Original Published Date: August 2016
Edited Date: January 25, 2018
August 8, 2016 - Early Morning
"Good morning, Marie-san, you're quite early for school today," Hinako greets the pink-headed friend with a smile on her lips.
The pink-headed friend looks at Hinako from her desk and smiles back. "Good morning to you, too, Suzu-chan! I just felt like coming to school early today."
"Is that so?" Hinako takes a sit on her chair and takes out her Japanese Literature book from her bag. "Nothing to do much at home?" She grins.
"E-Eh? How did you know?" Marie blushes in embarrassment.
"I can see it in your face," Hinako lets out a small chuckle. "Though, today until Saturday is summer school, so you actually have something to do."
"Uwaah! Suzu-chan is teasing me!" Marie cries chibi tears as she places her head over her desk.
"Calm down, calm down," she continues to chuckle.
The south door to the classroom opens and came in Fūrin. As usual, he was holding his bag over his shoulders and walked towards Hinako and Marie.
"Good morning, Hinacchi and Maricchi," Fūrin greets with a wide grin on his face.
"Good morning, Fūrin-kun. You're quite happy today," Hinako greets back.
"Ah, yeah. I wanted to show this to you guys," Fūrin rummages into his pants pocket and took out a neatly folded paper. He handed it over to Hinako and she unfolds it. "The Ryuudou Temple is having the Tanabata Festival this Saturday."
"The Tanabata Festival?" Hinako eyes at the decorative poster that was in her hands.
Marie sat up and peeked over at the poster, as if she wasn't crying chibi tears earlier. "Isn't it a little late to hold the Tanabata Festival? It's usually held in July."
"Well, Fuyuki City holds it every August at the Ryuudou Temple," Fūrin explains. "Why don't we all go together after classes?"
"That sounds like a good plan, Fūrin-san," Hinako smiles in agreement.
"Yeah! I want to wear a yukata to the festival!" Marie exclaims, blushing in happiness and excitement in wearing a yukata. "Let's go together in a yukata, Suzu-chan!"
Hinako froze in her seat at the mentioning of wearing a yukata at the Tanabata Festival. Marie and Fūrin eyes at her carefully.
"Is there something wrong, Hinacchi?" Fūrin asks, raising an eyebrow.
"You are going to wear a yukata with me, right?" Marie asks.
"Well, actually... I, uh, don't normally wear yukatas during festivals. I wear casual clothes," Hinako explains, regrettably but it was the truth.
"What? Why? Yukatas are, like, meant to be worn during festivals. Especially for young girls like us," Marie said with emotion, emphasizing her point as she wore a pink yukata out of nowhere. Hinako and Fūrin's eyes blink rapidly while looking at Marie. "Yukatas are beautiful, a sight to behold during festivals! It shows the grace and beauty of every woman who wears it. And, love!"
"Uh, love?" Hinako and Fūrin asks in unison.
"I once wore a yukata and I wanted to show it to my middle school crush!" Marie starts to tell her tale of a one-sided love, all in monochrome cinematic form. "On a day such as the Tanabata Festival, I wore a beautiful black yukata adorned with bright flower patterns. I had my hair tied up and wore a little bit of make-up. I did all of it just so I could impress my crush and when I finally did, he said..."
"Marie-san, you look beautiful in that yukata," her crush said, blushing slightly. He was wearing casual clothes that day.
"R-Really? Thank you very much," Marie's heart starts to beat loud and clear. Her middle school crush is right in front of her, complimenting her. "I have something to tell you."
"Hmm? What is it?" He smiles.
"I... I... I like you!" Marie held her chest as she said those words.
Marie's crush just stood in front of her in awe, the blush not escaping his cheeks. When he finally came to his senses, a smile spreads across his lips.
"Marie-san..."
Cue a love song in the background!
Her eyes widened. "Y-Yes?"
"I..."
Her heart was beating so fast.
"I'm sorry but I'm already taken. It's flattering, really, but I'm already in love with someone else."
"Eh?" Marie blinks her eyes rapidly.
He held Marie's hands and his smile widened. "Thank you for saying that you like me. Don't worry, though, someone will like you, too."
"And that's how I got my first heart break!" Marie cries again on her desk, tears falling down like a waterfall.
Hinako and Fūrin releases an anime sweat-drop while looking at Marie.
"Uh, didn't you know that he was taken, Maricchi?" Fūrin asks as the edge of his lips tugged awkwardly.
"I didn't! Uwaah!" She just cried a lot more.
"Now, now. Stop crying, Maricchi," Fūrin places a hand over Marie's shoulder. She looks at it before meeting the cool gaze of her friend. "If I was that guy, I wouldn't turn you down."
