The long-awaited continuation has arrived. During these two weeks I managed to produce the second part of the story. Act 2 has already been uploaded to Minus, and due to some
anthology I had to change the title. So, there it is:
Act 2
“What should I do?”
Ryouko heard that phrase for what could be fiftieth or sixtieth time today. She lost count around twenty, but she was still worried. In the morning Naomi greeted her with an absentminded look on her face and muttered: “It’s already Monday…” After that she went to her office and every few minutes her voice could be heard.
“What should I do?”
At first, Ryouko tried to talk to her President, but she wasn’t even noticed when she entered her office, even standing in front of Naomi’s desk. After several failed attempts to communicate, she gave up seeing it won’t accomplish anything.
“What should I do?”
As the first period neared, Naomi didn’t show any signs of change, at least not for the better. Ryouko deducted that she won’t be able to attend any lessons, so she went to their teachers and told them that Student Council has some important matters to attend to and they probably won’t take the lessons at all.
“What should I do?”
As the lunch period neared, Naomi seemed to be more in panic and despair. Trying to keep an eye on her, Ryouko was filling some less important documents in the main Student Council room, hoping that Naomi’s state would improve. Feeling that it’s something about lunch, Ryouko has also anticipated the bell ring, and yet it managed to startle her, and after this sound dead silence and unease filled the room.
A few minutes into the break, Ryouko heard knocking on the door. She opened it and noticed the first-year she was asked to bring to Naomi on the very first day – Satou Yui.
“Go-Good day to you…” Yui managed to stutter.
“Good day. What brings you here?” asked Ryouko.
”I-I bro-brought this for Na-Na-Naomi-oneesama!” Yui, as nervous as she could be, presented a box wrapped in a green piece of cloth. “Co-Could you gi-give it to her?”
Ryouko’s eyes narrowed a little on the sound of
oneesama, but replied: “Of course.”
“Great…” said Yui in relief.
“Is there anything else?”
“No, nothing!” Tension overcame Yui once again. “Good day to you, Ryoko-sama!”
“Good day to you,” replied Ryouko and closed the door when Yui left.
With a slight chance of hesitation, Ryouko decided to give the box to Naomi.
“It was probably the cause of her state this morning,” she thought to herself. With that in mind, she entered Naomi’s office.
“Naomi-sama, it’s lunch time,” she announced.
Naomi flinched at the word
lunch and diverted all her attention to Ryouko.
Seeing her reaction, Ryouko said: “Satou Yui-san brought this for you a while ago,” placing the box on the desk. Naomi’s panic was gone and for a moment she sat there seemingly happy, but after that her look was full of anticipation and hesitation. Nonetheless, her mood has significantly improved. Relieved, but showing no signs of it, Ryouko left the room to eat her own lunch in a break from her work.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Yui, where have you been?”
“I just… had something to do.”
Surprisingly, Kaede decided not to press the issue further. After all, Yui looked much better than before the lunch break.
This morning, Kaede spotted Yui in the usual spot, but without her usual happy mood, despite the wonderful weather.
“Yu~i-chan!” she greeted her friend trying to cheer her up. “Good morning on this beautiful Monday!”
“Good morning, Kaede-chan…” Yui replied half-heartedly. “Monday, eh?” she muttered to herself.
After that, Kaede tried to start the conversation several times, but without success, and started worrying about her dear friend. Luckily, lessons kept Yui’s mind off whatever was troubling her, but a strange expression clouded her face every once in a while, and the closer to lunch break, the more frequently it happened. Finally, as soon as the bell announcing the lunch break rang, she grabbed her bag and dashed out of the room. After some time, she came back, much calmer but slightly swaying.
“Well, if you’re better, then that’s good. Let’s start on our lunches if we want to finish them on time!”
“Yes!” replied Yui in her usual, cheerful tone.
◇ ◇ ◇
Finally, the lessons have ended and everyone in class heaved a sigh of relief in reaction to the final bell for the day. Yui’s eyes wandered to the classroom doors for a while and she felt a slight sting of disappointment.
“Was I… expecting something?” she thought to herself surprised.
“Yui?” Kaede’s voice brought her back to reality.
“Ah, yes!”
“Let’s go home,” said Kaede.
“Yes, let’s go!”
“Yui, what’s going on?”
“Eh?” Yui exclaimed surprised at Kaede’s sudden question. “What do you mean?”
“You seem to be worried about something,” Kaede replied with a serious face. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing, I’ve known you long enough. Even now you seem lost in thought.”
“It’s not important, not anymore.”
“You have been acting strange ever since lunch on Friday… Did something happen back then?”
Yui’s cheeks have suddenly reddened, remembering her bold statement. “N-No, nothing.”
“Is that so… Well, I won’t ask you to tell me something you don’t want to…”
“I’m really sorry, Kaede-chan!” Yui said looking at Kaede and tearing up a little.
“I forgive you, I forgive you!” Kaede reacted frantically. “Just don’t give me that face, or I won’t forgive myself for bringing you to this! I just want you to know I’m here and I’m worried about you.”
“I know, Kaede-chan. But it looks like it’s over already, so you don’t have to.”
“Well, I believe you. But only this time!” Kaede said. “Next time, you won’t be able to get out with just a cute face!”
“What do you mean?” A question mark appeared over Yui’s head.
