Summary: And maybe, just maybe, Umi finally has a chance for Kotori to see her in the same way the ash-grey haired girl sees Honoka, and in the same way Umi sees her.
Umi/Kotori/Honoka

In the same way

- Umi-chan! Kotori-chan! Hurry up, or even Nico-senpai will get there before you two do!

- Hah!?

The cheerful voice of a very energetic brownish orange haired girl calls out for them in the distance, followed by the outraged complain of their raven haired senpai, before Umi and Kotori sees their childhood friend running through the hallways and upstairs trying to escape from Nico and avoid like that getting a playful hit for messing up with the older girl.

A giggly laugh fills the quiet school's hallways, before a whine can be heard in the distance.

- Nico-senpai!

- You've earned it.

Umi hears their airhead friend complaining at whatever the older girl did to her, chuckling at it, before thinking how that same cheerful voice and beaming girl that pushes them forward and to follow her to do the same crazy things she does, are also the ones that make her heart clench.

A bitter smile spreads across the blue haired girl's lips, before she looks at the ash-grey haired girl walking beside her, noticing how her pace slows down ever so slightly while the soft smile playing on her lips upon her childhood friend's antics slowly turns into a sad one.

Umi can't help but also notice how the happy glint shining in her beautiful amber eyes, leaves room to worry, making her clench her hand into a fist upon the power Honoka has always held over Kotori, being able to turn her saddest smiles into the most beaming ones she has ever saw and that can illuminate even the darkest nights.

Although in this case, it's quite the opposite…

- Kotori?

Umi calls her friend's name softly, concerned about the change of demeanor in her, noticing the ash-grey haired girl jumping startled, before turning to look at her with the best smile she can muster.

- Are you okay? – she asks Kotori worriedly, seeing her taking a moment and a deep breath before answering her.

- Y-yeah.

And even though the ash-grey haired girl does her best to pretend she's okay, the tight smile on her lips as well as the way she fidgets with her hands nervously makes Umi see through her lie.

- Are you sure?

Umi tries once again, seeing the distant and almost sad look on Kotori's beautiful amber eyes looking anywhere but her while her lips tremble as if she was holding her tears, before the cheerful yet now annoying voice of their best friend "saves" her.

- Umi-chan! Kotori-chan! Why are you two so slow?

Honoka interrupts them, running downstairs with a pout on her lips, before her warm hands take Umi's and Kotori's hands in hers to drag them upstairs with the rest of the girls that have been waiting for them to finally start the practice, her playful and infectious laugh filling the quietness reigning over the school's hallways once again while bringing a smile back to their lips.

- You're late, nya!

Rin quickly takes over as the brownish orange haired girl lets their hands go so the cat girl starts to push them towards the rest of the group to start stretching.

As the practice advances and Umi becomes engrossed in their dancing and singing, stealing glances at her groupmates to make sure they all go at the same rhythm, she can't help but forget about the painful and bitter feeling clenching her chest once she notices Kotori has gotten back her happy demeanor being next to Honoka.

Yet she can't forget about it completely, trying to do everything it's in her power to ignore the way the ash-grey haired girl looks at their best friend, wishing Kotori would also look at her in the same way. That she smiled at her in the same way…

Umi finds herself panting hard after finishing the practice, drinking a big gulp of her bottle of water when Kotori approaches her.

- Umi-chan, can... can we talk?

She asks her nervously and ever so quietly afraid of Umi's refusal, her hands trembling in a way that Umi has to bite her lips and refrain herself from doing something as shameless as to take them in hers to calm her down.

- Of course.

She simply answers her, hoping her soft and reassuring smile helps her best friend to calm down, seeming to success at it.

The walk towards the ash-grey haired girl's house feels painfully long, silence hanging over them tensely.

- I… I'm leaving to study abroad…

Kotori says quietly once they're in her bedroom, so quietly that Umi thinks she has heard her wrongly.

- Excuse me?

Umi asks an octave louder than usual, making Kotori flinch at it while on the verge of tears.

- I'm going to study abroad. An acquainted of my mom offered me a spot in a program to study costume design, and I... I've accepted... I'll be leaving in two weeks...

Umi can't help but stay quiet, letting her brain assimilate the shocking news of her best friend and crush leaving in a couple of weeks. Of not being able to see Kotori again until graduation, before she finds her voice to ask a question she wishes she didn't.

- Did you tell Honoka?

She can't help but ask, seeing Kotori shaking her head as the first tears run down her cheeks.

- Why?

- If… if I tell Honoka-chan about it, she'll convince me to stay.

Kotori says and the blue haired girl immediately flinches, feeling her friend's words like a dagger to her heart and what they imply. Instead, she turns around to hold the tears that threaten to fall upon knowing how Honoka seems to be the only one able to stop Kotori from leaving.

Upon how her energetic childhood friend seems to be the only one holding her crush's heart.

- So if I tell you that I want you to stay, it won't make any difference?

Umi whispers quietly, almost to herself in a painful tone.

- Huh?

- N-nothing. I… I think you should eventually tell Honoka. She deserves to know about it.

Umi says with evident pain laced in her voice, still with her back turned on her best friend afraid to turn around and crumble down in front of her, starting to cry and implore her to stay even if it's just for her…

Umi can't help but take a deep breath, before leaving the ash-grey haired girl's house with a broken heart upon the irremediable departure of her crush.

Days go by, before the day in which Kotori has to departure arrives, and the pain of knowing she can't do anything to make her stay, leaves room to a feeling of angriness aimed at Honoka. Of emptiness and impotence upon not being able to do anything but see the girl that holds her heart in her hands with such an angelic smile leaving for years…

A resigned sigh escapes the blue haired girl's lips as she waits with the rest of µ's at the backstage of the auditorium, before a brownish orange haired girl comes in running, slipping and falling flat onto her butt.

- Ouch!

She whines, but Umi, far from caring about her childhood friend, can't help but freeze on her spot, her heart beating fast against her ribcage upon the sight of her ash-grey haired crush walking right behind her childhood friend with a coy smile adorning her lips.

- Kotori…

She whispers enchanted, hopeful, still not believing she's there, seeing her best friend's smile widening as she looks at her softly, before stopping by her side to take her hand in hers and interlace their fingers together while the rest of their friends pay attention to the whining leader.

- Sorry for not considering your feelings and how you could felt about me leaving, Umi-chan.

Kotori whispers, and Umi finally sees a timid shadow of the way she looks and smiles at Honoka aimed at her.

- It's okay.

It's the only thing Umi can say squeezing Kotori's hand back, before they're pulled into a tight group hug, the cheerful laugh of their best friend echoing in their ears.

And maybe, just maybe, Umi finally has a chance for Kotori to see her in the same way the ash-grey haired girl sees Honoka, and in the same way Umi sees her.