Tomomi didn't understand the fear she felt as she stood just outside of the small café, peering through the window and at the group of students she was supposed to be meeting. She didn't understand why her footsteps stalled just outside of the entrance and why the nervousness ran through her as if it were taking over... At least, that was what Tomomi wished she could think and feel. She wished she didn't understand why she felt the feelings of fear over facing the entire group today; she wished she could forget the pressure she felt over the things she had said yesterday. But she couldn't
The brunette knew clearly why the fear coursed through her veins and why her hands fidgeted in a nervous manner, pulling at her uniform or pulling on the strap of her bag. She didn't want to admit it but Tomomi knew that the undeniable fear was because Tomomi worried about messing up and revealing her words to any of the girls. Even if she didn't say it directly to Mami, she knew the girls would tell the blonde. There was certainly no way any of them would be willing to keep something like that from Mami. No matter what, the blonde would figure it out eventually.
What was Tomomi scared of though? Was she scared of Mami's anger or was she scared of the idea that Mami might hate her for telling the police everything she knew? Tomomi wanted it to be the latter. She didn't want to feel far over the idea of Mami's anger potentially hurting her. Tomomi knew – she believed in – Mami and she knew that Mami wouldn't hurt her. Even if Mami didn't feel exactly the same way that Tomomi did, the brunette knew that Mami felt something. Mami cared and Tomomi would like to believe that the blonde would never hurt Tomomi if she truly cared for the teenager.
Tomomi should her head hard, her locks flying into her face and a heavy sigh leaving her lips. Enough of this. She had to go inside and meet with the others... She had to be more like them and face what could potentially go wrong. She couldn't be the fearful little girl anymore... She didn't want to be the fearful little girl anymore... She wanted to be more like Mami – more like all of them.
Attempting to steel her nerves, Tomomi pushed the door to the café open, hearing the light jingle of the small bell that hung above the little café's doors. Her eyes shifted around the building, seeing everyone inside enjoying their time in the peaceful environment. Her gaze made it to her own group, taking notice of what each of them were doing. She could notice Sumire and Yukako sitting side by side, a notebook in between them with Sumire scribbling something down on the paper and Yukako's eyebrows furrowed together in a combination of confusion and frustration.
Beside them sat Aina, pecking away at the keyboard on her phone before snapping it shut with what appeared to be a sigh and looked over at Mami. She gulped lightly, her eyes locking on the blonde who was seated back in the chair, an arm stretched forward and gripping onto the spoon she spun lightly in the heated drink. Tomomi couldn't help but notice the seemingly bored expression on Mami's face. Was something bothering the blonde or were the other girls merely annoying Mami? It wouldn't be the first time Mami had grown annoyed with her friends' antics, especially if something prior was on the blonde's mind and already making her feel agitated.
Tomomi shook her head again, moving her messenger bag further up her shoulder and walking towards the table. As she neared the group, she could hear Aina begin to speak in a low tone that sounded much louder in the quiet café.
"I'm sorry, Mami, but I can't track Haruna's phone," Aina said in a hushed whisper. Her words made Mami glance up to her but the short haired brunette received no response in return. "I don't understand it. In this day and age, it's not hard to track a cell phone's location. Anyone can do it and yet... I can't find a trace of Haruna's phone anywhere. It's almost as if someone shut it off completely."
The brunette could see Mami say something but the teenager had spoken far too low for Tomomi to hear. From the looks of it, Aina hadn't heard either. Her expression had changed to one of confusion, her head cocking to the side and a small 'what' leaving her lips. Mami never responded, only merely shaking her head and going back to directing her attention to the drink in front of her.
"Tomomi!"
Shock flew through Tomomi at the sound of her loudly spoken name, her footsteps stopping momentarily and her heart beginning to pound. She recollected herself quickly and moved farther over to where the girls sat at a table off to the side of the café, seeing Yukako smiling happily at her. Yukako pushed the notebook aside, almost looking as if she were happier that Tomomi had just given her an excuse to get rid of it. The brunette could only guess that Sumire had been trying to teach Yukako something, and that the teaching hadn't been going very well at all.
"You're a bit late."