“You’ll see when it happens,” Kaede replied with a mischievous grin. “On the other hand, you shouldn’t bring me to that…”
“Kaede-chan!”
◇ ◇ ◇
The next morning progressed as usual. Yui and Kaede sat in their desks and started preparing for the upcoming lesson. Yui found an empty box neatly wrapped in cloth inside her desk. When she confirmed that the cloth is green, she hid it in her bag, feeling relief, happiness and a slight hint of disappointment.
“What happened, Yui?” asked Kaede noticing the look on Yui’s face.
“Nothing~” replied Yui. Kaede wanted to inquire further, but she didn’t get a chance to do so because of the first period starting.
◇ ◇ ◇
Today’s homeroom’s topic was club membership. It seems that some clubs can and will send their representatives to observe some first-year lessons to scout potential new members. Most students have graduated from Lilica’s middle school divisions and are already members of various clubs. Some of these students, such as Hanako, even managed to inherit the presidency at the beginning of their high school. Due to that, the number of potential new members is really low, so the school won’t allow for handing out flyers in exchange for the possibility of scouting.
“And remember, club membership forms have to be submitted by next Monday!” said their homeroom teacher right before the first period ended.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Kaede-chan, could you please stop?” Yui said in a pleading voice.
“Stop what?”
“Glaring at me like that!”
“Sorry, I can’t.”
“Why?”
“It’s your fault for looking so cute…”
“Well, Kaede-san has a point…” some classmates said with a giggle.
“Come on, Yui!” said Kaede. “You’re going to be late!”
Yui turned away and finished changing, sniffing every now and then.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Today we’ll be playing tennis!” the teacher announced in her usual loud voice.
“Huh? Tennis?” Yui asked Kaede surprised.
“Well, tennis is something our school is most proud of in terms of sports,” explained Kaede. “And our PE teacher just happens to be their advisor. Just look at all these scouts,” she said pointing at a small crowd of girls in tennis uniforms. “Is it me or they’re all here for you?”
“It can’t be!”
“Satou, make sure you try your share of this game!” Yui’s hopes were instantly crushed by the teacher’s voice.
“Yes, teacher…” she replied dejected.
◇ ◇ ◇
“You were great, Yui-san!” Right after the lesson, Yui was surrounded by a circle of her classmates and tennis club members. “Where did you learn to play like that?”
“No-Nowhere, I didn’t…” Yui started explaining, but was cut off by the girls around her.
“Imagine what would happen if you trained a little!” Their passionate voices flooded Yui. “You must become a member of tennis club!”
“Yes, most certainly!” another girl cut in.
“I-I’ll think a-about it…”
“Is something the problem?” a well-known, gentle voice appeared out of nowhere.
“Naomi-sama!” Girls encircling Yui have diverted all their attention to the Student Council president and her assistants.
“You seem to be troubling this poor first-year. She’s not completely used to our school, so give her some time,” said Naomi looking at Yui, who in turn started blushing.
“We-We understand,” the girls replied and started leaving. “But remember, Yui-san – you must certainly consider joining our club!”
“One more thing…” said Naomi as she approached Yui. “Take a look inside the box,” she whispered to her ear. “Now, go before you’re late!” she said out loud smiling gently.
“Ye-Yes!” replied flustered Yui and went inside the school building.
◇ ◇ ◇
Yui and Kaede went to eat their lunch in the school’s garden. Actually, it looked more like a park, with aisles, benches and lots of trees, and was commonly known as the “Rose Park” thanks to numerous rose bushes planted.
“But still,” started Kaede as they were sitting on a bench, “who would have thought you’d be so good at tennis? You’re very swift.”
“I-It’s your fault,” said Yui in a low voice, ”for ju-jumping at me all the time…”
“If that’s the case…” A mischievous grin appeared on Kaede’s face. “…I should help you keep your great form!” she exclaimed wriggling her fingers. Yui quickly finished her lunch and packed it, getting ready to run at any moment after noticing Kaede’s actions. However, Kaede’s advances were interrupted by the bell signalling end of the break and the girls started walking back to the building in a great mood.
◇ ◇ ◇
When they reached the classroom, Yui suddenly remembered about her other lunchbox and Naomi’s words. She took it out from her bag, unwrapped it carefully and opened it. The box was washed clean and inside she found a note written in neat/ handwriting, which said:
Thank you very much for this bento
, it was very delicious – you seem to have a talent for cooking. As a token of appreciation, I would like to invite you to a lunch with Student Council tomorrow, in our room. You’re free to invite a friend or two, if you’d like. Tsukahara Naomi“What’s wrong, Yui?”
“No-Nothing!” replied Yui startled.
“Really?”
“Yes, really...”
“...”
“...Actually, Kaede-chan,” Yui started after a while. “I was invited by Student Council for lunch tomorrow.” A serious expression appeared on Kaede’s face. “Would you like to go with me?”
“I’ll… think about it.”
“Really? That’s great!”
“You know I would never say no to you...” replied Kaede with a slightly strained smile.
The remaining lessons passed quickly and the girls left the school. Yui was as cheerful as usual, but something seemed to weigh on Kaede’s mind.
◇ ◇ ◇
On the next morning the class seemed slightly different, as a group of students encircled the teacher’s desk. Yui and Kaede decided not to interfere. As the crowd started to dissipate, it turned out that the commotion was caused by two students - Matsumoto Yurika and Sakurai Hanako.
