know how to cheer her up, and I'm sure Honoka can do the same with Maki." As the blue eyed girl continued her little speech, she was interrupted by her phone shouting from its confinements.
As much as Eli had been accustomed to good manners and not taking out her phone during a meal, this was urgent. The phone could possibly be alerting her to something about the situation at hand, and it was. "It's Nozomi." The eldest girl announced, making the rest of the group gasp. "I talked to Nico, she's going to be alright." The text was recited by her soft voice, a doctor pumping life into their patient; or in this case, the four patients sitting around her.
"That's great news, nya~!" Rin crowed, right back to her original self. The fire inside of Rin was extinguished as the event had unfolded in front of her, and for once she was silent during the meal. However, the text from Nozomi acted as a match, reigniting the flame of her energy. Nodding in agreement, Umi smiled as well, "And I'm sure Honoka can get Maki back on her feet…I can't tell you how many times she's helped me get out of a rut through our years as friends."
Eli nodded, setting her phone back into her purse, "I know I can trust Honoka with taking care of Maki." The blonde girl then went back to enjoying the noodles they had ordered. It was much easier for her, as well as everyone else, to enjoy the warm soup in front of them. Even though the main issue seemed to be amending itself, there was still a nagging question in the back of Eli's head.
"I'm never nosy…" The blonde stated, wiping her mouth with a napkin, "But did any of you notice any different about Maki before this all happened?" The group paused, looking at one another. No one seemed to have an answer to it, and each wondered if the other would have it. "No, she's just been normal Maki, how come?" Rin asked, her head tilting to the right. The blue eyed girl paused, then gently shrugged, "I noticed something about Nico was off…She started playing a strange game…" Once Eli realized what exactly she was saying, her words were quickly snatched into a trap,
"But, since Maki hasn't done anything weird, it's irrelevant, forget I said anything about it." The original concept drawn in her head, was since Nico was so indulged in tickling her, perhaps it had affected Maki. No…would such a thing cause such an event? That seemed highly illogical, but she was sure everyone would quickly erase from their minds. Which was true, everyone had brushed it from their minds…except one person in particular.
With cheeks now a bright red and violet eyes shooting to her lap, it was Hanayo who had an idea what she meant. After all, she was the only person of the group to see what exactly had happen between Eli and Nico. On the gym floor…Eli on top of Nico….tickling her. The remembrance alone made her cheeks turn an even brighter shade of red. That was what she was talking about, right? She just had to hope no one had noticed her sudden actions.
Unfortunately for her, someone had noticed: her best friend. "Hanayoooo, what's wrong? Is the ramen too hot?" The orange haired girl inquired, leaning closer to her. Maybe since the ramen had been too hot, Hanayo could have burned her tongue, hence why she was so red. This would have been a valid hypothesis, had the ramen not been sitting out for the past ten minutes or so since their arrival.
"N….n-no, it's fine…" The brunette replied, her vision darting away from Rin to the wall. Yeah, like she'd tell her exactly what was bugging her. "Then why are you red?" Rin asked, tilting her head. It had been a while since Hanayo was as red as she was, as she had grown comfortable with the group. "I-it's nothing…" The shy girl argued, turning her head from the chartreuse eyes, which started to grow ever more intrusive, "It's clearly something…You haven't been this red in a while." Something was clearly bugging Hanayo, and she wasn't going to tell Rin about it.
The chartreuse eyes locked themselves onto the blushing friend, hoping to somehow crack through. When the simple stare down didn't work, Rin came out with a more…effective method. Picking up the extra pair of chopsticks that sat next to her bowl, she cracked them apart. Gripping them properly, she moved her hand closer to Hanayo, the chopsticks gently clicking in the air. When Hanayo failed to notice the approaching threat, the chopsticks enclosed on her side, pinching it.
The reaction was instant, as Hanayo quickly jerked and sat up, letting out a high pitched squeak. The sudden squeaked alarm the other girls, yet they were at ease when they saw Rin's impish grin. "Got you, Hanayo~" The first year teased her friend, who was now even more read. "Th-th-that w-wasn't f-funny…" Hanayo quietly whined, covering herself. Rin couldn't help but giggle, knowing that was exactly how Hanayo was going to react. "Oh, it's just a bit of tickling, you'll be fine, nya~"
Tickling? Eli's eyes perked back up when she had heard that word…That word that a few weeks ago meant nothing, now seemed to be spreading through the group like a virus. Was it a bit of an overreaction? It's possible…besides, Rin seemed like the type of girl to partake in such a thing. It was Nico who threw her the most off guard. Hell, the only person in the group she had expected it from was Nozomi, and that was due to all the experiences they had in the past with it.
