#chikahono

“Hey, where did you go?” A voice that was unmistakably Kanan’s sounded and a moment later, Chika felt her hair being gently ruffled. “You was talking to you.”

“Huh? She was?” Chika looked up in surprise, finding You and Kanan had returned to her side. “Ah, sorry. I just got distracted. It’s odd to see Riko-chan go…” “Yeah, it’s just the three of us again, huh?” Kanan lightly pinched Chika’s cheeks, causing the girl to whine and duck away from her. Chika ducked behind You, using her as a shield. “What are you doing?” “Huh? I used to do that when we were younger.” Kanan said, tilting her head in confusion. “Yeah, when I was five! I’m not a kid anymore!” Chika said, her voice slightly higher than usual. Kanan raised an eyebrow. “I’ve noticed.” “Eeh?!” “Geez, you’re acting so distant suddenly.” Kanan complained, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Just a couple of days ago you couldn’t stop clinging to me. Sleeping with your head in my lap, on my shoulder, holding my hand…” “Checking you out.” You piped up, her tone a bit accusatory. “What?!” Chika exclaimed in disbelief. “It’s true. You stared at my boobs for five full minutes on You’s boat. I don’t think you even blinked.” Kanan pointed out matter of factly. “I guess it’s nice to be appreciated, even if it’s sudden…” “I did not do that!” Chika yelled only to remember they were in the middle of a train station. “You’re my childhood friend, practically my sister! It would be weird. If I was going to check anyone out it would be You-chan or...well maybe not You-chan because she’s my childhood friend too but...Riko-chan! O-Or um...Hanamaru-chan? No wait, that would be weird...just Riko-chan then.” She cursed Honoka’s attraction toward athletic girls. It was a real problem when that described both of her childhood friends. “Of course just Riko-chan.” You muttered with a roll of her eyes. She cleared her throat and spoke louder this time. “You really were checking her out though.” “Maybe I’m just...jealous of her boobs!” Chika suggested desperately. “Did you even think of that?!” Both You and Kanan looked skeptically down at Chika’s chest. It was unlikely. “No, you looked like you wanted to touch them.” Kanan disagreed. “Like the look Mari gets when she…” “Aah, no more talking!” Chika exclaimed, feeling a headache coming on. “Fine! Yes, you’re attractive. If I want to check you out, I will. You’re both attractive, that doesn’t mean I like you like that!” Noticing that Chika’s face was bright red, You decided to take pity on her. “Okay, let’s drop it. Let’s catch up with the others, Chika-chan.” --- Honoka gasped softly against Eli’s lips as the girl’s hand slid under her shirt, fingers splaying over her stomach. She couldn’t get enough of her touch, of the taste of her lips. Over the past few days Eli had gotten bolder and bolder, stealing kisses in the student council room when she was meant to be helping Honoka with paperwork, pulling her into a deep kiss before dance practice. Her hands were wandering too, travelling over Honoka’s butt and thighs. It was intoxicating, the way Eli touched her so intimately. They were in the student council room now, the door locked so that nobody else could get in. Eli had Honoka lightly pinned to the wall next to the door to make sure they were out of view. The moment they’d stepped inside, Eli had kissed her, gently pushing her back against the wall. Honoka had to admit that it was hot when Eli took control of her. More often than not, the third year was still somewhat tentative in her actions. Eli’s lips trailed to her neck, her right hand sliding to the back of Honoka’s thigh as her leg pressed up between the second year’s thighs. Honoka hissed softly, her head falling back against the wall.. “Eli-senpai…” “Mmm?” Eli gave a questioning hum, lightly nipping at Honoka’s neck. She could feel Honoka subtly grinding against her leg. Honoka reached out, playing with the top button of Eli’s shirt. Her bow and blazer had been discarded a few minutes ago. “Can I unbutton this?” Eli paused for a split second, surprised by the question. “Sure. Why?” “Because I want to see you.” Honoka murmured, lifting her other hand and making short work of the buttons. When it was unbuttoned, she darily pushed it off Eli’s shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Eli hissed at the cool air hitting her skin. She felt herself being turned and pushed to the wall, her legs lifted by Honoka’s firm hands. She let out a squeak of surprise and clutched Honoka tightly, instinctively wrapping her legs around her waist. “H-Honoka, wait. I’m too heavy.” “No, you’re not.” Honoka’s lips moved to Eli’s chest and she smattered kisses across the soft skin there, her hips pressing insistently against Eli. Neither of them noticed any noise outside of the door until it opened suddenly and they both heard Nozomi’s voice. “I told you I could pick the lock, Umi-cha...holy…” “What? Nozomi, don’t close the…” The door slammed shut and  Honoka was completely still for a moment, letting what had just happened wash over her. She dropped Eli after a moment, quickly backing away. “Oh no…” Eli bent to grab her shirt from the floor and quick pull it back on. She buttoned it up, watching Honoka in concern. “I don’t think Umi saw anything.” “I hope not.” Honoka said quietly. Eli was about to ask why she would care if Umi knew what they were doing if Umi already knew they were going on dates together when Honoka opened the door. Nozomi was standing there, blocking the door to keep Umi from entering. “Hey, Umi-chan.” Honoka greeted, running her hands over her hair to neaten it. “Was there something you needed?” “I wanted to see if you needed any help with your work. I know you haven’t been feeling very…” She wavered, not sure how to describe Honoka’s odd moods. “I just wanted to know if you needed help.” “No, I’m all done.” Honoka answered brightly. She was ahead actually, now that she had Eli’s help. “Oh. Then do you want to walk home together?” Umi asked hopefully. “Kotori already left but she said I should ask you.” “Um…” Honoka glanced uncertainly at Eli who averted her eyes. “Sure.” Umi noticed the look between the two of them and realized they must have had plans. “Do you want to walk with us, Eli?” Eli looked up in surprise, having not expected the invite. “If you don’t mind.” Umi shrugged her shoulders. She’d wanted to walk with Honoka but they were her friends so she wouldn’t say no to them. “What about you, Nozomi…?” “No thanks. I’ll walk home with Nicocchi if I can find her.” Nozomi said with a laugh. “This is one threesome I’m not interested in getting in the middle of.” “Nozomi!” Eli exclaimed, her eyes widening. Nozomi walked over to Eli and took her hand, tugging her a couple of feet away. “Elichi, you need to be more careful. You're lucky that I’m the one who saw you.” Eli sighed in response. “I didn’t expect anyone to pick the lock!” “Well she needed to get in, how was I meant to know you two were getting it on in here?” Nozomi asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s not a bedroom you know.” Eli growled under her breath. “I know. And just so you know we’re not even having sex so...it wasn’t like that.” “Sure.” Nozomi said sarcastically. “If you get off it’s still sex.” “Nozomi!” “Well I’m gonna find the ball of anger that is Nicocchi. Have fun you...three. Good luck, Umi-chan.” “Huh?” Umi stared after Nozomi as she walked out of the room laughing to herself. “Good luck with what?” “N-Nothing.” Honoka said with a blush. “Let’s just go.” Eli walked over to Honoka and took her hand, tugging her toward the door. Umi followed, frowning in confusion at their joined hands. --- It was only when Honoka reached the front door to Homura’s that it sank in that Umi was still with her. She had been so absorbed in their conversation that she hadn’t noticed. She was confused though, now that she had. “Do you want to come in, Umi-chan?” “Ah, no. I shouldn’t.” Umi said with a shake of her head as she stepped back. Her gaze fell once more to Honoka’s hand, clutching Eli’s. “I have some things I need to do. I promised Kotori we would talk.” “Didn’t she leave you at school though?” Honoka asked in confusion. “Ah, she texted me.” Umi said, thinking quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief as Honoka nodded, seemingly accepting that. “Do you need to talk, Umi-chan?” Honoka asked outright, deciding that being subtle hadn’t worked for her so far. “I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me…” “Eh?” Umi’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked quickly to Eli who was watching Honoka closely. “No, I’m um...I’m fine. I can’t right now.” “Because Eli-senpai is here?” Honoka let go of Eli’s hand and stepped closer to Umi. “Come upstairs, we can talk in private. You know you can tell me anything, Umi-chan. I know I haven’t...been myself lately but if there’s something bothering you I want to know.” “Of course I know that.” Umi stepped forward and hugged Honoka tightly, meeting Eli’s eyes over Honoka’s shoulder. The blonde looked confused, she noticed. As Honoka’s arms came around her, Umi allowed herself to linger in the embrace for a moment before she drew away. “If I need to talk to you, I will. I promise. I just have to go and help Kotori with something.” “Okay. Call me later?” Honoka requested quietly. She watched as Umi smiled and nodded in agreement before she wandered off. She felt Eli come up behind her, not touching her but standing close. “I hate this. I know there’s something she’s not telling me.” “Yeah. Maybe it’s private.” Eli guessed as she watched Umi’s retreating back. “I mean...it didn’t seem like you told her about us even though you mentioned her on our date…” “But that’s different!” Honoka protested hurriedly. “We’re not...dating or anything so we don’t need to tell anyone, right?” “Huh? But you said we are.” Eli said in confusion. “We don’t have to be a couple but we can try it out, remember? We can still date.” “I don’t know what the difference is.” Honoka admitted, turning to Eli once Umi was out of sight. “But I don’t think we’re...doing that officially. We’re just…” “Friends with benefits?” Eli interrupted, looking disgusted at the thought. “We’re just friends who fool around, right? Making out and stuff?” Honoka nodded silently and watched as Eli’s shoulders slumped. “I can’t give you anything else right now, Eli-senpai…” “You said we were just testing it out, seeing how you feel about it.” Eli took a deep breath. “I like you, Honoka. Do you like me? Not just physically. I think that’s what it comes down to...” “I do.” Honoka said quietly. “But I can’t date you. Or be with you, I just...need this right now. I need us to be simple and...I need you to not get too attached.” “Attached? Are...are you kidding me?!” Eli exclaimed in shock. “I didn’t mean it like that!” Honoka said loudly in frustration, taking a step back. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me! I’m attracted to you but I’m attracted to Umi-chan too! And a girl who looks like you too! And a redhead I know. And I like you and Umi-chan and Kanan-chan and Riko-chan because you’re all my friends so I-I don’t know how I feel or who I want! How am I supposed to KNOW?! This is all new to me and I don’t know what I’m doing, Eli-senpai! I don’t want to hurt you or Umi-chan like I hurt Maki-chan...” “Hey, calm down.” Eli stepped forward and took Honoka into her arms. “No labels, okay? Not with us. We can just...be us. Doing what we want with each other.” She pressed her lips to the top of Honoka’s head, feeling her nod against her shoulder. “Let’s go upstairs. It’s freezing.” Honoka nodded again and let Eli pull away and take her hand, leading her upstairs to her room. When they got there, Honoka numbly sat down on the bed while Eli paused in front of her. “Hey um..who are Kanan and Riko?” Eli asked curiously, remembering Honoka mentioning them. “Do I know them?” “No.” Eli sat down on the edge of the bed and let herself fall onto her back. “Can you tell me about them? Or is that too weird?” “Maybe…” Honoka couldn’t resist moving to Eli, lying on her side next to her. She lay her head on Eli’s shoulder, pressing close to her. “Kanan-chan is like...she looks like you and Umi-chan, kind of. She’s um...fit like you but she has Umi-chan’s hair. She has a big sister vibe and she loves the water. She works at a shack and she’s so caring. She’s always looking out for me. You would like her, I think.” Eli offered a small smile. “And Riko?” “Riko is just...she’s really pretty. She has red hair, darker than Maki-chan’s but she reminds me of Umi-chan too. She has her eyes and I feel safe with her, like...she would support me no matter what. Just like Umi-chan. She gets embarrassed almost as much as Umi-chan too.” Honoka admitted, a slight blush to her cheeks. “She plays the piano too, like Maki-chan. And she’s so passionate about her music. I really like that about her.” “And Umi-chan?” “Umi-chan is...my best friend. You know how she is, I don’t need to tell you that. I just...I love her. That’s all.” Eli hummed, playing with the ends of Honoka’s hair. “Honoka, are you sure you don’t like Umi the most? You talk about her a lot…” “Sorry.” Honoka mumbled, earning herself a gentle smile from Eli. “I’m just confused.” Eli hummed softly but fell silent. “Uh...do you mind if I ask you something? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” “I’ve never kissed anyone but Eli-senpai. If that’s what you want to know.” Honoka felt Eli relax, that alone telling her she had been right in her assumption. “I was wondering about that.” Eli murmured. She pressed her forehead to Honoka’s temple and lightly nuzzled her cheek. “What about Nozomi? Do you think she’s attractive?” “Nozomi-chan’s super hot.” Honoka said, turning slightly toward Eli. “And she’s so kind too. She helps me a lot. But I don’t like her in that way.” “But she’s your favorite, huh?” “Favorite?” Honoka echoed in confusion. “I mean you’re always going to her…” Eli said warily. “Whenever you’re worried about something. Whenever something is wrong you always talk to Nozomi instead of anyone else.” Honoka reached up, brushing Eli’s hair back from her face. “Eli-senpai is my favorite.” She leaned in slowly, giving Eli time to pull away before she kissed her softly. “You didn’t ask me to talk about you. When you went through the list.” “Why would I?” Eli whispered back. “I know about me. But if you want to…” “You’re bold.” Honoka murmured, still so close that Eli could feel her breath on her lips. “I like that you took action when you wanted me. And you’re so hot. Sometimes I’m just...so tempted to take you.” She brushed her lips lightly against Eli’s, noticing the girl was holding her breath. “To do what it says on the internet, to sink my fingers deep inside of you and make you feel good…” “You do?” Eli finally released the breath she was holding, a familiar warmth forming in her lower stomach. “Mmm.” Honoka kissed Eli once more but pulled back before the blonde could deepen the kiss. “I like you...sexually. And maybe romantically. But I love you as my friend and I think that’s more important.” “Well I love you in every way.” Eli said with a confidence Honoka wished she had. If she knew for sure how she felt about Eli everything would be a lot easier. “So my first time is yours. When you want it. As you said, it should be with someone I’m in love with…” Honoka swallowed thickly. “In love with? I thought you just liked me.” Eli gave a slight nod of her head. “I was lying about that.” Honoka sighed and looked down at the sheets below them. “I’m sorry…” Eli shrugged. “It’s not as if it’s your fault. You didn’t do anything besides be yourself. Maybe it’s my fault.” Honoka bit her lip and let her eyes drift over Eli’s form. “So you do want me to touch you?” Eli gave a hesitant nod. “Not if you don’t want to though.” “We could do...other stuff. We don’t need to go all the way.” Honoka said tentatively. Her confidence was lifted by the hopeful look on Eli’s face. “Take your shirt off. A-And your bra. Please.” Eli shyly looked away. “You can do it for me if you want.” Honoka’s eyes briefly widened before she nodded quickly. With shaky hands, she reached out and unbuttoned Eli’s shirt, helping her out of it. She swallowed thickly, taking a moment to look Eli over, taking in the sight of soft, supple looking skin before her eyes lingered on her chest. She pressed closer, her arms going around Eli’s torso so she could get her hands to the clip. “Is this okay…?” She waited for a nod before she unclipped the bra and carefully helped Eli out of it. “Shit…” Honoka breathed, her eyes wide with wonder as Eli’s bra fell from her hands. Eli cracked a smile when Honoka just continued to stare. “I don’t know what to think about that reaction.” “Sorry, you’re just um…” Honoka shook her head and looked back up into Eli’s eyes. “You’re really…” Eli raised an eyebrow as Honoka’s cheeks flushed slightly, her gaze drifting back to her chest. “Really…?” “I-I don’t know. Hot. Not hot, you’re…” Honoka struggled to find the right word, strong enough to express how she felt. “Beautiful. Yeah…” “You’re sweet.” Eli smiled, a blush crawling up her cheeks. “I’m just being honest.” Honoka said with a shrug. Eli was way out of her league, she knew that. “Um...can you lie down?” “Sure.” Eli trustingly lay down on her back and waited. After a few seconds, Honoka threw a leg over her and situated herself so she was straddling her stomach. Eli felt her breath hitch in her chest as Honoka’s fingers skimmed lightly over her stomach, pausing near her breasts. “You’re allowed to touch.” She said before Honoka had a chance to ask if she could. “Whatever you want.” Honoka smiled briefly before she leaned down and pressed a light kiss between Eli’s breasts. Looking up, she found that Eli’s eyes had fluttered shut. Experimentally she cupped Eli’s right breast in her hand, squeezing lightly while she trailed kisses over the other until she could take a hardening nub into her mouth, her tongue flicking against it. She remembered reading somewhere that it was a good idea to pay attention to that area. Eli gasped softly, her hand moving to the back of Honoka’s head, resting there lightly as Honoka nipped and sucked at her skin. “Yeah. T-That’s good, Honoka. Just like that.” She whispered, sliding her fingers into Honoka’s hair. Honoka drew her mouth away for just a moment and Eli hissed at the cool air. “Tell me what to do, Eli-senpai.” “Uh…” Eli blanked out for a moment as Honoka’s mouth returned to her breast. “I-I don’t want you to. I know you’re not ready b-but what if I touch myself? I’m so turned on, Honoka…” Honoka stilled completely for a moment before lifting her head. “It’ll just be under my skirt. It won’t be...you won’t see anything.” Eli hastened to reassure her, her cheeks flaming red. “Please?” “Alright.” Honoka whispered with a slight nod. “Do you want me to move?” Eli shook her head as her own hand travelled down. “Just lift up a bit.” She waited until Honoka had lifted herself on her knees before she slipped her arm under her and let her hand wander under her own skirt. Honoka watched Eli for a moment, taking in the way her eyes closed and her lips parted in a silent gasp. She could feel the wrist pressed against the inside of her thigh moving subtly, Eli’s hips moving slightly too. “How does it feel?” “Good.” Eli moaned softly, forcing her eyes open so she could look at Honoka. “It would be better if it was your fingers though. Can you uh...go back to what you were doing?” “As long as you tell me what you’re doing.” Honoka paused until Eli hastily nodded in agreement before she went back to what she’d been doing, her lips capturing Eli’s nipple once more. Eli hissed at the feeling and pushed her hand into her underwear. Remembering her agreement, she took a deep breath. “I’m...I’m just rubbing myself right now…” “Hmm?” Honoka looked up at Eli, meeting her blue eyes. Eli nervously licked her lips. She wasn’t used to this and she wasn’t sure she could manage dirty talk. “I’m...uh…” Honoka smiled slightly against Eli’s breast, enamoured by how much of a bumbling mess the blonde suddenly was. “It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. Just keep going.” Eli took a slow breath and then shifted her hand, slipping two fingers inside of herself. “Honoka, will you...do something for me?” Honoka looked up with innocently questioning eyes. “Take your panties off.” Doubt niggled at the back of Honoka’s mind but she didn’t want to say no, she was too caught up in the moment. She moved off of Eli and slid her panties off, tossing them aside before she moved back on top of the blonde. She hovered over her self-consciously. “Um...what now?” “Grind against my arm.” Eli ordered, seemingly forgetting about how embarrassing the situation was. “I won’t see you, I’ll just feel you.” She noticed a flicker of hesitation on Honoka’s face. “Come on, it’ll just be like doing it yourself. You’re just using my body to make yourself feel good. You want to feel good, right?” The way Eli was looking at her through half-lidded eyes, her hand moving at a lazy pace between her legs was more than enough to convince Honoka that she needed to say yes. “So...like this?” Honoka hesitantly lowered herself down until she could feel Eli’s arm against her. She gasped at the same time as Eli did. “Ah, that feels…” “Good?” Eli guessed shakily, moving her hand a little bit faster, her hips jerking slightly. “God, you’re so wet.” “H-Hey!” Honoka exclaimed flushed with embarrassment. “We’re even now.” Eli remarked with a soft smirk. Honoka wanted to wipe the smug look off Eli’s face but she couldn’t bring herself to try. Her hips were moving on their own, Eli’s arm acting as the perfect thing to grind against. She leaned forward slightly, gripping the blankets beneath the blonde for stability. “Wait…” Eli lifted her free hand and used it to quickly pull Honoka’s untied ribbon completely off before she unfastened the top three buttons of her shirt. “That’s better…” Honoka felt Eli’s free hand grasp her shoulder, keeping her pushed slightly back and keeping her stabilized. She was grateful for the support. Even now her knees were trembling beneath her. She whimpered as Eli’s wrist pressed up against her. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, focusing on the movement of her hips against the blonde. “Fuck.” Eli swore, planting her feet against the bed to steady herself as she quickened the speed of her fingers. “You’re so hot, Honoka. Just keep going. Just like that.” Honoka’s eyes opened for a moment, briefly meeting Eli’s before they closed again and Honoka doubled her efforts, moaning unashamedly as she continued to grind down against Eli’s arm. “Eli-senpai, I think I’m…” “It’s okay.” Eli’s grip on Honoka’s shoulder tightened and she focused on her face. “Just go with it.” With one last push of her hips, Honoka felt a rush of pleasure, her hips jerking as if of their own accord against Eli’s wrist. Eli watched in awe as Honoka threw her head back slightly, her lip still tucked between her teeth. The sight was enough to get her to follow Honoka to climax and she moaned loudly as it hit her, her hips jerking up against her fingers. She kept her eyes on Honoka as pleasure washed over her in waves before finally stopping. She slumped down and let Honoka fall forward on top of her. Honoka tucked her face into Eli’s neck, breathing heavily. “That was…” “Hot.” Eli finished, lightly rubbing Honoka’s back. “This is as far as we can go though. We can’t go past third base.” “Hmm?” Honoka didn’t bother to lift her head. “So this still doesn’t count as sex?” Eli shook her head. “It’s not sex unless my fingers are inside of you. And we’re definitely not doing that until you’re ready. Just think of this as...mutual masturbation.” Honoka wasn’t sure she was inclined to agree. She moved off Eli, lying on her side next to her instead. “That’s the first time I’ve ever…” “Well I must be good.” Eli grinned as she grabbed some blankets and tugged them over them. “Do you do it a lot?” Honoka asked curiously. She sighed in relief, feeling Eli’s warmth press against her back, an arm going around her waist. “A lot more than I did.” Eli gently kissed Honoka’s cheek. “Now that we have this no labels thing going on. It’s hard not to.” Honoka smiled at hearing that. She liked that it was so easy with Eli. She reached down and took Eli’s hand, drawing it to her chest. “I really like you, Eli-senpai. As someone I do this kind of thing with. But I love you too, as my friend. I love you and I like you.” Eli chuckled softly against Honoka’s back. “Well I love you and I love you.” She felt Honoka tremble in her arms with silent laughter. “You really are new to this, huh? It’s so adorable.”