“Yurika, please,” said Hanako. “Give them back.”
For Yui it seemed strange to see Hanako so agitated. Even though she has only known her for about a week, she certainly didn’t seem like a person so easily upset. What’s more, even Kaede looked surprised at the black-haired beauty's behaviour.
“No can do, Hana-chan. You’re the president now, it’s your responsibility.”
“But it’s boring! Let me return to my seat at least...”
“Not until you do what you’re supposed to do.”
“Yurika!”
Their argument was interrupted by a bell announcing the beginning of today’s first period. The arguing duo, however, remained at teacher’s desk, and waited for the class to calm down. As soon as most of whispers died out, Yurika announced: “As some of you might have noticed, our dear teacher is not here today. The reason for that is simple - we, the Girls Admiration Club, have negotiated to use this lesson for self-promotion, since only our class has first-year newcomers,” she said with a broad smile. “I’d like our beloved club president Hana-chan to say a few words...” In reaction to that, Hanako shot an angry glance towards Yurika, but stepped towards the desk anyway.
“As you all probably know,” she started with a slightly bored voice, ”we are the Girls Admiration Club. We do all sorts of activities - read books, play games, hang out... And, of course, everything involves girls. All kinds, of course - both cute and beautiful, cool and childish, princes and princesses, 3D, as well as 2D,” Her eyes seemed to shine a little, as her speech got more heated up. “Yes, that’s right - our club is committed to both 2D and 3D, and is a rather famous doujin circle specializing in...”
“Hana-chan, stop before you say something unnecessary...”
Hanako has calmed down and corrected her glasses before speaking again in her usual monotonous tone.
“Anyway, if you’re looking for a lifelong lover, a temporary partner or simply a place to hang out, you’re welcome to join our Girls Admiration Club. I’m sure you will find a fellow soul with similar interest and maybe forge an everlasting bond.”
“Thank you, Hana-chan-” Yurika was suddenly cut off.
“One more thing - don’t get deceived by Student Council! Once they have set their eyes on you, you’ll start losing every single bit of your free time and suddenly find yourself joining and surrendering your will to the President!”
“Hana-chan!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I got carried away a little.”
“It’s okay...” said Yurika as Hanako started retreating from teacher’s desk. “Well, if you have any questions, ask away. There are lots of people who can answer your question around you,” she added as they approached Yui and Kaede’s desks, much to their surprise.
“So, what did you want?” asked Kaede, as Hanako received a package from her friend and walked towards Yui’s desk, while Yurika came to Kaede’s.
“Nothing much,” the blonde girl replied with a wide grin. “I just wanted to convince you to join our club.”
“If memory serves me right, I have rejected your offer. Several times,” said Kaede in a cold voice, however Yurika managed to keep her composure.
“Now, that was then and now is now. If I’m not wrong, the situation has changed slightly.”
“What would you mean, Yurika-san?”
“You may not be aware of this, but our cute Yui-san has caused quite an uproar in our school.”
“
Our?”
“Is this really the part you should be stressed about? Anyway, it’s been only a week and yet she already managed to catch Student Council President’s attention. Rumours say that she seems more distracted than usual, and at the same time happier, and everyone thinks that your dear lover is the case for that.”
“And your point is...?”
“And my point is that if you both join Girls Admiration Club, we can help you prevent Student Council from snatching Yui-san away.”
“Sorry, but-”
“I know what you’re about to say,” Yurika cut off Kaede. “You won’t join unless she joins, right?” she asked pointing at Yui.
“Then if you know this, why-”
“I just wanted to let you know what we’re trying to do. What you will do with that information is entirely up to you, but let me tell you one more thing - in our club, you will receive full support, in exchange for all these middle school girls your presence will bring. Hanako, are you done?” she asked as she turned towards Yui’s desk.
“Yes. Let’s go,” the black-haired girl replied and they walked away in the direction of a happily chatting group.
Kaede watched them and as soon as she confirmed the duo is not paying attention to them, she leaned towards Yui and asked: “What did she talk about with you?”
“Nothing much, really. Hanako-san showed me some doujins, told me a lot about them and even forced me to borrow some. Maybe I’ll read them after school today...”
“Did she say anything about joining her club?”
“No, she just asked if I’ve chosen a club to join already, and I said that I didn’t... Is something wrong, Kaede-chan? You look very serious...”
“Oh no, nothing, really nothing. More importantly, the bell will ring soon, so I think we should prepare for the next lesson.”
“Oh, you’re right!” Yui replied and started rummaging through her bag in search of a textbook.
◇ ◇ ◇
Soon after the lunch bell rang, Yui and Kaede appeared in front of Student Council room, both nervous, but for different reasons. As they stood there pondering whether to knock or not, a small, red-haired girl appeared.
“Good day to you, oneesamas,” she said politely. “What brings you here?”
“Good day to you,” replied Yui. “My name is Satou Yui and this is my friend Takanashi Kaede. We were supposed to have lunch here with Student Council...” she said as she started losing her last traces of confidence halfway through her sentence.
“Ah!” the small girl exclaimed happily. “Nice to meet you. My name is Sanada Miyako and I am the Student Council secretary. Shall we come in?”
“Y-Yes.”