"Besides, that's, like, one of the best ways to get you out of being shy~" The energetic freshman stated, letting out a giggle as she took in a few more noodles. Rin was careful not to use the chopsticks she just struck with, simply for cleanliness sake. The golden eyed girl couldn't help but think, was Hanayo hiding something? Sure, Hanayo was shy and normally curled up how she had done, but never around the group anymore. Wait…had she had that thought previously? Probably…but that didn't matter. What matter is the signs were there, that Hanayo was hiding something. If she wanted to get it out of her, it wasn't good to do it now...she would have to wait until the group split up after the snack. That's when she could enact the plan that she had just hatched into her head. The redhead went back to her noodles, going on with small talk amongst her friends.
"That was a great lunch, nya~" Rin sang as she collected her napkins and such into her bowl. Eli nodded, taking a deep breath as she stretched her arms above her head, "It definitely got better once we knew everyone was alright…" The blonde commented, standing up from her chair. "So…I've decided that we are going to hold of practice tomorrow…just to give everyone time to cool down, alright?" Sure, practice was important, everyone knew that…but friends were far more important than that. Practice wouldn't be the same without Nico and Maki, and they would never force them to come to practice.
"Definitely….it's best everyone gets their heads back on their shoulders." Umi agreed with a smile, packing herself up as well. "So, we'll have practice back to normal on Wednesday, right?" The dark haired girl asked, receiving a nod from the taller girl, "Same place, same time…Unless they need more time, in which we might have to postpone it…" Eli began thinking to herself, looking towards the ground. If they kept postponing practice, they won't be improving at the rate they would normally be. "Alright." The blue eyed girl finalized for everyone, "Practice possible on Wednesday…for sure on Thursday, alright?" The rest of the girls nodded, understanding what the schedule was.
They all had the same mindset: practice was important, but Nico and Maki were more important. What would the group be without them? Surely, even though they aren't a couple anymore, that shouldn't affect the group as a whole. What if they performed even better as a separate unit? It was definitely going to be an experimental time for the group…although it shouldn't have too much of an effect on it. What was important is that they all got their heads clear, and were ready for practice on one of the two designated days.
However, not everyone had a plan to clear their heads today…at least not as of recent. "Let's go, Hanayo, I can walk you home, like always, nya~" The bubbly redhead said, gently taking her friend's wrist, rather forcefully walking out with her. "Gah! O-okay, don't pull…" Hanayo quietly protested, trying to keep up with Rin. Surely enough, Rin was back to normal, as if nothing had happened back at the school. Perhaps ramen was her calming point to get her back on her feet? No, that'd be silly…although, Hanayo would be lying if she said that rice didn't get her up and overjoyed.
The duo began their way to Hanayo's house, yet took an unexpected turn, straight towards the park. "U-uhh…Rin…my house is that way…" The brunette corrected, looking back towards the normal path. Did Rin want to take a detour for whatever reason? "I know, but I want to do something, nya~" Rin mewed with a wide smile. Why on earth did Hanayo suddenly have a very nervous feeling in her stomach? What Rin wanted to do couldn't have been too bad, as they were in public. She would never have publicly done something to embarrass her…Rin was too nice to her for that.
It wasn't too long until the park came into view for the pair of friends. It was a large park, riddled with happy little trees and flowers; a scene out of a Bob Ross painting. What set it differently from an artistic painting, was the large fountain and pond that sat directly in the center of the park. It was a peaceful place, no wonder why it was such a popular attraction amongst the citizens of Otonokizaka. Rin had picked the perfect time for the duo to come, as the park was empty. Adults hadn't returned from their jobs yet, and all the kids had already relaxed here after school. There was roughly an hour of time before anyone would show up.
Taking a second to take in the beautiful scenery, the duo each took a breath of fresh hair. Once their lungs were filled by the crisp air, Hanayo turned to her friend, "So…why did you-"In a split second, the wrist that Rin had already in her grasp was pulled over Rin. Slowly falling to the ground, the redhead rolled herself over, now with her hands on both of Hanayo's wrists, pinning her down into the grass. Letting out a sharp gasp, the violet eyes glanced from one wrist to the other, "R-Rin, why a-are you-?"
Her words were stopped as soon as she laid eyes on Rin's face. Her mouth was curved on both sides, her signature cat look, the sign that Rin was ready to play. But, what game could possibly involve her having to be on the ground…even more than that…pinned with Rin on top of her. "Well...I got a little curious back at the shop, nya~" The explanation was started with her voice being coated with a playful tone. As soon as those words left her mouth, Hanayo let out a gasp, her cheeks turning a bright red. There was no way Rin was about to make her fess up to what she witnessed at the gym?
