Looking carefully at the x-ray in his hand, the doctor eventually let out a small sigh. "Well, it looks like you got lucky," he said to Haruna, who was sitting on the examination table. "There doesn't appear to be any substantial damage." "R-Really?" Haruna asked, surprised. "W-What about that loud cracking sound it made?" "If I had to guess," the doctor answered. "It was probably something to do with the already-present damage in your ankle and the force of impact on the track you were running on."
He put the x-ray down into a folder, closed it, then looked at Haruna. "I want to be very clear here," he said sternly. "What you did today was incredibly reckless. As I said, you got very lucky. If things had turned out any worse, you could be looking at a lifetime of walking difficulties. The fact that you're getting away with just needing a brace and careful monitoring for a month or two is practically a miracle. However, I can say with certainty that if you ever try something like this again, or experience really high impact to your ankle of any sort, you will cause permanent injury to yourself. Do you understand?"
"Y...yes..." Haruna said quietly, unable to look the doctor in the eye. Having it all told to her by a professional definitely helped to put the severity of her actions into perspective. "Good," the doctor said. "I'm going to go talk to your parents now, but otherwise, you should be free to go." The man then walked out of the room, leaving Haruna to her thoughts.
She looked down at her ankle. It was now covered in a thick, black wrapping that was sure to keep everything in place. Having had it put on before coming back to the examination room, Haruna had already experienced a bit of difficulty trying to walk with it on. "This sucks..." she thought, but really she knew she had no one to blame but herself. "If I had actually stopped to think instead of focusing so much on what Ikehara-san said..."
Haruna just hadn't been able to help it. Hearing Katsumi threaten Kanako had ended up giving Haruna tunnel-vision. All she had cared about was doing what she thought needed to be done to protect her. But... perhaps, if she had done more against the teachers, or made more of a scene with Katsumi, or came up with some other plan, or... The list went on. Now having the time to think, Haruna was feeling worse and worse about the outcome that had resulted. Really, the only good thing that had come from it was Kanako had gone on such a tirade against Katsumi that it had been impossible for Katsumi to do anything. "Then again, it's not like she'll stay away from Kanako completely..." Haruna thought.
She kept thinking as her parents took her home. Along the way, they both had several things to say to their daughter, but Haruna was hardly listening. At this point, she had already heard it all, and she felt like she had more important things on her mind at the moment. "Ikehara-san is bound to escalate even more considering she took things this far," Haruna thought. "I need to find some way to stop her."
To stop her. It sounded so weird to actually think something like that. "It's like she's become some sort of super villain or something," Haruna thought, and when thought of it that way, Haruna wondered just what she could really do. It's not like she had any proof that Katsumi was the one responsible for her current situation, and really, aside from being incredibly annoying, she hadn't actually done anything other than the blackmail and sticking too close to Kanako. The blackmail was one thing, but if Katsumi had actually stuck to her word, those pictures most likely didn't exist anymore, and when it came to her hanging around Kanako, Haruna doubted the police would consider it more than one girl wanting to be closer to another. "Not that I really want to get the police involved anyways..." Haruna thought.
In the end, it really came down to this being high school drama between high school girls, which meant it felt like it was up to Haruna to fix it. "After all, if I hadn't been so stupid, maybe it wouldn't have come to this," she thought.
For the time being, all she could do was focus on healing up, and to help her with that, Kanako came over. It seemed like she was still in a bit of a bad mood, but she did her best to smile for Haruna and to give her plenty of love and attention. It all made Haruna feel a little guilty, but when she mentioned that to Kanako, the girl just shook her head. "It's not like this is either of our faults," she insisted. "This is because of what Ikehara-san convinced you to do."
That seemed to be all Kanako really wanted to say on the matter. No doubt she had her own feelings on what had happened, but she wasn't letting those feelings slip out to Haruna. It made her wonder if maybe Kanako was coming up with a plan of her own.
Kanako stayed as late as she wanted, which turned out to be well into the night. The two girls had thought about maybe trying to have a sleepover, but between knowing neither of their parents would approve of it and the condition of Haruna's ankle, they decided it was probably best if they slept separately.
"Get plenty of rest," Kanako instructed at the front door. "And don't hit your ankle on anything." "I know, I know," Haruna said with a smile. "Don't worry. I'll take care of myself, okay?" "I'll probably come over tomorrow just to be safe," Kanako said, somewhat ignoring Haruna's assurances. "You're cute when you get protective like this," Haruna said with a giggle. Kanako blushed. "I-I just want to take care of you."
After saying their goodbyes, Kanako left, and Haruna headed back up to her room. Being as late as it was, she decided to just call it a night, so she got ready for bed and then soon slipped underneath the covers. "What a day..." she thought. A lot had certainly happened. Ending up injured though was not quite what Haruna had envisioned for her last sports festival. "Stupid Ikehara-san," she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
*****
The following Monday, Iwanai Municipal High School was a busy place, to say the least. First, students were met with a group of angry parents waiting at the front of the building. Some of them were there just to complain, as was the case after most school events, but there were several more that were there due to the surprise twist on the scavenger hunt.