As they came in, Yui noticed that Ryouko and Naomi were already in the room waiting for the girls. Everyone took their seat near each other and Naomi said: “Since we’re all here, let’s start with our lunch.”
After all lunchboxes were unpacked and opened and everyone started eating, Yui started to look around, watching everyone. Ryuoko was sitting straight, but not stiff, eating her lunch consisting mainly of rice and seaweed. Miyako’s lunch was apparently a
character bento in a cute pink box. Naomi’s lunch was apparently an attempt to create one, and a failed one to that. However, she seemed to eat it just fine.
“Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks?” Yui thought to herself.
“Yui?” Kaede’s voice brought her back to reality. “Are you okay? You’re not eating your lunch at all...”
“Ah, yes, I’m fine,” Yui replied frantically and started inhaling her meal.
In the meantime, when Kaede finished her lunch, she approached Naomi and said to her in a low voice: “I don’t know what you’re planning, but...”
“I’m not planning anything at all. At least nothing dangerous nor suspicious,” Naomi replied as she finished her lunch.
“I’ve seen you in action several times, do you expect me to believe that?”
“This is a different matter altogether. I’m serious about her, and I intend to play fair.”
“That’s funny, because she’s also the one I’m serious about.”
“So we may not be able to solve this peacefully...”
Their conversation was stopped by a warning bell.
“Yui-san, could you wait a moment?” After Naomi asked that question, she met with Kaede’s glare, but neither of them said anything.
“Yes, what is it?”
When everyone else left, Naomi started fidgeting. “I-It’s about the lunch...”
“Y-Yes?” Yui shared a part of Naomi’s nervousness.
“We-Well, I tried making a
bento myself and... it didn’t... work out...” Naomi’s voice gradually grew smaller.
“...”
“A-And I wa-wanted to a-ask, if you could pre-prepare some more... for me... si-since the la-last one was really delicious... and...”
“Ye-Yes, I’d love to!” Yui nearly shouted in reply and blushed.
“That’s great...” Naomi sighed and sat down because of her trembling legs. “I was worried that you might reject me or...”
“I-I would never do that, Naomi-oneesama!” Yui found herself unable to control her voice again and turning even deeper red, while her saying
oneesama seemed to have an additional impact on Naomi, who started blushing herself.
“N-Now, go to your class, the break is about to end... As for the lunch, drop it by my classroom tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Yes!” Yui exclaimed happily as she left the room.
Naomi slumped on the table, losing every bit of strength her previous tension has left her. “I almost died...” she muttered to herself.
◇ ◇ ◇
“How should I surprise her this time?”Kaede was walking happily as she slowly approached her way to school, thinking of meeting Yui. However, her beloved one was nowhere to be seen. She decided to quicken her pace to look for Yui and arrived at the school gates early and waited there until she was nearly running late. Dejected, she went to the classroom.
“Kaede-chan, where have you been?”
“Yui?!” Kaede nearly shouted. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen you anywhere on the way to school.”
“Because I was coming to school early.”
“Why didn’t you tell me anything about it?”
“I think I sent you an e-mail...”
“Now that you mention it,” Kaede said as she was digging up her cellphone from a pocket, “I think I remember receiving a mail earlier in the morning...” She checked her inbox and sighed. “It seems that this e-mail got to me...”
“Kaede-chan, you’re still not a morning person, are you?”
“And you should know that by now, instead of sending me mails so early in the morning...”
“I’m sorry,” replied Yui laughing. “I’ll remember about it next time. You’re worrying too much, though.”
“Are you telling me I should not worry, when I cannot see my dearest lover?” said Kaede in an overly dramatic tone.
“Kaede-chan!”
Their argument was interrupted by the bell announcing first period.
◇ ◇ ◇
When the lunch break started, Kaede approached Yurika’s desk, much to the latter’s amusement.
“I think I know what you’re about to tell me, so hold on a minute...” the blonde girl said and beckoned Hanako. “Hana-chan, could you please occupy Yui-san for a while?” she said to her friend as she came by.
“Yes, of course,” Hanako replied without much enthusiasm and went towards Yui’s desk.
“Now we can talk in peace,” Yurika said when she saw Hanako showing her newest trophies to blushing Yui. “Just to make sure, what did you want to talk about?”
Kaede sighed heavily and said: “It’s hard for me to say, but...” she hesitated for a while. “...but I decided I could use your help.”
“Hm...” A wide grin surfaced on Yurika’s face. “What happened?”
“Let’s just say that Naomi-sama is more serious that I thought she would be.”
“
Naomi-sama? Looks like there is something lingering, isn’t there.”
“I’m not in the mood for that.”
“Right, right...” Yurika pondered for a while. “How about showing Yui-chan our clubroom?”
“When?”
“Today after school.”
“Sounds fine,” Kaede replied with another heavy sigh. “Let’s eat lunch before the break ends...”
◇ ◇ ◇
“Kaede-chan, are you all right?” asked Yui when the final bell for the day rang.
“Why are you asking?”
“You seemed to be lost in thought for a while…”
Yui stopped inquiring when she noticed Hanako on her way to their desks.
“Yui-chan, do you have plans for this afternoon?” she asked.
“No, I don’t…” Yui gave her a puzzled look. “Why are you asking?”
“Would you like to see our clubroom?”
“But Kaede-chan…”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” exclaimed Kaede. “Let’s go see it.”