The coldly spoken words made Tomomi's body stiffen a bit. She looked down at Mami, seeing that the blonde hadn't bothered to look up at her as she had said the words. Mami's words sounded odd to Tomomi. The brunette wouldn't say Mami sounded mad exactly but she couldn't say what Mami actually sounded like. She gulped lightly, preparing to counter Mami's response but was unable to before Hinako chimed in.
"Ignore her. She's just grouchy because she has a migraine and Sumire made her take aspirins for it," Hinako said, shrugging her shoulders as Sumire gave a small smile. Mami's gaze shifted to her, the blonde shooting the younger girl a glare. Hinako laughed at the look Mami had given her, waving off the blonde's harsh glare.
Tomomi stayed silent, unsure of what to say and shifting nervously on her feet. She wanted to say something yet at the same time, Tomomi didn't want to end up saying the wrong thing. It wasn't as if she could stay quiet forever though. Eventually, one of them would notice the quietness that was intense even for a shy girl like Tomomi. Eventually, one of them would become curious and ask her about it. Could Tomomi continue hiding it when one of them asked? Could she lie straight to their faces? Tomomi didn't honestly know the answer to that.
"Come sit down, Tomomi." The brunette could hear the softly spoken invitation from the youngest member of the group. She glanced up to see Sumire motion towards an empty seat at the table next to Mami. The blonde still hadn't looked up, seeming unfazed by everything around her. Tomomi nodded slowly, taking a few steps forward before sitting down quietly next to Mami, knowing full well that she couldn't exactly deny Sumire's light invitation to take a seat.
The brunette sat quietly, hands on her lap as the group continued their previous discussions. Aina had flipped her phone back open, muttering under her breath and shaking her head as she typed away on the handheld device. Across the table, Sumire had put the notebook back, receiving a groan from Yukako and a small giggle leaving Sumire's lips. Tomomi could hear another laugh fill the small space.
"I'll give you points for trying to help Yukako catch up," Hinako said. Yukako sneered at her before looking back down at the notebook, giving the pages a similar look. Whatever subject Sumire was trying to assist Yukako it, it certainly wasn't one that the pigtailed girl favored.
Tomomi saw Hinako look over at her, a small chuckle leaving her lips no doubt from the curious look Tomomi knew she had on her face. Tomomi's eyes darted down and away from Yukako and Sumire when she noticed Hinako staring at her.
"Don't forget, Tomo. Yukako and Haruna are coming back to school on Monday. They've been gone for a while and missed a lot... Sumire is trying to help Yukako catch up." Hinako's words were followed by a small giggle from Hinako and Aina, earning themselves a snort from the pigtailed brunette who didn't desire to acknowledge that comment with an answer.
"It would be easier if Yukako wasn't so stubborn," Sumire signed softly, allowing her head to shake from side to the side. Yukako snorted again from beside her, slamming her hands down on the table before sitting back.
"Let's be real, Suu. When are we ever going to need any of this? Most of the crap we're being taught right now is going to be completely useless to us in the long run," Yukako said, waving her hand through the air as if to dismiss to the subject. Tomomi could hear Sumire sigh again, a small smile coming onto the quiet brunette's face as she watched the friends in front of her.
"It may be useless in the long run but it's useful now if you ever want to graduate high school, Yukako," Sumire shot back in a matter-of-fact tone that caused Yukako to sneer at her. The pigtailed teenager was unable to answer though before a small laugh interrupted her.
"You know you're not mature when a fourteen year old is more mature than you," Hinako teased the brunette lightly.
"As if you're one to talk, Hinako," Yukako shot back at her. Tomomi had to admit that the back and forth between the friends was making her feel a bit better. It was almost starting to feel normal again to see the group of friends lightly teasing each other like this.
The normal atmosphere that had grown amongst the group was interrupted when the sound of chair legs scraping against the tiled floor caught Tomomi's attention. She kept her body still but glanced up, peering through the hair that hung in her face and turning her vision to the blonde who had pushed herself out of her seat. The brunette had waited for Mami to say something but the teenager didn't. Instead, Mami merely turned and left the table without uttering a single word from any of them.
Tomomi's vision fell back down to the table, her body squirming slightly in her seat. There had to be more to it. She remembered what Hinako had said but it couldn't just be a headache causing Mami to act like this. Even if Mami did get irritable when she was in pain, this felt somehow different to Tomomi. She couldn't help but feel like there was something more that she didn't know.
