Lonely No More
by Cyberchao X

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Once again, I believe the number of characters in this chapter that are actually mine is just one.

CCX: Moving right along…

*Mid-January*

"Suzuka-chan! What are you doing here? Don't you normally go straight home after your club activities?"

"Aren't I allowed to check out my friend's activities once in a while?" Suzuka replied. "You looked good out there." Arisa was of course the consummate athlete, playing a different sport for every season. (CCX: Is this even a valid thing in Japan? Most of what I've read so far suggests that each sport is a year-round club at Japanese schools, but I can't quite picture interscholastic competition as a year-round thing…not to mention, studies show that it's better for children to vary the sports they play because they're more susceptible to repetitive-motion injuries.) Right now, it was basketball season.

"Thanks," Arisa said. "Any particular reason you came today?"

"I don't know; you've seemed a little distant lately. You haven't been avoiding me since New Year's, have you, Arisa-chan?"

"That's ridiculous. I told you then that I deeply valued your friendship, perhaps moreso than ever now. We'll talk later; I have to shower and get changed." Suzuka thought Arisa looked more natural all sweaty and active. She had to admit, there was something quite appealing about the tomboy. It seemed as though Arisa was taking awhile, though, and Suzuka had another thought—what if Arisa had been pulling away because there was someone else? As she herself had said, Arisa's lesbian leanings were fairly obvious, and yet the other girls on the basketball team still accepted her. Yes, Arisa was far too talented to be shunned on the court, but in the locker room? Suzuka could just imagine one of the younger ones kissing up to the captain. "Oh, Arisa-sempai!" She was unable to carry out this thought for very long, though, as Arisa exited. "What's with that blush?" she asked. "You weren't having perverted thoughts of me, were you?"

Suzuka shoved Arisa. "Not so loud; my sexuality isn't public knowledge, remember? Anyway, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe the reason you'd been more distant is because you have found a girlfriend. Some cute junior decide that the team captain is just so amazing?" (CCX: Note that this is a change—I had initially forgotten that they'd still be in their final year of junior high, so I had to switch things around and make Arisa the sempai.)

"Where do you get these ideas?"

"…You're kind of an open book, Arisa-chan. And I agree; Makimaro-san does have a nice ass."

"Hey! Quit ogling my team!"

"Are you trying to deny that you were doing the same?"

"I was not ogling Suki-tan! I…" she trailed off as she realized just how damning that last statement had been. "…okay, maybe I was looking her over a bit."

"Pretty girl. Long legs, cute butt—"

"I keep telling her she should get a new skirt; she's grown so quickly that the one she got at the start of the school year no longer fits her properly."

"—long blond hair, and even a little bit of a bust developing. …She can't be a full-blooded Japanese, can she?"

"Hell if I know. I didn't think she was a foreigner, but she definitely looks like one."

"Probably going to disappoint a lot of boys."

"Most girls that popular do." Sensing that Suzuka was referring to the girl's sexuality, Arisa added, "She has a boyfriend."

"So then I was wrong about you and her?"

"…No. I guess I'm kind of her 'mistress'. Not that we've gone very far…I mean, yeah, we lather each other up in the showers, but…"

Suzuka giggled. "Well, I'm happy for you. You deserve to have someone special, even if you do have to share her with a boy."

"Suzuka-chan…"

"Because no offense, but Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan were always more into each other than into you anyway. So you really didn't have much to lose."

"…You really miss Hayate-chan."

"I really do."

"I want to make things better for you, but…we just wouldn't work out in a relationship, I don't think. And I don't really want to test it out, because I like you and I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Yeah. I get it. Just remember, you're the only one with the key to my closet."

She smiled, and Arisa could feel her defenses eroding. "Damnit, Suzuka-chan…you have such a pretty smile…" "Anything else on your mind?"

"Oh, right. Have you gotten back your scores for the entrance exams?"

Arisa laughed. "Don't worry; you'll still have me around for high school. Though I'm sure I didn't score as highly as you did."

"As long as you did good enough to get in, I'm fine with that." Arisa put an arm around Suzuka. "Geez, Arisa-chan, you need to do a better job drying your hair. You'll catch a cold if you're not careful. Here," she gave Arisa her hat.

"I don't need it."

"I insist," Suzuka said, and put it on Arisa's head.

Arisa blushed a bit at the contact. "Suzuka-chan… You'll make a great wife for some guy—or girl—someday."

"Aw, you really mean that?"

"Well, of course. You're kind and caring, and…anybody would be lucky to have you."

"And yet you don't want to try to take me for yourself."

"…You're really serious about this?"

"…Don't worry about it. If you want to be just friends, then we'll just be friends. We'll be just like any normal pair of schoolgirl friends, except instead of talking about cute guys we'll be talking about cute girls. But…yeah, if you ever want to be more than just friends, I'd be happy with that too." Another kiss on the cheek.

"…You're hopeless, Suzuka-chan."

CCX: Not much more to say. Cyberchao X, signing off.

Update just one day later: Hmm...Chapter 4's already ready, but...it'll probably bring with it the requirement for a ratings bump. And I kind of like having multis at least start out in the K-T range so that they'll be displayed right away. So I guess I'm going to have to go against my usual policy and hold the readers hostage for reviews. I think 25 should be sufficient, right?