“If you say so…” Yui said slightly hesitating. “Let’s go then.”
Hanako beckoned for Yurika and all four left the classroom.
They were led by Hanako and Yurika down to the second-years floor. On the opposite end was a passage to another school building. When they got closer, Yui noticed a plate on the door that read “Girls Admiration Club”.
“Isn’t this… a corridor?” she asked confused.
“Just wait and see,” replied Yurika with a wide grin.
Hanako opened the door and they all came in. As Yui suspected, behind the door was another part of the corridor with classrooms lined up on one side. However, some windows were covered and others had a different than usual interior.
“Well, this is our clubroom,” started Hanako. “Or, to be more precise, club building.”
“Club building?” asked Yui.
“This entire section contains classrooms for all the clubs in our school,” Hanako began to explain. “Originally there were various clubs, but at some point the Girls Admiration Club grew larger with its members devoted to various activities…”
“Well, you can basically say that our club swallowed most of the others,” Yurika said. “Like Hana-chan said previously, our club members can do lots of different things.”
“But what is the point in that?” Yui asked. “I mean, wouldn’t having many clubs be better?”
“It could be like that, but think about it in a different way. While being a member of Girls Admiration Club you can play games for a month or two, then go into cosplay, and after that photography.”
“Of course, there are people devoted to only one of these things,” Hanako said. “Once we discover them, we recommend joining a club that does it seriously. We’re not Cosplay Club nor Games Club; we are the Girls Admiration Club.”
“Quite a few people take up on such advice. But still, many of them keep their friends from our club so they hang out at our place, advising many girls on their interests…”
“Now I see,” replied Yui.
“We even have our separate home economics room and a regular kitchen,” said Yurika. “Let’s start with a tea, and we’ll show you around when the members gather.”
The tall duo led Yui and Kaede through the corridor towards the stairs on the other end. Yui looked different plates on doors along the way. Some of them read “Computer room”, “Music room” or “Photography room”, but some only had numbers on them and were shaped like hearts.
“While it’s good to have an entire building,” Yurika started speaking when they neared the stairs, “it’s definitely not built conveniently.”
Yui, suddenly thrown off her track, could only nod. They went upstairs and entered a room with a plate saying “Kitchen”. The interior was really modern. Yui got the feeling it was supposed to be a complete opposite of the Student Council building with its stylish, old-fashioned furniture. Hanako and Yurika started to prepare tea after they pointed to seats for Yui and Kaede.
“Would you like some cake to that?” Yurika suddenly asked.
“Ca-Cake?” reacted surprised Yui.
“Yes, cake. Made by our fellow students, no less!”
“I-Is it alright?”
“Yes, of course. It tastes as good as the ones made by actual patisseurs.”
“Th-Then I’ll have some… What about you, Kaede-chan?”
“Maybe I’ll have some too.”
Tea and slices of cake for everyone appeared on the table as Yurika and Hanako sat down.
“This tea is really good!” exclaimed Yui happily. “What kind is this?”
“This delicious blend was brought to you by Hana-chan!”
“Really?”
“It’s no big deal…” replied Hanako in a disheartened tone and took a sip of her tea. While her face didn’t show it, Yui noticed a small trace of happiness in her eyes.
They sat there silently eating cake and sipping tea and after a while corridors started to bustle with life.
“Well, since we’re done here, let’s go look around,” said Yurika standing up. She and Hanako cleaned up the cups and plates and everyone went out of the kitchen.
“On this floor we have manual activities rooms, so to speak,” started Hanako. “Next to the kitchen is the cooking room,” she said as they reached the door and opened it.
Inside were rows of tables with kitchen utensils. A rather large group was gathered inside and they seemed to be making some sweets.
“Ah, good day to you, club president, Yurika-san!” said one of the girls after noticing Hanako and the rest in the doorway. “Did you bring us some new members?”
“Unfortunately not…” said Yurika. “At least not yet,” she added with a grin. “We’re just showing them around, so we won’t bother you.”
“But it’s no problem at all,” said the girl. “Now we’re just waiting until it’s done baking.”
“Anyway, see you around. We still have other rooms to see.”
“Good day to you then.”
With that they left the room and headed for the next one.
“Here is the sewing room,” explained Hanako. “Unfortunately, it’s closed because there are only few members and they seem to be sick. I would show it to you, but I don’t have the key right now,” she said as they moved on to the next door with a plate that said “Art room”.
“It’s self-explanatory, isn’t it?” asked Yurika. “Let’s get in, these girls can be fun,” she added with her mischievous smile while entering the room. “Hey there!”
“Good afternoon, Yurika,” a voice replied inside the room. “What brings you here?”
“We’re just showing around the new members. Can we come in?”
“But of course!” the voice said and Yurika beckoned for the girls outside.
As soon as Yui entered the room, she felt the gazes of about twenty second and third year students inside. She tensed up waiting for some unkind remarks, but all she heard was…
“
Kyaa! How cute!”
Everyone in the room stood up and formed a tight circle around the first-year visitors in a rush, focusing their attention on Yui and measuring her with their eyes.
“Where are you from?”
“Where do you live?”
“What is your favourite food?”
“Do you like sports?”
“How about drawing?”
“What about your three sizes?”
The stream of questions seemed to have no end, but they were interrupted by Kaede.