That was nothing compared to now though, when Honoka had Eli pinned to the wall up on the roof, around the corner so that nobody could see what they were doing. It was risky but Honoka didn’t seem to care. She had Eli’s hands trapped to the wall at either side of her head and she was kissing her deeply, pressing their bodies flush together, her knee rising up between Eli’s legs to press against her. 

“H-Honoka, wait…” Eli turned her head slightly though Honoka wasn’t discouraged and began to kiss her way down to her neck instead. “We could get caught.” “No, we won’t.” Honoka mumbled, kissing and sucking lightly at Eli’s skin. “Who could blame me anyway, you’re so…” Eli gasped in surprise as Honoka’s hands travelled down, over her ass to the backs of her thighs. She bit her lip as she looked at the skin on display. They were in their training outfits so Honoka was wearing her off the shoulder display. Eli couldn’t help but think about exploring the expanse of skin with her mouth. “H-Honoka, come on. You’re driving me crazy…” “Mmm?” Honoka hummed innocently, pressing closer to Eli. Eli’s eyes slid shut as Honoka’s lips roamed over her throat and upper chest. Her hand slid around from Eli’s back to her front and she pressed her fingers between Eli’s legs, rubbing insistently. Eli bit down on her lower lip to supress a moan. “Honoka…” “It won’t count if it’s over your shorts, right?” Honoka whispered, recalling what Eli had said about that. “Or your panties.” Eli whimpered despite herself as Honoka’s touch became firmer and more confident with every swipe. Unwittingly she began to grind her hips forward into the touch. In the back of her mind she worried about what would happen if someone caught them but the pleasure she was receiving far outweighed any niggling concerns. “You’re so hot, Senpai…” Honoka whispered huskily, dragging her free hand up and under Eli’s shirt to make contact with warm skin. “I can’t keep my hands off you, you’re so…” “Fuck.” Eli whimpered as Honoka trailed off and bit down on her neck. Her arms went around Honoka’s shoulders for stability and she pulled her close just as she heard the door open around the corner. Quickly, Honoka pulled away from her and righted herself, smoothing her hair down. “Honoka?” Maki’s voice called as Eli straightened herself up on trembling legs. She quickly swiped her fingers over her neck as if to feel if she had any marks. “Huh, I’m sure she was here…” Honoka shot Eli a look of regret before she walked around the corner. “Hey, Maki-chan. What’s going on?” Maki did a double take as Honoka appeared, seemingly from out of nowhere. “Hey, what were you…” She trailed off for a moment as Eli followed Honoka out from around the corner. “Doing?” “N-Nothing?” Honoka stuttered uncertainly. Maki raised an eyebrow at the two of them but she was kept from speaking by the door opening behind her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kotori walk out and a hand came to rest on her shoulder a moment later. “You okay, Maki-chan?” Maki nodded. “Yeah, let’s um...stretch, Kotori.” Kotori frowned at Honoka as Maki walked a short distance away. Both Honoka and Eli were blushing and wouldn’t look at each other. That, combined with the mark on Eli’s neck and the way her shirt was pushed up a little made it clear what they had been doing. “You two need to be more careful. To think the former and current student council presidents are this reckless.” Honoka watched as Kotori walked over to Maki who was playing with her hat. When Maki saw Kotori approaching she bent to touch her feet and Honoka’s brow furrowed as Kotori’s hand came to rest lightly on Maki’s back. “Did something happen between those two? At least Maki-chan has stopped pining after me.” “You’re just noticing? They’ve been dating for two weeks now.” Eli said, raising an eyebrow. “Hey, I’m getting better!” Honoka pouted, drawing a soft laugh from Eli. “Maybe that’s because you’ve been with me.” Eli said, stepping closer to Honoka. She reached out, brushing her fingers against the back of Honoka’s hand. “You’re starting to see the cues better.” Honoka nodded and looked up in time to see Maki blush at the touch. The redhead straightened up to full height and playfully ruffled Kotori’s hair. Kotori blushed too before she grabbed Maki’s hat, putting it on her own head and stepping back with a laugh at the incredulous look on Maki’s face. “And she says we’re not subtle.” Honoka said thoughtfully. Eli cleared her throat. “They’re allowed to be obvious, Honoka. They’re dating.” “Ah right, sorry.” Honoka said awkwardly. “Um, are you still…” She trailed off, watching Maki pull Kotori rather uncharacteristically into a hug. “Um…” “Hey lovebirds, enough of that.” Nozomi quipped as she stepped out onto the roof. Maki flushed with embarrassment and quickly stepped away from Kotori who was still wearing her hat, giggling softly into her hand. Eli turned her attention to Honoka. “What were you going to ask?” “Oh, I was asking if you were still coming over to my house after practice.” Honoka answered hopefully as she looked up at Eli. “Maybe we could relax and watch a movie or something. No funny stuff, I promise.” “Hmm?” Eli stepped a bit closer so she was close enough for Honoka to feel her breath. “What if I like that kind of stuff?” “Ah, um…” Honoka spluttered nervously, unsure of what to say as she felt her cheeks warm. She vaguely heard Eli laugh at her and huffed under her breath. She was just trying to think of something to say when Eli pressed close to her, her chest pressing against her arm, causing all rational thought to fade. “Umi-chan!” Honoka snapped back to reality at Kotori’s loud exclamation. Quickly, she pulled away from Eli and turned to the doorway to greet Umi who had emerged onto the roof with Nico. “Hey, Umi-chan!” “H-Hey.” Umi replied with a small smile as she looked over at Honoka. She seemed torn as to whether or not to approach her but finally changed direction, pacing over to Kotori and Maki. Eli frowned and crossed her arms in front of her chest. That always happened when Umi showed up, it seemed. Nozomi sighed while Nico groaned, rolling her eyes at Honoka. “Eh? Umi-chan, wait for me!” Eli looked away as Honoka bound over to Umi, Kotori and Maki. Feeling a hand come to rest on her shoulder she looked up only to be greeted by a sympathetic look from Nozomi. ---- Kotori sighed contentedly to herself as she ran her fingers through her sleeping girlfriend’s hair. Or at least she assumed that Maki was sleeping. “Wow.” Maki mumbled, startling Kotori slightly. “You’re good.” Kotori smirked at the comment. “Why thank you, you’re still the better kisser though. I could kiss you all day and not get bored.” Maki’s lips turned up slightly. “I love you.” “Huh?!” “A-Ah, I uh…” Maki felt her cheeks flood with warmth and quickly pulled the blankets over her head so that she wouldn’t have to look at Kotori and Kotori couldn’t see that she was blushing either. It was embarrassing, to say something like that. Even if she meant it. “No hiding!” Kotori exclaimed with a warm smile as she prodded the Maki shaped lump under the blankets. “My face is a tomato!” Maki pouted. Nevertheless she slid the blankets down so that only down to her nose was visible. Kotori couldn’t help but chuckle at Maki’s messy hair. “Tell me again.”

