Love Live!! If Three's A Crowd, Nine's A Multitude!

Chapter 41

"It's Christmas Eve!" I sang around my house. My parents and I were sitting by the fire place. We ate dinner and just relaxed. I was supposed to go over to the girls' house in a little while. 

"Yeah while you're with your girlfriends, your mom and I will just be chatting with their moms." he said helping himself to another slice of apple pie.

"Leave some for me." I said grabbing my coat.

"Can't promise anything..." he grinned pouring some coffee.

It was about eight at night. The nine of them ignored me for the past two weeks. They wouldn't respond to texts or anything. But that was fine by me, that just meant more free time for myself.

Outside one of the neighbors was playing, "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas." The wind was calm blowing occasionally. I walked up the steps to their house. 

Opening the door I sang, "Merry Christmas~" only to be hit with a tense feeling in the room. "Whoops..." the mothers greeted me with smiles and nods as they walked past me to go to my house.

"What the heck is going on..." I said seeing some angry faces in the room.

I was ignored, actually it seemed like nobody knew I had walked in. 

"You guys knew?!" Chika exploded.

"Chika-chan listen we just wanted to-" Mari started,

"Don't Chika-chan me!" she warned, "You three knew, but you didn't even think to tell us?!" 

"But what could you have done?" Dia asked.

"I would've convinced them otherwise, that's what!" she yelled.

"Chika, this is for the best." Kanan stated.

"Best for us? Or easiest for you?" Riko shot back.

"What are you talking about?" 

"Onee-chan, why'd you not tell us?" Ruby said shakily.

"Ruby," Dia said softly, "If we told you before, you'd struggle to reverse the decision. We were saving you guys time and effort."

"Well you did a bad job of it because now we're pissed zura." Hanamaru glared.

"Stop being children, it's not like you've known him for that long." Mari sighed.

"Guys, it's only been six months... only half of a year." Dia stated.

"Well this has been the best six months of my life!" Chika said with tears in her eyes, "And I'm sure everyone else can agree with me!" the rest of the girls nodded.

"You're making this harder than it is!" Kanan yelled grabbing Chika by her shirt and lifting her up.

"Kanan! Stop!" Dia and Mari tried to pull her off of Chika.

"Don't you understand?" Kanan smiled sadly, "There's nothing more you guys can do..." she slumped over letting Chika go.

"I never thought my little demons could turn on me so quickly." Yoshiko said shaking her head. The second and first years put on their coats and ran out the door. Leaving me with the third years.

"So they are leaving." I started.

The three of them looked up at me, "Yes, they are leaving."

"What's the real reason you didn't tell them?" I asked.

"Our parents asked us not to." Dia answered. "They were so happy here that they didn't want to bring such a burden right away." 

"I don't understand why they have to go." I sat down.

"A parent's job is for them to do their best so their child can be successful." Mari said, "They're going to a college prep school." 

"So you're saying that this is what your parents wanted? Well isn't also a parent's job to make their kids happy? If they're happy staying here I don't see why they can't-" Kanan cut me off.

"Let me ask you this, if you really love them, what would you rather do, make them happy now? Or make them happy in the long run?" she asked.

"It depends on whether or not they can recover from their happiness taken away now." I countered.

"Shizuko, you guys are in high school, you will end up forgetting each other one day." Mari said.

"Are you implying that you guys will forget each other? Because I don't see why it's different with me." I raised an eyebrow.

No answer. 

"If they're not going to forget each other, then why would they forget me?" I asked.

"Don't you understand?" Dia smiled sadly, "They like like you. Each of them. That's why they can't leave, got it?"

"I-" I couldn't think of anything else to say.

"So make this easier for everyone, when they leave, don't keep in contact with them. Don't text them. Don't even text us. They'll get over it eventually." she sighed.

"But when they move out, please don't talk to them ever again."

Riko's POV

Chika-chan was mad, we all were mad. After storming out of the house on Christmas Eve we took off. The third years betrayed us. I looked around the group, no one was smiling.

We got to the park and sat on the benches. 

"Why didn't they tell us?" You wondered aloud.

"Whatever their reason is, it's bull crap." Yoshiko said angrily.

"The real reason they didn't tell us, is because they realize that their time with Shizuko is also limited." I said.

"You can say that knowing him for only six months is a short period of time, but this really has been the best half year of my life." You shook her head.

Ruby didn't say anything, she sat there with her head buried in her arms with Hanamaru comforting her.

You was also comforting Chika who mimicked Ruby. 

"Do you think we'll really be able to convince our parents?" Hanamaru asked.

"We need to, or else we may never speak to Shizuko again." Chika looked up with a confident look in her eyes.

"We do have five months." I commented, "But something tells me that this battle won't stretch all five months. At most maybe a month."

Hanamaru grinned, "Which is why we need to prepare now zura!"

And so we began preparing a way to reverse their decision. Because who knows what else the third years told Shizuko.

Morning everyone! Or evening wherever you are in the world! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I have a ton of homework so maybe no chapter tomorrow... But yeah thanks for getting this book to 6k reads!

If we ever get to 10k reads, what do you guys want to see? Leave suggestions of what to do for 10k reads...

Be safe! Mask up! And don't be stupid!

-Kazuya