Lonely No More
by Cyberchao X

Disclaimer: …Ah, screw it.

Chapter 21

*August*

"So, how'd things go with Himiya-chan after I left?"

"Okay, I guess. She's a bit confused right now, and she kind of feels guilty about trying to get between us."

"Does she really? I would never have guessed. I thought she hated me."

"She does," Suki said, "but she can tell how much I love you, and wants to just let the cards fall as they may."

"Good, because Tatsuke-san and I aren't terribly happy about having another competitor."

"…Wait, you told him?"

"I ran into him the next day at Nanoha's parents' shop. He asked where you'd disappeared to at Tanabata, and I told him. Interestingly, he was there with a friend of his who had apparently asked him to set him up with one of your fanclub."

"I thought nothing ever came of that."

"It hadn't…until one of them suddenly volunteered. Which was apparently just a ploy to keep Tatsuke-san away from you and Himiya-chan for as long as possible."

"…Hanna-chan."

"Bingo."

"It would be so much easier on all of us if her feelings for Katsu-tan were romantic. Well…most of us."

"I knew it. You want her."

"Wouldn't you? She's just so adorable!"

Arisa didn't respond, looking sternly at Suki before finally relenting to giving her a passionate, but angry, kiss. Suki didn't care that Arisa's actions seemed to have a hostility behind them; they were also fueled by desire, and that was all that mattered.

*September*

"Okay, so for this year's sports festival, each class is going to choose one event. The main question, as they presented it, was whether to choose an event to accentuate your class's strengths and ensure some victories, or try to pick one that can cover your weaknesses," Suzuka said.

"…What strengths? We'll be lucky to avoid last place."

"Hey, we've got a few athletic students…kind of…"

"I'm probably the third-most athletic person in this class, and I'm a cheerleader," Kanna replied.

"…Play to our few strengths it is, then."

"Well, I might be able to do okay in Class 1-O's event," said the girl who spoke up before. "They're pretty stacked, so they'll probably be covering their weaknesses."

"Hmm…wait, did you say Class 1-O?"

"So since we've got a pretty strong class, we should probably choose an event that caters to our weak links."

"Now, iincho-san, when you say 'weak links', you're referring to…"

"Yes, Gabi-san, I'm referring to myself. Kilo for kilo, I'm probably just as athletic as…well, not anyone, but certainly some members of our class. But these little legs aren't going to win any races. Anyone got any ideas for an event that could turn my liability into an asset?"

"Limbo?" suggested the tallest student in the class, Karin Kosuke. (CCX: That's Eastern order—I feel the need to clarify because both names can be used as a given name, but for different genders. Of course, this isn't the first time I've used that surname…)

"Well, that certainly wouldn't be horrible; with my lack of height…and curves, I could coast through the early rounds. But I'm not really that flexible, and that's probably more important in the long run than size. We don't have any members of the gymnastics team in our class, so we might not necessarily win that one."

CCX: Okay, self-indulgent author's notes time. I can totally vouch for this, from both perspectives. I was always one of the shortest kids in my class—in fact, given how most of the ones who were ahead of me when we were lined up by height (remember when they did that to you in school?) moved away, there might have actually been a point at which I was the shortest fourth grader at my school. Midway through the year, a student moved in who easily took that title, but by then, as you probably remember, I was the shortest sixth grader in the school. (Yes, it was midway through that year that I was officially reclassified two years ahead.) Now, I also had, and to some degree still have, a lot of flexibility, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I usually took first place in limbo at the middle school dances, but my usual final opponent in sixth grade was a seventh-grader who was probably already getting close to six feet tall…and was already curvy. Even as an eighth grader, she ended up in third place, and that was because her younger sister was in sixth by then. (Yes, limbo skill totally is genetic.) But of course, even after I grew, I was still tough to beat at limbo—fast-forward to ninth grade, when I was the age of a seventh grader and thus going to lots of bar mitzvahs, and I was still a champion…except at my own, oddly enough, where it was ended with two people still in it—me and my sister. Like I said, limbo skill is genetic. Of course, less than a year after that the sophomore class skit happened and my knees got all fucked up, and even after that I think I was still fairly decent, even after reaching my full height. Okay, enough self-indulgence.

Gabi answered, "You know, most festivals do allow some of the students to be cheerleaders. We could probably do a lot with you, 'cause you're so light."

"That won't be necessary," Miki replied. "Although when you put it that way, maybe one of those things with the one competitor on the other's shoulders would work, since I'd be easy to carry."

"What if the Paku twins from class 1-H decided to enter that together? Even on my shoulders, I don't think you'd be able to reach that high," Karin said.