“Step back, everyone! No matter who you are, I won’t allow you to treat my lover like that!”
“She’s cocky for a first-year.”
“But it’s cute too.”
And so the crowd dispersed with everyone laughing.
“Shall we move on?” asked Hanako.
“Ye-Yes,” replied flustered Yui and they left the room.
“The next one is doujin room,” Hanako started to explain. “I can’t show it to you, though, since they are preparing for the upcoming events.”
“What’s further?” asked Yui. “Because we’re only halfway through the corridor…”
“I could show you,” said Yurika grinning, “but Kaede-san might get too jealous, if you know what I mean…”
While Yui had trouble understanding what Yurika could mean, Kaede glared at the blonde girl, but Yurika didn’t lose her composure and continued: “Now, let’s go downstairs!” and they moved towards the staircase.
The second floor’s corridor was more crowded that the third floor’s. Many of the girls were just chatting idly by the windows, but some of them formed a circle around one of the rooms, where the plate said “Cosplay”.
“Excuse me… Excuse me…” Hanako tried to get through the crowd, but it didn’t go to well. However, thanks to that the group noticed the girls and cried “
How cute!” concentrating on Yui. Kaede, sensing that something bad is about to happen, immediately brought Yui to herself trying to keep her from being pulled inside the turmoil. Despite that, the crowd started to loosen around them and Yui once again found herself under the barrage of questions. While Kaede managed to fend off most of the girls, there was one question that shook her resolve:
“Kaede-san, would you like to see her cosplay?”
Upon hearing that, Kaede froze and started imagining Yui in all kinds of outfits, starting from various stylish yukatas, through catgirl costume, even maid. And then she whispered to Yui:
“Hey, won’t we come inside?”
“Huh? What are you saying, Kaede-chan?”
“It won’t hurt to take a look…”
“If you say so… Let’s go in then.”
Noticing them, Yurika and Hanako also stepped inside.
Once they went in, the uproar became more intense, once the older students noticed Yui. Kaede watched with mixed feelings as her friend was led to a changing room, while at the same time a group at the other side of the clubroom made adjustments to their newest costumes. In a short while, beet red, Yui stepped out from behind the curtains.
The commotion reached its climax upon seeing her, and even Kaede held her breath. Yui was wearing a black short dress with white frills and long sleeves. Her left stocking was white and right one was black, and she had similarly mismatched shoes. A black and white ribbon completed the gothic lolita outfit.
A new group, equipped with cameras, approached Yurika and Hanako.
“Club president, can we photograph?” one of them asked, but got no response from Hanako.
“Yes, go ahead,” said Yurika. “And make a bonus copy for Kaede-san.”
“Make it two,” suddenly said Hanako.
“Hana-chan?” asked Yurika puzzled.
“I said, I want a copy too,” repeated Hanako, gazing seriously at Yui.
“Hm…” An amused smile surfaced on Yurika’s face. “Well, you heard the president,” she said turning to the girl with camera. “Go ahead and shoot to your heart’s content.”
“Yes, thank you!” she replied and dove into the crowd.
“Kaede-chan, do I look strange?” Yui asked as she walked up to Kaede.
“N-No, of course not!” Kaede stuttered.
“What’s wrong with her, looking that cute? I mean, how is it even possible?”“Kaede-chan, were you hit somewhere?”
“Huh? Why are you asking?”
“Your nose is bleeding, rather intensely…”
“Ah, it’s nothing, it’s nothing. I get that from time to time!” Kaede replied energetically to hide her own embarrassment. Her face turned red, but not as deep shade as Yui’s, who got even more nervous hearing the camera taking photos of her.
“Anyway, this is something I have dreamed of for a while!” Kaede thought to herself.
“There’s no point being all embarrassed, I must remember as much as I can!”“Okay, that’s enough commotion!” Yurika clasped her hands to calm the crowd down. “It’s gotten pretty late, so we should let our guests leave in peace…”
Some people in the room voiced their slight disappointment, but everyone complied. Those who weren’t taking part in cosplay activities (apart from Yui, Kaede, Yurika and Hanako) left the clubroom and the rest started to clean up the scraps of fabric lying around.
“Then I’ll go get changed…” Yui started timidly.
“There’s no need,” said Hanako.
“But the dress…”
“You can keep it.”
“Is it really okay?”
“Yes, of course!” replied the club members. “Dresses are made to be worn, and we’ll be happy if you liked it. Did you?”
“Yes, I like it very much!” replied Yui.
“Then, it’s settled,” said Yurika. “Since it’s a dress made in school, the Student Council won’t have any problems if you go home like that. We have a certain… agreement with them,” she added with a mischievous grin.
Yui looked very happy. Kaede was overjoyed too, getting to see more of Yui in the frilly dress that seemed to suit her very nicely. Hanako stood there in silence for most of the time, unable to keep her eyes off Yui.
“Ah, look at the time!” exclaimed Yui looking at her small wristwatch. “I need to go home soon!”
“Then we’ll be taking our leave,” said Yurika and four of them left the school, separating in front of the gates. The tall duo went different way than Kaede and Yui. Hanako kept looking back at her classmate clad in black and white as her friend kept pulling her away. At some point Yui and Kaede also parted ways.
◇ ◇ ◇
When Yui approached her home, she noticed a familiar silhouette pacing back and forth in front of the building.
