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“HONAAAAAAAA!!!”
On a seemingly normal Friday afternoon in the Miyamasuzaka Girls’ Academy, a loud voice echoed throughout the hallways causing all the students that were walking over to their next class to pause their steps.
As they diverted their attention to the general direction of that voice, a sudden blur of yellow sped past, its destination aimed solely for a certain individual.
And that certain individual just so happened to be in the middle of the hallway, her little side ponytail swaying slightly as she turned around to be met by that blur of yellow practically launching itself at her.
She didn’t really have much of a chance to get out of the way.
So she braced herself for impact, and felt a heavy force collide with her, followed by the immediate locking of limbs around her.
“S-Saki?!” She yelped. “W-What’s wrong?”
Anyone else would have fallen over from the impact, but Honami was used to getting tackled by a certain clingy band member. Her muscles also probably helped.
“HONAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Saki whined. “SHIHO SAID NO!!!”
Honami was… Confused to say the least. “Uh, Saki, calm down first. Everyone else is staring…”
“Huh?” Saki finally looked at the unintentional audience that had been watching the little commotion. “Oh. Uh sorry, you guys can continue doing whatever you were going to do~”
Somehow that was enough to get the crowd to disperse and go about with the rest of their day.
Honami let out a mildly amused sigh before addressing Saki again. “So, what do you mean by Shiho saying no?”
Saki, still clinging onto Honami, continued spouting about her (not really serious) misery. “A new trendy cafe was opening up this weekend and I wanted to go there with you guys but Ichi and Shiho said they were both busy!”
The girl then looked at Honami, her eyes sparkling with expectation and her lip trembling slightly. “Please tell me you’re free Hona.”
Honami was conflicted as she stared at Saki’s best attempt at giving her puppy-dog eyes. ‘She’s so cute like this!’ She thought in a panic as she tried to remember if her schedule was free tomorrow.
“Uhhhhh” Saki only seemed to stare at her harder as she waited for a response. “I–”
She was pretty sure she was free. Ms. Yoisaki wouldn’t need her services yet and she could just do some drumming practice in the early morning for their newest song.
And well, she really didn’t want to disappoint Saki. The sight would not be good for her heart.
“–Should be free to join you.” She finally said with a small smile.
“Yay!” Saki cheered as she pulled Honami into a big hug. “Thank you Hona! Love you!”
Honami froze. Right, Saki was very direct with her affection.
That didn’t really stop her heart from beating even faster.
Wait if Ichika and Shiho weren’t going, then wouldn’t that make this–
“–It’s a date then! Don’t you dare be late, okay?” Saki teased her with a bright smile.
Honami felt the urge to cover her eyes from how dazzling that smile was.
“O-Of course Saki. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
“We’ll still see each other later, but yeah! See you tomorrow Hona!”
As she watched the girl turn around and walk away, Honami gulped. Something in her gut told her that tomorrow wouldn’t be so simple for her.
“I’ll just… Try to finish what I should do today…” She told herself as she began her trek back to wherever it was she was going.
Honami… Did not in fact do any of what she planned to do.
Homework? Untouched.
Drum practice? Forgotten.
Dog walking? Almost forgotten but did it just in time.
Instead, she spent most of her day thinking about her “date” with Saki.
‘It’s just an outing with Saki, there’s no need to be so worked up.’ She told herself as she rummaged through her closet for an outfit that didn’t make her look like an aunt. ‘This should be fashionable enough, right?’
She certainly did not want to interrupt whatever Saki was probably doing to ask for fashion advice. Plus that would spoil the surprise.
Wait, what surprise? It was just an outing, why was she treating this like a rendezvous between two love-
She quickly slapped her cheeks to stop that thought from finishing. ‘It’s just a friendly date. Nothing more, nothing less. Don’t overthink it, Honami.’
Unfortunately, despite that mantra playing over and over in her head, it took her two more hours to decide on an outfit. By the time she made up her mind, it was already time for her to go to sleep.
There was just one problem.
She couldn’t sleep, her mind preoccupied with thoughts about her “date” with Saki.
Just her and Saki, alone together, in a cafe.
It really sounded like a date from those romance mangas she’d catch Saki reading on occasion.
She did wonder why her friend got so flustered when she’d ask about what kind of manga it was, but Honami was fine with not getting an answer. She was adorable when she acted like that.
