A Catgirl's Last Chance for High School Romance - COMPLETE

[X] Confide in Erika. You can probably trust her to keep things quiet even if she knows you don't really have feelings for Jesse.

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"Huh? Oh... It's kind of complicated," you murmur absently, your eyes downcast for a moment.

"Well. If you want to talk about it, I'm happy to listen," Erika adjusts her glasses and sets down the club paperwork she's been studying to look at you with curious, attentive eyes. You hesitate for a moment. Is it really okay for you to tell her this? But before you manage to think better of it, it all comes pouring out of you in an exhausted rush.

"My friends were bugging me about not having a boyfriend yet and were asking if there was anyone I was interested in and I kind of panicked and said yes and named the first guy I could think of to get them off my back. And I think that just made it worse? Now they want me to confess to him and it's... a mess. I don't actually like him or anything! I just needed to say something." You settle your chin into your hands, trying to fight off the urge to just cry in frustration. This doesn't feel right but you should have a crush by now. That's how high school is supposed to work. And Jesse's nice. Maybe you really do like him? You grimace, looking away from Erika. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be weighing this crap on you. You're my kouhai--I should be the one giving you advice."

"Well, maybe you're my senpai and all that but you're also still my friend, Hanako. I'm here to help! And. Yeah. That sounds kind of awkward. Is there any way you can just brush it off and pretend like you're too shy to do it or something? Maybe just... get them to focus on something else?" It's a suggestion at least.

"I dunno. Once Mari gets focused on something it's hard to get her to leave it alone." There's more here but you don't want to dig into it right now. All the weirdness that comes with not finding a boy you actually like and the weird pressure to hurry up find one makes your head hurt. It has since you were in middle school. You're not prepared to talk about it yet, though.

"I wish I knew what to tell you..." Erika sounds almost distressed by the thought. "I haven't really had much luck with guys either, but it hasn't really been bothering me the same way it seems like it's bothering you. I wish I had better advice for you..."

"I just need some time to think. I'll come up with something! I'm your reliable Hanako-senpai, aren't I?" You smile with more conviction than you feel. Confiding in people about your problems is supposed to make you feel better, not worse and yet somehow the discussion just seems to have left you even more drained than you were before and still just as confused about what you should be doing.

"Let's just focus on the club or now. We have to find some new members, you know...? We can talk about my crap later." You steer the conversation away from the tricky subject of boys and confessions. Finding new members is a way easier proposition than untangling the web of awkwardness that are your own emotions. As Erika starts talking about a couple likely first-years who seemed like they might be interested you can let yourself forget about the whole situation for a little while as you discuss recruitment schemes...

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Monday, April 8th

The first week of school has breezed by, as school tends to do. It's been nice to be back but it's also been exhausting. You've been running around trying to recruit new members for the club (there's at least two first years that seem interested, though you're having trouble getting them to commit) and pushing off Mari's teasing and needling insistence about your "crush." Unfortunately, it doesn't let up on your first day off either as she blows up your phone with excited text messages about possibilities and ideas for double dates. You've gently tried to push it off but nothing quite seems to get through to her. It's Monday again and study hall is going and you're trying to focus on the math page in front of you. There's a quiet hum of chatter as students discuss their work. Mari has her desk pushed up against yours along with another of your classmates (a wolf girl named Yui) and she grins at you after a moment.

"Sooo, Hana-chaaaan~. Have you thought about confessing yet?" Your face flushes pink at Mari's teasing sing-song question and Yui's ears perk up at the possibility of some hot gossip.

"Whaaaat? I didn't know that Mikuru had someone she wanted to confess to." She leans over the desks, grinning.

"No, I do--" You try to cut in and are cut off by Mari's eager words.

"Mmhm. She's got a thing for Shimura-kun? He's in the year below us and she keeps saying she's not gonna confess but--" You can feel anger boiling up inside of you and ears splay flat for a moment. This is stupid, this is stupid. You shoot to your feet with an angry hiss, trying to find the right words.

What are you going to say?

[ ] Tell her to shut up! Mari needs to stop teasing you about this NOW!
[ ] You're not confessing and that's FINAL! It's none of her business anyway!
[ ] Admit that you just told her you liked Jesse to get her off your back
[ ] No you can't say that! Storm out of the classroom and go find somewhere to be alone.

Note: The crossed out vote means it's an option Hanako has considered and then discarded as something she can't do/handle at the moment.