Marie's eyes widened at Fūrin's statement. Even Hinako was surprised as she places a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in the shock. It sounded like Fūrin was confessing his feelings to Marie but it didn't look like he has feelings for the pink-headed girl.
"Fūrin-kun..."
His smile widens, turning into a grin. "That was a compliment, though. Did it sound like I was confessing?"
Marie froze and so did Hinako. Yep, it wasn't a confession or anything. Just one compliment.
"Ah, Fūrin-kun, don't tease me like that!" Marie pouts as she playfully punches Fūrin's forearm. Hinako can't help but laugh at the two. Even though it was a compliment, Hinako can't help but think that the two are cute together.
August 8, 2016 - After School
Everyone was already dismissed. Slowly, one by one, the student left the campus and went home. Others went to hang out for a while.
Hinako packs up her stuff and lifts her bag from the desk.
"Ah, Suzu-chan, me and Fūrin-kun were thinking about getting crepes today. Wanna come with?" Marie invites with a wide smile on her face.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Marie-san, the student council has a meeting today but I don't think it'll take long," Hinako said, a hint of sadness in the tone of her voice.
"We can wait for you."
"No need. I'll try to catch up instead," Hinako smiles a bit.
"Sure! We will wait for you," Marie looks at the blue-headed guy beside her and locks her arm to his arm. "Let's go, Fūrin-kun!"
"Hey, there's no need to pull, Maricchi!" Fūrin said, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks.
"See you later, Suzu-chan!"
Hinako raises her right hand and waves it. "See you later, too, Marie-san and Fūrin-san."
Fūrin turns his head a bit to look at Hinako. "Don't be too late, okay?"
"I won't."
Marie and Fūrin left the classroom and started to go to the crepe shop that was located a few blocks from Ahnenerbe. Hinako, on the other hand, started to walk towards the student council room where a meeting is going to be held.
Hinako ascended the stairs towards the second floor, where the student council room is located. On that floor, the classrooms for the second year students were also there. As Hinako turns left towards the hallway, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Hinako looks up, surprised to see who it was. "Douji-senpai?"
"Hinako? Watch where you're going," Gil said with a slightly irritated tone.
"Well, excuse me, I think it was you who bumped into me," Hinako retorts, an irk mark popping out of her cheek.
"What did you say? I did not bump into you!"
"Yes, you did."
Hinako and Gil sent lightning daggers to one another, trying to justify on who bumped who first. It was these moments that became normal for the two. It looks as if they are fighting but in reality, it was just one of those days where they'd just insult one another in a jokingly fashion.
"Anyway, where are you going, senpai? We have a meeting today," Hinako said, breaking the staring showdown.
"Hmph," Gil crosses his arms over his chest, an irritated expression was visible. "I left the student council room."
"But why?"
"You already know the reason why. Are you dense?"
Hinako plainly looks at Gil. "I know the reason? Really? Well, what if I told you that I don't know the reason?"
"Suzuhana?!" Gil was seriously about to headlock Hinako but that wouldn't look good, now would it? He restrained himself, releasing a heavy sigh. "I can't stand going to the student council room knowing that Mabu is there. I mean, seriously, why must they choose her as a student council representative?"
A light bulb lit up over Hinako's head, pounding her right fist over her left palm. "Oh, it's about Himeji-senpai."
"I'll headlock you right now," Gil mutters to himself.
"But, why are you afraid of Himeji-senpai? Why don't you just tell her off, like how you did to me before?" Hinako asks, remembering how the two of them would fight before.
"I'm not afraid!" Gil grabs Hinako's head and slowly tries to squish it. She, on the other hand, held his wrist, trying to take off his powerful grip. "Nothing ever fazes that woman, if I'll have you know. She likes me being mean to her. She likes me shooing her away. How am I supposed to push her away, huh?"
Hinako grits her teeth as she struggles to take off Gil's hand from her head. "Is it still about the time when she kissed you in front of a lot of people?"
And in that instance, Hinako imaginably heard something click. She stops for a moment in taking Gil's hand off of her head and looks up to the senior in front of her. Then, her face sunk in horror as she saw a burning aura behind Gil, showing an irritated and angry expression. Little did she know that she was already in a headlock from the irritated upperclassman.
"That was totally unnecessary!" Gil said, locking Hinako's head around his arm.
"S-Senpai?! Could you please let go of me?! You're strangling me, honestly!"
"Sometimes, there are things you are forbidden to say!"
"L-Let go!"
"Douji-san? Suzuhana-san?"
