First
It was already close to midnight when she heard soft footsteps outside the room's door.
"Welcome back, Nagisa-chan." It was all that Suzumi Tamao had said. Her roommate, Aoi Nagisa stood by the door, still in that red dress she wore during that day's competition. They could've won as the new pair of Etoile from Miator. If they did win, then it could have been a second time for Miator to have an Etoile pair taken from their roster. Things happened today were rather unexpected for most people. For Tamao, at least, it wasn't. Tamao possibly knew, though deep inside her she was hardly hoping for it not to happen. It did happen in the end, though. The former Etoile Hanazono Shizuma…stepping inside the cathedral, walking towards the altar, stops with an open hand and declares her love for Nagisa. "Yes, the same Nagisa I love so much," Tamao thinks sadly. The words pierced through her heart. She only closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. Despite the pain, Tamao unties the red ribbon from Nagisa's hair and pushes her away: an indication of setting her beloved free…and to follow what was in her heart. Tamao was certain; she knew all along that Nagisa really loved Shizuma. She knew that Nagisa was never hers.
Tamao answers the door and lets her roommate in. Nagisa steps in, and although they are physically close to each other, their thoughts are way too distant. Nagisa's, with the feeling of guilt of leaving Tamao behind and Tamao's, with the feeling of heartache knowing that Nagisa belongs to someone else. It's a pain that's quite unfathomable, and yet, Tamao can only be happy for her best friend. She gave her friend a smile and greeted her warm congratulations. Tamao then shoved Nagisa towards the bathroom. "Please, Nagisa-chan. The Sister might be doing rounds again. You should get ready for bed."
There's a trace of sorrow in Nagisa's eyes. She can sense that Tamao was trying her best to hide her pain. However, Tamao's eyes were showing that immense pain caused by a broken heart. A salient fact that Nagisa had realized so late-that Tamao was indeed in love with her. "It's my fault that she's suffering like this," Nagisa thought. She allowed herself to be pushed by Tamao, thinking that somehow, pushing her like that would ease the pain in her best friend's heart. As she closed the bathroom door, she heard the sound of Tamao collapsing into bed, sobbing. She turned the shower knob and allowed the water to spray on her face. The sadness on her face was apparent, as the water washed her red hair and covered her eyes.
As the night fell deeper, two beds ended up occupied. Tamao lay down on hers, with her head facing the opposite direction. Nagisa eyes were staring at the ceiling. Both of them couldn't sleep. As much as she would like to say anything, Nagisa just kept silent. She didn't want to further aggravate her friend's pain. Nagisa closed her eyes and slowly drifted off.