Ayano's vision blurred with tears. This wasn't how it was supposed to end. She'd done everything right.

Everything right... according to her dad.

Maybe... maybe after all... Mom was right.

Strong arms literally yanked Ayano back into reality as a hand clamped over her mouth. Ayano writhed in protest as she was dragged back into a hedge.

"Shhhh, don't interrupt them!" Raibaru hissed in Ayano's ear.

Ayano growled and tried to bite Raibaru's hand.

"You cut that out," Raibaru whispered. "It's taken Osana so long and I'm not letting you ruin it. Especially since you're the one who started her on this track!"

Ayano felt ice in her veins. Did... did Raibaru… somehow know who really poisoned Osana?

Raibaru sighed. "Look, calm down and I'll let you listen to the feed, I'm trying to pay attention."

Ayano stopped struggling. Feed of what? Their... their conversation? But she couldn't bear to hear something like that!

Raibaru turned Ayano around to face away from the cherry tree and towards her. She had a headset on; with the hand that wasn't muffling Ayano she was struggling to extend the headband. Then she stopped and whispered into the headset's microphone "Say something already! Talk about how you first met!"

Was... was Raibaru giving Osana instructions?

Ayano's heart pounded and she pulled her legs into a more relaxed sitting position. This could be her one and only final chance. If she got that away from Raibaru and managed to feed Osana bad advice... Somehow...

But was Raibaru really naïve enough to assume Ayano would help Osana steal their senpai's heart, or had Osana not told Raibaru about Ayano's confession?

"Okay, you ready to help?" Raibaru took her hand off Ayano's mouth and extended the headset's headband to maximum, offering the earpiece without the microphone to Ayano.

Ayano awkwardly sat shoulder to shoulder with Raibaru, facing ninety degrees away from her and holding the earpiece perpendicular to her ear, but she could still make out the words and mostly see Osana and Taro through the hedge branches.

"...and then just..." Osana swayed uncertainly, her voice crackling through the earpiece. "It's just always been you and me. Like you were a constant in my life. Always there. Always so... agreeable and dorky and...k-kind of... you know... sweet."

Ayano dug her nails into her palms. She had no right to tell him that. Not when she'd spent years and years bullying him! Ayano would have given her four limbs to have just one year of Taro's friendship.

"I... always felt the same way," her senpai said in his precious precious voice. To the wrong person.

"And whenever boys asked me out I... I always said no," Osana said. "N-not like I'm not interested in boys!"

"Abort, no, don't talk about that, you'll just dig yourself in Osana!" Raibaru muttered.

"Um...?" Taro said. Probably concerned at Osana's really long pause after that sentence.

"I-I mean just.. I um..." Osana stomped her foot. "It's just- it's always been you and me, okay? So I told them no, because... I mean, your sister was always saying we'd be a couple, everyone said that."

Taro laughed shyly.

He was so, so adorable. How could Ayano stand by and let him make such a huge mistake?

But as Ayano leaned forward, Raibaru whispered "But what if we weren't?"

Ayano's head jerked back so hard she brushed into Raibaru's ponytail. She held the earpiece closer, like it was a lifeline.

"...What do you mean?" Taro asked.

"I mean, you know, anything could happen!" Osana looked away from Taro, hugging herself. "Maybe we fall for other people, or move to other cities."

"Osana-"

Ayano mashed her head next to Raibaru's and whispered, hoping her voice would carry through the mic. "We've been brainwashed."

"shh!" Raibaru pushed Ayano away.

"what...?" Osana asked, putting her hand up to her ear.

Ayano mentally facepalmed at her bad acting. She turned to Raibaru, who was glaring at her. "Nothing," Raibaru said. "I-"

Ayano crawled closer to Raibaru. She was sure she was on to something, and surely she could convince Osana's friend. "Everyone said they should be together so they believed it. Right?"

Raibaru pursed her lips and nodded at Ayano. She rephrased Ayano's words into the mic and slowly reoffered Ayano the earpiece.

Ayano tried to conjure a we're-in-this-together smile, wishing she had a mirror.

"...so we never thought about anyone else." Osana took a deep breath. "But someone said... something happened this week and I..." Osana balled up her fists and took a step forward. "I almost-! You can't just count on me to be the woman in your life, you dummy!"

"Wh-what are you saying?" Taro took two steps back.

"I'm saying..." Osana paused.

Ayano leaned into the mic again. "We need a break."

This time Raibaru didn't object.

Osana crossed her arms. "I'm saying... I'm saying I need some space, okay? To... to think about stuff."

Taro still had his hands in front of him. "Okay," he said nervously. "For... for how long?"

"I don't know." Osana turned away. "That came out mean, okay? I... I didn't plan it to be this way."

"Tell him what he means to you," Raibaru whispered.

"Tell him you still want to be friends!" Ayano added.

Just friends. Please just friends. She'd figure out how to handle a friend.

"I-I want to be friends," Osana mumbled.

"S-sorry?" Taro said.

