Chapter 2

I Meet Her Again

I arrive at the school just in time and sit down at the desk. I couldn't stop thinking about the girl I saw at the station today. She's just so . . . beautiful! I wish . . . I wish I could see her once more . . .

"Umi-chan?" Honoka's voice startles me out of my thoughts.

"Wah! H-Honoka!" I almost jump out of my seat. "What are you doing here!?"

"You were spacing out," My ginger haired childhood friend replies with a smile. "Is something the matter?"

"N-no! It's nothing!" I say while waving my arms back and forth. "Nothing at all!" Liar! Why would you say that!?

Then, I hear Kotori giggle. "You're not being honest, Umi-chan~!"

I look back and forth at my childhood friends while they have curious expressions on their faces. I let out a heavy sigh. Why do you two always have to do this? "Someone saved me on the train this morning," I explain to them.

Honoka and Kotori gasp. "What!?"

"Who was it?" Honoka asks, leaning a bit too close to me, invading my personal space. "Who was it that saved you!?"

"S-some girl with long purple hair," I answer. "She had a different school uniform, though. I was about to get molested when she saved me. I didn't know why, but I felt really grateful that she did that for me." Then, it hit me. "Oh, no! I forgot to thank her!" There is no way I'll be able to thank her while school is going on, but maybe after school I might find her. However . . . what school does she go to?

Just then, the bell rings, which means class is starting and everyone takes their seats. I guess I'll have to think about it later. But I can't keep my mind off of that violet haired girl throughout class. I cannot forget her beautiful features. Oh, my goodness. Is my heart pounding again? I'm never going to be able to focus on the lesson at this rate . . .

By the time it's lunch time, I take a step outside, smell the fresh air and walk towards the spot where Honoka, Kotori and I usually sit when eating lunch together. However, both of them had picked a different spot just for the two of them. Haaah . . . I guess that's what they do when they are a couple.

As I sit beside the tree, I look around to see a few other students out here, eating their lunch and chatting away. I let out another sigh as I look up at the sky with a light breeze blowing past me. I wish I could see you again, whoever you are. And I wanted to thank you for saving me. After about a few minutes, I proceed to eat my lunch in peace, still thinking about the violet haired girl all throughout the lunch period.

"Umi-chan! Umi-chan!" Honoka says a little while after school ends, quickly trotting to my desk with a happy smile on her face. "Kotori and I are planning for our next date. What do you want us to do? Where do you want us to go?"

I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Why are you asking me?"

"Well, because we don't know what to choose to go for our date," Honoka answers while turning towards her girlfriend. "So, we want your advice."

I sigh for the third time as I rub my chin in thought. "Hmm . . . have you tried out that new ramen place in town? The one that's just opened a couple weeks ago?"

"Oh, my goodness!" Kotori says while clasping her hands together. "No, we haven't! Thanks for the suggestion, Umi-chan!"

I smile at the two of them. "No problem." Even though they are dating, Honoka and Kotori are still my best friends. They know I can always support them whenever I could.

With that settled, I watch both of them walk out of the classroom hand in hand and wave to me good-bye while I wave them back. When they are out of sight, I sigh for the fourth time today. Gosh, I'm sighing a lot, haven't I? Maybe I'm still trying to get over this stress of all the couples around me. First Honoka and Kotori, then Eli and Nozomi, Hanayo and Rin and even Maki and Nico became a couple. I know. I should just get a lover if I desperately need one, but I can't decide. Haaah . . .

I've got to stop sighing today. This is just too much.

I find myself losing focus even when I'm in my archery club. Usually, I hit a bulls-eye, but instead, I'm often hitting the mark at the end, which made some of my club mates dumbfounded.

"Are you feeling okay?" one of the girls ask. "You don't seem as focused as you should be."

Now she tells me. "Y-yes. I'm fine. I'm just a little spaced out, that's all."

The other girl walks by and exchanges confused looks to the one girl. Oh, boy. They know I'm lying. I shake my head roughly to get it together and return to my practice shooting. I remained silent for the rest of the club meet until it is time to go. Packing my stuff, I exit the school to walk back to the train station. It was a slow walk, mostly because things have been on my mind still, including that girl with purple hair. Now that it's after school, maybe I can meet her at the station. Feeling motivated, I sprint to the station and look around for her. But due to this huge crowd waiting, I can hardly see her. Gosh, there's so many people! Finally when the train arrives, I decide to wait until it clears up to see if I see her there. However, when there's just about a few people left, I find no luck finding the girl. Sighing for what it would be the 5th time today, I proceed to enter the train and luckily find an empty seat so that no pervert would sneak up behind me. For the whole train ride, I sat there, not saying anything at all. All I wanted to see that girl again so I could thank her and introduce myself. Well, there's always tomorrow, right? I mean, it's not that big of a deal when I have other problems to deal with.

