"Kotori's improvised welcome, Mikan meets sakura"

µ's side
Kotori's intentions were very clear to her since the moment she stepped in the classroom: Return to what she had before leaving, being friends with Honoka and designing clothes for µ's.

She and Umi kept in touch during her stay overseas, she felt a little lonely without them really being there.

Maybe she kind of lied to Umi a little about her returning date, but it was for the sake of seeing her friend utterly shocked and flustered, and it was worth, she didn't learn the Mari presence for nothing.

And even though she had come to talk to Honoka it was proven difficult when said girl sneaked out of the classroom so fast that even the teacher couldn't scold her for sleeping in classes.

But she would have returned by the time their next teacher arrived to class, so they couldn't talk with her at all.

As for Umi, she welcomed her with a smile.

When lunch break came they thought it would be easier to talk to Honoka, but she sneaked out and they couldn't find her before being tackled by the first years, who had also brought Nozomi and Eli along.

"Sorry, but that's all we could think after Hanayo told us yesterday," Nico said, pointing to Hanayo accusingly, "And she forgot, can you believe it!?"

"Don't worry Nico-chan, I actually wanted this to be a surprise, so I didn't expect anything," She dismissed it and faced Nozomi, "Where's Maki-chan? I haven't seen her yet."

Nozomi turned her head, as if not wanting to face her, nor Nico, "She must be in the library, studying."

"But I wanted to see her too." She pouted.

"Maybe later, I guess." Kotori looked at Nico, she always knew how close these two were, but Nico just shrugged and frowned.

"Where is Honoka-chan? I thought she would be with you." Rin asked.

"We couldn't speak with her yet, she seems to be busy," The tone in Umi's voice denoted that she was a little pissed off.

"Too busy to be with her best friend?" Nico was annoyed, somehow.

"She will come around soon, I guess"

"When? I don't see her nearby." Nico was pretty upset about something, Kotori could tell.

"She's not talking about now, Nicocchi," Nozomi stepped in tapping her junior's shoulder, "You are just so dense."

"Then, what is she talking about?"

"She's talking about Honoka," Eli stepped in as well, teasing Nico with a smug smile "Dense as a rock."

Like this the conversation flew from Honoka not being there to all the girls roasting Nico mercilessly.

'Brings a good vibe to the party' Kotori thought.

When the bell finally rang, Umi hurried to catch Honoka before she could sneak off again.

"Umi-chan…"

"Honoka, we need to talk"

And even if the teacher hadn't left yet and they attracted the attention from their classmates, Umi would not let go.

"What would you want to talk about? Umi-chan," Honoka's apologetic tone was contrasted with some kind of sarcasm, as if referring to something else, "Maybe that can wait for later, I'm in a hurry today."

"I've seen you busy today, That's why I want to talk to you, has something been bothering you recently?" 'As of today?' Umi omitted the last part, thinking it as unnecessary.

"I don't know what are you talking about, Umi-chan," She said, not meeting gazes of either Umi or Kotori, "It's just been kinda busy these days and I'm needed in home more often."

"I don't see why you would sneak out during breaks"

Like this, Honoka kept quiet, firmly staring at Umi with angry, defiant eyes; Umi challenged her back, not wavering even if the eyes looking at her were the same blue eyes she could not imagine holding any anger for anyone.

Their relationship has been like this for some time already, the few times they would talk with each other they would end up either glaring daggers to each other or not talking during weeks or months.

It wasn't that Umi wanted things going on like this, but she could not do anything to avoid it, as she wondered if their friendship was over.

"Umi-chan, Honoka-chan, what are you doing?" Kotori approached Honoka from behind, tapping her shoulder as she bumped into conversation, but said girl got away swiftly, almost as if the contact burned her.

They looked each other eye to eye for the first time and Umi could notice the hurt on Honoka's eyes before the girl turned and ran away from the classroom, barely being able to grab her bag before running.

The tension in the room could easily be felt by anyone as Kotori and Umi were left standing there, speechless.

