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A Catgirl's Last Chance for High School Romance - COMPLETE
- Thread starter Artificial Girl
- Start date
- Original Romance
- Location
- Aotearoa
Even aside from Hanako being sure she's not interersted in Mari as more than a friend,
Mari appears to be in what seems to be a fairly stable relationship (for high school). Let's not be that person.
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Great Greedy Guts
Ceterum censeo Vigilam esse delendam.
[X] Contact Erika and ask her to meet you Sunday, so you can tell her what your answer is before school starts again on Monday.
--[X] The answer is yes.
--[X] The answer is yes.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Wait until school. It doesn't have to be Monday, but you'll tell her some time this week. You promise yourself that much. Plus is it really fair to make her wait much longer?
--[X] The answer is yes.
Kinda want to say yes in person, also gives more time to reflect.
--[X] The answer is yes.
Kinda want to say yes in person, also gives more time to reflect.
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Guys, just an fyi, the option is to call Erika and ask her to meet you in person on Sunday.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
All of our friends are lovely and huggable.
...That was kinda my point? I just think they'd be cute together.
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- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Mila might kill me to keep this quiet but I figured out the secret final romance route, and it's the only argument I can think of for not saying yes to our kouhai:
Vrugash Route: with tark raising, swearing, and a cute orc gal!
This is definitely plausible and I'm working out the secret to unlock it, which I think involves half A presses and some alternate timeline stuff.
Vrugash Route: with tark raising, swearing, and a cute orc gal!
This is definitely plausible and I'm working out the secret to unlock it, which I think involves half A presses and some alternate timeline stuff.
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Okay, that was legitimately tense there
But in the end, Mari is freaking awesome
[X] Contact Erika and ask her to meet you Sunday, so you can tell her what your answer is before school starts again on Monday.
--[X] The answer is yes.
But in the end, Mari is freaking awesome
Seconding this
[X] Contact Erika and ask her to meet you Sunday, so you can tell her what your answer is before school starts again on Monday.
--[X] The answer is yes.
- Location
- Aotearoa
Hrm.
Are kouhai/senpai romantic relationships a reasonably common development? Do they end the k/s relationship? Just some mild concern that 'power imbalances' could come into play in an intimate relationship between a kouhai and their senpai?
I'm not familiar with how the kouhai/senpai relationship works in practise, so hopefully the question isn't too insensitive, but when you wrote that, I wondered
Are kouhai/senpai romantic relationships a reasonably common development? Do they end the k/s relationship? Just some mild concern that 'power imbalances' could come into play in an intimate relationship between a kouhai and their senpai?
Senpais and Kouhais
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Basically kouhai translates to "Junior" or "Underclassman" while Senpai is "Senior" or "Upperclassman" and you'll generally have someone as a senpai once you enter the work world as well. Essentially they act as a sort of mentor but you're also expected to show respect and some degree of deference to your senpai. IN sports clubs, it's common for the younger students to be assigned chores and other duties that the older students are exempted from. It definitely can lead to stuff like bullying and modern opinions on the system are mixed, but it's pretty engrained in Japanese school life, though in work life it's not quite as strict as it used to be. There's more, better info here.
The "kouhai has a crush on their senpai" circumstance is a pretty common trope in anime and manga, though usually it's a hetero thing. I've never seen it portrayed as a bad thing or prone to abuse? Not any more than any younger student dating an older student might be, in any case. Take my opinion with salt, though. I'm not an expert and am mostly going off anime/manga tropes.
- Location
- Aotearoa
Thanks. I know you'd handle the relationship sensitively, regardless.
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Aw, thank you. That actually means a lot to me to have you say that.
- Pronouns
- Their/Them
Their are certainly have Yuri that fallen under that umbrella
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well yeah. Just saying the vast majority of material is hetero sadly.
1. ftfy. (Sorry quoting things like that makes my brain twitch.)
2. Yeah the "Onee-sama!" thing. Mostly yuri bait unfortunately.
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34. This is the part with sparkles and soft lighting.