“I love you.” Maki repeated her words from a moment ago, forcing her voice to remain steady. “I love you.” Kotori beamed at the answer. “You finally said it…” “Shut up…” Maki mumbled, resisting the urge to dive back under the blankets. “I love you too, Maki-chan.” Kotori shifted closer, giving Maki a quick, gentle kiss. “You goof.” Maki closed her eyes again as Kotori lay down next to her, curling an arm around her waist. “Was there a reason you were so playful with me during practice today? Not that I’m complaining! I love that side of you, I just...wondered why.” “I needed to give Honoka-chan a clue. One that wasn’t too subtle but wasn’t obvious.” Kotori answered softly. “She still looks at you like...that sometimes. I guess I just wanted her to know it’s not okay.” “Your touch is distracting…” “You should be glad I had enough self-control not to go under your shirt. Especially when you stretched and it rode up…” Kotori mused, biting her lip at the thought. Maki scoffed softly. “That would have been terrible for my hormones.” “I know.” Kotori turned her head slightly, kissing Maki’s shoulder. “So you and Honoka…” “Are over.” Maki said quickly. “It was just a fling. I-I think I was just projecting my feelings for you onto her because I didn’t think we’d ever...feel the same way. And I guess I liked the attention.” “I’m the one you told about the fling though.” Kotori reasoned quietly. “I really wasn’t looking for this to happen, I really did just want to comfort you about that. I know Honoka-chan messed with your feelings.” “I know.” Maki said softly. “I’m glad it turned out this way though. I’m glad you finally asked me out. I thought I was reading the signals wrong, like I did with Honoka.” “Honoka-chan is being an ass right now.” Kotori said, a bit sharply. She felt Maki shift to look at her and looked up to see concern in Maki’s eyes. “Sorry, Maki-chan. It’s just...Umi-chan is in love with Honoka-chan. She has been for a long time now so it really pissed me off when the two of you…” “Sorry.” Maki said softly. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t know.” Kotori said quickly. She wasn’t blaming Maki by any means. “I just feel like...Honoka-chan is oblivious but she can’t not know, you know? And now Umi-chan thinks Honoka-chan likes Eli-chan.” “Um...she does.” Kotori gritted her teeth. “I know.” “I mean I’m not dumb.” Maki continued quietly, thinking back to what had happened on the roof. “They were making out on the roof before we went out. They couldn’t have been more obvious about it.” Kotori released an angry breath. “Honoka-chan is so dense sometimes. I just think...I like Eli-chan but I just think Umi-chan would be better for Honoka-chan. They’ve been friends for years and she knows Honoka-chan better than anyone.” “But is she attracted to her?” Maki asked pointedly. Kotori sighed. “Honoka-chan gives mixed signals about everything.” “Not with Eli. She obviously wants to be near her all of the time. She even seems to get jealous when Nozomi teases Eli.” Maki pointed out quietly. She hesitated to continue when Kotori merely glared at the ceiling. “Sor-” “Don’t say that word.” Kotori interjected quickly. “I’m just upset. I’m supposed to be Umi-chan’s right hand...woman and I failed miserably. I just hate that she’s so upset all of the time, especially when she sees those two together.” “Maybe you should help her find someone else.” Maki suggested with a slight shrug of her shoulders. “Maybe even someone in Muse.” “Like who?” Kotori scoffed. “Hanayo-chan?” “I was thinking Nico…” “Nico-chan?” Kotori echoed in surprise. “Nozomi-chan would be better with Nico-chan. Hanayo-chan wouldn’t work with Umi-chan and neither would Rin-chan so…” “Maybe someone outside of Muse then?” Maki asked thoughtfully. “What’s Umi’s type? Honoka?” “I guess.” Kotori said helplessly. “I’m not sure we’ll find someone similar to Honoka-chan though.” “There’s a girl in the music club Umi might be interested in but…” Maki trailed off, thinking about that. “What does she look like?” Kotori asked softly, adjusting herself in Maki’s light embrace. “Um...she has light pink hair and green eyes.” Maki said, her brow furrowing. “Oh and she’s really good at singing. I think Umi would like her. She’s wild though, really wild. I think she’s a front girl for a band. She carries a guitar around all the time. We even played together once. She has a tattoo on her back of a treble clef.” Kotori grimaced. “What’s her name?” “Sakamoto Emi.” Maki answered. “But I think people called her Kuroneko. Because she had black hair before she dyed it. Her band is called Haruka Kakumei, but that’s all I know.” “She sounds...edgy.” Kotori said carefully. “Or at least like she wants to be. Umi doesn’t really go for ‘edgy’ as a rule. You know I said like Honoka-chan, right? Not the opposite of her?”        Maki pouted. “She’s not really edgy, she’s more more...rock than the rest of us. She has her own style. You should hear her sing, she’s amazing.” “Amazing, huh?” Kotori raised an eyebrow. “How amazing?” “She’s…” Maki trailed off at the look on Kotori’s face. “Come on, don’t be like that. It’s not...like that. I don’t like her. I mean she’s hot but…” Kotori scoffed slightly and sat up, running her fingers through her hair. “I don’t think she’s Umi’s type at all. It’s fine though, I’ll see what I can do. Besides Umi probably needs a bit of time, I don’t want to rush her into anything.” Maki’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But you were just saying…” “I changed my mind.” Kotori cut in with a shake of her head. “I don’t think this girl is right for Umi-chan.” Maki huffed out a sigh. “Just hear me out. She’s determined. Sweet and bubbly. She did the same thing Honoka did to me. Clapping when I was composing one of our songs. Constantly annoying me.” Kotori frowned. “It seems like Honoka and this girl have a lot in common when it comes to you.” “Wait, what?” Maki watched as Kotori slid out of bed. She scrambled across the bed before Kotori could move away, lightly grabbing her wrist. “What do you mean by that?” “Just that you seem to have a type.” Kotori tugged lightly at her wrist but Maki wouldn’t let go. She sighed heavily. “Maki-chan, I need to shower.” “We need to talk.” Maki argued, shaking her head. “Are you seriously jealous of her?” Kotori looked away, biting her lip. “I guess it must have really hurt you when I was with Honoka, huh?” Maki murmured, noticing the pained look that crossed Kotori’s face. “You weren’t just mad at Honoka because of Umi. I didn’t really know completely how I felt about you but you knew how you felt about me so...” Kotori hesitated and then gave a slight nod. “I’m not like them. I’m not...your type.” “There’s only one person who’s my type and that’s you.” Maki disagreed. She moved to her knees and reached up, tugging Kotori down into a tight embrace. “Trust me. I’m not looking at anyone but you now.” Kotori took a shuddering breath and nodded against Maki’s shoulder. ---- There was a soft thump as Eli’s back met the mattress beneath her. Her shirt was open to show the blue bra she was wearing as well as a slight sheen of sweat to her skin as Honoka kissed and nipped at her collarbone. Her skirt was unzipped too, hanging from her hips slightly. Honoka fumbled for Eli’s right hand for a moment, finally managing to lace their fingers together and pin her hand to the pillow near Eli’s head. Eli gasped softly as Honoka sucked sharply at her skin. It stung slightly as Honoka’s teeth raked over her skin. For some reason it seemed like Honoka really liked to mark her. Honoka pulled back, straddling Eli’s waist and tugged at her tie with one hand to loosen it. Quickly, Eli reached up to help her take it off, tossing it to the side. Before Honoka could say anything, Eli seized the collar of Honoka’s shirt and dragged her down into a deep, needy kiss. Honoka’s hand slid between them, her fingers brushing against Eli’s panties. It was getting more and more tempting to just touch her. Like Eli wanted. That much was made obvious by the way Eli whimpered and arched into her touch. Honoka nipped at Eli’s lip and pulled back a bit, kissing her jaw instead. “You like that, huh?” Eli nodded quickly, unable to form words as Honoka’s fingers rubbed slowly. She hissed as a bit more pressure was applied. “Eli-senpai…” “Honoka, please just touch me.” Honoka tensed for a split second at the breathy plea. “Is it okay if it’s just…” Eli nodded without hearing the question. “Please.” Honoka took a slow breath before she focused her attention on her fingers. She didn’t know if she was doing it right but Eli’s soft whimpers and groans gave her the impression that she was. “Honoka.” Eli reached down at took Honoka’s hand. She slowly guided it under her panties and resituated Honoka’s fingers using her own. “Please.” Honoka was stunned by how warm and wet Eli felt. She swallowed convulsively for a moment, trying to force her brain back into gear again. Finally she reaffirmed herself and began to lightly rub, focusing on the softness under her fingertips. Eli withdrew her own hand, her eyes sliding shut as she arched her hips into Honoka’s touch. “Just like that, Honoka.” She whispered, her voice dripping with lust. Honoka briefly looked up at Eli’s face before she ducked her head down, kissing and licking at the blonde’s breasts. She couldn’t get enough of her. Of her taste and her smell, not to mention the subtle movement of Eli’s hips against her hand. Vaguely she wondered if Eli was used to this, if she had touched herself in the same way. Honoka hadn’t done that before, not really. But she could imagine Eli doing it. She growled at the mental images and pressed harder, her fingers moving faster. Enough to draw out a long moan from Eli. Eli clamped her hand over her mouth, mindful of the fact that Yukiho was in her room next door. She didn’t think Honoka’s parents would be able to hear them but Yukiho might. She focused intently on Honoka’s fingers. The girl was inexperienced but it didn’t feel like it. She wasn’t clumsy in the way that she touched her, which was odd on it’s own. Eli had imagined Honoka as a little clumsy but she was completely focused instead. Honoka paused suddenly and looked up at Eli. “Eli-senpai, c-can I um…” She pushed her fingers forward and Eli gasped, understanding what Honoka meant. Or at least she thought she did. “I-Inside? Yeah, if y-you want…” Honoka looked confused for a moment. “That’s not what I meant. But that too. If you don’t mind me t-taking your…” Eli quickly shook her head. “It’s fine, it’s yours.” Honoka smiled warmly up at Eli before she drew her hand away, much to the blonde’s disappointment. Hurriedly, she shuffled back and removed Eli’s skirt and panties before stilling. “Don’t stare.” Eli blushed. “S-Sorry. I can’t help it, I’ve never um…you shave?” Honoka trailed off with a shake of her head. She gently nudged Eli’s thighs apart and ran her fingers lightly over Eli’s core again. “This is...really hot. You’re really hot.” Eli was sure her face was bright red. She hadn’t imagined how embarrassing it would be to have someone look at her so intimately. Even if it was just Honoka. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” Honoka breathed out. “S-So I can um...put my fingers…?” “Yes!” Eli cried out, a bit louder than she’d intended. “J-Just please stop talking, Honoka.” Honoka stared at Eli for a moment before she broke into a grin. “Is Eli-senpai embarrassed?” Eli growled and grabbed Honoka by the shirt, tugging her close to her. “Just shut up and fuck me.” She demanded, pushing Honoka’s shirt off as well as she could Thankfully, Honoka helped her, tossing it to the side. Honoka leaned down and kissed Eli again, gently pressing her finger into her. Unable to focus, she drew her lips away from Eli’s, her brow furrowing slightly as she pressed harder. Her finger entered with ease and she felt Eli grasp at her back. “Another.” Eli whispered demandingly. Honoka nodded and withdrew her hand only to try to press into Eli with two fingers this time. It was a tight fit and she had to use more force. Hearing Eli wince, she stopped abruptly. “Senpai?” “I-It’s okay.” Eli said, sounding a bit pained. She gently rubbed Honoka’s back. “Keep going. I’m okay.” Honoka seemed to hesitate for a moment and Eli pressed her lips gently to her shoulder, hoping to calm her. Finally, Honoka began to press her fingers forward again and Eli gritted her teeth at the subtle ache of something being pressed into her. To distract herself, she allowed her hands to roam over Honoka’s back, down her hips to her skirt. “You can go faster, you know. It doesn’t hurt as much now.” There was a beat of silence during which Honoka didn’t move. “Is something wrong?” “I-I don’t want to hurt you at all.” Honoka confessed in a shaky whisper. She shifted, pressing her forehead to Eli’s. “Are you sure this is okay?” “Yeah.” Eli said back. “The faster you move, the more pleasure I’ll feel. It’s okay.” “If Eli-senpai says so…” Honoka kissed Eli, a fleeting, tender kiss before she began to move her fingers, slowly at first and then a bit faster. Eli groaned as Honoka sped up, every subtle movement sending a thrill of pleasure coursing through her. She grasped onto Honoka’s back, her nails digging into soft skin as she parted her legs slightly to give Honoka more room. As Honoka seemed to lose her inhibitions and began to thrust her fingers forward at a faster pace, Eli had to bite down on her lip to hold back her voice. It felt strange, to be filled in such a way. She had never really touched herself like that. But it felt beyond amazing when it was Honoka doing it. “Fuck, Honoka…” Eli whimpered, her nails raking down Honoka’s back. Honoka went back