“What?!” Hikaru mouthed back at Sana.

Sana shook her head, then pointed at the front of the classroom.

“Hikaru,” Mr. Abe called out to her, and Hikaru quickly turned around to face him from her desk. “I would appreciate it if you focus on the class, and not talk to your friends.”

“S-sorry…” Hikaru said.

She unpacked her bag in a dull haze, barely listening to Mr. Abe’s voice droning on in the background.

She… she must be really hurt… Hikaru was thinking. Was I too harsh…? But she was grabbing onto me and wouldn’t let go…

Hikaru sighed to herself, sinking to her desk and pretending to read her textbook.

I really hope Aya is okay…

~x~

“Hey, did you hear?”

“Apparently, Aya’s sick…”

“But she’s never sick!”

“Maybe the pressure finally got to her…”

Hikaru was walking through the school corridor in a hurry, coming back from the washroom. It was lunchtime and students were out all around the school, most in groups, talking to themselves.

Hearing their conversations about Aya only made Hikaru feel worse inside. She just wanted to quickly go back to her classroom and eat her lunch.

Something grabbed onto Hikaru’s shoulder and she jumped, spinning around to see Eito.

“He-hey, sorry for scaring you,” Eito raised a hand to his head, brushing the streaks of black hair falling over his sharp eyes. “Hikaru… right…?”

“Ye-yes… that’s me…” Hikaru forced a friendly smile.

“Do you know what happened to Aya?” Eito asked. “Is she really sick? What kind of sickness does she have? Is it serious?”

Eito barraged her with questions, a serious look on his face, and Hikaru stepped back, trying to keep a pleasant smile.

“Ahh, my poor Aya…” Eito continued, placing a hand over his forehead dramatically. “She’s obviously worked herself too hard, but no worries, this shining white knight will—”

Hikaru turned around and made a break for it, while he was deep in conversation with himself.

Wh-what a scary person! Hikaru thought to herself. I need to go back to the classroom before someone tries to ask me about Aya again… what am I even supposed to say?!

Rushing through the crowded corridors, Hikaru eventually found herself back in her classroom, breathing in heavy puffs from her jog.

“Ah, you’re back!” Fumiko said, seeing Hikaru approaching her desk. She was sitting with Sana, their desks pushed next to Hikaru’s, since Aya wasn’t here.

“Are you okay, Hikaru?” Sana asked. “Did you run here?”

“I’m okay, thanks, Sana,” Hikaru smiled weakly. She slumped down in her chair, then reached in her bag to get her lunch.

“Did Aya say anything else to you?” Sana asked.

Hikaru jumped, but then glanced over at Sana, realising she was talking to Fumiko.

“Hmm…” Fumiko stared at her phone with a pondering expression, tapping at the screen. “No, the last text I got from her was last night when she said she came down with a cold… I tried texting and calling her… but she didn’t pick up…”

“There’s no helping it then…” Sana laughed meekly, knowing how clingy Fumiko is to Aya. “She should be better tomorrow if it’s just a cold.”

“You never know,” Fumiko sighed. “Last time I had a cold, I didn’t go to school for a week.”

“Wasn’t that because you went to Hong Kong for a shopping trip after a day of the cold…” Sana said.

“He-hey… I needed to relax after being sick!” Fumiko said. “How else do I recover?”

Fumiko shook her head, then glanced over at the plain-looking sandwich wrapped in plastic wrap and small juice popper that Hikaru pulled out.

“Ugh…” Fumiko stuck her tongue out in disgust, then reached into her own bag to pull out her bento. She popped the lid open, revealing her usual mouth-watering lunch prepared by her household’s chefs.

“Here.” Fumiko pushed the bento closer to Hikaru. “Have some of mine. You can’t possibly just eat sandwiches every day.”

“R-really?” Hikaru said, surprised. “Thank you, Fumiko…”

Fumiko waved her hand. “Don’t thank me, please.”

Hikaru tried some of Fumiko’s bento with spare chopsticks that Fumiko offered to her. She chose to try some of the tempura vegetable, and found that it tasted as good as it looked. It was almost like that time she went to Aya’s house to eat, although the food wasn’t as fresh here, not that Hikaru could tell.

“This is really good!” Hikaru said, amazed.

“Ju-just be quiet and eat…” Fumiko said, noticing that other students around the classroom were glancing over after hearing Hikaru’s voice.

Sana was eating her own bento too, which wasn’t as luxurious as Fumiko’s but still looked astonishingly good.

“Aww, you guys are so cute!”

A voice came from the side of them, and the trio turned to look at a group of girls from their classroom.

The one that spoke had long blond hair, and a tall figure with a body like a model. Two other girls stood behind her, both with dyed hair.