A quiet giggle escaped her lips. Despite her energy, even Saki wasn’t immune to the occasional embarrassing moment.
She didn’t know when, but at some point her consciousness must have drifted off in the middle of her Saki-induced thoughts because the next thing she knew, she heard a buzzing sound from her phone..
Buzz, buzz.
Oh, that was her alarm. She groggily opened her eyes to silence the thing before it could bother anyone, then looked at the time.
It was almost time to meet up with Saki.
Oh, it looks like she slept in.
Wait, she slept in?!
The next few minutes would become a blur as Honami rushed to get herself ready. Time was not on her side and the last thing she wanted was to disappoint Saki.
Thankfully, after a quick sprint that didn’t leave her completely winded, Honami made it just in time, with a few minutes to spare.
Those few minutes were spent composing herself and making sure that her outfit wasn’t a mess from her rush to get here.
White polo-shirt? Still fine. Bell-bottom jeans she didn’t know she had? Also fine. And her hair? Well, for a change of pace, she opted to let her hair down, the wavy strands reaching down to her shoulders. That was fine too.
It was certainly a look she hadn’t tried before, but she justified to herself that she just wanted to try something different from the usual.
She totally wasn’t trying to impress Saki. Nope, not at all.
Speaking of Saki, she quickly shot her a text asking her where she was. It didn’t take long for a response to be sent back as the girl told her she was waiting in front of the cafe.
Then another message was sent, this time a picture.
It was a selfie of the girl in question, with a part of the cafe in the background. That wasn’t the interesting part though, as what drew her attention was the dazzling smile of the girl in the photo, mixed with a cute little finger heart.
All of a sudden, Honami felt her cheeks warm up from the sight– her heartbeat speeding up in suit.
‘Saki… You’re no fair sometimes.’ She whined to herself as she hesitantly closed her phone and walked over to the cafe.
She looked around for her friend and thankfully found her quickly, waiting off to the side, with her gaze wandering to whatever seemed to catch her fancy– judging by how she’d turn her head whichever way.
‘I shouldn’t keep her waiting much longer.’ Honami chuckled to herself.
Unfortunately, the day decided it wasn’t done throwing curveballs yet because as she walked over to greet Saki, she saw some guy approach her friend and chat with her.
Honami froze in place, the smile that was on her face frozen stiff.
Judging by how that person hadn’t left yet, they were clearly not the type to back down from a rejection. Plus, it seemed like Saki was growing quite uncomfortable with the situation.
So, taking a page right out of Ichika’s book, she rushed over, gently grasped one of Saki’s arms, and pulled her back, before sending the most vicious stare she could muster to the bothersome individual.
“I’m sorry, but she is my date.” She declared in a cold voice that seemed to strike some semblance of fear in both the person in front of her… and Saki? Oops. “Now, please leave us be. I don’t want to have to escalate this.”
That seemed to be enough to send the guy running off spouting profuse apologies.
As for Honami, well she quietly let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding as she loosened her grip on Saki’s arm.
“S-Sorry for pulling you so sudde–”
Her apology was quickly interrupted by another tackle-hug. “You were so cool Hona!”
“S-Saki?!”
“The way you swooped in to help me was so cool, you were like a protagonist from a romance manga!”
“U-Uh, t-thanks?” Saki was certainly enthusiastic over her impulsive course of action, but as long as she looked happy then it was probably fine.
“Hehe!” She flashed another dazzling smile as she pulled out of the hug. “But I still think soft Hona is great too!”
Honami felt her cheeks flush again. “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean Saki?”
“Nothing!” Saki giggled as she took one of Honami’s hands in her own and interlocked them. “Come on, let’s go! I already reserved a table for just the two of us!”
“O-Okay!” And just like nothing happened, Honami found herself getting swept back into Saki’s pace. “Try not to rush Saki!”
“This place is beautiful…” Honami looked around her in awe. The cafe they were in seemed to be going for a rustic, yet modern ambiance. The polished wooden furniture mixed with more modern tiled flooring and walls were certainly a unique combination. Combined with the simple lighting from various hanging lights, Honami had to admit that it gave off quite the cozy feeling.