to sucking and biting at Eli’s collarbone as she pushed her fingers deeper. Her wrist was getting a bit sore from the odd angle but she didn’t care about that. Not when Eli was writhing beneath her, soft moans and whimpers spilling from her lips despite her best efforts to keep herself quiet. “H-Honoka, I-I’m gonna…” Eli gasped loudly and arched her back, her hips jerking against Honoka’s hand as she squeezed her eyes shut. She slumped back down onto the bed, breathing heavily. Honoka drew her fingers back as carefully as she could before she moved off Eli to lie down next to her. Curiously, she slipped her fingers into her mouth and sucked, her eyes widening slightly at the taste. It was a bit salty. But good. Looking at Eli who was sweaty and panting, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to use her mouth on her directly. She quickly pulled the blankets over them and pressed close to Eli, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Was that okay?” Eli gave a laugh of disbelief. “That was more than okay. You’re amazing.” “I-I don’t know about that.” Honoka pressed her lips gently to Eli’s temple. “I love you, Eli-senpai. I’m...sorry if I hurt you.” “It’s okay.” Eli mumbled, closing her eyes. She tried to ignore the warmth that spread through her chest at Honoka’s declaration of love. “Let’s just sleep for a bit, okay?” “Okay.” Honoka whispered back, closing her own eyes. Soon enough, she drifted off to sleep herself. ---- When Honoka woke up it took her a moment to realize that she wasn’t in her own bed with Eli. She was certainly in a bed and she could feel someone next to her. When she opened her eyes and turned to the left though she was surprised to see blue hair splayed across the pillow next to her. “Eeeh?!” She sat up abruptly and realized with a sinking feeling that Chika would be waking up in her body. “Kanan-chan...oh no. Oh my god, she better not screw with my relationship.” Kanan pushed herself into a sitting position and tilted her head. “Honoka, right?” “Wha...WHAT?!” Honoka scrambled up from the bed in alarm. “H-How did you…?” “Chika told me.” Kanan explained slowly. She watched as Honoka looked down at herself. “Don’t worry, she was just sleeping over. You certainly weren’t talking about Chika’s relationships, right?” “W-Wait…” Honoka held up a hand to stop Kanan. “So you know? H-How do you know? Why did Chika-chan tell you?” “Because I messed up. I kissed her.” Kanan explained sheepishly. She patted the bed next to her, silently suggesting Honoka sit down. Honoka did so, a bit reluctantly. “Though now that I think about it, I think I’m more attracted to you.” “Huh?” Honoka stared at Kanan, unable to quite process that. “W-Why…?” Kanan shrugged her shoulders in response. “I don’t know, I just...feel that way. You’re not Chika obviously so…” She shifted closer to Honoka, resting her hand lightly on her knee. “You’re attracted to me, right? You made that obvious on the boat.” “Uh…” Honoka wasn’t sure what to say. The way Kanan looked at her was similar to the way Eli looked at her. She remembered Eli, half undressed and disheveled underneath her. She wished she’d gotten to wake up next to Eli instead. Kanan chuckled and reached out to get her watch from the bedside table. “Chika has put your mind into the gutter alright. You were thinking about Ayase, huh?” Honoka sighed. “Don’t tease me, I’m not in the mood.” Kanan wasn’t about to be dissuaded. “So is she your girlfriend?” “I don’t think so.” Honoka answered quietly though when she considered the fact that Chika might be touching Eli, she felt white hot anger prickle at her skin. “How do you expect me to be in a relationship with everything that’s happening with Chika-chan? I’ll be lucky if Eli is still speaking to me when I get back…” “Hopefully Chika’s behaving as you. She must be used to it by now, right?” Kanan asked with a shrug of her shoulders. She somehow felt like she was missing something. “I doubt it. Chika-chan is terrible with Eli-senpai.” Honoka muttered, lying down with a sigh. She stared up at the ceiling, frowning. “Hopefully Nozomi-chan is keeping her on a tight leash. Knowing Eli-senpai, she would have told Nozomi-chan about last night. She tells her everything.” It was clear that Honoka was talking out loud, trying to calm herself but Kanan was curious. She reached across to pick up the glass of water on her nightstand. “What happened last night?” Honoka looked over, a cautious look on her face. She thought about it for a moment then answered. “I took her virginity.” Kanan was glad she’d swallowed the water in her mouth, otherwise she probably would have spat it out in shock. “W-What?!” Honoka blushed at Kanan’s evident shock. “She wanted it, I was...I made sure she was sure about it first obviously.” “Huh…” Kanan mused thoughtfully. Despite herself, unwanted images filled her mind. “That’s kind of hot.” Honoka groaned and covered her eyes with her arm. Why couldn’t anything just be simple? ---- Chika woke to the familiar feeling that she wasn’t in her own bed. That much wasn’t unexpected, considering she had fallen asleep at Kanan’s house but even without opening her eyes she could tell that wasn’t where she was. She felt a breeze on her chest, like she wasn’t wearing a shirt. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked down, a sharp gasp escaping her lips when she noticed she actually wasn’t wearing a shirt. She noticed Eli lying next to her and something worrying occurred to her. She threw off the blankets and almost breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed she was still wearing a skirt. Her relief was short lived though when she noticed Eli on the other hand, was not wearing a skirt. Or panties. She yelped in surprise and clamped one hand quickly over her eyes. She definitely hadn’t needed to see any of that. Quickly, she scrambled off the bed and grabbed her shirt off the floor. She tugged it on, not bothering to button it. Vaguely hearing Eli stir behind her she took off to the bathroom, grabbing her bag on the way. “Why does this always happen?” She mumbled as she locked the door behind her. She went through her bag, emerging with Honoka’s cell phone. “I need to call Nozomi. Damn it, I’m not ready for this…” She quickly called Nozomi’s number, not pausing to really reflect on the fact that Nozomi wouldn’t really understand the situation. “Honoka-chan? It’s seven in the morning, why are you…?” “Chika.” Chika interrupted. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Nozomi spoke again. “Oh fuck, what did you do?” “I didn’t do anything!” Chika exclaimed loudly only to quieten after a moment. “They did! I had to wake up to this! Are they together? Why did this even happen?!” She heard Nozomi curse again though she didn’t quite catch what she was saying. “Nozomi-chan!” “Yeah, yeah. I’m here. I know.” Nozomi seemed to take a deep breath. “Listen, you’re not going to screw this up, Chika-chan. Honoka-chan will be so pissed if you do anything to hurt Elichi. And I will be too. You just have to keep your cool and go along with it. It’s…” “What do you want me to do? Sleep with her?!” Chika hissed, more than a little upset and frustrated by the situation. “I mean if you have to…“ “Nozomi!” Chika resisted the urge to throw the phone in her hand against the wall. Usually she wasn’t the type of person to get annoyed so easily but Nozomi wasn’t taking her seriously and the situation was infuriating. Not to mention the fact that she was annoyed at Honoka’s thoughtlessness. Honoka could have at least told Eli to leave before she fell asleep, in case this exact situation happened. “It’s too early for this…” Nozomi mumbled. She sighed heavily before she replied. “You don’t have to sleep with her. Just get your ass back in there, kiss her good morning and…” “I’m not kissing her.” “Chika-chan!” Nozomi exclaimed, feeling a headache coming on. “You’re really not making this easy. If it was anyone else you wouldn’t have a problem kissing them, would you? You’ve kissed Maki-chan before, I’m sure you would kiss Umi-chan. Kotori-chan too probably.” “I don’t make her kiss people she doesn’t want to kiss when she’s in my body!” Chika pointed out hurriedly. “I only kissed Maki-chan because I want to a-and now I know why I kissed Maki-chan, I don’t want to kiss anyone besides…” Chika trailed off and Nozomi sighed, assuming she was going to say she only wanted to kiss Maki. This was a mess. “Chika, listen. I’m going to be honest with you.” She paused briefly, hearing a hum of acknowledgement from Chika. “Elichi is in love with Honoka-chan. And Honoka-chan really likes her, okay? I know that most of us are just idols to you, you don’t even spend much time with Elichi so it’s not like you know her. Not really.” Chika clutched the phone tightly, waiting for Nozomi to continue as she paused. “So I can’t expect you to care about her or how she feels.” Nozomi finally continued, her voice soft. It calmed Chika a little bit at least. “I know this is a really...crappy situation. And I’m sorry you can’t be with the person you like. Maybe because of whatever Honoka is doing, I don’t know. I know you’re pissed at her for whatever she’s screwing up in your life. Like you almost screwed up her relationship with Maki-chan. But I think you care about her deep down. And we’re friends too, right? So if you’re not going to do this for Elichi or for Honoka, do it for me. Please. I don’t want Elichi to get hurt. She’s a good person. You would really like her if you got to know her.” Chika wasn’t sure what to say to that. It stung that Nozomi was pleading with her. She didn’t want to upset Nozomi, of all people. “I-I’m sorry, Nozomi-chan. I have to go.” “Chika, wait!” Nozomi exclaimed quickly. There was a beat of silence. “I’m coming over, okay? All you have to do is keep calm until I get there.” “Okay.” Chika said quietly. She hung up without another word. “It’ll be okay.” She mumbled to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bathtub. “All you have to do is hide out in here until Nozomi gets here. Hopefully Eli-chan sleeps late. You can’t mess anything up in here.” True to her luck, not even twenty minutes later there was a light knock at the door, followed by Eli’s voice. “Honoka? Are you okay?” “Shit.” Chika breathed out. She sat up straighter and called back to Eli. “I-I’m fine, I’m just washing up. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.” “Can I come in?” The door handle turned and Chika felt her chest seize with panic before she remembered it was locked. “I’m worried. You’ve been in there for at least fifteen minutes already.” “Yeah, I um...just felt a bit sick?” Chika attempted, cringing at how unbelievable it sounded after. She took a deep breath to brace herself before she went to the door, unlocking it. “Hey.” Eli said softly, a tentative smile tugging at her lips. “Um…” Chika took a moment to look at Eli. The girl was wearing her hair down for a change. Chika assumed it was because she had just woken up. With her hands nervously clasped in front of her, Eli looked nothing short of shy. Vulnerable even. Chika was glad to see the blonde was wearing shorts now. Honoka’s, it seemed. “Hey.” “Um…” Eli fidgeted with her hands, trying not to look at Honoka’s chest, given that her shirt was open. “About last night, do you...regret it? I’m sorry if I was pushy o-or something. I just feel like you’re different this morning so maybe I did something wrong.” Chika swallowed thickly. In that moment Eli looked nothing like Ayase Eli, the cool, confident idol. She looked hesitant, worried and guilty. “No, you’re fine. You...you didn’t do anything wrong. I don’t regret it.” Eli bit her lip as she looked over Honoka’s shoulder. “Is that why you’ve been hiding out in the bathroom?” She noticed the look of surprise on Honoka’s face and continued quickly. “Um...I woke up when you got up. I was waiting for you to come back to bed but...Honoka, if I did something wrong I want to know. I know you’re not...there yet but I love you. I love you so much and I don’t want to hurt you or…” Chika closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Eli, hugging her tightly. It hurt to hear the hurt tone of Eli’s voice. It hurt more knowing it was her fault. She took a shuddering breath. Her chest ached and she wondered whether the feeling was hers alone or whether Honoka’s body was reacting on it’s own. “I don’t regret anything. I wanted it, I wanted you. I really like you, Eli-chan. I...I want this, I promise.” “Eli-chan?” Eli echoed uncertainly. Chika cursed herself for the slip. Of course she would do that if she was focusing on something else. “Ah, um...just trying it out. If we’re going to be sleeping together, it might be weird for me to call you Senpai, right? Or I could um...just call you Eli.” Eli blushed at the proposition. She wondered if that meant Honoka was getting closer to being in a more mature relationship with her. She drew back slightly to look into Honoka’s eyes. “Just Eli?” Chika wished she could rewind the past thirty seconds. “S-Sure. I-If you’re okay with that?” “Um…” Eli smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Well I guess it would be weird if you called me Eli-senpai forever. Especially if you eventually agree to date me.” “We’re not dating?!” Eli blinked at Honoka. “Uh...no? Remember, you said it was because you’re attracted to more people than just me. Umi, Riko and Kanan, right? So you don’t know if this is really...something you want to commit to.” Chika twitched. So Honoka really was attracted to Kanan. The mention of Riko had a sickening jealousy forming in her stomach though. “W-We should be dating! You and me, we’re...we work well together, don’t we? So we should. If you want to.”