“Rikka,” Fumiko said with an annoyed expression, glancing up at the one with blond hair. “What do you want?”

“Wow. Is that a tone to talk to your old friend?” Rikka said. “I just came over to say hello.” She glanced over at Hikaru with an upturned nose. “Are you really hanging out with this fish village commoner, Fumiko? Come hang with us instead.”

“Y-you…!” Fumiko got up from her desk.

Sana did as well, with outstretched hand, trying to grab onto Fumiko. “Fumiko… Just leave it…”

“Don’t talk crap about Hikaru.” Fumiko snapped at Rikka. “Or, I’ll poke your god damn eyes out.”

Rikka’s face turned slightly pale, taking a precautious step back, and so did the two girls behind her.

“Jeez, you’re no fun anymore, Fumiko…” Rikka said, before disappearing with her group.

Fumiko sighed angrily, sitting back down on her seat. “Some people…” She grumbled.

“Wow…” Hikaru said, staring at Fumiko. “Thank you, Fumiko… for helping me…”

“I-I wasn’t helping you!” Fumiko blushed in annoyance. “I just really hate that girl, Rikka…” She said, making up an excuse.

“O-oh, really…?” Hikaru said. “Thanks, anyways…”

“I told you not to thank me!” Fumiko said. “Anyways, Sana, tell me about the topics I should look at for the exam next week…”

~x~

After school had ended, Hikaru was now sitting in Fumiko’s limousine with Sana by her side, as Fumiko pushed glasses of martinis into their hands.

“Fumiko, what’s this?” Hikaru took the strange looking glass from Fumiko, then stared down at it.

“It’s a martini,” Fumiko replied, then started drinking at her own glass. “Just drink it.”

Hikaru raised the glass to her hand, but Sana stopped her, covering the glass with her hand.

“Maybe, you shouldn’t try that…” Sana said. “It has alcohol…”

“What?!” Hikaru said. “B-but we’re underaged!”

Fumiko stared at Hikaru as though she had just threw the martini at her own face.

“Come on, Hikaru…” Fumiko said. “That’s too much, honestly…”

Hikaru stared back at Fumiko, confused, then Fumiko realised she was serious.

“You seriously don’t drink alcohol?” Fumiko’s eyes widened, then she took the martini off her hand, putting it in the fridge of the limousine. “Of course, Hikaru doesn’t…” She muttered to herself.

“Where are we going anyway?” Hikaru said. She felt bad for leaving Itsuo alone at school. She was planning to stay with him for his detention but Fumiko had dragged her away.

“We’re going to visit Aya obviously, dummy.” Fumiko said, taking another drink from her martini. “We need to see how she’s doing!”

Sana was slowly sipping at her drink, being used to being dragged around by Fumiko.

“Visit Aya?” Hikaru raised her eyebrows. “But we didn’t even ask her for permission…”

Sana patted at Hikaru’s shoulder. “You now understand my pain…”

Fumiko shrugged, as though Hikaru didn’t say anything of importance. “Aya won’t mind. Trust me.”

“Ugh…” Hikaru stared at Fumiko doubtfully, but the limousine was already moving and it wasn’t like there was anything she could do to stop it.

“I made notes for her, of what we learnt today in class.” Fumiko said, taking her notebook out from her bag. “I didn’t want her to miss out, although she probably will still get full marks. I thought it would make it a little easier for her to catch up though.”

“Wow…” Hikaru was impressed, seeing the neatly written notes that Fumiko was flicking through. “You’re a really good friend, Fumiko…”

“Of course I am!” Fumiko snapped back.

Hikaru felt something heavy dropping down on her shoulder, and she turned to see Sana’s head there, her face pink and her eyes spinning.

“Ack!!” Hikaru cried, grabbing her by the shoulder. “Sana, are you okay?!”

“Relax,” Fumiko said. “She’s just a little bit tipsy.”

“A little?!” Hikaru said.

“Yeah, she’s really lightweight…” Fumiko said. “I didn’t know one drink would knock her out though…”

Fumiko grabbed the half empty glass from Sana’s dangling hand. “She didn’t even finish it…” Fumiko said, placing the glass away.

“I want to go home!!” Sana cried, hugging onto Hikaru.

“He-hey, Sana…” Hikaru tried to calm her friend down. She had seen this before countless times… with her mum…

“It’s no fair...” Sana sobbed. “Fumiko never lets me go home to study…”

“Fumiko…” Hikaru glanced over at Fumiko, concerned.

“It’s okay… she always cries when she’s drunk…” Fumiko said, unaffected by the alcohol.