While suddenly being thrust into a race that didn't really matter much to most of those involved perhaps wasn't that big of a deal, there were still those that wanted their voices heard on the matter. On top of that, for those that witnessed what happened to Haruna, it brought into question the school's priorities, and if they were doing enough for student safety.
"Geez, they really look pissed," Haruna commented as she walked past the crowd. "I-I feel bad for the principal," Kanako added. "Not so much for the teachers though."
In an effort to get ahead of things, the school had already taken action against the teachers who organized their little event. All of them were currently on administrative leave, which put the school in a tight spot when it came to needing teachers, but those making the decisions felt it was for the best until they could figure out what to do next. If the event had gone as they had planned, then perhaps it wouldn't have mattered, but with a student getting injured, the situation had changed entirely.
And of course, concerning that injury, there was another party to deal with: Katsumi. Naturally, plenty of people, students and staff alike, had witnessed Kanako screaming at Katsumi and blaming her for what happened to Haruna. With such an accusation being given, the school had a duty to investigate. They asked Katsumi about it personally (to which she denied putting Haruna up to anything), and made a personal visit to both the Nakatomis and Endos. Kanako and Haruna both gave their sides of the story, and to really demonstrate just how much of a problem Katsumi had been for them, they asked the school to talk to Chiyo as well. Haruna found out later that Chiyo hadn't spared a single detail when it came to describing Katsumi in full.
Thanks to all of that, Katsumi ended up getting suspended for a week. When she was told, she didn't seem all that bothered, but that was most likely because she had built up so much good will with her grades and other accomplishments that a short suspension didn't really matter much to her. How much such punishment would affect her future though remained to be seen.
"I'm just happy we won't have to deal with Ikehara-san for a week," Haruna said as they changed shoes. "She should be expelled," Kanako muttered bitterly. "C'mon, don't make a face like that," Haruna said, squishing Kanako's cheeks into a smile. "Aren't you angry?" Kanako said through her squished mouth. Haruna let go. "Of course I'm angry," she said. "But what's done is done. After everything that's happened, I'd really like it if we could just get back to normal days." "That might be awhile..." Kanako said, looking down at Haruna's ankle.
A very noticeable black brace was wrapped around it, and Haruna had to walk a bit awkwardly. What made it worse was that students were already glancing at her here and there, like she was some sort of spectacle. "Y'know, I'm kinda used to being stared at," Haruna said. "But that doesn't make it any less annoying." First she had been stared at for being an infamous bully of Kanako, then it was when she was on crutches for hurting her ankle the first time. "I swear, one of these days people will stare at me for a good reason," Haruna pointlessly promised to herself.
Making their way to class, they walked into a mostly empty classroom. Haruna and Kanako had left earlier than usual to account for Haruna's lessened mobility, but it appeared they overcorrected. "Huh? We're not that early, are we?" Kanako asked as she looked around. "Maybe people started taking days off now that the sports festival is over," Haruna said. With it being a class of third year students, the room was bound to start getting emptier sooner or later due to needing to prepare for exams and just simply having the option to not attend. "I thought they might wait a little longer," Kanako said. "The first term isn't even over yet..."
Haruna made her way to her seat and sat down. With so few people present at the moment, Kanako decided to take the seat next to Haruna for the time being. They started up another conversation, but just as they did, two girls who were also in the room came over to them.
"U-Um, Endo-san?" one of them said. Haruna looked up at them. "So, listen," the other girl said. "We've been talking about what happened to you all weekend, and like, we feel really bad." The first girl nodded along, emphasizing her agreement. "Why would you feel bad?" Haruna asked. "If you're just pitying me-" "N-No, that's not it!" the first girl exclaimed. "It's not pity, we swear! It's just... well, we all know how awful Ikehara-san has been to you, and when we heard Nakatomi-san yelling at her, it seemed like it made sense that Ikehara-san would try to hurt you in some way. We just feel bad because we knew what she was like, but we never stepped in. Maybe if we had said something sooner..."
Haruna was surprised, but she quickly slipped into a gentle smile. "Don't feel bad," she said kindly. "It's not like anyone really thought Ikehara-san would actually go out of her way to injure me. Sure, she's nuts, but I didn't think she'd ever actually go this far." "But still, if we had just-"
Haruna raised her hand, cutting them off. "Seriously, don't even think that. Really, it's true Ikehara-san is to blame, but I'm kinda guilty too. It's not like I had to listen to her, but I got swept up in the moment, and this is the result. So don't feel bad at all, 'kay?"
The two girls looked at each other, and then they finally smiled. "You know, I used to be scared of you Endo-san," the second girl admitted. "But now that we're talking, you actually seem pretty nice. Maybe we could hang out sometime?" "Sure," Haruna said, and then the two girls walked back to their seats.