“Wow! There’s so many options!” Saki suddenly exclaimed as she looked through the menu. “They’ve got cakes, pastries, and even parfaits! Oooh, this fruit megamix looks amazing!”
“Pastries?” Honami questioned before looking at the menu. Lo and behold, there was indeed a lot on offer. They even had apple pie!
Well, she knew what she was going to order.
“Hona, are you going to have the apple pie?” Saki’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“H-Huh?” Honami was caught off-guard. “How did you…?”
“It’s written all over your face silly!” Saki giggled. “I’ve known you long enough to know you wouldn’t ever refuse the chance to get one.”
Honami shyly averted her gaze from Saki’s, her face gaining another shade of crimson as she awkwardly scratched her cheek. “Y-Yeah…”
Another giggle, followed by a Saki murmuring something that she barely caught.
“You’re so cute when I tease you Hona.”
Honami’s eyes widened slightly in shock, before she steeled her expression. “Huh? Did you say something Saki?”
“O-Oh, nothing important Hona!”
Honami stared at her friend, a bit doubtful that what she just said was “nothing important”. “Alright, if you say so Saki.”
“Anyway, I’ll just call over a waiter if you’ve already decided on your order?” Saki immediately changed the topic.
Honami nodded. “Yeah, I’ve decided.”
“Great!” Saki beamed.
There’s that familiar smile Honami had grown to love and cherish.
Saki had ordered the cafe’s specialty fruit parfait while Honami had, of course, ordered a slice of apple pie.
What Honami didn’t expect was that Saki would also order a whole apple pie to go for later.
She tried to stop her friend. “Wait Saki, isn’t th–”
“Hush Hona. It’s fine! Consider it my thank you gift for earlier!” But Saki had already made up her mind.
“Are you sure?”
“Mhm!”
“O-Okay…”
“Hona, it’s fine, really!”
Honami nervously shifted in her seat. “S-Sorry, I just feel bad.”
Saki sighed. “Hona, we’re friends. It’s normal for one of us to want to give the other a gift.”
“But I didn’t really do anything.”
Saki just stared at the girl in disbelief.
“S-Saki?”
The girl then seemed to whisper something under her breath.
“Um, Saki?”
She was just met with a small smile, but it felt different from her other ones. “I’m just happy to spend some time with you.”
It felt like a smile that was meant to convey something deeper.
But just as she opened her mouth to say something, their orders had arrived.
“Wow! Hona, look how big this parfait is!”
“Ah! Are you sure you’ll be able to finish all that?!”
Saki laughed smugly. “Of course! A growing girl like me needs all the nutrition she can get after all!”
‘I’m pretty sure that would have been more convincing if you had a plate of vegetables in front of you, Saki…’ Honami thought to herself as she watched her friend dig in.
The parfait seemed to taste good at least, judging by how her friend’s eyes lit up from the first bite.
“Hona, it’s really really good!” She shouted, before lowering her voice. “You should try some!”
“It’s okay Saki, I wouldn’t want to–”
Before she could argue further, a spoonful of sugary goodness entered her mouth.
“There, how is it?” Saki smiled self-assuredly. “Good right?”
Honami chewed on the mixture of fruits and cream before swallowing. “It’s good.”
“Right?”
“Really sweet too, but also refreshing.” Honami giggled at what she was thinking. “It kind of reminds me of a certain someone.”
“Oh? Really. Who exactly is occupying the thoughts of my Hona!” Saki lamented with a pout.
Honami laughed again at the adorable sight. “Secret~”
“Hey no fair!” Saki cried out. “Come on Honaaa! Can’t you give me a hint?”
Honami was a bit too quick to acquiesce to the girl’s pleading, her puppy-dog eyes certainly potent at getting others to agree to her whims.
“Well, you definitely know them.”
“And?”
Honami sighed. “Any more and it’ll be obvious Saki.”
“Honaaaaaa.”
“Alright, alright.”
Honami looked down at her untouched plate of apple pie, and cut a piece.
“Uh, Hona?”
“Give me a moment, Saki.” Honami teased.
She put the piece in her mouth and chewed on it. It was delicious. Tart and sweet, with a hint of cinnamon to deepen the flavor.
“Hona, that’s still hasn’t answer my que–”
This time, it was Honami’s turn to give her friend a taste of her own medicine.
“Oh!” Saki exclaimed as she chewed. “Thish ish really goof!”