“Onee-sama?” Yui called out.
“Yui-chan?” the silhouette replied. “Yui-ch-” she froze in place the moment she noticed Yui and then she collapsed, blood gushing from her nose. Yui immediately ran to her.
“Onee-sama? Onee-sama!”
Once she confirmed that Naomi was alive, she decided to carry her to her apartment.
“What… What happened?” Naomi asked as she started to wake up.
Yui let out a sigh of relief. “You passed out in the street, Naomi-oneesama,” Yui explained, “and then I took you to my home.”
“I see…” Naomi said in reply. “Did I… Did I say anything strange?”
“No…” Yui gave her a puzzled look. “You only said
moe or something like that…”
“I-I see…” Naomi shifted her gaze to the side. “So this is Yui-chan’s home…” she started looking around. “Oh, were your parents okay with that?”
“I live alone, so there’s no problem,” replied Yui.
“I’m sorry, I-”
“There’s no need to apologize!” frantically said Yui. “I live alone because of school, that’s all!”
“Oh, I see…”
An uncomfortable silence ensued.
“Onee-sama, would you like to eat?” Yui asked suddenly.
“Now that you say it… I’m hungry, so I’d be glad to.”
“Then, wait here and I’ll go prepare something right away!” said Yui and took off for the kitchen.
Naomi was left alone in the room. She sat up on the bed she was lying on earlier and started to look around. Yui’s room was very tidy, despite its large size. It didn’t have much furniture, apart from a completely filled bookshelf, a rather large dresser, a small table with the homework laid out and a bed, on which Naomi was currently sitting. Then she looked towards the kitchen and noticed Yui in the black and white dress and a cute apron over it, happily preparing a meal. After a while, Naomi found herself unable to take her eyes off the cooking girl and just sat there, looking.
“Naomi-oneesama?”
“Huh?” Yui’s voice brought Naomi back to reality.
“Dinner is ready. Aren’t you going to eat?”
“Ah, right Of course.
Itadakimasu,” she replied, sat down by the table and they started eating. “What’s wrong, Yui-chan?” she asked after a while, noticing an intent stare directed towards her.
“Ah, it’s no-nothing…” Yui replied downcast. “Does it… Does it taste good?”
“Yes, very much!” Naomi replied with a kind smile.
Yui didn’t say anything, but she was noticeably happier.
“Thank you for the food,” they said in unison after the meal. “Well, I should start get going…” started Naomi and looked at her watch. “Or maybe not…”
“What happened, Naomi-oneesama?” Yui asked. “You look worried about something…”
“Ah, I just noticed it’s a bit late and I might have problems getting inside…”
“U-Um… Wo-Would you li-like to s-s-sta-stay over?” Yui asked blushing furiously.
Naomi sat there dumbfounded and after a while she asked: “I-Is this really o-okay?”
“Yes!” Yui cried frantically. “No problem!” Her face slowly turned an improbable shade of red.
“Th-Then I’ll ta-take you up on your o-offer…” replied Naomi in a small voice.
Girls shifted awkwardly while sitting. “I’ll go prepare a bath,” Yui said and left Naomi, who was too embarrassed to worry about anything, alone in the room. She sat there mindlessly, only listening to the sounds of Yui in the bathroom.
“The bath is ready…” Yui staggered into the room. “I’ll prepare the
futon in a minute and lend you one of my pyjamas.”
“Tha-Thank you for the trouble…” Naomi left for the bathroom swaying.
Yui, while looking slightly calm on the outside, was panicking inside.
“Why did I say it? Why? I’m sure it was unnecessary… Now she will think I’m a strange girl…” she thought to herself while laying out the futon. Then she prepared a change of clothes for Naomi and left it in the bathroom.
“Ahh, that felt good…” Naomi exclaimed with a sigh as she went out, but she suddenly tensed up as she noticed Yui and remembered the situation. “Ba-Bath is free…” she stuttered.
“Ye-Yes,” Yui also couldn’t calm down as she headed to the bathroom.
Naomi was once again left alone to ponder about her situation. The pyjama she got from Yui fit her almost like a glove, but it was slightly tight around the chest. Definitely relaxed because of the bath, she giggled at the thought that she was no better than a first-year. But then she remembered why did she even come to Yui’s home and hurried to her bag to take out the lunchbox from the morning. She then walked to the kitchen and washed it thoroughly.
When Yui went out of the bath, Naomi was already in bed.
“What’s wrong, Yui-chan?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. I just thought I heard the water running in the kitchen.”
“That would be me. After all, I came here to bring you back your box, so I thought I might as well wash it”
“Ah, I see…” Yui replied weakly and laid down in
futon after turning off the lights.
“Hey, Yui-chan…” whispered Naomi.
“Hm?”
“I think you’re admirable for living by yourself…”
“Naomi-oneesama…”
“And I really like your cooking. Do you think you could teach me a bit?”
“Yes! I’d be glad to!”
Naomi giggled at Yui’s earnest response. “Good night,Yui-chan.”
“Good night.”
◇ ◇ ◇
When Naomi woke up, Yui was already in the kitchen.
“Did you wake up, Naomi-oneesama?”
“Ah, yes, I did.”
“Wait a minute then, the breakfast will be ready soon. Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes, if it’s not a problem…”
“Of course not!”