For a moment, Haruna wondered if Kanako would be jealous hearing something like that, but when she looked at her, it seemed that Kanako was rather pleased. "Why do you look so satisfied?" Haruna asked. "D-Do I?" Kanako asked, realizing she had such a look on her face. "You do," Haruna said. "W-Well, I'm just happy that people are finally seeing your good side, that's all," Kanako explained. "You're not gonna get jealous and possessive?" Haruna asked in a teasing tone. Kanako pouted. "What kind of girlfriend do you think I am?" she asked, but then her expression shifted into a confident one. "Besides, why should I worry? It's not like anyone is going to take you from me." "I guess that's true," Haruna said with a laugh.
Not too long after that, Chiyo and Michi arrived, and Chiyo immediately made a big fuss over Haruna's ankle. It took a few minutes for Haruna to get her to stop. Once she finally did, Chiyo could only cross her arms in a huff. "Like, I can't believe Ikehara-san actually did that." "Chiyo, you've told me that exact same thing probably thirty times by now," Haruna said. The two had talked on the phone numerous times over the weekend, with Chiyo usually saying much of the same things she was saying now.
"I wish I could've visited ya," Chiyo said with a sigh. "If Chitose hadn't made me help her with her project or whatever, I totes could've." "I'm pretty sure she was just trying to stop you from bothering Endo-san," Michi pointed out. "But I wanna help tooo!" Chiyo cried, applying her overflowing emotions to Michi and shaking her back and forth.
"Chiyo, relax," Haruna said. "It's not like I'm dying or something." "Yeah, stop making so much noise," Jasmine suddenly added from behind Chiyo. "It's too early for ya and your antics." "Jas-chin, you're so heartless," Chiyo whimpered. "Our poor Haru-chi is the victim of a vicious attack!" "Haru-chi, ya in any pain?" Jasmine asked. "Not really," Haruna replied.
"Do ya feel viciously attacked?"
"I guess not?"
"Ya depressed?"
"I don't think so."
"See, she's fine," Jasmine said, turning back to Chiyo. "Jas-chin, I hope ya never go into hospitality," Chiyo sighed. "Really? I think I'd make a pretty sexy nurse though, don't'cha think?" Jasmine joked. "I bet I'd look better," Chiyo said, getting oddly competitive. "Oh yeah?" Jasmine said. "Hey, Haru-chi, you decide. Which one of us would look hotter in a nurse's outfit, me or Chiyo?"
Haruna stared at them as if she was thinking it over. "Hmm... Probably Jasmine-chan." "Yeah!" Jasmine celebrated. "Huh?! How?!" Chiyo protested. "She just gives off better sexy nurse vibes," Haruna said plainly. "What about me?!" Chiyo cried. "Don't I give off sexy vibes?" "You annoy me too much for me to be able to think that," Haruna said bluntly.
A wounded Chiyo stumbled over to Michi, who had sat down at her desk, and flopped her head down into Michi's lap. "H-Hey!" Michi exclaimed. "Get off!" "Comfort me, Mi-chan," Chiyo said, pretending to sniffle. "Tell me I'd look good as a sexy nurse." "I-I won't!" Michi sputtered. "Besides..." "Hm?" Chiyo let out, looking up. "Besides what?" Michi, realizing she had let too much slip, started blushing. "N-Nothing," she said, trying to get out of it, but Chiyo wasn't going to let that happen. "Besides what, Mi-chan?" she said in a soft tone.
Michi averted her eyes as Chiyo's face stared directly up at her. "Nurses... aren't really my thing..." she said, only loud enough for Chiyo to hear. "Ohhh?" the gal sang. "And what is your thing, hm?" "Ugh, just go away!" Michi cried, pushing Chiyo away by her face and shoulders.
Jasmine, Kanako and Haruna watched the whole scene unfold, unsure of what to make of it. "I'm just gonna ignore them," Jasmine said, turning to go to her own desk. "Um, where are Itsuki-chan and Mayu-chan?" Kanako asked her. "Oh, right," Jasmine said, stopping and looking back. "We were all walking together, and then Itsuki-chan got distracted by a cat and ran off after it, and then Mayu-chi tried to stop her and went after her." With that explanation given, Jasmine went to her seat.
Shortly after that, the teacher arrived and began class. He started by telling everyone about what had happened at the sports festival (not that anyone didn't know by now). He also went on to give vague details on what happened with the teachers involved, along with informing the class of Katsumi's suspension. That bit of news in particular seemed to stir the class, but the teacher was quick to silence them and continue on with other announcements. However, despite his efforts, there were those that kept talking about it.
"Ikehara-san finally got suspended, huh?"
"It'll be nice to not have her around for a week."
"She really creeps me out..."
"I'm scared of getting involved with her."
"Maybe she'll stop messing with people now?"
The whispers persisted, and Haruna listened to them all. "If I didn't know Ikehara-san how I do, I'd actually feel bad for her," she thought. But, Katsumi was Katsumi, and in Haruna's opinion, the way her classmates were talking about Katsumi seemed perfectly justified. "You reap what you sow."