"Don't worry about her, Tomomi."
The sudden words from Aina caused Tomomi's attention to snap over to the teenager who had previously been typing away on her phone. The short haired brunette attempted to give Tomomi a reassuring smile but the younger teenager could swear she saw the falter smile. Did Aina even believe her own words not to worry?
"Mami just has a pretty big headache today and I think she's worried about Haruna and Rina. She's overthinking and bothering herself so she's put herself in a bad mood. It's common with her, you know this by now. Don't worry about her. I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow."
She wanted to ignore it but she couldn't. Tomomi could hear the way Aina's tone had faltered and changed as she spoke despite her efforts to control it. The brunette might not always be the brightest when it came to these things but even she could see that Aina worried for Mami's behavior that was odd even for the blonde. What was Tomomi supposed to say or do? There wasn't anything she could say or do. It's not as if Tomomi exactly knew how Mami was feeling.
Tomomi found her body turning slightly, just enough so she could peer over her shoulder and catch a glance of the blonde. Across the café, Mami stood at the counter, accepting a cup of liquid from the young teenager behind the counter. Without a word, she left the counter, moving back over to the table and causing Tomomi to whip around, her head bowing down and her body tensing.
Mami took her seat again without saying a word. It made Tomomi at least a little thankful that Mami apparently hadn't caught her stealing a glance at what the teenager had been up to when she walked away. Tomomi let her eyes close slightly, keeping her head down and listening to the careful movements of Mami beside her.
She desperately wanted to say something but she had no idea what to say to Mami.
***
"I can carry my own bag, you know." Yukako's words came out in a mixture of frustration and pride as she attempted to take her bag back from Aina who swiftly yanked it away from her grasp. The pigtailed brunette groaned in frustration, shooting a glare at Aina who only smiled.
"You could carry it, yes, but letting you do so would only hinder your arm's ability to fully heal," Aina explained. Yukako huffed, muttering something under her breath and backing away from Aina. A small smile slipped onto Tomomi's face as she watched them. She knew Yukako wasn't happy about her arm still being held up like this. She could only imagine the annoyance Yukako was probably feeling at the entire thing, and Yukako seemed like an easy person to annoy.
"We're going to get going now." The attention turned to Hinako who stood by Sumire's side, the youngest member giving the girls a small wave. "We're already pushing the limit on time here."
Tomomi watched patiently as the girls said their goodbyes, murmuring out here own. In groups of two, each of the girls left. Hinako and Sumire were the first to leave, a happy chatter going on between them. They were followed shortly by Aina and Yukako, the short haired teenager insisting on helping Yukako get home as Yukako continued to protest even as they walked away. Before Tomomi knew it or had a chance to react, she was slowly realizing that she had been left completely alone with Mami.
"Are you okay?"
The voice almost sounded foreign to Tomomi. It had to have been nearly the first time that the brunette had heard Mami speak to her that day. Mami had stayed silent for almost the entire day, with only small responses here and there. There wasn't much of a conversation to be had with the blonde today and yet here Tomomi was, standing alone with Mami and still harboring a secret that could make Mami hate her.
"Don't think I haven't noticed how tense you've been around me all day." As Mami continued to speak, it only made Tomomi's heart beat quicker. Of course Mami noticed. Why did Tomomi think she could hide it from Mami for even a second? Tomomi was never good at things like this. She still wasn't. She still hadn't learned all she should have from the girls by this point.
"I'm fine," Tomomi forced out in the happiest tone that she could manage. She turned to Mami with a smile that almost instantly disappeared when she saw the annoyed expression on Mami's face. Tomomi wanted to shy away from Mami but she kept her spot. She remembered Mami's words – every negative thing the blonde had said about herself. Tomomi was determined to change those thoughts; she was determined to help Mami see herself different. To do that, Tomomi knew she couldn't act scared of Mami anymore.
"If you say so." Mami ended her sentence with a shrug, sticking her hands into the pockets of her jeans and rocking back onto her heels. Her eyes looked away from Tomomi as the brunette began to fidget with her hands. She gulped hard, pushing herself forward. She needed to say something to Mami.
