The last class of the day was over and usually, that would mean that the students would be in a rush to get out of class and spend their free time at home slacking off and procrastinating on their homework until commanded otherwise by their parents or other elderly figures. For Umi Sonoda, however, she'd approach exiting the the last class of the day the same way every time. She'd make sure that her belongings were secure and briefly skimmed her notes for any last-minute questions she'd have for the teacher. After that, she'd wear a serene smile on her lips and respectfully waved goodbye to the teacher, then finally make her way out. Some teachers felt fortunate to have Umi as their student for the final class of the day because of how she took her time and didn't rush out because she was in a hurry to get home.

This upstanding and self-maintained ethic, however…

"Hello, Umi!" Nozomi Tojo greeted the deep-blue haired second-year at the classroom door.

Umi blinked in surprise from seeing the student council vice-president on an unusual time. Umi knew better, though-she had something in store for her, but whether it was a random breast grope, she was going to be ready for better or for worse, "Nozomi… Is something the matter?"

The vice-president giggled as she used both her hands to grab Umi's face and adjust it to so that their eye contact was parallel with one another, "Relax! It's only me! You're worried that you've done something wrong and that's why I've come to see you, yes?"

Umi averted her eye contact as she nodded through Nozomi's grip on her face, "Um, could you please let my face go, Nozomi? Your hands are awfully cold…"

"Ah," she promptly released her grip, "Better?"

Again, she nodded, not saying anything-her shyness in front of the student council vice-president getting the best of her.

Nozomi sighed with a smirk on her face, "If it helps you relax, I was sent here by Eli to come fetch you. She wanted to see you in the student council office."

"Wh-What for?!" Umi squawked aloud, releasing pent-up tension through her exclamation.

...This upstanding and self-maintained ethic would not be her friend this time around. This situation with Nozomi blocking her way to freedom could have been prevented if she was a few steps faster. Maybe if she didn't have a question for the teacher before leaving, perhaps she'd be on her way.

"Don't worry, Umi," Nozomi held out her cellphone in front of her face, "I have already told your friends about your meeting with Eli. They'll be at Honoka's house when you're finished here."

Just like that, all the tension Umi had in her system had dissipated. Umi was thankful that Nozomi had a keen eye for the little things like body language. After taking a deep breath, the second-year regained her composed outlook-something that Nozomi was pleased to see, "Very well. Would you escort me to the office or am I going by myself?"

The vice president shook her head at her, "Nope! I trust you to go by yourself. I know you wouldn't skip out on something as important as a meeting with Eli. Besides," she held out two movie tickets, "I have a date with someone, myself! I can't keep her waiting!"

Seeing this double standard before her made the second-year roll her eyes.

Nozomi continued, "At any rate, you should go see her now. She's probably wondering what's taking you so long. Good-bye, Umi!"

Umi watched Nozomi daintily skip down the hallway until she was out of sight, noting in her head that she was unusually perkulated. That matter would be for another time, she told herself, as she started to walk briskly through the empty hallways on her way to the student council office. The echoes of her footsteps rang loud in her ears, as she hoped that the sound of them would reach Eli.

Once she made it to the door, she saw it starting to loom large to the point where it was towering over her. Umi felt her legs shaking and her forehead sweating while also feeling the gaze of the door staring holes into her. All she had to do was knock and she would be told to come in. It should be something simple, but it was becoming so hard. Before it could become any harder for her, she took all her energy and focused it into her right hand, clenching it into a fist. Then, she threw her fist at the door, hitting it with all her might.

"Eek!" Eli shrieked from inside, "Come in?"

Once the second-year captured the beauty's voice, everything was back to normal in an instant. The door was back to its regular size and more importantly for her, it was a door again-something to be opened for passage and closed for privacy. Slowly, she opened the door to the office wide open to see Eli sitting in the center chair of the three that faced the door.

"I-I heard you wanted to see me, Eli…" She struggled to maintain eye contact yet again.

The blonde's eyes and expression, with one look at Umi, became that of worriment, "Umi, please sit down next to me."

Umi lifted her head at the blonde, "N-Next to you?"

"Please…"

She obeyed without any further objection. Seeing a genuine beauty like Eli this close to her made her feel a bit lightheaded no matter how many times she had the privilege to see her. Other girls would beg to be close to the Eli Ayase, she knew.

"Umi, stop look at me like that," Eli commanded, "I'm not a goddess, I'm your friend."

The second-year averted her gaze briefly to regain her sense of reality with Eli, "S-Sorry," she sighed, "This is the third time you've called me here. I must be doing something terrible for you to call me here three times, this week."