Honoka opened her eyes and looked up, catching sight of full lips above her. She quickly looked away, blushing. With Maki, kissing her had been nice but awkward. It was like she was acting on Chika’s feelings rather than her own but with Eli she actually wanted to kiss her. “U-Umi-chan said that too. She said she could really feel the message I was giving. Well I guess we all did write it so…”

“You looked at me a couple of times, even during your solo.” Eli remarked softly, recalling Honoka’s eyes meeting her own. “Well you said I could and senpai looked pretty in her outfit.” Honoka said sheepishly. “You think I’m pretty?” Eli smirked, catching Honoka a bit off guard. “Well I’m not blind…” Honoka said, slightly baffled. “You’re the prettiest girl in Muse. Alongside Umi-chan. Why else would I want to kiss you?” Eli gave a soft laugh in response. “That’s a good point, I guess.” “C-Can I kiss you now?” Honoka asked nervously. They’d only kissed once more since that day before performing Snow Halation. “Please, Eli-senpai?” “How could I say no to you?” Eli murmured, giving a slight nod of her head. “Come here.” Honoka brightened at being given permission and sat up, turning toward Eli. She took a deep breath before she slowly leaned in, bracing herself with her hands on Eli’s shoulders. Mustering up all the courage she had, she pressed her lips to Eli’s, noticing the blonde’s eyes flutter shut just before she did so. She closed her own eyes, feeling Eli kiss her back, a hand moving to the small of her back. It was simple and fairly chaste but it sent shudders down her spine, her lips tingling. She wondered if this was what people meant by fireworks when they described kissing. “I wish you could have been my first kiss.” She whispered against Eli’s lips, her hand sliding to the back of the third year’s neck. Eli’s heart skipped a beat at the sentiment. “You were mine.” She answered before she kissed Honoka again, drawing her closer to her. “Mmm wait…” Honoka turned her head, drawing away from the kiss. “I wanna be another first. I want you to be my first something.” “Hmm?” Eli mumbled, trailing her lips to Honoka’s neck. “First date?” “Maki-chan already…” Honoka gasped as Eli nipped at her neck. “Ouch, Eli-senpai…” “Sorry, I’ll make it better…” Eli grasped Honoka’s hips and guided her onto her lap, her mouth never leaving her neck. She sucked firmly at the soft skin there, earning a soft whimper from Honoka. “First..girlfriend?” “E-Eli-senpai, you know I can’t.” Honoka said, tensing slightly. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.” Eli muttered, nipping gently at Honoka’s neck again. “There. First hickey. First make out too...is there any other firsts you want me to fulfill?” Honoka lightly swatted Eli’s arm. “No, no, no. I’m not ready for…” She trailed off, hearing Eli try to suppress a laugh. “Stop teasing me!” “You’re so cute when you’re flustered though…” Eli pressed an innocent kiss to Honoka’s cheek. “First movie date?” She chuckled when Honoka rolled her eyes. “First bath together?” “What?! No!” Honoka exclaimed quickly, her face turning red at the thought. “I can’t let you see me naked, it’s...it’s too soon.” Eli’s brow furrowed in confusion. “We’ve taken baths before, in…” “With the OTHERS!” Honoka interrupted, certain her face was on fire at that point. “A-And steam! There’s steam.” “I could make it pretty steamy.” Eli said flirtatiously though she tried to be serious when Honoka pouted at her. “Okay, I’m sorry. But there’s no need to feel embarrassed. I wouldn’t be embarrassed with you.” “Because you look like THAT!” Honoka gestured toward Eli. “What do you have to be embarrassed about?” “Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” Eli wrapped her arms around Honoka and drew her closer. “But for the record you don’t have anything to be embarrassed about either. I see you as the sexiest in the group, even though you’re so innocent…” “Eli-senpai…” Honoka groaned and buried her face in Eli’s shoulder. “Stop teasing.”

“I’m not teasing, I’m serious. I really think you’re beautiful, Honoka.” Eli answered with a slight shake of her head. “I can barely take my eyes off you sometimes.” Honoka blushed in response, her heart fluttering in her chest. “What else? Do you like about me…” Eli thought about that for a moment. “You’re...impulsive, dense, headstrong, stubborn...really stubborn. You’re inspiring, warm, kind, cute when you’re flustered and you’re someone who’s very dear to me.” Honoka bit her lip. She couldn’t deny that she liked that. She liked it a lot. “So you think I’m more than just...physically attractive?” “You’re both.” Eli drew Honoka close to her and lightly nuzzled her neck. Honoka sighed at the feeling of Eli’s lips brushing against her neck. She really could get used to kissing. “C-Can we kiss again?” Eli smiled softly and drew back a bit. “You’re insatiable, you know that?” Honoka pouted. “I just like kissing you…” “Sure. But you don’t have to ask me.” Eli said quietly, intently meeting Honoka’s eyes. “Just take what you want.” Honoka took a deep breath before she cupped Eli’s face in her hands and leaned in. She kissed her deeply, her tongue quickly slipping past willingly parted lips as she pressed closer to the girl beneath her. She supposed she had Chika to blame for this. If it weren’t for Chika she wouldn’t have started noticing any kind of attraction to her friends. She could have just innocently carried on but here she was unable to get enough of kissing the blonde. Every brush of Eli’s lips against her own, every gentle caress of her tongue and firm pressure of her hands felt explosive and Honoka found that she never wanted to stop. She tore her lips from Eli’s and acting purely out of instinct, kissed her way down to the girl’s neck. Eli’s skin was soft and warm under her lips. As she sucked gently over Eli’s pulsepoint her heart raced at the wanton moan that escaped the blonde. Wanting to hear more, she nipped at the blonde’s ear and slid her hand under her shirt, her fingers brushing against the soft skin of Eli’s stomach and sides. “H-Honoka, what are you…?” “You said to take what I want.” Honoka answered quietly. Just because she didn’t want Eli to touch her didn’t mean she didn’t want to do the same. She slowed down with her touches though, drawing back to place a light kiss to Eli’s lips. She kissed her repeatedly, just swift, light kisses until Eli giggled softly and her hand went to the back of Honoka’s head to hold her there. The next kiss lingered innocently for a moment until Eli allowed Honoka to pull away. “Will you go out with me?” Eli asked hopefully, brushing Honoka’s hair back from her face. “Like on a date? Maybe to a movie and I can buy you dinner after.” “Not a romance.” Honoka warned, moving off of Eli’s lap. She lay back down, resting her head in the other girl’s lap again. “A romcom?” Eli asked, raising an eyebrow. “That’s better. I hate drama.” Honoka mumbled, closing her eyes. Eli lightly brushed her hand over Honoka’s head. “Sleepy?” “Mmmhm.” Honoka hummed before her eyes flew open. “I-I mean no! I’m not...tired.” Eli smiled as she watched Honoka struggling not to yawn. “Your uniform’s here so maybe if you call your parents you…” “No!” Honoka sat bolt upright, startling Eli. “I-I can’t stay over. It’s...a school night, you know?” She laughed nervously and slid off the bed. “I can’t ever sleep over if this keeps happening…” It was obvious that Honoka was muttering to herself rather than her but Eli tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” “Nothing, I’m just...nothing.” Honoka desperately wanted to agree to staying over. She bit her lip as she looked to the bed. Spending the night with Eli, the blonde pressed close to her back with her arm around her waist was more than tempting. Eli misunderstood the look. “Is it because it’s me?” “No, of course not!” Honoka exclaimed quickly. “Would you believe it’s just me? I want to tell you but it’s complicated. And you wouldn’t believe me anyway.” “Yes, I would.” Eli said confidently. She moved to her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed, grasping Honoka’s hands. “Is it about our...whatever this is we’re doing? Because if you’re worried I’m going to pressure you this is all new to me too. I told you, you were my first kiss. You have even more experience than me.” Honoka shook her head. “It’s complicated.” Eli’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Is it something...spiritual? That’s what Nozomi said when I asked.” Honoka gritted her teeth. She was going to kill Nozomi. It was bad enough that she’d had to tell her the truth and now Eli might figure it out. “Eli-senpai…” She trailed off as Eli looked at her with worry. “I really like you.” Eli visibly brightened at the comment and Honoka winced slightly as she continued. “But I don’t know how I’ll...feel tomorrow. I’m too unpredictable right now.” “I don’t understand.” Eli said honestly. She leaned down, pressing her lips to Honoka’s left hand. “I want you to stay but if you can’t it’s okay. If you go home maybe you could call me and we can stay on the phone until we fall asleep, hmm?” Honoka nodded and kissed Eli once more before she stepped away from her. “We’ll still go on our date. I’ll remind myself.” She picked up her bag from the floor and walked to the door. She looked over her shoulder, finding Eli looking at her with a sad smile. “Goodnight, Eli-senpai.” “Goodnight.” Eli echoed as Honoka opened the door and left. She sighed and lay down on her back. She wished she knew what was going on. Maybe if she did she could help. --- “Again?” Chika groaned as she once more woke up in a bed that wasn’t her own. It seemed like it was only two days ago when it had last happened. She stretched across the bed, grabbing Honoka’s cellphone to check the time. “Wait...Saturday?! I thought this only happened on weekdays. Damn it, I had plans with Riko-chan and You-chan!” She buried her face back in her pillow for a few minutes, refusing to get up but quickly realized that she would have to. She pushed herself into a sitting position and noticing a note on the bedside table, picked it up to read it. “Movie date with Eli. Oh come on, she got pissed at me when I did this. Oh god it’s going to be like dating Kanan-chan and she’s like a third sister…so that’s her type, huh? I guess it makes sense…” She sighed listlessly and rolled her eyes. She had to do this even if she didn’t want to. For Honoka. She was sure that the girl would have ended up liking Umi or Maki but maybe she had always liked Eli. “I wonder how Nozomi-chan feels about this…” She mused to herself as she slipped off the bed to change for the day. “Okay, what should I wear? Something warm because it’s still snowing. But still something cute, I guess.” She went about getting dressed, trying to talk herself into giving the date a chance. It wasn’t as though she had a choice but it should have been Honoka there, not her. She automatically went for a pair of shorts but stopped herself before she had a chance to grab them. She was going on a date, she couldn’t be that casual. Sighing to herself, she continued to look through the wardrobe, trying to find something more formal to wear. She wished she was in her own body. If she was she could have just had a casual day out with Riko and You. --- “So you really asked her.” Nozomi said as she perched on the end of Eli’s bed, watching her frantically digging through her closet for something to wear. “Does this mean the two of you are…?” “It’s complicated.” Eli answered with a shrug of her shoulders. “She doesn’t want to make it official right now so we’re just...going on dates and stuff.” Nozomi nodded in understanding. It made sense that Honoka didn’t want to commit to anything. “So you’re taking steps with her.” “Yes.” Eli answered resolutely. “Honoka need some time and I’m willing to be patient with her. She seems to be going through a lot at the minute.” “Yeah, I bet.” Nozomi mumbled as she continued to watch Eli search for something to wear. Her phone vibrated next to her and she picked it up, noticing a text from Honoka. On closer inspection though, she found it was actually from Chika. She sighed to herself. It was going to be a busy day. She winced as she read through Chika’s questions. What does Eli like, should she wear something cute, even a request for her to spy on them to make sure Chika didn’t say something that wasn’t like Honoka. “Elichi…” Nozomi looked up from her phone. “I think I read that it’s going to rain today. Maybe it would be a good idea to postpone your date until tomorrow.” “No, it’s fine. I’ll take a jacket if I need to.” Eli paused for a moment and Nozomi hoped she was thinking about her suggestion. “It would be nice to kiss Honoka in the rain, like in the movies…” Nozomi groaned at the answer and quickly sent a text back to Chika, warning her that Eli and Honoka had been kissing a lot recently so she shouldn’t freak out if Eli kisses her. It wasn’t more than a few seconds before she received a text back. ‘No kissing’, it read, ‘I’ll go on the date but no kissing. It’ll be like kissing my sister!’ “Elichi, I’ll be right back.” Nozomi said with a small smile as she got to her feet. “I just have to call...Umi-chan.” She didn’t wait for Eli’s inevitable expression of confusion before she hurried from the room, calling ‘Honoka’ on the way. “He-” “Chika-chan, I’m not kidding. If you screw this up, if you break her heart, I will stop helping you.” Nozomi warned, her voice firm but quiet in case Eli overheard. “You can’t act out of character on this date. Elichi kept telling me how cute it is that Honoka keeps asking if she can kiss her again. She wants to kiss Elichi.” “I’m not doing that.” Chika said firmly. “I don’t make her kiss my friends! And...don’t you think it’s a little weird that you’re trying to pressure me into this?” “You kissed Maki-chan.” “Maki-chan is really cute though…” Chika mused to herself. “And I wanted to kiss her! This is completely different.” “How am I pressuring you if this is what Honoka wants? It’s her body.” Nozomi pointed out, leaning against the wall. “Chika-chan, you can’t be selfish. You said you want to help Honoka-chan.” “I’m trying, Nozomi-chan!” Chika exclaimed, clearly exasperated. “But you don’t understand. I can’t kiss Eli-chan because I don’t LIKE her!” “CHIKA-CHAN!” “I-I don’t mean like that. I mean romantically. She reminds me of Kanan-chan a bit and I’ve known Kanan-chan since I was really young!” Nozomi was about to respond but she was interrupted by Eli opening the door to her bedroom. “Is everything okay?” Eli asked in concern. “I heard you yelling. Who’s Chika?” “Ah, nobody! Don’t worry about it, Elichi. I’ll be right there.” Nozomi forced a bright smile but she was sure Eli didn’t believe it for a second. Nevertheless, the blonde went back to her room. “Chika-chan, please! Do it for me. I don’t want to see Elichi get hurt. She’s...like my version of your Riko-chan. You wouldn’t want to see her hurt, would you?” Chika was silent for a moment before she sighed. “Fine! But I’m not letting her use tongue and I’m definitely not going to her house after.” “Please just try to make it seem like you like her.” Nozomi muttered, rubbing her temples. “I know this is awkward for you but Elichi really likes Honoka. Do you know how she would feel if Honoka-chan acted cold to her on their date?” “I get it, Nozomi-chan.” Chika said quietly, defeat audible in her tone. “I’ll talk to you later.” Nozomi was about to say something else but Chika hung up before she could. Eli looked up as Nozomi entered the room again. There was a smile on her best friend’s face but she looked sad too. “What’s wrong? You look upset.” “Nothing at all. Just thinking about what you should wear.” Nozomi said, forcing a bright tone to her voice. “Come on, I know the perfect dress.” Eli looked at Nozomi in disbelief. “Nozomi…” “It’s fine, Elichi!” Nozomi walked over to Eli and placed her hands on her arms. “It’s just...remember I told you about Honoka-chan having a problem? It’s one of those days. So don’t be so forceful or overly eager, okay?” “I-I wasn’t going to…” Eli said quietly. “Maybe I shouldn’t kiss her again on the date then. But I don’t want her to see it as a friendship thing. But maybe if she’s not feeling up to it we could cancel.” “No, don’t cancel!” Nozomi said quickly. “This is your day with Honoka-chan. Don’t let it go to waste. It’ll be fine, trust me. Being around you can only help. You’re her ‘Eli-senpai’, remembe r?” Eli blushed at Nozomi’s teasing. “If you think it’ll help I’ll do whatever I can to take her mind off it.” Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief at Eli’s agreement. She knew that Honoka would be crushed to find out their date had to be called off when she got back. --- Honoka stared out at the rippling water as the boat glided effortlessly over it. Apparently Chika had had plans with You and Riko today which hadn’t even involved the boat. When You had noticed how angry and upset Chika seemed to be she had suggested that they all go out on the boat because the waves were calming. They weren’t especially working to calm her though. She was frustrated beyond belief. She should have been with Eli on their date but she was stuck in a body that wasn’t her own. Again. Lost in her own thoughts she didn’t notice any abnormal movement in the water until a familiar girl with blue hair emerged in front of her. “Chika?” Honoka jumped, yelping in surprise at the unexpected arrival. “Ahh, Kanan-chan!” You exclaimed, looking up from the wheel. She watched as Riko went to Chika’s side, laying a gentle, soothing hand on her shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting you guys to come near the shack.” Kanan said before she swam to the back of the boat and climbed aboard. Honoka watched, her mouth slightly agape as Kanan unzipped her wetsuit. Her eyes unwittingly travelled down, over the swell of the girl’s breasts. “Damn…” “Chika-chan, are you checking me out again?” Kanan asked, raising an expectant eyebrow. “N-No!” Honoka said hurriedly, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment at being caught. “Sorry, uh...I like your bikini.” “Thanks?” “Hehehe, boy it’s hot…” Honoka muttered, waving a hand in front of her face. “Chika-chan.” You said disapprovingly. It was bad enough that Chika flirted with Riko so openly when she was there but now she was doing the same with Kanan while both she and Riko were present. Honoka shrugged listlessly and went to sit back where she had been earlier, looking out at the water. She wasn’t sure what You was annoyed for but it reminded her of when Kotori was annoyed with her. A few minutes passed before someone sat down next to her. Honoka glanced over, finding it was Kanan, with a towel around her shoulders. “I’m not checking you out.” Kanan cracked a smile at that. “You told me you’re upset about something.” “Not really. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I guess.” Honoka said with a shrug of her shoulders. “You put your hair into a side ponytail again.” Kanan remarked thoughtfully. She’d noticed Chika doing that a few times over the past weeks. “It was hot.” “That’s true.” Kanan mused with a sigh. “It sucks that it doesn’t get cold enough for snow around here…” Honoka nodded vaguely. “So do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Kanan asked, well aware it wasn’t something as simple as what Chika had said. “Maybe I can help.” “It’s nothing. Just personal stuff.” Honoka said with a forced smile. It was hardly Kanan’s fault that she couldn’t do what she wanted to do. It wasn’t Riko’s or You’s either. It wasn’t even Chika’s. “Huh, so you don’t trust your childhood friend?” Kanan asked, only half serious. “I’m hurt, Chika. I thought you knew you could tell me anything.” “N-No, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that I don’t know how to explain. You wouldn’t even believe me if I told you…” “I’m sure that’s not true.” Kanan turned slightly so that she was facing Chika directly. “Try me. Come on, Chika.” She pinched Chika’s cheek, causing her to wince. “You can tell me.” “Kanan-chaaaan.” Honoka whined pitifully. There was no way she could tell her what was going on. “I’m kidding.” Kanan let go and gently caressed Chika’s cheek instead. She noticed her lean into it and her brow furrowed for a moment. “You really can’t tell me what’s wrong though?” “I can’t.” Honoka whispered in response. She wished she could. She needed to talk to someone else about what was happening. Someone other than Nozomi. Eli came to mind and her chest ached. She wished she could tell her. You growled under her breath and turned the boat a little harder than she should have, accidentally throwing everyone off balance. Riko fell to her knees while Kanan fell forward on top of Chika. “Ah, s-sorry!” Kanan quickly leaned up, having fallen face first into Chika’s chest. “Sorry, Chika.” her face was red with embarrassment but she couldn’t help but notice that Chika had grown. Mari would have had plenty of fun pointing that out. “Are you okay?” “Y-Yeah.” Honoka stuttered, her face flushed. It didn’t escape her notice that Kanan was still leaning over her, so close she could feel the girl’s breath on her face. Finally Kanan drew away and Honoka breathed a sigh of relief. “Uh...you okay?” Kanan asked awkwardly as she watched Chika sit back up. “Good.” Chika said with a slight nod of her head. “...Good.” Kanan said, getting to her feet. She glanced around, finding Riko was on her feet, rubbing her hip. “You okay, Riko?” “Fine.” Riko answered with a nod. Kanan looked back to Chika, noticing she was still in the same position. She took a deep breath. It had been a while since Chika had clung to her like she seemed to be doing now. Like when they were younger. She had been used to it back then. Even Dia had done it. Chika and Dia were such cry babies back then, she recalled fondly. She crouched down and reached over, ruffling Chika’s hair. It was nice to be needed in that way. “Hey calm down, it’s not like You is going to throw us overboard.” She chuckled. Honoka gave a nervous laugh in response. Kanan was alarmingly similar to Eli, the one person Honoka had wanted to spend her day with. “If you want to tell me about what’s bothering you, you know where to find me.” Kanan said softly, leaning close so You and Riko wouldn’t hear. “Ah yeah, thanks…” Honoka shuffled back, her face red with embarrassment. Kanan giggled at Chika’s odd behavior and winked at her before she stood up and turned, walking to You to see what she was having trouble with. Honoka’s eyes dipped to Kanan’s rear and she swallowed thickly. That was just as nice as Eli’s too. “Chika-chan.” Riko said disapprovingly, causing Honoka to look up quickly. “You really are checking Kanan-chan out…” “Sorry.” Honoka mumbled, glancing down at the deck beneath her. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Ever since she’d started making out with Eli she couldn’t get the blonde out of her head. Not since the very first kiss in fact. Deciding it couldn’t make it any worse, she decided to explain. “It’s not Kanan-chan. She just looks like someone I like. You can’t tell anyone though. You’re the only person I’ve told.” Riko felt a confusing mix of surprised, disappointed and elated. Disappointed that Chika liked someone and elated that Chika seemed to trust her. “Do I know them?” “Ah, no. You don’t know them.” Honoka answered with a sheepish shake of her head. She felt bad for making a mess for Chika to clean up, in a way, but she supposed this was better than Riko thinking she liked Kanan. “She has a figure like Kanan-chan but she’s blonde. I haven’t seen her in a little while so uh…” Riko thought about that for a moment as she went to sit next to Chika. “So kind of like Ayase Eli?” “Well yeah, she does look like her.” Honoka answered awkwardly. “I hadn’t really thought about it like that before but I guess you’re right.” “So...are you dating her?” Riko asked carefully. “Or do you just like her?” “I just like her!” Honoka exclaimed quickly, figuring it best to deviate from the truth a bit. “Heh, it’s not like she’d look twice at me, right? I mean...” She winced at the way that sounded. She didn’t mean Chika, she meant herself. Her own body. Riko looked oddly affronted by the comment. “Why not? I think she’d be lucky to date someone like you.” “You’re sweet, Riko-chan…” Honoka said softly, her mind drifting as she looked back out at the water. She couldn’t help but wonder why Eli had kissed her to begin with. She made a mental note to ask the blonde when she got back. --- Chika hurried through the crowd of people milling around the busy street, intent on finding the blonde she was looking for. She was already ten minutes late for their date and she got the impression she wasn’t going to find Eli anytime soon. “Why couldn’t we have just switched tomorrow?” She muttered irritably to herself, narrowly avoiding bumping into a child in her path. “Of COURSE it had to be today. I had plans too, damn it.” She finally spotted Eli across the street and took off running toward her. Nozomi would be furious if she thought Chika had stood Eli up. Eli’s eyes met hers and the blonde brightened at the sight of her. “Hey, sorry I’m late!” Chika said, a bit breathless. She looked Eli up and down, noticing the girl’s hair was down. That was rare in itself, she thought. It must mean that the date was serious. “Um, you look…” She tried to imagine what she would say to Maki if she was in Eli’s position instead. “Pretty. Really pretty, I-I mean…” It hadn’t been much of a compliment but Eli seemed happy with it at least. “Thank you, Honoka.” Eli said softly, a smile tugging at her lips. “You look amazing.” She reached out, lightly touching Chika’s arm. “Should we go? We have a little while until the movie starts.” “Yeah, I…” Chika trailed off as her phone chimed with a text. “Oh, sorry. I’ll just be a minute.” She took the phone out of her pocket and found a text from Nozomi. ‘I’m watching you. Show some enthusiasm!’ Chika swallowed thickly and glanced around but she didn’t see Nozomi anywhere. Quickly she responded that she was trying and put her phone away. “Are you alright?” Eli asked, noticing how nervous Honoka seemed. “I found a cute cafe nearby. It’s Italian. Do you want to go?” “Sure.” Chika answered with a slight nod. She began to follow Eli down the street, the feeling of someone’s eyes on her. Indeed a couple of seconds later she received another text from Nozomi. ‘Come on, at least hold her hand!’ Chika sighed and grabbed Eli’s hand, feeling the blonde’s pace slow for a couple of seconds in surprise. She seemed to compose herself quickly, lightly tangling their fingers together as she adjusted her grip. Chika exhaled in relief as she followed Eli to a small cafe. She zoned out for a moment, thinking of You and Riko as Eli guided her to a table. Letting go of her hand, the blonde pulled out a chair for her and Chika blushed in embarrassment. She mumbled her thanks and sat down though as Eli sat down opposite her. She cursed under her breath as she received another text. She quickly checked it, not noticing Eli glance at her in confusion. ‘God you’re so awkward! TALK TO HER!’ She was about to type out a reply when she received another message. ‘Eli likes chocolate. All of us in Muse know that so order her a chocolate cake or something. Honoka likes strawberry shortcake.’ Chika bit her lip as she typed out her reply. ‘What do I even talk about?’ She glanced up, finding Eli looking through the menu in her hands. She received another text less than twenty seconds later. “Anything. Talk about our performance, her graduation that's coming, Muse. How did you get Maki if you’re this awkward?!” Nozomi replied. “Pretend she’s Maki. Talk about music, or how the student council is going. You’re really bad at acting!’ Chika groaned in response and put her phone on silent, placing it on the table. “Are you okay?” Eli asked, looking up in concern. She smiled nervously and nodded to Honoka’s phone. “Whoever you’re texting must be uh...interesting?” She cringed at how odd that sounded. She was sure her voice was tinged with jealousy too. “Oh, uh...U-Umi-chan!” Chika exclaimed without thinking. “I was just telling her h-how our date is going.” “You told her?” Eli asked in surprise. She smiled bashfully and looked down at the table. “I didn’t think you’d want to tell people.” Chika gave a nervous laugh. “W-Well I’m on a date with the prettiest girl in Muse, why wouldn’t I want people to know?” Across the room, Nozomi sighed to herself. “You should have said Kotori-chan…” Though she supposed that Kotori would just be upset at the idea of Honoka going on a date with Eli. Kotori had made it clear that she was completely supportive of Umi’s feelings for Honoka. Eli blushed at the compliment. “I think you’re the prettiest girl in Muse.” She argued. Nozomi rolled her eyes. Had the real Honoka been there she was sure this would have been a back and forth between the two of them. They were sickly sweet, really. But she was happy when Eli was happy. Chika blushed but she was saved from answering by the waitress appearing at the table. She ordered what Nozomi had instructed her to though ordering for Eli felt a bit awkward. Eli didn’t seem to mind though. “S-So our performance was a success, huh?” Eli nodded in response. “It was. I’m really glad we got to perform the song. We all worked so hard on it, especially you and Nozomi.” “Nozomi-chan?” Chika asked curiously. “It was her idea.” Eli explained “To you know, thread all of Muse together.” “Oh. That’s pretty adorable.” Chika whispered to herself. She remembered Nozomi talking to them about it but she hadn’t fully understood the third year’s motives. Now that she did though she couldn’t help but feel more admiration toward Nozomi than she had before. “Nozomi-chan is um...different to how she seems sometimes, hmm? I mean she can be sentimental sometimes. It’s kind of cute.” Eli smiled to herself and nodded her head. “Yeah, it is. She keeps that side hidden a lot but it’s one of the things I like most about her.” Chika heard her phone vibrate but pointedly ignored it. “But you have a sentimental side too.” Eli added, itching to reach across the table and take Honoka’s hand. She remembered what Nozomi had said about not being so forward though. About following Honoka’s lead. “You carry so much. You even got yourself sick because you wanted to show all of us you were strong. That we could make it to Love Live. I hate seeing you force yourself to do things for others. In fact...that’s kind of what it feels like you’re doing right now. For me.” “No! No, I want to be here with Eli-senpai! You didn’t force me at all, I wanted this!” Chika’s eyes widened as she looked down to see her hand in Eli’s. It was as if Honoka’s body and voice was reacting on it’s own. “Really?” Eli looked up at her with hope in her eyes. “Yes!” Chika forced herself to say. She didn’t want to but it was obviously what Honoka wanted. “I want to be here with Eli-senpai.” Eli relaxed into a soft smile and Chika felt herself relax too. She settled back down into her seat, realizing she was leaning across the table. Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Chika was finally getting used to the date. She could only hope that the girl wouldn’t screw up anymore. --- Honoka stirred to a slight discomfort in her back though her head was resting against something warm.  She vaguely remembered being on You’s boat, her head resting on Kanan’s shoulder. Her eyes shot open in alarm, the momentary thought that she was still there even after falling asleep occurring to her. She bolted upright, the sudden movement startling Eli. “Honoka? Are you okay?” Honoka wasn’t sure she’d ever been more relieved to see Eli than she was in that moment. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.” She stuttered, feeling her heart rate slow down. As she looked into soft blue eyes, their plans for their date came to mind and she looked out of the train window, her heart plummeting when she noticed the setting sun. Her eyes prickled with tears of frustration. She had missed everything. Her gaze shifted back to Eli and she looked Eli over, a lump forming in her throat. She swallowed it back quickly. “Hey...you look really pretty today. Did I tell you that yet?” “Y-Yeah, you did when we met up. Why?” Eli asked with a slight blush. “Because I want to make sure you know how I feel about you and you don’t get the wrong idea.” Honoka answered simply. “And right now I’m dying to kiss you so…” “Yes.” Eli said quickly without waiting for Honoka to finish her sentence. She turned in her seat and gentle gripped Honoka’s chin before she leaned in and kissed her softly, her eyes flitting shut. She hadn’t had the chance to do so yet but she’d been hoping the opportunity would arise once she took Honoka back to her house. Feeling Honoka’s arm go around to her back and draw her closer, she allowed herself to linger innocently for a moment before she drew away again. When Honoka drew away, she took a shuddering breath. “Can we go somewhere else? Somewhere I think is still romantic even if it is cold?” Eli raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t failed to notice that Honoka was still holding onto her. “Where?” “The beach.” Honoka answered warily, almost certain Eli would say no. Indeed the blonde looked immediately sceptical of the idea. “Please? I don’t want our date to be over yet, I feel like…” She paused, biting her lip. She couldn’t tell Eli that she had missed the whole thing. “We can do so much more. We can go to the beach for a little while then you can come back to my house and we can cuddle. You...you can stay over!” Eli was surprised to hear that. “Are you sure you’re not tired of me yet?” “Of course not. I want to be with you all night.” Honoka said seriously, grasping Eli’s hand. “I want to wake up with you tomorrow morning. I want you to be the first thing I see and feel when I wake up tomorrow. Please?” Eli noticed the hint of lingering sadness in Honoka’s eyes. “Okay.” She leaned in slowly, giving Honoka ample time to pull away before she kissed her again, just fleetingly. “Let’s go to the beach then.”