Osana whirled back to face him, her orange ponytails sailing through the sky. "Look, dummy, if you haven't noticed, you're- you're super important to me, okay? You're one of the best things in my life and I- and I never want to stop being friends!" She started studying Taro's shoes. "But... maybe we're not boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe... maybe we don't know what that means yet."

Taro stayed frozen.

"Say something you dummy!" Osana lifted her head.

"I... I..."

Osana shook Taro by the shoulders. "Stop looking at me like that, okay? This could be good for us! Maybe we'll find our real soulmates or something sappy like that."

Taro still didn't answer. But Ayano could read his body language, even from so far away. The little hand movements, his stance, that incline of his head.

He was in pain.

Maybe neither Mom nor Dad were right. Maybe Ayano had been right after all.

She had no place in this story. Her every attempt to get her wish would only hurt the one she loved.

Ayano's vision blurred and she blinked her eyes in shock. A tear rolled down her cheek as she did this.

That was a real tear. She hadn't been trying to cry this time.

Her senpai had changed her in ways she was only beginning to understand...

"Taro...?" Osana's voice was meeker.

"N-no, it's fine. Taro started down the hill. "If... if that's what you need."

"Hey, stop looking so down!" Osana ran ahead and cut Taro off. "It's not forever, okay? It... it can be just like before. Later. You can stop bugging me so much and spend time with your other friends, okay?"

Taro just stared blankly at Osana.

Osana took a step back, hands to her mouth. Raibaru gasped softly. Ayano was sure the same thought was running through all three of the girls' minds.

Oh no...

"Y-you dummy!" Osana balled up her fists again. "Don't tell me that you've spent every school year just... reading quietly by yourself!"

"Um..." Taro said.

Osana grabbed Taro's shoulders again. "You... big... dummy! Hasn't your mom told you to socialize?"

"I mean..."

"How many times have I told you, you can't just hide from everyone in a book!" Osana pushed Taro away. "How can you be such a loser? I-"

Ayano hissed into the microphone. "Because you say those things!"

Raibaru shoved Ayano away and held her at arm's length, but the damage was done.

Ayano's audio feed was gone, but she could still see through the hedge as Osana stepped back, her jaw open with shock. Then, she hung her head apologetically and said something.

Taro shook his head.

"No, no it's not your fault!" Raibaru muttered. "Hug him."

Osana awkwardly patted Taro on the head.

You moron! That'll make him feel worse! Ayano inwardly seethed.

Hugging Taro... what a nice feeling that would be...

"Um... suggest he joins a club this week?" Raibaru cringed as soon as she said it. Clearly she wasn't prepared for this twist.

Osana and Taro stared at the ground for another minute.

Then slowly they both started down the hill together, still not making eye contact.

Raibaru sighed sadly as she slid off her headset, still holding Ayano with one hand.

"What did they say?" Ayano asked.

"They're walking home," Raibaru said. "Oy... no wonder Osana wanted backup."

Ayano's lips curled into a snarl. "I hope she learned her lesson-"

"Hey." Raibaru stared Ayano down. "Your motives aren't exactly pure either."

"I'm sorry?" Ayano met the stare.

"Osana told me." Raibaru put a hand on her hip. "I know you're starstruck by Taro for some reason, but that's no excuse to horn into people's lives like this. The world won't end if Taro never notices you."

No, that's exactly what will happen. Ayano felt choked up at the thought. He is my world.

"But if Osana's backing off to think about stuff, it's your turn too," Raibaru said.

"Excuse me?" Ayano let acid lace her tone.

"Don't swoop in on Taro when he's emotionally vulnerable like this," Raibaru said. "I mean it. You'll just mess with him. If Taro needs to learn to stand on his own two feet, so do you."

"Who made you queen?" Ayano snapped.

"I'm the only one who can keep a clear head about this." Raibaru crossed her arms. "It's only fair. Don't you think?"

Ayano pursed her lips for a moment before answering.

This wasn't a reasonable request to make of someone like Ayano. She'd been pretending to make friends for her entire childhood. None of them had ended up meaning anything to her. No one in Akademi was going to be any different. No one... except Taro.

Then again, she wasn't about to explain this to Raibaru. She'd never understand anyway.

And hey, at least Raibaru was also going to make sure Taro stayed single for a while... right?

Ayano nodded. "You're right... that is fair."

"Okay." Raibaru nodded. "I'm not trying to play favorites. I'll talk it over with Osana. Let's not have any dirty tricks, okay?"

Oh boy, if only she knew...

Raibaru smiled. "I think you and Osana and Taro can all get along together if you just all give each other space. Just... take a week for everything to calm down, okay? I'll be checking."

Ayano had many doubts.

But anything could happen in a week. Osana might decide she did want Taro to be her husband after all. Or maybe Raibaru would see things Ayano's way. Or... or Osana could fall in love... or...

Ayano struggled to keep the same depressed expression on her face, to hide the fact that her train of thought was headed to a brand new station.

Whatever happened next week, there was no way Ayano would be leaving it to fate.

The Aishi ladies never played fair.