*****
After a couple of days, the excitement of the sports festival had finally died out. Other than the substitutes filling in for suspended teachers, everything was back to normal. "I'm glad everyone's moved on," Haruna said as she and Kanako walked to school. "Too bad your ankle hasn't," Kanako said with a pout. "Come on, when are you gonna cut me some slack?" Haruna groaned. While Kanako was mostly in a better mood, she kept being sure to remind Haruna of her mistake. Though, while that sounded bitter and antagonistic, it was really just a means to an end.
"Hmm... I'll give you more slack if you give me a kiss," Kanako offered. Haruna smiled, shaking her head a bit as she leaned down. "How many times does this make?" she whispered. "I lost count," Kanako whispered back, their lips soon connecting. After a second or two, Haruna pulled away. "Y'know, it's not like you have to bring up my ankle as some way to get kisses," she pointed out. "I know," Kanako said. "But this way, I can get a kiss and vent a little, so it's like I'm killing two birds with one stone." "I-I really don't know what to say to that..." Haruna muttered.
Really, Kanako wasn't constantly reminding Haruna to be mean. She was just that upset about the whole situation. Thinking on it, Haruna really couldn't recall a time she had seen Kanako more angry than she had been on that fateful day. It made sense that that anger would still be present nearly a week later. "Although, I really hope she lets up soon..." Haruna sighed to herself.
*****
After school, Kanako had to work, and Haruna decided to go with her. Walking in through the alleyway door of Cafe Mori, they were met with silence. "Auntie Sara?" Haruna called. She waited for a second, but there was no answer. "Auntie Sara?" she tried again, but still no response. "What the hell? Where is she?"
As if the universe decided to answer for Sara, the door violently swung open. "Make way, make way!" a loud voice announced. "Supplies comin' through!" Whipping around to see what the commotion was, Haruna and Kanako both went wide-eyed as they saw someone carrying a towering stack of large, burlap bags. The bags themselves seemed to be packed full of something, and based on how the person was in such a hurry to move, it seemed they were quite heavy. In total, there were about eight of them.
The person rushed through the dining area of the cafe, slipped behind the counter, and then dropped the bags with a loud thud. "Whew!" the person sighed, wiping their brow. Taking a closer look, Haruna and Kanako realized it was indeed Sara. She was currently clad in a gray t-shirt, and a pair of dirty white coveralls, along with a ballcap of the same color being worn backwards.
Looking out toward the door, Sara noticed her niece and employee. "Oh, heya you two!" she said cheerfully. "Uh, what's going on?" Haruna asked, motioning to the area Sara was standing in. "Hm?" she let out. "Oh! Right! Y'see, a friend of mine in Jamaica happened to get all these coffee beans, and I told her about my cafe, and she sent 'em to me! Ain't that great?"
Haruna and Kanako both moved over to where Sara was standing and stared at the stack of bags. "Are they all different kinds?" Kanako asked. "Mhm!" Sara nodded happily. "There're all sorts here, and one or two of 'em are pretty rare these days, so it'll be a major draw here!" "Weren't those heavy?" Haruna asked. "No heavier than the tiger I carried across Cambodia for a few days," Sara said casually. Haruna and Kanako both wanted to ask about that, but before they could, Sara put them to work.
"Alright, help me get these put away, yeah?" she said. Kanako, being an actual employee, got straight to it, but Haruna just looked at her aunt. "Uh, I can't, remember? Hurt ankle?" "Ah, right, yeah," Sara said. "Well, are ya a customer then?" "I guess so," Haruna said with a shrug. "Alright, I get ya somethin' in a sec," Sara said, picking up a couple of the bags and carrying them to the back.
After moving all of the bags, Sara changed into a black t-shirt and black jeans, creating a very shadowy appearance with her black and green hair. She tied on a brown apron over her clothes, then went up to the bar where Haruna was sitting. "What can I get ya?" she asked. "Do you have anything lime-flavored?" Haruna asked back. "I got these lime bars just for ya, my cute niece," Sara said proudly. She bent down and pulled out a tray of what looked like cookie bars, but they were a faded green and yellow. "Here, have a couple."
Haruna grabbed a few and took a bite of one. "Mmm!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "This is great!" "Glad ya like it," Sara said with a smile. "U-Um!" Kanako suddenly said, having returned from changing into her own work uniform. "C-Can I have that recipe?" she asked shyly. Sara smirked. "Oh, I see. Sure, lemme write it down for ya."
Haruna continued to enjoy her lime bars, and for a moment, Kanako watched her. "She always looks so happy when eating lime-flavored things," she thought. "I don't really get why she likes it so much, but it is cute." Kanako kept staring, and soon enough, Haruna noticed. "W-What?" she asked after she swallowed. "I love you, my lime-obsessed lover," Kanako said, causing Haruna to blush. "W-Where did that come from?" she asked, but Kanako just hummed and walked away, soon beginning to wipe down tables.