The nightmarish thought came to life, as the next words that came out of her mouth caused Hanayo to shake. "And…I figured we could play a little game to get that nervousness out of you, nya~! Then you can say what made you blush without fear~" Slowly, the freshman began to squirm under her friend's grip, having a good feeling what was coming. "R-Rin…please…d-d-don't…." The violet eyes lit up with fear, which only made Rin giggle, "It's a game we've played before, but you might not remember…" Rin started to explain, slowly bringing Hanayo's wrist closer to her sides, gently placing them under her knees to gently pin them down. Letting out a gentle whine, the frail girl tried to squirm a little more, "P-please…L-l-l-let's not do-"
Before Hanayo could finish her game, it was already decided. Rin's mouth curved back up, "Tickle fess." Not a moment later did Rin's fingers began darting up and down her friend's sides. Even with the cushion of her pale pink sweatshirt, as well as the undershirt, Hanayo still found herself collapsing into giggles, "Ehehehehahahahahaha! Rihihihihihihihin, nohohohohoho!" The red cheeks only grew a darker shade, mainly with the thought of someone peeping in on them. Who knows what kind of sick people would get themselves off to watching such a thing.
"Awww, but your giggle is so cute~" Rin teased, much to the chagrin of Hanayo. Of course, just a simple stream of giggles wasn't going to get her friend to open her mouth, oh no no. The intrusive fingers continued exploring, moving themselves up to her friend's ribcage, "Coochie coo~ Just tell me what made you blush and we can stop the game." The attack on her ribs caused Hanayo's giggles to become a gentle laughter, squirming from side to side. "RIHIHIHIHIHIHHIHIHIN, P-PLEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHASE!" Hanayo tried to plead again, yet the plea fell on deaf ears.
Rin knew she wasn't completely harming Hanayo, so there was no reason to be worried about her. All she wanted was to know what had happened at the shop. And as much as she hated to resort to this, it was still a fun game that could be laced with a little evil intent. Her hands continued at her ribs for a few minutes, then the fingers had pulled back to give the girl a break. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Hanayo began taking in long breathes to fill her greedy lungs. "R-Rihihin….p-please…I…"
"I know you don't want to tell me…but you should know you can trust me, nya~" The redhead argued, gently patting her stomach, then wiggled her fingers on it. The sudden tickle through her break cause the shy girl to jump, erupting in more giggles. "Awww, I know this tickles…but I know a better spot~" She sang playfully, which caused Hanayo to let out another gasp, "W-wait! P-please!" The hands began their slow descent…their target: her friend's protected underarms. The slow method would ensure that the brunette would have time to consider releasing the information to avoid the tickling…
And Hanayo broke…"I-I'll say it!" She quickly stated, trying her best to wiggle free from her grip. Rin let out a pleased squeal, her hands quickly snapping pack like a stretched rubber band. The violet eyed girl took a deep breath, starting to feel immensely guilty. She was about to reveal what Eli didn't want to reveal. Yet, she knew she could trust Rin…she was her friend and friends don't let other friends down…Especially with as long as their friendship has lasted.
"Y-yesterday…at practice…" Hanayo started, taking another deep breath, "W-when I went down to the bathroom…and g-got out…I-I passed the gym…" "Mhmmm~" Rin replied, giving her a verbal response so she knew she was listening. "A-and…inside was…E-Eli and Nico…." As Hanayo recalled the event, her cheeks had regained the blush that it had started to lose through her relaxing. "E-Eli was o-on top of Nico…and she was…tickling her…" "No…" Rin denied, her chartreuse eyes widening as she listened. What were the odds that what she was just doing…Eli and Nico were doing not 24 hours ago?
Swallowing hard, Hanayo nodded, "I-I don't know why…but you can't tell I told you!" The frail girl pleaded to her more energetic friend. How disappointed would Eli be in her if she revealed such a secret? "Oh, I won't say a word about it." Rin promised, standing up as she held out her hand. "Come on…I'll actually walk you home...and we can hang out a bit, okay?" With a wink of and eye, Rin acted as if what just happened hadn't happened at all. It reassured Hanayo, who smiled as she took her hand; this meant that Rin wouldn't go and spill the beans.
Unless…she got either Nico or Eli to tell her exactly what had happened…Maybe Nico could slip and mentioned it if there was just a playful tickle towards her? It was rather impish of her, yes…but you know what they say…
Curiosity killed the cat.