Hanayo had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs and was starting to walk home when she heard a voice behind her call her name. "Oh..?" A little startled, Hanayo turned around to see a familiar short-haired girl behind her. "Rin-chan!" she said, immediately smiling at her friend. However, Rin didn't seem to be acting like herself. Instead of jumping up and rushing to hug Hanayo as usual, she only smiled shyly and then looked down at the ground, her cheeks going a little more rosy than normal. Hanayo noticed something was different, and she changed her expression to one of curiosity, cocking her head to the side a little and taking a step toward Rin. "I-is something wrong, Rin-chan?" There was a short moment of silence, and then the orange-haired first-year took a tentative step towards Hanayo. "Kayo-chin…" It was a small voice, unlike Rin's usual loud, energetic one. Before Hanayo could ask any of the many questions she had, Rin took her hands out from behind her back and extended them out to Hanayo. In her slightly shaking, clasped hands was a small bundle of light red flowers. Rin's face blushed to match the color. Finally, she looked Hanayo in her light violet eyes with a nervous yet determined expression as she asked "Do you… want to go out for dinner sometime? As… as a couple?"
As soon as Hanayo processed was Rin was saying (which took a second), she instinctively tensed up, let out a small flustered gasp, and warm blood rushed to her face, turning it the same shade as Rin's. Was this really happening? How long had Rin felt this way about her? Did Hanayo feel the same way? She hadn't really given it much thought. But suddenly, she realized, she didn't need to. The looks, the hugs, the smiles that they had exchanged for years meant much more than just a close friendship. And all of a sudden, she realized she had been waiting for this moment for a very long time, and before she could think, she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around rin, causing her to startle a little. But after a second, Hanayo felt Rin's cheeks smile against her face, and she returned the embrace softly. It felt like a huge tension that had lasted forever was released all at once. Still holding the short-haired girl tightly, Hanayo said happily, "Of course..!"