Gil and Hinako stops their insulting with one another and looked at the hallway to see Asura and Itsuka. Asura looked at them with one eyebrow raised up while Itsuka had a wide grin plastered on his face. Noticing that it was an awkward situation, Gil immediately releases Hinako from his arm and faked cough, trying to calm down his nerves. Hinako, on the other hand, fixed her collar and stood up properly.
"Hello, Souji-senpai and Seifuku-senpai," Hinako greeted with a smile, trying to start a conversation and erase the awkward atmosphere.
"Hello, Suzuhana-san," Itsuka's grin widens. "Does it look like what I think it is?"
"Huh? What do you mean, Itsuka-senpai?" Gil asks, sending a glare towards his upperclassman. "We're not doing anything in particular."
"What we saw says otherwise," Asura interjects.
"You two are getting along!" Itsuka exclaims, releasing happy, chibi tears from his eyes. "I thought this day would never come!"
"C-Calm down, Seifuku-senpai," Hinako raises up her hands in a calming manner.
"Hmph! Say whatever you want to say, Itsuka-senpai. She's still a mongrel and an idiot to me," Gil said before walking back towards the student council room.
Hinako eyes at the golden-haired upperclassman from behind his back. "Hey, that was totally unnecessary, senpai!"
Gil just ignores Hinako and proceeded to enter the student council room at the end of the hallway. Hinako returns her look at the two upperclassmen who still have questioning glares at her.
"P-Please, we were just kidding around," Hinako laughs mechanically.
The student council members discussed about the planning of the school's cultural festival, which will be held on October. They talked about what kind of activity they will have for the community and many ideas were given. The talk about the prefecture kendo competition was also discussed in the meeting. All of them wished Hinako good luck since Gil told them that they chose her for the female category of the competition. Mabu, who was sitting across from Gil, sprawled out her whole body on the table that separates her and Gil, trying to give him a hug while giving encouraging words (in a way). Gil did not take it too lightly.
When the meeting was done, Hinako checks her wristwatch and saw that it was only a quarter before five. She still has time to meet up with Marie and Fūrin at the crepe shop.
"Souji-senpai, Seifuku-senpai, I'll be going on ahead," Hinako said to her two upperclassmen with her bag over her shoulders.
"Sure, Suzuhana-san," Asura smiles at her. "I'd like to congratulate you again for being chosen in the kendo competition."
"Ah, thank you very much," Hinako bows her head.
"Make us proud, Suzuhana-san," Itsuka places a hand over Hinako's head and lightly rubs it. She lifts her head and smiles at the bearded upperclassman.
Gil was still sitting on his chair, arms crossed over his chest and ignoring Mabu's constant rambling. He looks at Hinako secretly, focusing on her smile. Truth be told, Gil always like to see the brown-headed woman's smile. She rarely did it back on her first days as a freshman. Somehow, he thought to himself, he helped her smile again. This causes a small smile to tug on his lips.
"Douji-senpai, I'll see you tomorrow for kendo practice," Hinako said as she looks at her respected upperclassman. She gave him a smile, which made his blush deepen but unseen.
"Yeah, yeah, see you tomorrow. Just don't get into trouble since it's a crucial period," Gil said, lifting his head to look up at the ceiling.
"I won't. And who do you take me for? I'm not clumsy."
"Heh. I take you for a mongrel," he smirks.
"You're as mean as ever, senpai," Hinako pouts. Then, she turns her heels and starts to leave the student council room.
"You're awfully nice to the new meat, Gil-darling," Mabu said, eyeing at Hinako as she leaves. "It's getting me jealous."
"Why would you be jealous?"
"It's because I don't want you to be friendly with any other girl," Mabu uses her fingertips to trace Gil's facial structure, to his horror. "I should be your one and only."
Gil stood up and glares at Mabu. "Will you just stop, Himeji? How many times will I tell you that I don't like you or anything?!"
"Himeji-san, I don't mean to intervene but," Asura steps in. "please do not force yourself onto Douji-san like this."
"Why?" Mabu stands up and places a hand over her hips. "Do you still care, Souji-senpai? After all, you're just Gil's ex-girlfriend."
At that moment, Gil snaps. He never wanted anyone to treat Asura like that. Even though they're already ex-lovers, Asura is still an important part of Gil's life.
"Shut up, Himeji! You don't know anything about Asura-senpai nor about our past! If you don't have anything nice to say, then shut the fuck up, you worthless, filthy mongrel!"
Everyone inside the student council room was astonished to see Gil snap like that. Usually, he doesn't get this angry with Mabu but this time, it was different.
Mabu takes a step back, her body was shaking in shock. "Ha...haha... Does this mean that you're still in love with Souji-senpai, Gil?"
Gil's eyes widened, calming his nerves down. He slowly turns to look at Asura and the two of them exchanged stares.
To be continued: (Summer) Chapter 24