The journey to Aya’s house felt extremely long, especially with Hikaru having to care for the intoxicated Sana, and by the time they had arrived, Sana had fell into a drunken slumber, lying on Hikaru’s lap.

The massive gates to Aya’s house opened as the driver identified himself to the guards posted there, and the limousine went up the driveway of the mansion, stopping at the front.

“Alright, let’s go!” Fumiko said cheerfully, taking her bag with her notebook as she popped the door open.

“Ha-hang on…” Hikaru said, trying to move Sana gently onto the seats in a comfortable position.

Once she had managed to do so, she followed Fumiko out the limousine.

The Japanese-styled lavish front garden of Aya’s mansion instantly brightened Hikaru’s mood.

Ah… I’ll get to see Aya again! Hikaru thought, taking in the sweet aroma of her surroundings.

Fumiko was already trudging up the stairs leading to the grand door of the mansion. Hikaru quickly picked up her pace to follow after her.

Before they reached the top, the door to the mansion opened, showing a lanky figure with aging grey hair.

Koji. Aya’s head butler.

“Koji, can you get me a sparkling—” Fumiko started.

“I’m afraid the young mistress isn’t here.” Koji said. There was a hint of sadness in his welcoming face.

“What?” Fumiko stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean Aya’s not here?”

Hikaru stopped next to Fumiko, just as confused as her.

“She’s gone to attend a business trip in America with her family.” Koji explained. “She won’t be coming back for a month.”

“WHAT?!” Fumiko screeched, but Koji didn’t appear fazed. “A month?! What about school?! How is she going to go to school?! Koji, explain this!! Right now!!”

“He-hey…” Hikaru tried to grab onto Fumiko’s shoulder to calm her down, but her own mind was also distraught.

“I-I demand an answer!!” Fumiko took a step towards Koji angrily. “Aya never told me about this!!”

“The young mistress said she may be planning an exchange to study in America,” Koji said sadly. “Since, she would have to apply for the universities there anyway—”

Fumiko pushed Koji aside, rushing past him through the open doors. Hikaru wasn’t able to stop her.

“Aya!!” Fumiko called out, running around the mansion. “Ayaaaa!!!”

Her figure disappeared up the stairs, and Hikaru was left standing with Koji, not knowing what the hell to do.

A silenced followed with Fumiko’s disappearance into the mansion.

Hikaru was feeling frantic inside, her knees trembling.

Did… did she really go…? Is she really going to be gone…?

“Young lady, Hikaru…” Koji said, staring at her.

Hikaru glanced up from the ground to look at him, and tried to smile, but couldn’t.

“Yes…?” She said quietly.

“The young mistress always spoke very highly of you… I hope it won’t pain you too much that she is deciding to leave the country… It’s best for the Kuramoto family after all, and her parents had been pressuring her for a while now…”

“…”

“If there is anything I can be of help with, please let me know.” Koji bowed. “Thank you for taking care of the young mistress.”

“…is that really the reason she’s leaving…?” Hikaru asked. “Did… did she say anything else…?”

Koji stared at Hikaru for a moment, before closing his eyes. “That, I cannot tell you.”

Hikaru was silent for the rest of the time, with Koji standing by idly.

Eventually, a flustered looking Fumiko returned to the grand door, breathing heavily.

“I looked everywhere for her…” Fumiko said, shaking her head. “She’s actually not here…”

Hikaru nodded silently, and Fumiko screamed out at the air in frustration.

“Stupid Aya!!” Fumiko yelled. “You should tell me before you do something like that!!”

“F-Fumiko…” Hikaru said.

“Let’s go.” Fumiko walked down the stairs, heading back to her limousine. Hikaru followed her without a word.

~x~

Hikaru finished her shower back at her apartment, and fell into her bed, dressed in her pajamas. It was like yesterday again, except today was worse. She was mentally drained, and she didn’t know what to think anymore after hearing that Aya would be going to America.

Hikaru rolled around on her bed, grabbing her pillow, and pulling it into a hug.

“Ugh…”

She closed her eyes, trying to forget about the day’s events and just relax.

She had already tried to text and call Aya, herself, but she wasn’t responding. It seemed like Aya really was going to go away.

“I miss her…”

Hikaru mouthed to herself, her freshly washed hair falling past the side of her face.

She pulled the pillow tighter towards her body.

I wish Aya was here… Hikaru thought.

For some reason, she pretended that the pillow was Aya, and she pushed the bottom of it down between her legs.

“Aya…”

Hikaru pursed her lips, kissing the pillow gently with a slightly flushed face.

…

Hikaru jumped up from her bed, pulling herself into a sitting position. Her face was fully red now.

“Wh-what the heck was that?!”