Luckily there was no one else in the cafe at the moment, but the blissful time between the two girls ended soon enough as a few customers showed up. "Welcome!" Kanako greeted them cheerfully, and Haruna watched as her girlfriend worked. She didn't come to the cafe that often, so whenever she did, she liked to see how Kanako was while she did her job. "Not that she's really any different than usual," Haruna thought.
Haruna watched and watched, occasionally taking bites of her lime bars. It felt so blissful. If this could be her everyday life, she'd happily accept it. Unfortunately, there were two things standing in the way of that. The first was simply time. It would probably be a couple years until Haruna and Kanako could live the dream life they wanted together. They both had to go through the schooling they needed, then actually act on their plans. With that being the case, there was really nothing Haruna could do about that.
The second, and really more pressing issue, was Katsumi. She had gone so far as to injure a person (even if it was indirectly). The chances were good that when she came back from her suspension, she'd get right back to it, coming up with an even more extreme plan to torment Haruna and Kanako with. When this week was over, what was going to await them?
It made Haruna anxious just thinking about it. She wanted these blissful days to last, but it felt like they couldn't as long as Katsumi was around. "It's not like I can literally get rid of her," Haruna thought. "But is there really anything I can do?"
Simply put, Katsumi was smarter than Haruna. Whether it was measuring by academics or by cunning, Katsumi had the edge. That meant that this whole time, Haruna had been playing defense. However, it wasn't as if Haruna wanted to play offense either. She really didn't want to play at all. "Even if I did try to go on the offensive, what would I even do?" Haruna wondered. "It's not like I have anything to gain by going after Ikehara-san."
"Y'know, if ya stare any harder, ya might just burn a whole through your girlfriend," Sara suddenly said. Haruna jumped, not expecting to find her aunt standing right behind her. "G-God, you trying to give me a heart attack?" Haruna glared, not appreciating being broken from thought. "No, but I did meet someone in Malaysia once who claimed he was a heart whisperer," Sara said. "What does that even mean?" Haruna asked, but Sara shrugged. "Y'know, I never found out."
"Anyways," she said. "What's got ya tryin' to burn holes through things with yer eyes?" Haruna was quiet for a moment, then answered. "I'm worried about my future, I guess." "Your future?" Sara repeated. "Well, I guess it is that time in yer life for ya." Haruna nodded. "I'm just worried that I won't be able to have the peaceful days I want with Kanako." "This have anythin' to do with your recent injury?" Sara probed. Haruna fell silent.
In response, Sara gave a gentle smile. "I kinda heard what happened. Ikehara-san, right?" Haruna nodded. "That girl sure loves to give ya trouble, doesn't she?" Sara asked. Haruna nodded again. "Want me to go talk to her?" Sara joked. "N-No, you don't need to do that," Haruna answered seriously. Hearing such a serious answer to her joke, Sara put her hand on Haruna's head.
"It'll be fine," she said. It was hardly a revolutionary statement, but hearing it from Sara did make Haruna feel a bit better. "How can you be sure?" Haruna asked. "Because I have powers to see into the future," Sara said with a smirk. "I could actually believe that since it's you," Haruna said, getting a laugh out of Sara. "Well, I may not be able to see into the future, but I still think it'll all be fine," Sara said. "You two are just so connected with each other. There's no way that bond'll ever break."
Haruna's attention shifted back to Kanako, who was currently taking someone's order. It was true she felt like nothing would ever happen to them. Still, that didn't mean it was impossible for Haruna to not get anxious. Having Katsumi hanging over her head only made things worse.
But, Haruna wanted to believe. She wanted to, just like how Kanako had believed in her own feelings for so long. As long as they both held onto feelings like those, nothing would ever break them apart. "Come at us with your worst, Ikehara-san," Haruna thought.
*****
The following Monday meant one thing: Katsumi's dreaded return. The whole class (at least those who had arrived early enough) sat in wait as they stared at the door in nervous anticipation. What exactly would happen once she arrived? Would she remain relatively quiet like how she had been leading up to the sports festival? Or, would she cause a ruckus right away, going straight for Haruna?
There was conversation here and there, but really, Katsumi showing up was the only thing on all of their minds. And finally, when the moment did come, a hush fell over the room as a girl with brilliant red hair tied up in a ponytail walked in. Noticing all of the sudden attention, Katsumi stopped in her tracks, having only made it a few steps into the classroom.
She looked to the left side of the room, then the right, blinking a few times as she did. Once she was seemingly done surveying her surroundings, she gave a slight bow and simply said, "Good morning." Then she walked to her seat, sat down, and grabbed the things she'd need for class out of her bag.
Haruna and Chiyo both eyed Katsumi with suspicion. It appeared that she had no intent of starting anything at all. A few in the room began breathing sighs of relief, but as it turned out, that relief was short-lived. Chiyo stood up from her seat, marched over to Katsumi's desk, and slammed her right hand down on the surface.