A half-hour later, the train stops at my station and I, along with a few other people exit the train. I look back one more time and that girl still isn't there. I guess she has another station to get to.

"If only I could see you again," I say aloud as I let out a fifth sigh.

Just then, I hear a familiar beautiful voice coming from behind me, the same voice I heard from this morning.

"Looking for me?"

I gasp as I slowly turn towards the person who is speaking to me. There stood the same girl with the purple hair in the same uniform she wore from this morning. My gaping mouth slowly curves into a smile as I run up to her. I'm so happy that I could cry. It's really her! The girl that saved me this morning!

"Nice to see you again, miss," she says, smiling back at me.

"I-it's nice seeing you again, too," I say softly. "I, um, wanted to thank you for saving me this morning. How silly of me to forget."

"It's alright," the violet haired girl says. "Say, do you have time to stay and talk?"

"Um . . . sure. Why?"

"Well, since we're here, I thought we might get to know each other a little bit," she says. "What's your name?"

"I'm . . . Umi Sonoda," I answer.

"My name is Erena Toudou," the violet haired girl says, gesturing towards herself.

Erena Toudou. I have to remember that. "It's nice to meet you, Toudou-san."

The violet haired girl chuckles. "You can call me Erena. And it's nice to meet you . . . Umi~"

My eyes widen when she called my name like that. Oh, my gosh! Is my heart beating again!? Just from her calling my first name!? Wow! This is the greatest day of my life!

Both of us walk over to a nearby bench and sit there for about a few minutes until I speak up.

"S-so, what school do you go to?" I ask.

"I go to UTX Academy," Erena replies. "Where do you go to?"

"Otonokizaka Academy," I answer.

"Oh, I've heard of that school."

"You have?" I ask.

"Yes. Many people at my school talk about it a lot. They say it is a very nice school."

"Oh." I never knew that our school could be so popular. "What's your school like?"

"Nothing special, really," Erena replies. "Though, our school is a really tall building, unlike yours. It's full of people, including students that go there."

My eyes widen in shock. Erena goes to a school like that!? Where does she attend classes? Where's the lunch area? Oh, gosh! There's so many questions I want to ask that I can't choose which one!

Erena chuckles again. "You're surprised that my school is like that?"

"Uh-huh . . ." I slowly nod, still thinking that it's so cool to have a school like that.

"Well, it's not all that great," Erena says. "I've made a couple of friends while being here and I am popular with most of the girls here at this school. But the classes are quite boring, to be honest. Teacher's just keep talking and talking."

I nod in agreement. "I know what you mean."

"Mm-hmm. Why can't they just make it a little simple so that all of us can understand?"

Both of us laugh for a bit as I gaze up at the sky, which is turning a bit of orange. The sun's beginning to set, which means I have to get home soon.

"U-um, I have to get home," I remind Erena.
"Ah, okay," she says as both of us start to stand up.

But once I take a step forward, I suddenly trip on an uneven surface, causing me to almost fall on my face.

"Umi!" I hear Erena cry in alarm as I feel a pair of arms catch me. I turn around to notice her concerned face. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine," I say while I can feel my face heat up really fast and my heart beating a million miles an hour. She saved me . . . once again?

"What's that on the ground?" Erena asks.

"Eh?" I turn over to notice a photo next to my bag I dropped, plus some other things like school materials and such. "Oh, no!" I realize right away that it's a picture of Honoka and Kotori together on their first date. Honoka decided to copy the picture to give to me and Kotori to keep. I didn't know I kept it in this bag the whole time. I was planning on framing it, but I totally forgot about it.

I dive down to collect the materials and shove them into my school bag, but is unable to reach the picture in time since Erena picked it up first.

"Who are those two girls?" she asks. "They look really cute~."

I blush at the compliment about them. "Th-those are my childhood friends. Honoka Kousaka and Kotori Minami. We've been best friends since childhood."

Erena gives one last look at them with a smile before handing it back to me. "Well, they look like they get along really well."

"Yes," I nod slowly as I gaze at the picture. "In fact . . . they like each other."

"Huh?" Erena raises an eyebrow.

I gasp at what I just said. "Ah! I-I'm sorry! It just slipped out of my mouth!" What would she think when I tell her that my two best friends are lesbians?

Erena lets out another chuckle. "Don't worry~. I'm not mad. So, is it true that Honoka-san and Kotori-san love each other?"

