Chapter 1
Ayano looks ahead of her, slightly to the right. She watches Osana yell at Taro again, as she does every morning. Ayano's face displays a look of sorrow, she puts on a smile and walks over to Raibaru.
"Raibaru, is everything alright with Osana?" Ayano asks, she looks back over her shoulder before turning back to Raibaru as she begins talking.
"Uhhm, I don't know. She's really nervous about asking Senpai out this Friday," she lets out an awkward chuckle and makes a weird shuffle with her feet.
"Ayano, I'm so happy to see you!" Osana yells running over to Raibaru and Ayano, her voice lowering in volume the closer she gets. "We have to go for a walk, I have stuff to tell you!"
Ayano can't help but smile listening to Osana talk. "You don't mind being alone for a moment, right Raibaru?" Raibaru's eyes widen slightly.
"No of course not, go ahead." Raibaru sounds like she's about to cry, even so Osana starts walking off and gesturing Ayano to follow.
Ayano felt rage boiling in her heart as Osana talked about Taro Yamada. What if she plunged a knife right through his heart, the blood splattering on her hair and clothes, his blood spilling on the floor. She could even burn him, maybe even bully him until he killed himself. Yet, she looks at the woman beside her, and her heart flutters. She couldn't, Osana loves him.
I suppose, if she didn't love him anymore, it wouldn't break her heart. They'd taken a few laps of the school before Ayano hears a slight buzzing from Osana’s pocket.
"Hold on, I'm getting a call." Osana's eyes widen, fear seems to take control of her body as she looks at Ayano before running away to take the call.
Ayano runs after Osana into the west corridor near the bathrooms. She peeks behind a wall listening into Osana's phone call.
"... if you don't stop bothering me, I'm gonna call the police!..." Osana yells, Ayano breathes shakily, worry sinking into her heart. "... okay, okay fine! I won't call the police!" Osana starts to put her phone away and Ayano back up from the wall and pretends to only just be walking up.
Osana walks up to Ayano, "Were you spying on me!" Osana yells. Ayano steps back from Osana, being slightly threatened.
"No Osana, I was just worried." Ayano takes a breath in, "you looked scared when you ran off." Osana stares at Ayano tears bubbling in her eyes.
"Can we meet on the rooftop during lunch, or we can walk there after class!" Osana hesitates before continuing to speak, "I have something to tell you, it's really important, pleaas-"
Ayano cuts her off. "Don't you have that thing with Senpai?" Ayano says. "Wouldn't want to miss it, no?"
Osana's brows furrow. "Just be there!" She lets out a shaky breath. "Don't make me regret it! Please Ayano,"
Ayano sighs before grabbing Osana's hands. "Why don't we go for a walk around the school, you still need to join a club, don't you?"
Ayano asks, letting go of one of Osana's hands wiping a tear from Osana's eyes. Osana panics and lets go of Ayano's other hands and wipes her own tears.
Osana sniffs. "Yeah, that'll be nice.”
Osana and Ayano walk around the school until the clock hits 8:10am During this time Raibaru sits on a bench in the courtyard.
During class Ayano daydreams about Osana, she imagines having Osana watch her kill Taro before Osana's delicate hands cup her face and give her a kiss on the forehead and praising her. Ayano imagined vulgar things, doing anything to please her. Even if it meant certain death;
Ayano couldn't control her dreams, her brain was different from her classmates. She had never had emotion, until Osana.
Her life was so dull, so meaningless. Some students thought she was creepy and kept their distance. Other's thought she was just weird, people avoided her in the halls. No one let her into clubs.
Osana lightened up her life, put joy into her eyes. Osana's heart was so kind, it only made Ayano's hatred for Taro even stronger. What had he done to be the one under the cherry tree on Friday. It should be Ayano underneath there with her Idol, with her love, with the woman of everyone's dreams.
Class ends, Ayano feels a little smarter, although she never really learnt anything. "Osana, do you still want to talk to me on the rooftop?"
Osana looks behind her and nods, she seems out of it worried. Yet still so beautiful. The walk up is silent, they eventually reach the part of the roof behind the ventilator. Osana bursts into tears.