"Hey," she said sternly. "Don't ya have somethin' to say to Haru-chi?" Being addressed, Katsumi looked up at the gal. Wordlessly, she also stood, then went over to Haruna's desk. Those who had released their breaths drew in new ones as Katsumi approached Haruna. It was a short journey, but each step felt like it was covering a vast distance (though in reality, Katsumi was walking quite casually).
She stopped right in front of Haruna, and in response, the girl seated glared up at her. "What?" she asked in an irritated tone. Having to deal with Katsumi right away after suspension was less than ideal. "Here comes her usual snarkiness or swear that she'll take Kanako from me," Haruna thought.
However, instead of either of those things, Katsumi bowed. It wasn't deep (reaching just short of a 45 degree angle), but it was enough to garner a few murmurs from the onlookers. "I'm sorry about the role I played during the sports festival," she said. Honestly, Katsumi's tone lacked sincerity, but it wasn't like she was being mocking either. Her voice just sounded almost monotone. Haruna had no idea what to make of that or what was happening in front of her.
"...uh, what?" she managed to say. Katsumi stood back up straight, then looked Haruna directly in the eyes. The expression she wore unsettled Haruna for some reason. It wasn't vicious at all. If anything, there was almost a bit of kindness to it. "I just wanted to apologize," she said. "That's all." With that being said, Katsumi then turned around and went back to her seat.
"What the hell?" Haruna muttered. She was completely baffled. "What just happened?" she wondered. "Did Ikehara-san actually just say sorry to me? And actually mean it? There's no way, right? She had to be faking it. That girl has never said a sincere thing to me unless it was something hateful. Does she actually feel remorse, or is this just part of another plan?"
Truthfully, Haruna was leaning toward the latter option. She had dealt with Katsumi enough at this point to feel that making such an assumption was valid. The question was, what could Katsumi gain by apologizing to Haruna? Was it to make herself look better for Kanako? "She obviously wants to hurt me in one way or another, so why would she apologize?"
It was a question that permeated Haruna's mind for all of the morning classes. She hardly paid attention at all as she kept trying to come up with some sort of reasonable answer. But, no matter how hard she thought about it, nothing came to mind that made sense. Katsumi hated her guts. Everybody knew that. One little apology wasn't going to make people forget that fact. "So why?" Haruna wondered. "What is she even aiming at this time?"
*****
"So, explain something to me," Haruna said. "Why the hell am I eating lunch with you?" As it so happened, Haruna and Katsumi were sitting across from each other in the cafeteria. They both had the same meal (a bowl of piping hot ramen and a side of rice), and Katsumi was just eating calmly like this scenario was completely normal.
After she swallowed, she answered. "I told you, I wanted to make up with you for being somewhat responsible for your injury. Buying you lunch is the least I can do." That explanation hardly satisfied Haruna. "Look, you being nice to me all of a sudden is honestly just creeping me out. Just tell me what you're after so we can get this over with."
Katsumi shrugged. "Is it so wrong that I'm trying to be nicer to you? Maybe you should try doing the same with me." "You've constantly tried to steal my girlfriend and are always insulting me. Give me one good reason that I should be nice to you," Haruna growled. "Karma?" Katsumi suggested. "Do I look like I believe in something like that?" Haruna huffed. Katsumi only shrugged again and went back to eating.
"This is so uncomfortable," Haruna thought. Just as lunch had begun, Katsumi had immediately went up to Haruna and made her offer. Before she could even refuse, Katsumi had grabbed her by the wrist and whisked Haruna away. Naturally, Kanako had run after them, but as soon as she caught up, Katsumi had shooed her away, saying she thought it would be better if she could make up with Haruna without anyone else around. That on its own sounded suspicious, but Katsumi kept insisting she wasn't going to do anything.
Kanako still hadn't wanted to leave, but eventually Haruna told her it would be fine. Really, she just wanted to make sure Kanako stayed away from Katsumi, but she had a feeling that Kanako had similar feelings about leaving Haruna alone with Katsumi. "I doubt she'll try anything in the cafeteria," Haruna had told Kanako. "What's she gonna do, pour hot soup on me?" While she said that as a joke, there was a part of Haruna that believed that could actually happen.
Regardless, Kanako begrudgingly listened to Haruna and went to join her other friends. Haruna had a feeling that if Kanako was around, she wouldn't be able to find out what Katsumi was after, so she was grateful that her girlfriend hadn't been stubborn. "Although, she ultimately only left after I promised I'd tell her everything afterwards," Haruna remembered.
Katsumi continued eating quietly, but Haruna was so bothered by the whole situation that she hardly had an appetite. "What, you're not hungry?" Katsumi asked suddenly, noticing Haruna's still-full tray. "Not with you around," Haruna said back spitefully. "Wow, rude," Katsumi said. "That's some way to treat someone who bought you food." "First of all, you did that yourself. I even told you I didn't want you to do that," Haruna said, annoyed. "Second of all, you said it was to 'make up with me,' whatever the hell that means when it comes to you, so are you really gonna complain?"