"…True. But I'm not being lifted around for cheerleading, not without people trained for those kind of stunts. I can do plenty on the ground." She demonstrated.

"Iincho-san, that wasn't exactly dignified…"

"What, the panty shot? I don't think any of the boys in our class would bother staring at me."

"Underpants are the soul of a girl. You shouldn't let someone see into your soul."

The rest of the class tried to ignore Gabi's strange comment. "Now, what was that you were saying about there being no gymnasts in this class?" Karin asked.

"…Okay, okay, we'll do the limbo. Better than not contributing anything."

"That's our class rep. Even if you don't come in first, you should be able to help us quite a bit."

"So I hear that your class is considered one of the favorites to take the first-year title?"

"Haha, yeah, that's what I figure," Miki replied. "I can hardly wait; what little curves I have are in my lower half, so I'm actually starting to prefer shorts to skirts."

"…Okay, if you say so. What about the actual competition?"

"That too."

"I didn't know you had so many athletes in your class," Suzuka said.

"Yeah. Really isn't fair. Just imagine how fearsome we'll be by third year if I actually start growing."

"Not confident in your ability to grow by second year?"

"Well…okay, no, but that was even assuming I did. My current level of athleticism is based on my compact body; a growth spurt would take some time to adjust to."

"You're an athlete?"

"Well, I'm not on any teams here; my lack of size would get in the way for most of them, and besides, I'd rather be on Student Council. But I'm actually pretty fit. …Although, if word gets out about that display I put on during our class meeting, the gymnastics team might try to rope me in. And that's one sport where my size could actually be considered an advantage."

"Wow. Yeah, being small is totally an asset in gymnastics. How good are you?"

"I'm not that good…"

"Yeah, I actually didn't know about that either," Izei said. "But I know the way you attack everything you do, so if you work as hard at that as you do at everything else, you could probably be an Olympian."

"No way."

"Well, you've got the natural gifts for it. Most of those Olympic gymnasts look like they're younger than us, even though there's a minimum age of 16."

"That's the first time I've ever heard anyone refer to my condition as a gift."

"Sorry. I suppose that your boyfriend is the last person you want referring to your appearance as a gift."

"I hadn't even thought of that. I guess you've finally convinced me that I don't need to be sexy to be attractive."

"…Right. Why don't you try actually competing a bit more in gymnastics and see how long you're not sexy."

"You think that'll help me grow?"

"No, I think that guys don't care about how flat gymnasts are because the idea of a super-flexible girl turns them on."

"Pervert."

"Just speaking for the masses."

"Even they're not that flat. Although come to think of it, most of the top gymnasts have more going on down below as well, so if I keep developing the way I am now…"

"That's not just gymnasts. I think they actually did a study. Athletes' butts in general are rather large—male and female."

"…They did a study of athletes' butts?"

"I know, right? Sweet job. I'd kill to be able to do something like that."

"I didn't know you were such a pervert, Suzu-chan. You seem so sweet and demure."

"You're one to talk, Miki-chan."

"Please, me? I'm obviously foulmouthed."

"…True. Anyone who actually spent time with you would know that you're not terribly ladylike. But you do give off an aura of respectability."

"Do I really?"

"Yes, you do, iincho-san," interjected another voice. "I've always thought of you as being very mature for your age, even if your body doesn't necessarily reflect it. …Also, at least at your height such a profound lack of curves doesn't look so strange."

"Ah, you're in Miki-san's class? I recognize you…you're on the softball team, right?"

She nodded. "Gabi Kyusai. You're Bannings-san's friend, right? I didn't realize you were also friends with Iincho and her boyfriend."

Suzuka nodded back. "Tsukimura Suzuka. I'm the representative for Class 1-A."

"Class 1-A…" Gabi's face darkened momentarily, but quickly brightened again. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

"Thank you for the compliments," Miki said, adding a bit more quietly, "But you shouldn't be so judgmental."

"Eh?"

"I'm not that dense. Remember, I went to junior high with Shinamori-san, so I've heard the rumors about her—and yes, Suzuka-chan is friends with her. And my initial introduction to Bannings-san was when she was with her girlfriend, so it's easy to see what connection you made. But Suzuka-chan's totally straight, and even if she weren't, I don't think it would make much difference to me."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to."

"…Sorry, iincho-san."

"It's fine."

CCX: As for the festival itself, well, that would be fairly boring to write. It's the type of thing that works much better in a visual medium. And it took me awhile to remember where Gabi's reference came from, and then I remembered so I was able to go back and get the exact quote. …It figures that's where—and who—it would be from, doesn't it? Truly she is the wisest of us all. Until next time, this is CCX, signing off.