"Are you okay?" Tomomi forced the question out, attempting to turn Mami's own question onto herself. Tomomi remembered what Aina and Hinako had said but even so, if Tomomi could get an answer directly from Mami then she wanted to try. Even if she didn't get an answer, Tomomi hoped the inquiry would give Mami the idea that Tomomi did truly care for how she felt.
"I'm fine." Tomomi pursed her lips as she heard her own response leave Mami's lips. She knew she should have expected that answer from Mami but she had been hoping for a real response just once.
"Are you worried about something?"
"That really doesn't concern you, Tomomi." The brunette could hear the way Mami attempted to harden her tone but could also hear the way her tone softened even just slightly. It might not have been much but it did make Tomomi feel better. It was a start – no matter how small. Tomomi was determined to crack Mami's shell regardless of how long it took.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it right now." Tomomi made sure to say her words in the best cheerful voice she could manage hoping to make another scratch on Mami's rough exterior.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Tomomi knew it was Mami's attempt at changing the subject but she didn't try to stop it. She wasn't going to push Mami. There was no way Tomomi could push too far with Mami anyway. She had done what she could today and the tension had eased slightly. She didn't want to bring it back.
"If it's okay with you..." Tomomi responded meekly. The brunette heard a small laugh come from Mami causing her eyes to widen slightly. Any type of laughter was the last thing Tomomi expected to hear come from Mami.
"Come on then, let's get you home before your parents get home." Tomomi found herself nodding her head as Mami walked past her, patting her on the shoulder in a silent gesture for her to get moving. She spun on her heels following after Mami. Having Mami take her home did make Tomomi feel a bit guilty since the brunette knew her home was a bit out of the way from where they currently were but Tomomi did like it when Mami walked her home like this.
The girls' walk to the nearest bus station was a silent one, neither teenager saying a word to each other. As they walked, Mami's eyes focused ahead of her but her mind wandered. Why had Tomomi asked if she was okay? It had tempted Mami into almost telling Tomomi what was on her mind. Mami did want to find some release for the stresses that weighed down on her shoulders but she knew venting those stresses to Tomomi would be the worst thing she could do. Tomomi was fragile. She wouldn't be able to handle it.
Tomomi had been correct. Mami was worried about something – more things that Tomomi could probably handle worrying about for herself. It was why Mami had kept her silence on the matter; she didn't want to end up overwhelming Tomomi with too much negative information. Even if she did speak up, Mami wasn't sure if she would know where to begin.
Her mind was swirling with thoughts of everything that could possibly go wrong in the next few days. Rina... Mami hadn't had contact with her in days and now the only source of contact seemed to have merely vanished. Haruna's cellphone was the only way Mami knew of to get ahold of Rina and yet... It was like that phone had completely disappeared. Where was Rina? Why had the phone been turned off? Every thought about Rina made Mami feel a little sicker inside. It was her entire fault. If she had stopped Rina from going down to the offices that day... Rina would probably still be here with them.
Mami's thoughts would quickly shift to Haruna. The leader was supposed to be returning to school on Monday when her suspension ended... But would she even come back? There was a part of Mami that worried she wouldn't see Haruna on Monday. If Haruna didn't show up for school, it would only further fuel Mami's worries that something had happened to the headstrong leader. Mami could only hope that Haruna's parents had returned by now and intervened. She didn't hold much hope for that. Even if they had already returned, Mami didn't believe Haruna's parents would be quick to intervene.
Above all else though, Mami found her thoughts continuing to drift back to Tomomi. The fragile teenager was in no immediate danger but Mami knew she very well could be soon. Haruna and Yukako were not the only ones that would return to school on Monday. There was another group who would return as well and ultimately put Tomomi in danger. It had become clear to Mami that Rina wasn't going to return to school anytime soon and without Rina, Mami knew that Hana would be without a target. At least... Until the senior set her eyes on another.
When it registered to Hana that Rina wasn't going to be around for a while, Mami knew that Tomomi would become her new target.
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Word count: 3,580
It's been a while but I hope this chapter makes up for it~ ^.^ It's more of a filler/transitional chapter to the next event but it's still got a little emotional exchange going on between Mami and Tomomi. It's still got a little progress~
I hope everyone liked it~ ^.^