“Chew your food first, Saki.” Honami said with a gentle smile. “And for that last hint, they’re enjoying an apple pie right now.”
Saki stopped chewing, her face quickly blooming with a deep shade of crimson. “H-Hona…”
She quickly covered her face before mumbling something to herself.
“Saki?”
“I’m fine Hona!” She said immediately before quickly taking a spoonful of her parfait.
A decision she quickly regretted because the sudden cold made her teeth tingle.
“C-Cold!”
The rest of their cafe date would (thankfully) go by without much fuss as the girls settled into a pattern of comfortable silence interspersed with idle conversation and the occasional insistence on sharing their food.
When the pair finally exited the cafe, they agreed to do a quick walk around the area before heading back home.
Along the way Saki’s attention was drawn to various clothing stores, accessory shops, and other beauty stores. She even insisted that Honami join her in trying out some clothes, which Honami didn’t put up much (if any) resistance to.
Eventually, as the sun began to set, the pair quickly returned to their homes, with Honami insisting that she walk Saki back to her household.
Saki had tried to refuse at first, but Honami was adamant about it– so she soon agreed.
It’s not like she didn’t mind spending more time with the girl, she was just worried about having her walk back alone when it was so late.
So she made sure to add a condition. “I’ll let you walk me back home Hona, but only if you stay the night.”
“Ah.”
“So?”
A part of Saki wanted the girl to refuse so that she could go back home, but another part of her was praying that Honami would accept. That way, she’d get to spend more time with her.
Was it selfish of her? Yeah, it probably was, but you couldn’t stop a maiden’s heart from yearning for someone, could you? Especially when that someone had clearly taken the extra effort to dress up for a date.
And yes, this was a date. A date-date.
And Saki was glad that Honami got the memo. At least, she hoped the girl did.
“Alright Saki. Let me just make a quick call.”
“Okay Hona! Sorry to bother.” She bowed, apologetic at having to bother her beloved’s parents but ecstatic all the same that she could have Honami with her for the night.
After a quick call, Honami told Saki that her parents were okay with her staying over for the night, to which Saki cheered.
“Someone’s happy.”
“More time with my girlfriend is always something to be happy about!”
Yes, she said that on purpose. The flustered look on Honami’s face was always worth her being so bold.
“S-Saki!”
“What’s wrong Hona?” She asked her, doing her best to appear innocent, as if she hadn’t just said something that could very easily be misconstrued.
“N-Nothing. Nevermind.”
“Okay, if you’re sure!” She replied with her usual exuberance. “Let’s go!”
She interlocked their hands once again, and led Honami back to her house. She didn’t miss the girl’s surprised yelp from the contact.
God, she loved her. She loved her so much that no words she could say would be enough to convey the feelings that resided within her heart.
She just needed to be sure that the girl felt the same.
When that day comes, she’d be able to confess it all.
“Hey, I forgot to say this earlier, but I love your style today Hona!”
“O-Oh! Thank you Saki. You look wonderful today too.”
Saki giggled like the lovestruck teenager she was. It’s scary how just those words were enough to make her want to melt from affection.
“And I rarely get to see you let your hair down! Why the sudden change today?”
Still, a part of her felt that she wouldn’t need to wait much longer.
“Oh! Well since it was just the two of us, I felt like trying something new and seeing if you’d approve of it.”
“Well, it definitely has my approval!”
“I’m glad to hear that!”
“Oh and Hona?” Saki stopped walking, then turned around to face the girl.
“Yes Saki?”
Beneath the dark of night, the light of the moon cast a gentle glow. All who looked up would be greeted by the sight of this celestial body, and a sky dotted with hundreds of stars.
Yet as these two girls looked at each other, none of that drew their attention. All they saw was each other.
And while Saki inched closer to the girl, another smile formed on her lips.
It wasn’t a large one by any means, not like the ones she showed on camera or on stage. No, this was milder, smaller– softer. If all the words she could think of couldn’t convey even a tenth of what she felt, then she hoped this smile would do it better. It was something that she wanted so desperately to set free, but she knew it wasn’t the right time yet.
So this small hint would have to suffice.
Then, with one final burst of bravery, she tiptoed slightly and gently placed a chaste kiss on Honami's cheek.
“Thank you for going on a date with me.”