I nod. "Yes. But before that . . . I fell in love with one of them. And that is Kotori."

"Oh, my!" Both of us sit on the bench again as I feel her arm wrap around me. "Tell me, Umi. How and when did you fall for this girl?"

I clear my throat and tell her everything. The whole time I was talking, she kept listening to every word I have to say, with a few nods. However, as I begin to finish, I can feel some tears starting to come out, which I didn't want to do in front of a new friend.

"Ah, so that's it," Erena says. "I'm so sorry this happened."

"Mm-hmm." Oh, no! It's happening again! I'm getting choked up for even mentioning this to her! "It's been . . . two whole weeks since Honoka and Kotori started dating. And now all of my other friends have dates as well. I was too late to confess to Kotori. I should've acted when I had the chance. But I . . . was too hesitant and shy to even face her! And it's all my fault!" I try wiping my tears to prevent Erena from seeing me crying, but all she does is scoot closer and wrap her arms around me.

"Wh-what are you . . .!"

"Umi," she says, gently. "At times like this . . . it's better just to let it out. It's not good to keep all the pain inside you."

"B-but . . .!"

"It's okay," she whispers as she hugs me tighter. "No one's watching, so now's your chance."

I . . . couldn't believe it. When we just met the second time today, she's willing to comfort me when I'm about to cry. When I just told her what happened, she clearly understood how I felt. Clutching her shirt, I bury my face in her chest as I sob my heart out, finally letting out everything I've been holding back since two weeks ago. Erena remains silent as she gently pulls me closer in her arms as I continue to cry. I've never felt . . . this sad in my entire life. I've never cried that much before either. But Erena, who was willing to listen my heartfelt story, was there the whole time just to comfort me. And I'm very grateful for that.

After crying for a good 15 minutes, I pull away, letting out a few sniffles as I wipe some of the remaining tears away and try to smile at Erena.

"Thank you," I say. "I really needed that. And I'm sorry if I got your shirt all wet."

"No need to worry," Erena giggles. "I can always dry it later."

"And . . . thanks for listening. I really needed someone to talk to anyway."

"Hey, no problem," Erena says. "If you ever want to talk to me, please, don't hesitate."

I nod as I stand up while stretching out my arms and looking up at the sky. It is completely orange now and the sun's is setting already. I gaze up at the beautiful sky for a minute before I turn and get my school bag with Erena standing up as well.

"Well, I'll see you later, Erena," I say as I begin to walk off.

"Umi," she calls.

I turn towards her. "Yes?"

"Why don't I walk with you to your home?"

"Hah!?" I jump back in shock, both blushing and feel my heart beating a million miles an hour. Did she say what I think she said!? "D-do you even know where I live!?"

"Not exactly," Erena answers. "But I would like to know where your home is. Maybe I can come over some time. Is that okay with you?"

"Y-yes!" Oh, my gosh! Erena is even offering to come over! This is definitely the greatest day of my life~!

With that settled, I lead her to my home, which took about 20 minutes or so. When we stop by my house, Erena notices a dojo next to it and asks about it.

"Oh, yes," I say. "I study archery and kendo. My father is an expert at both of those things, so he decided to teach me the basics. Pretty soon, I joined the archery club at Otonokizaka Academy."

"That's pretty cool," Erena says. "You'll have to teach me some of those soon."

"Alright!" I turn to leave, but not before waving to her. "See you later, Erena. And thanks again."

"No problem," Erena says as she waves back.

I soon enter my home, greet my mother and father and head up to my room. And then, I realize something.

"Oh, my gosh!" I freak out. "I forgot to ask her number! Man, I'm so stupid!?" I drop my bag as I put my hands on my head and shake my head on controllably when I notice a piece of paper beside my bag. Huh? When did that fall out? Why is it here? I don't remember putting a folded piece of paper being there. I bend down to pick it up and unfold it. It reads:

"Hey, Umi. Thanks so much for your time to getting to know you a little bit. Why don't we call each other sometime for a playdate?"

— Your friend, Erena Toudou

And then, at the bottom of her signature is her phone number. I begin to blush deeply as I clutch the paper to my chest. I think . . . this is the very beginning of our friendship.

A/N: (clasps her hands together) My~! 5 reviews! That's just awesome! Thank you so much and also thanks for favoriting/following my story~! That got me motivated to start the next chapter!

Anyway, I wanted to make 2 chapters, but I decided to make a long one since my last chapter was long. Just to make it more enjoyable to read. And also, forgive me, but I'm going to write it as if Muse has never met A-Rise, as you may have noticed. Seems to be more interesting that way.

Anyway, feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review~! ;) Anyway, feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review~! ;)