"...As much as I hate to admit it, we really are the same in a lot of ways..." Katsumi mumbled. Haruna caught what she said and was going to question her about it, but she had a feeling she wouldn't get a straight answer about something that sounded so cryptic. "The same in a lot of ways?" Haruna repeated in her head. "The hell we are."
*****
The end of school came, students making quick work of gathering their things and dashing out the door. Moving a little slower was Kanako, who felt a bit guilty with a request she wanted to make. "H-Hey, Haruna?" she said. The girl still sitting looked up. "I-I know I said I'd help you as much as possible, but, i-it's been awhile since I've been to the cooking club, and Takano-san was asking me just after lunch when I was going to show up again, s-so I thought-"
Haruna put a hand up. "I get it, Kanako," she said with a small laugh. "You don't have to make some speech to convince me to let you go to your club. I know how much you love cooking, so if you wanna go, then go. It's not like I'm completely helpless just because I'm a little banged up."
Kanako smiled, though she still looked uncertain. "But..." Her eyes drifted to Katsumi, who for some reason was still at her desk. She was just staring out the window, but Kanako was pretty sure Katsumi was waiting to make a move. Haruna happened to notice Kanako's concern. "Don't worry about Ikehara-san," she said in a whisper. "Whatever is gonna happen with her, I can handle it."
Kanako looked back and forth a few times before seemingly giving up her worry. "Alright," she said. "But you still need to tell me if anything happens." "I will," Haruna said, and with that Kanako was off. "Alright, guess I should probably go- huh?"
Haruna had no idea how it had happened so fast, but before she knew it, Katsumi was standing a step or two ahead of Haruna's desk, with not one, but two bags slung over her shoulder. "Hey!" Haruna shouted. "Give me back my bag!" "No," Katsumi said back casually. "I'm gonna carry it for you." "I don't need you of all people helping me out! Now give it back!" Haruna yelled, but Katsumi just shrugged. "No," she said again. "Now come on. You were going to go home, weren't you?"
Haruna ground her teeth. She wanted to just charge at Katsumi and take her bag back by force, but with her current condition, Haruna was pretty sure Katsumi would out-maneuver her. "Fine," she said harshly, standing up. Katsumi only blinked once at Haruna, showing no other emotion as she turned away and began heading for the door.
The whole way, Haruna trailed a step behind Katsumi. She didn't really want to be seen walking next to the girl, but Haruna was also pretty sure Katsumi was intentionally walking just fast enough to stay ahead. "What a spiteful bitch," Haruna thought bitterly.
It was weird. It was just way too weird. Katsumi had been the massive thorn in Haruna's side for months. No matter what Haruna said or did, there had been no getting rid of her. While that second part seemed to still be true, it was like Katsumi's personality had done a 180. Or, well, maybe that wasn't quite right. Katsumi's personality hadn't completely turned around. She wasn't being highly insulting, but she also wasn't saying much either. On top of that, Katsumi was being... nice? Was it right to call what she was doing kindness when it was being forced upon Haruna?
Haruna herself certainly didn't want Katsumi's help. The only thing her presence was doing was making Haruna more wary than before. "It's just too much of a change," she thought. "I mean, I guess she's not acting that differently, but it's still so weird."
Thoughts like these continued to float in Haruna's mind as they walked along the side of the road. However, as they kept going, Haruna noticed they missed a turn to get to her house. "Hey," she said, calling out to Katsumi. "We need to go back. My house is that way." "I know," Katsumi said, not bothering to look back. "What the hell?" Haruna said. "If you know, then get back over here." "I thought we could make a stop along the way," Katsumi said, still facing forward. "Nothing about the direction we're going is 'along the way!'" Haruna protested, but Katsumi just kept going, forcing Haruna to follow along due to her bag still being held hostage.
After another 30 minutes of walking, the two of them soon arrived at a small local restaurant. Outside in the window, there was a paper with the menu. "Oh hey, they do have bubble tea," Katsumi commented as she looked at it. Then she turned to Haruna. "Let's get bubble tea." The way she said that wasn't really in the tone of suggestion, but it didn't quite sound like a command either. Honestly, the way Katsumi kept speaking to Haruna was really starting to creep her out.
"I don't want bubble tea," Haruna stated. "I want you to give me my bag so I can go home." "I've heard it's good," Katsumi said without much emotion. "I don't care if it's good!" Haruna exclaimed. "Why would I want to spend any time with you at all?! Just give me my stuff!" "I'm going in," Katsumi said, waltzing right in through the front door and ignoring Haruna. "UGH!"
With little choice, Haruna followed behind. She stood off to the side as Katsumi ordered two bubble teas to go, then gave one to Haruna. "Here," she said. Haruna didn't want anything Katsumi was giving her, but she also had a feeling that there would be no way to progress unless she took the tea. "Whatever," Haruna mumbled, snatching the drink out of Katsumi's hand.