Like how Nozomi did moments ago, Eli used both her hands to grab her face to force Umi to look her in both her eyes, but unlike Nozomi, Eli had a stern look sported, "Umi, I need you to stop what you're saying and listen to yourself. You've been expecting the worst at almost every turn and I can see it in your eyes that you're tired. Please tell me the truth."

Umi made a small noise before tears arose in her eyes. She could feel that her own self threatened to devolve into a crying mess full of angst and heartache.

She was close, Eli felt. The blonde adjusted her hands to wrap them around the second-year's body and then pulled her out of her chair, dragging their bodies to be pressed against each other, "Umi...it's okay. You're safe to cry in here."

"U-Ugh… A-AUGH! WAH! AAH!"

"All done, Umi?" Eli asked, hopeful that she was finally feeling better.

The second-year nodded her head while taking in more of the blonde's warmth into her face as she cuddled closer. "Y-Yeah...I'll be fine, now…"

From the front, Umi could feel the blonde's warmth of her body soothe her, while from behind her, she felt the blonde stroking her back smoothly to help her further release tension from her body. She looked up at the clock and noticed that it was about ten minutes since she first arrived. Her face flushed red, flustered that she cried for that long. She wanted to apologize, but with Eli, she knew she didn't have to. She was in the arms of an angel in both a figurative and literal sense, and Umi silently begged for this moment to be frozen in time forever.

"I-I guess...I really shouldn't have brushed you off like that last time," Umi started, "You know, about...me denying that we're the same in a lot of ways?"

"It's okay," Eli smiled as she continued to stroke her back, "You didn't want to make it seem like you were weak. I went through with that, too. I suffered a long time inside, fearing the worst if I told anyone, even Nozomi. I don't want you ending up like me, Umi-someone who suffered for a long time. So, let's keep your suffering short."

"What should I do, Eli?" Umi was somewhat entranced from the rhythmatic stroking of her back.

"My secret is giving yourself a break. I know you have a lot of responsibilities, but you should do something for yourself, once in a while."

"But, I do things with Ho-"

"I said something for yourself, not with other people," Eli cut her off.

Umi felt wrinkles on her forehead forming, "I-Isn't that selfish?"

"Far from it," Eli smiled, "When I started to care for myself a little bit more, I noticed that Nozomi was a lot happier to see me! She understands that it's important to care for one's self. I'm sure Kotori and Honoka feel the same."

"O-Oh…"

Her smile curved downward into a somber frown, "You feel as though you'd drag them down if you tell them how you really feel, don't you?"

Umi felt her face heating up again from being read like a book, "Y-Yeah… I always see Honoka and Kotori looking so happy that I don't want to do anything to ruin their good day by bringing up my problems. Plus...I don't think that...they'd understand me like you do-someone who also has a lot on her shoulders and carrying big pressure, too."

The blonde nodded, understanding her plight perfectly. She stopped stroking Umi's back and then focused on holding Umi against her body for her to gather more warmth, "Then as student council president, I have...orders for you."

Umi blinked, "Orders?"

Eli giggled, "I don't know what else to call it, but I want you to do something for yourself. You'll feel a lot happier if you did something you always wanted to do, trust me."

"Like what?"

"Answer that yourself!" Eli gently encouraged, "Do you want to learn a new instrument? Do you want to go to an amusement park? Do you want to fall in love?"

That last question made Umi's eyebrows rise and her face flushed red once more, "F-Fall in love?"

The blonde couldn't help but giggle at her, "Aww, look at you. It looks as though you're thinking about someone, already! If you want, I can help you speak your feelings to them."

Umi looked up at the blonde smiling down on her and returned it with a sunny look of her own, "It's okay, Eli. I have a feeling that...they know, already."

The blonde nodded, "And something tells me that they know, too, and that they feel the same way."

The second-year gasped, "Th-Then, Eli. Why don't we do something, now?"

Eli giggled at her, "I can see you're thinking about what you want to do, already."

Umi nodded, "To be honest, we never really get chances like this for just the two of us to mingle, right? I want us to take this chance!"

Eli blinked a few times at the second-year who was now sounding unusually bold, "Wouldn't Honoka or Kotori wonder where you are, though?"

She smiled, "Don't worry. I'll explain to them later. For now...I...I...I want to take this chance for us to really get to know each other."

The two girls would exchange a lengthy embrace before parting from one another.

"I'm looking forward getting to know you in a new way, Eli." Umi smiled as she held out her right hand toward the blonde.

The blonde observed how Umi looked now. She couldn't recall a time when she actually looked this eager and this happy. The blonde was used to seeing her meek and shy but seeing her bold and beautiful-she wanted to see more of it.

"Me too, Umi," Eli smiled back as she took it.

Misery loved company but for the two of them, their misery made them found love.

Fin