- Location
- Somewhere in the stacks
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It's closing in on noon by the time you think you've settled what you're going to do. It takes another twenty minutes of sitting in bed, staring at your phone, to finally start you moving. There are so many nervous thoughts to get past first (like what if she changed her mind about you already???) but you manage. This isn't something you can text on. It's not something you should text on, either. You hesitate for a moment, then finally hit the button to dial Erika's number. You sit upright, shoulders tense as you listen to the phone ringing in your ear again. Finally, after what seems like forever, Erika's voice comes on the other end. She sounds a little strained, trying to hold back the nerves in her own voice.
"Hello?" Deep breath, Hanako. You can handle this.
"Hey. It's Hanako." Wow that sounded lame. Maybe she'll change her mind after that if nothing else.
"Oh. Yeah! I know! Um, how's it going?"
"I'm okay. How are you doing?"
"Fine. You know, fine." God. You need to just hurry up and say something otherwise the two of you are going to talk in circles being polite to each other and never getting to the point. You take another breath.
"Erika, um..." You start, then have to pause for a moment. "...Are you available tomorrow? I--I don't want to give you my answer over the phone. It wouldn't be fair to you. To do that. I mean." Erika titters. It's a laugh more borne out of nervousness than any actual amusement.
"Oh! Yes. Yes, I'm going to be available all day actually, um... Where did you want to meet?" Oh. You didn't get that far in your planning. Crap. CRAP! Think fast. It's warm out--uh...
"There's this ice cream place I really like," you murmur in reply. "Um. Ice Ouca. It's a stop down from school? You've seen it before, I'm pretty sure."
"Oh! Y-Yeah! I know the place. What time did you want...?" Erika's question trails away into silence.
"Oh, um..." You think for a moment. "How about after lunch? Say one-thirty?"
"Sure. Sure, that's good. I--I'll see you then!"
"Yeah! See you tomorrow, Erika-chan!" You hang up the phone with your heart pounding and have to flop back into the bed to try and get a grip on yourself. You did it. You're going to see Erika tomorrow and you're going to give her an answer and it's going to be okay. You have advice from two people who you trust including your best friend and you're totally equipped to make the best decision possible. Good. Now... Now there's just the waiting. The waiting. The waiting. It totally sucks. You're left having to fill the rest of your day which isn't easy when your mind keeps wandering off of the homework you try to do. Somehow, though, you make it through the night despite nerves and everything else. The next day you're up ahead of time, clean up, primp and dress as best you can and do your make-up. It's not super heavy, but it's more than you usually wear (which isn't a lot). Then you're out the door, telling mom and dad you're off to meet Erika and then the train ride.
As you get closer to your destination, the butterflies in your stomach only seem to increase. You've never done this before. It's so weird. It's definitely weird, right? No. Mari said it wasn't. The thought flashes through your head and you're able to contain the spiraling anxiety, at least for a little while. Long enough to get to the ice cream shop anyway! You linger outside, fidgeting. You get here way too early and you spend an anxious twenty minutes fidgeting and wondering if she really will show up (even if of course she will). Finally you see Erika making her way through the other pedestrians. You give a shy little wave and she smiles, returning it with a nervous little flicker of her fingers in return. You move to meet her part way and smile.
"H-hey, Erika."
"Hi, Hanako." She reaches up and fidgets with a locket of hair. There's a bit of a smile on her face but you can see the nerves she's doing her best to hide, the slight flush of her cheeks. You hope you don't look quite that nervous but have a feeling you really do. You smile back at her, then gesture over your shoulder towards the shop, trying to play it cool.
"Let's gran some ice cream and we can talk," you hear yourself speaking and don't really know if it's you or whether some alien intelligence is just beaming the words directly into your brain but hey, here you are. You turn to lead the way into the shop and Erika follows. As the two of you stand in line, fidgeting nervously, you finally feel you have to break the silence.
"What kind of ice cream do you like, Erika? I don't think I've ever actually gotten any with you." Conversation. Conversation is good.
"Oh! Um, actually I really like watermelon! And caramel. I was going to just get the watermelon today, I think," she says, laughing. "What about you?"