Satisfied (or at least as satisfied as Haruna could guess), Katsumi went back outside and started going back down the path they had come. "So what? You dragged me all the way out here for a stupid thing of tea?" Haruna grumbled. "There are some people that think bubble tea is pretty novel," Katsumi said in response, irking Haruna even more. "I don't give a damn about the tea!" she yelled loudly.
She stopped her in tracks, and fortunately, Katsumi decided to stop too. "What do you want with me?" Haruna asked angrily. "You have to be planning something! It's always something with you! Like hell I'd believe you just want to make amends or some bullshit like that!"
Katsumi was quiet for a moment before finally just shrugging, a motion that was starting to become common with her. "It's not my problem if you don't believe me," she said simply. "I've told you what I'm doing. I caused you pain, so I'm trying to make up for it. Isn't that what a decent human being does?"
"That assumes you're a decent human being," Haruna shot back. For a very brief moment, Haruna thought she saw a crack in whatever mask Katsumi was trying to put on, as there was a slight twitch of irritation in her cheek. However, Katsumi managed to suppress it as she spoke once more. "You said you wanted to go home, right? Hurry up." Then she turned around and started walking.
"I see right through you," Haruna thought as she followed behind. "I know you're up to something. It's killing you to be even this nice to me." That little twitch had been enough to convince Haruna. For some reason, Katsumi was faking kindness with her. "I'm gonna expose this fraud of yours and make you tell me what you're up to," Haruna thought defiantly.
The two girls reached Haruna's house, and Katsumi finally relinquished Haruna's bag to her. "I'll come tomorrow too," Katsumi said. "Don't you dare show up at my house in the morning," Haruna growled. "I won't let you infringe on my precious mornings with Kanako." Haruna was sure to phrase her response in a way that would draw a reaction out of Katsumi, but a little to her surprise, Katsumi didn't react at all.
"I doubt Kana-chin will mind having another pair of helping hands," she said. "I don't even need one pair, and I especially don't need another pair from you," Haruna said back harshly. Again, Katsumi shrugged, making Haruna wonder if that was one way she was using to suppress her more genuine feelings. "I guess we'll find out in the morning," she said. Then she left.
Haruna stood outside of her house for a minute as she watched Katsumi leave. The girl never turned around to look back at her. Haruna wasn't really expecting her to, but the way Katsumi just strode along fed more into the bizarre experience Haruna had had today.
"I give up," she thought, done with trying to figure Katsumi out for the day. Instead, she went inside, headed up the stairs and straight into her room. "Whoa!" she suddenly exclaimed. To her great surprise, Kanako was sitting on the bed, her back up against the wall as she stared at the wall across from her. Noticing the owner of the room had entered, Kanako looked at her with a pout.
"Where were you?" she asked like an accusing wife. Haruna sighed heavily. "That stupid Ikehara-san dragged me all the way to downtown just for some bubble tea." "Huh?" Kanako let out. "There's a place here that sells that?" "Apparently," Haruna said, dropping her bag and flopping down onto the bed. She laid partially on her stomach as she looked up at Kanako. "It was all so weird today. Seriously, what does she want with me?"
Kanako started running her hand through Haruna's long black hair as she answered. "Maybe she's trying to be nicer after all?" "Not a chance," Haruna said flatly. "Whatever facade it is she's trying to create, it won't fool me. That girl doesn't have a single good bone in her body, and I'm gonna prove it." "How are you going to do that?" Kanako asked. It was a simple question, but it made Haruna embarrassed. "I... don't really know," she admitted, burying her face in the sheets.
"Just don't get too involved with her, okay?" Kanako warned. "I don't want you to get hurt again." "Believe me, I want to avoid Ikehara-san as much as possible," Haruna said. "Although, if today is any indication, she might not give me much of a choice..." "Then we'll just have to fight her together," Kanako said. "Right..." Haruna agreed, though she was starting to feel drowsy. The feeling of Kanako stroking her hair felt really pleasant and calming.
"Hey," Haruna said. "What were you doing here already anyways?" "Oh, u-um," Kanako sputtered. "I went to club, but then I started getting worried and couldn't focus, so I decided to come here. I thought you'd be home, but apparently Ikehara-san dragged you around, so I just ended up waiting in here." "How did you get in?" Haruna asked. "W-We have a spare key to each other's houses," Kanako reminded her. Technically, they were spare keys for their parents, but Kanako and Haruna both knew the locations of them. "That's... abuse of power..." Haruna said, getting even more tired as Kanako giggled.
Looking down at her, Kanako noticed Haruna's eyes drooping. "If you're sleepy, you can sleep," she said. "I don't mind." "Thanks," Haruna said. "It's just... your fingers feel... really good... on my head..." Kanako giggled again. "That's nice to hear. I like doing this too, so I guess everybody's happy, huh?" "Yeah... I guess... so..."
Haruna still had a lot to think about and worry about, but before she could give all of it any more thought, she drifted off to sleep.
End of Chapter Twenty.