Aquors side
"So… how did scouting go?" You asked on the way home from school, even though she could figure out the answer judging from Chika's pose.

"Would you like to join the school idol club?" This was the nth time she asked but the answer hadn't changed, Chika knew.

"I figured as much." She leaned onto Chika's side but the girl threw her arms to the air.

"Why is it so hard to find someone!?" Chika lowered her arms, holding the flier she made in her hands, "Does anyone like school idols?"

The hurt and sad look in Chika's eyes made You's heart jump in agony, what could she say to cheer up her best friend? In what way could she help her best friend? When all she had done so far was refuse every invitation Chika gave her?

Chika hadn't given up so far and You could say that she wasn't to do it easily this time; so should she help her? There wouldn't be a lot of time to help because of her club but she could still do something, right?

She thought and she was ready to offer her hand, but her mouth worked faster than her brain, "You give up?" Was the only thing she could say before gasping in surprise and covering her mouth with a hand, waiting for her friends answer.

Usually these words were enough to pump Chika up, who would never let something like that slip up, but this time she only bit her lip and stared to the window of the bus. The rest of the way home they didn't say a thing aside from their farewells when Chika arrived to her stop.

She walked by the shore with You's question lingering in her mind, she didn't want to quit before starting, nor even after starting, but what other option she had? Things weren't going smooth at all, she'd already asked half of the student body and she was running out of ideas, it was terrible.

But something inside her knew, that she shouldn't give up, and if she gives up on this she probably should give up in life too.

And then, just as she was about to go to her house she saw a girl standing on the harbor, a girl with the prettiest red hair clad in an uniform she's never seen before.
She could stand there admiring her stunning figure if the girl hadn't started to take off her blazer.

"What is she doing?" She started to wonder when she saw a ribbon being thrown to a side and the girl taking off her shirt, "No way," Chika said, running in towards the dock, "It's still March."

When the girl finished taking off her clothes Chika could stand there admiring the girl's legs or how that blue swimsuit fit her figure if said girl hadn't sprinted towards the sea.

'She's going to freeze!'

She reached her just before the redhead jumped off the dock, "Stop it!"

"Let me go!" The girl struggled, trying to free herself from Chika's grip, "I need to go!"

"You are going to die!" Both girls kept fighting, until Chika's foot slipped off the edge, pulling her towards the sea and bringing the other girl with her.

Splash!

She sneezed again, it had been ten minutes since Chika had brought the towels and started a fire but her body still felt like an ice cube. Another sneeze.

Chika threw another towel at her, a drier one, and sighed, "That's why I told you not to jump…"

"I'm sorry." Not feeling like insisting, Riko just apologized, the other girl just looked at her showing a little guilt, god, this girl was soft.

"And? Why'd you jump onto the sea like that?" The girl was frowning again but this time she showed no anger.

Riko wondered for a bit if it was OK to just tell this girl about her failure, sure, she has disappointed a lot of people back in Tokyo but that didn't matter anymore, but was it OK to disappoint one of her possible new friends?

"I was trying to hear the sound of the sea."

"The sound of the sea?"

"I am a pianist, and I'm trying to figure out a piece I'm composing…" Riko looked up a little, finding a confused expression, "So I was trying to hear the sound of the sea…"

"But, don't worry about it, I've already made up my mind," She continued, not giving Chika any time to retort neither looking at her, "I'm giving up piano."

Hearing these words ignited something inside Chika, Riko could tell, she wasn't sure what or why, "What? What are you saying?" Chika fell silent for a moment, but that was ok, Riko didn't want to hear someone disapproving her, "Are you going to give up just that easily? Did it ever-?"

"Chika-san." Riko's tone changed, charged full of resignation, and Chika seemed to get the fact that she didnt want to talk about it.

Lifting her head again, Riko saw Chika's expression and instantly regretted it, watching Chika wearing the same expression she saw herself with a few days ago, it broke her heart a little more.

No words were said after that.