"Ayano I'm so sorry, I met some guy in town yesterday, and-" Osana is interrupted by her own sobbing, she falls into Ayano's chest choking between her sobs. "He has my caat-"
Ayano's arms embrace Osana and she begins to comfort her, Osana nearly on her knees accepts the embrace and begins to calm down. "I'm sorry Ayano, I just needed someone to talk to."She sniffles through her sentence stepping back, her face red.
"Osana, I can help, give me his address." Osana looks Ayano in the eyes shock on her face, "Osana, trust me."Ayano's voice is comforting, like a mother talking to her child.
"Okay, I'll send you his address, please get my cat back." Ayano couldn't disappoint Osana, otherwise they'd both be heartbroken. After school Ayano looks at her messages and goes to the stalkers house. She climbs into a window, as she sneaks past family members she learns things.
The stalker hasn't left his room in years, and is a definite creep.
Although all she can think about is Osana, her face if she fails. The risk; was high, but Ayano couldn't watch Osana suffer. Ayano didn't grow up with pets, but she knew how much animals meant to Osana.
Ayano reached the stalkers room, the sister mentioned it being underneath her room. Saying she heard weird porn games and probably hentai. Judging by his room, definitely hentai.
His room was plastered with this one anime girls face. She looked like Osana, he was praising her like she was some god; or a god for his praises. Despite the urge to take a knife and stab it through his heart, Ayano remained quiet.
Ayano saw Osana's cat in the corner of the room, she snuck up to grab the kitty but the stalker saw her. He started yelling at her, Ayano was startled, she stays silent, grabbing the cat cage in a hurry and running out of the house. Only gasping for air once she's safe in the street.
Once Ayano is back home she brings the cat cage into her living room, she looks at her phone and sends a message to Osana. "Your cat is safe." Osana responds immediately, displaying gratitude. Then asking if she was okay. Ayano's face goes flushed before writing; "he yelled at me, a bit shaken up."
Which wouldn't be a big deal if she wasn't putting on a 'tough girl' act.
But, telling the truth felt.. nice.
Ayano lets Osana's cat out of the cat cage and gives her a pat. Taking a picture of the kitten and sending it to Osana, requesting they meet up within the next hour.
Osana knocks on Ayano's front door. "Ayano? Aren't your parents home?" Osana asks looking around with caution in her eyes. "They're on a business trip, I wasn't actually expecting you to show up this late." Ayano walks over to her living room and the cat runs into her arms, "she's adorable." Ayano says. "Yeah, I know right!"
Osana smiles and suddenly gives Ayano an embrace. "Thank you, I owe you so much!!" Osana has a single tear bubble in her eyes before cupping Ayano's face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have let you go!" Osana's arms revert back to a hug, Ayano rests a hand on Osana's shoulder.
Ayano smiles warmly, perhaps the real problem in her life; was the fact no one ever really loved her. Gave her warm hugs, showed her true compassion. Now she has Osana, both to love and, to love her, even if it only is as friends.
The next day she comes to school and Osana is waiting for Ayano. Raibaru us waiting for Osana.
Ayano came into school, Osana went up to Ayano immediately, "did you already talk to Senpai today?" Ayano asks.
Osana laughs a little before deciding to bring up last night, she thanked Ayano again and began talking about all the cute things her cat did, she had pictures.
Ayano will never understand how Osana finds every little thing cute. She was being stalked a day ago. Now she's the happiest girl to ever live, or maybe that's just who Osana is. When the pair eventually get to class 2'1 Ayano realizes Osana's book bag is already at her desk, and there's a note on her desk. It reads:
"Ayano Aishi, this Friday I had other plans. Instead I'm inviting you under the cherry tree. You have done so much for me this week, or this past year I've known you. You changed me, for the better. You never give up on your goals, even if they are just an assignment worth none of our grade. You have a serious tone about you, your able to sacrifice the small things for a bigger cause. You inspire me Ayano. So please, 5pm on Friday, meet me at the cherry tree."
Ayano hears footsteps running off, to find a missing Osana. She smiles and sits down to reread the note.
5pm Friday…