"I'm pretty straight forward," you admit with a giggle. "Chocolate is my go to. Or just vanilla! Honestly, I just like ice cream..." As the line moves forward you step up to place your order and Erika does the same. Once the pair of you have your cones, you slip into seats at one of the tables against the large plate windows that let summer sunlight stream into the shop. You glance out the window, watching a breeze ripple through the trees that line the street, then take a breath and look back towards Erika. You're here to say 'yes,' so why is heart pounding this much? You're not rejecting her. In fact, part of you is worried that she'll reject you now that she's ha time to think about it. Erika has a mouthful of ice cream and is looking back at you with wide eyes (those very pretty, very wide earth-brown eyes behind her cute glasses that just help frame her face).
"Erika," you begin speaking then have to pause for breath, trying not to let your heart jump into your throat.
"Erika, um..." She's leaning forwards now, ice cream forgotten. Her cheeks are getting even more flushed as she looks at you expectantly. She's probably wondering if you're about to break her heart.
"...I--I like you too," you mumble quietly, then repeat it. "I like you too. I--I'd like to return your feelings. And. Try going out." You force the words out and brace yourself for Erika to laugh. Or maybe tell you it was just a prank, but that doesn't come.
"I--I'm really happy..." Her voice is so soft, barely carrying across the table. Did you really make her feel happy just by saying those words? You can feel your butterflies settling a little as you realize that maybe, just maybe, Erika has been having her own feelings of anxiety and worry over this. Probably for a long time, too. You swallow and nod across the table.
"Me too," you mumble and find that it's true. There's a warm feeling of contentment, excitement, and happiness welling up in your chest. It's warm and fuzzy and comforting and you find ti getting even more so as you look at Erika.
"I'm still figuring myself you," you add. "So. Thank you, I think. And... Please be patient with me, even if I am your senpai." Erika laughs.
"Of course. Always." You smile in return and then laugh. It's impossible not to. You had been so worked up about this, so worried, so scared. And now it seems like it wasn't that big a deal the whole time. You take a bite off your ice cream and shake your head.
"I wasn't expecting it, but... I'm really happy you asked me," you say. "...I'm really new at this, but I'll do my best to make you happy."
"I'm sure you will. I want to do my best for you, too. So let's both support each other." Erika is positively radiant and that smile that you're so used to seeing subdued or sarcastic is on full display. It's brilliant and beautiful and... Is this what love is? You don't know but you're enjoying it, no matter what. Slowly, the ice cream disappears as the pair of you chat.
"So, um..." You fidget in your seat. "...This is a weird question but how long have you...?" You trail off, not sure if you're supposed to ask that. Your usual anxiety is kept at bay, fortunately, if only because it's hard to be anxious with ice cream and a cute girl.
"Oh!" Erika laughs. "Um... Probably the middle of last year," she admits. "Just... being around you so much with the club. And the way you handled things. You just... come across as really reliable." Erika is twisting a lock of hair around her finger again, blushing a little as she speaks. She's way too cute like that and it feels like you've just been hit in the chest watching her. Gosh.
"And besides that, um... I think you're super pretty," she actually mumbles that, sounding shy as she glances away from you as her blush gets a little deeper. "...Like, your hair and your fur is always so neat and soft and it looks so glossy." Your tail twitches a little at the praise and you rub the back of your neck.
"Ah, you're just piling on too much praise for me now," you say with a laugh, though it makes you a bit giddy to hear the good thing she can see in you said with such straight forward words. There'll be time to feel insecure about it later, you figure. You shift your weight a little and glance down at your half-finished ice cream.
"No! I'm not, really," Erika insists. "You have really lovely eyes and smooth skin and--and---" She trails off, her face almost red in embarrassment. It's an expression you're intimately familiar with yourself, considering how often you seem to get flustered (especially about girls lately). You'vd never really thought you'd be the cause of it but it's a nice feeling.