Naomi gathered herself up and tried to take care of her dishevelled hair, but she didn’t have much luck with that. She noticed that Yui’s
futon was already folded and the table stood just like it did the previous day. Discouraged by the fact she couldn’t be of any help, she silently took a seat by the table, looking around the room once again. Feeling refreshed from a good night’s sleep, she noticed a lot more things than last evening, such as a small, white teddy bear sitting on the dresser or that quite a lot of books on Yui’s shelves were in fact manga volumes. She finished looking around right when Yui came back from the kitchen bringing their breakfast.
“
Itadakimasu,” they said in unison and started on their meals in a pleasant silence, where only chirping of birds outside was heard.
“It’s really peaceful here…” Naomi said, and Yui responded with a quiet nod.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Don’t worry about it, Naomi-oneesama,” Yui said when Naomi started collecting the dishes. “You should get ready for school.”
“Ah, that’s right…” she responded in a weak voice and went to the bathroom. “I can’t believe you’re ready at this hour, Yui-chan.”
“It’s just a habit of mine, onee-sama. I have also prepared our lunches and put yours in your bag.”
“Thank you, Yui-chan.”
After a while of silence, Naomi asked: “Hey, Yui-chan…”
“Yes?”
“A-About that dress…”
“Ye-Yes?” Yui felt her face growing hot, remembering yesterday’s embarrassment. “Di-Did it look strange?”
“N-No, I ju-just wanted to say that you looked great in it…”
“Ah…” exclaimed surprised Yui, red to the tips of her hears.
“A-Also, I wanted to ask…”
“Yes?”
“Where did you get it?”
“From the Girls Admiration Club…” Yui replied weakly, expecting some kind of unpleasant reaction.
“Ah, I see,” replied Naomi in a happy tone. “It’s great to know we have such talented students at our school…”
“Naomi-oneesama?”
“Oh, don’t mind me,” she replied with a giggle.
After a while she went out completely refreshed and ready for the day and they both left for school.
◇ ◇ ◇
“What a beautiful day!” Yui was overjoyed on the way to school. The day was indeed beautiful, with sun shining brightly, birds chirping and last cherry blossom petals dancing in the air. Naomi was also delighted, but for a completely different reason.
“It’s been a while since I walked to school like this...” she muttered.
“Did you say something, Naomi-oneesama?” Yui asked.
“No, nothing,” Naomi replied with a smile.
“Yu~i-chan!” Kaede’s voice reached their ears. Not long after that, Kaede jumped at Yui, who swiftly evaded the attack.
“Good morning, Yui-chan!” Kaede stood up and dusted off her uniform.
“Good morning!” Yui replied happily.
Kaede froze noticing Naomi, who couldn’t help but giggle.
“Good morning, Kaede-san.”
“Good morning,” replied Kaede with a strained smile. “What brings you here, Naomi-sama?”
“Me? I’m just walking to school,” Naomi said visibly amused. “Let’s go or we’ll be late,” she added with a smile.
“Yes, let’s go...”
“...” A heavy silence hanged between Kaede and Naomi. Yui didn’t notice that, since she was a bit ahead, so Naomi decided to take the initiative.
“It seems like your plan has failed...”
“...”
“What’s wrong, did you find some new enemies?” Naomi continued, not discouraged by the silence coming from Kaede.
“...”
“I don’t blame you. It was natural to turn to them since you’re up against me.”
“...”
“I thought that something like that could happen, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
“...”
“I don’t think you have a reason to believe me, but I can help you. I’m sure you know you won’t be able to do anything on your own.”
“...”
“We know each other. We have been working together. It will work out better than with the Girls Admiration Club...”
“...I’ll think about it,” Kaede finally said with a bitter expression on her face.
“Good. I have some things to do in the Student Council Building before the lessons start, so you’ll have her all to yourself. And remember: we don’t have to be enemies. Yui-chan!” Naomi called out to her kouhai.
“Yes?”
“I have some things to prepare, so I’ll leave here. I’ll bring back the box after school, okay?”
“Yes, of course!” Yui replied cheerfully. “Kaede-chan, let’s go!”
“Yes, let’s go!” Kaede attacked unsuspecting Yui.
“Kyaa! Kaede-chan!”
“Ahh, I haven’t had some Yui-chan in a while...”
“Jeez, Kaede-chan...”
◇ ◇ ◇
The lunch has passed without major events. Kaede tried to avoid Yui’s eyes, trying not to show her bitter expression after yesterday’s visit to the Girls Admiration Club and today’s meeting with Naomi.
After the final lesson, Yurika came up to Kaede’s desk, offering her photos of Yui in the gothic lolita dress while Kaede was trying to think of a way to decline her offer.
“Oh, come on, I know you want them…”
“I’m sure you will expect me, or rather us, to join your club after that…”
“Isn’t that a given? You were more decisive yesterday. What happened?”
“Are you serious?” Kaede let some anger slip through to her words. “You’ve been there yesterday.”
“Huh…” Yurika let out a sigh. “Before you get angry at me because of that, let’s ask Yui-chan for opinion first,” she said turning towards Yui, and Kaede following suit. What they saw, however, exceeded their every expectation.
Hanako was leaning over Yui’s desk, her index finger under her classmate’s chin, looking her deep in the eyes and closing the distance between their faces, eventually leading to...
*Chu*The whole classroom froze.
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