"Well. You're really pretty too, Erika-chan," you tease a little, giggling behind one hand. "And you're one to talk about people being reliable..." You're just sitting here complimenting each other and for the moment at least, you feel like you don't have to worry about anything.
"And... Honestly, I think I've liked you longer than I realized," you say with a small frown. "It's. Weird for me to say because..." You lower your voice, glancing at nearby tables to make sure no one is dropping any eaves on you. "...you know, because I didn't. Figure this out until really recently."
"It's okay. I think the important thing is that we're trying now, don't you think?" Erika waves a hand good-naturedly to dismiss your half-apology and just smiles. "I'm just happy you gave me the answer I wanted to hear."
"I was scared to at first," you admit. "I... I wasn't expecting to be told that by anyone and... well, I'm glad you said it now." The ice cream is gone now and you dab at the corner of your mouth with a napkin before the pair of you stand from the table. Erika glances across the street towards the nearby park.
"Want to walk for a little while?" She glances at you, seeking approval. You nod, feeling your cheeks grow a little warmer, and the two of you slip across the street and into the park. You walk in circles for what seems like hours (though you're not sure it's actually that long), talking back and forth about the club, the haunted house, anime, music--whatever comes to mind. You both know each other well enough to know what interests you share, though she insists about going on about her favorite shonen series that you find just a little dull--but it's a small price to pay for spending time with her. Eventually the afternoon shadows start to grow longer and as the two of you finally begin to move towards the park entrance, she steps a little closer. You feel two of her fingers hook against yours and your face burns. You glance away, letting your fingers curl against hers in return and smile, trying not to feel too pleased with the touch. It's a little electric jolt that shivers right down into your toes--Erika really is pretty.
"Hey... Hanako." You glance at her as the two of you linger at the entrance to the park, not yet wanting to go your separate ways. Erika beams up at you. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy and just... alive. You give her hand a squeeze as the pair of you reluctantly begin to part ways.
"See you at school tomorrow," she says quietly.
"See you. You should come eat lunch with me and Mari and Ryou. Sometimes Jesse drops by. It'll be fun," you say.
"...If I can get away," she sighs. "If not, I'll see you at the club meeting. We gotta whip those first years into better shape." She laughs, then slowly her hand slips away from yours as she begins to walk away. You waggle your fingers, feeling absolutely silly and giddy, then turn for home with a final goodbye. The train ride home seems to pass in a blur and your parents exchange knowing glances over dinner when you're actually happy (almost giddy) at the dinner table instead of just conversational.
The next day of school is pretty good. You don't get a chance to see Erika at lunch and though Mari throws you questioning looks the whole day, she doesn't ask you outright how things went. It's not until the club hours that you see Erika again and you have time to give her hand a squeeze and talk about the day before the first years all come piling in, tanned and laughing and looking like they've had the most amazing time on their class trip. Their chatter overwhelms the room, which you don't mind, and soon enough it's down to club business and launching back into the planning and prep for the haunted house as time ticks away. It's probably one of the best meetings you can remember having--maybe because you still feel like you're floating.
It goes on like that for a week. You and Erika share small moments between classes or at lunch or before and after meetings, murmuring soft nothings in private spots and not doing much else. The emotion is almost overwhelming at times and you drift through that week without much comment or trouble. Then, on Friday (the 14th of June), as the first-years say their goodbyes and all pile out of the club room, Erika catches your sleeve to tug you back.
"Hey, Hanako..." Your heart still jolts when you hear her say your name. What a sap you care. "I need to ask you something..."
"Oh? Huh? What's up?"
"Um... I know this is a hard question to talk about right now but--um..." She takes a breath. "How... open do you want to be about, you know. Us? Because we've been... pretty quiet about it so far." The question hits you in the gut and your breath vanishes for a moment. That hadn't been something that been on your mind all day or even at all and now it seems to be the only thing your brain can focus on. How do you feel about that? It's... God, the thought makes your anxiety spring right back into being all over again and you shiver. What are you supposed to say?
[ ] Who cares what anyone thinks? Let's just be ourselves and be happy.
[ ] You want to keep it private for now--you're not sure you're ready to be out.
[ ] No way! We can't tell anyone about this?! What if it gets back to our parents?
[ ] You don't want to tell anyone, but maybe you don't have to hide it, either?
[ ] Maybe just tell your close friends who already know about you, uh, being a lesbian and all that.
"Hello?" Deep breath, Hanako. You can handle this.
"Hey. It's Hanako." Wow that sounded lame. Maybe she'll change her mind after that if nothing else.
"Oh. Yeah! I know! Um, how's it going?"
"I'm okay. How are you doing?"
"Fine. You know, fine." God. You need to just hurry up and say something otherwise the two of you are going to talk in circles being polite to each other and never getting to the point. You take another breath.
"Erika, um..." You start, then have to pause for a moment. "...Are you available tomorrow? I--I don't want to give you my answer over the phone. It wouldn't be fair to you. To do that. I mean." Erika titters. It's a laugh more borne out of nervousness than any actual amusement.
"Oh! Yes. Yes, I'm going to be available all day actually, um... Where did you want to meet?" Oh. You didn't get that far in your planning. Crap. CRAP! Think fast. It's warm out--uh...
"There's this ice cream place I really like," you murmur in reply. "Um. Ice Ouca. It's a stop down from school? You've seen it before, I'm pretty sure."
"Oh! Y-Yeah! I know the place. What time did you want...?" Erika's question trails away into silence.
"Oh, um..." You think for a moment. "How about after lunch? Say one-thirty?"
"Sure. Sure, that's good. I--I'll see you then!"
"Yeah! See you tomorrow, Erika-chan!" You hang up the phone with your heart pounding and have to flop back into the bed to try and get a grip on yourself. You did it. You're going to see Erika tomorrow and you're going to give her an answer and it's going to be okay. You have advice from two people who you trust including your best friend and you're totally equipped to make the best decision possible. Good. Now... Now there's just the waiting. The waiting. The waiting. It totally sucks. You're left having to fill the rest of your day which isn't easy when your mind keeps wandering off of the homework you try to do. Somehow, though, you make it through the night despite nerves and everything else. The next day you're up ahead of time, clean up, primp and dress as best you can and do your make-up. It's not super heavy, but it's more than you usually wear (which isn't a lot). Then you're out the door, telling mom and dad you're off to meet Erika and then the train ride.
As you get closer to your destination, the butterflies in your stomach only seem to increase. You've never done this before. It's so weird. It's definitely weird, right? No. Mari said it wasn't. The thought flashes through your head and you're able to contain the spiraling anxiety, at least for a little while. Long enough to get to the ice cream shop anyway! You linger outside, fidgeting. You get here way too early and you spend an anxious twenty minutes fidgeting and wondering if she really will show up (even if of course she will). Finally you see Erika making her way through the other pedestrians. You give a shy little wave and she smiles, returning it with a nervous little flicker of her fingers in return. You move to meet her part way and smile.
"H-hey, Erika."
"Hi, Hanako." She reaches up and fidgets with a locket of hair. There's a bit of a smile on her face but you can see the nerves she's doing her best to hide, the slight flush of her cheeks. You hope you don't look quite that nervous but have a feeling you really do. You smile back at her, then gesture over your shoulder towards the shop, trying to play it cool.
"Let's gran some ice cream and we can talk," you hear yourself speaking and don't really know if it's you or whether some alien intelligence is just beaming the words directly into your brain but hey, here you are. You turn to lead the way into the shop and Erika follows. As the two of you stand in line, fidgeting nervously, you finally feel you have to break the silence.
"What kind of ice cream do you like, Erika? I don't think I've ever actually gotten any with you." Conversation. Conversation is good.
"Oh! Um, actually I really like watermelon! And caramel. I was going to just get the watermelon today, I think," she says, laughing. "What about you?"
"I'm pretty straight forward," you admit with a giggle. "Chocolate is my go to. Or just vanilla! Honestly, I just like ice cream..." As the line moves forward you step up to place your order and Erika does the same. Once the pair of you have your cones, you slip into seats at one of the tables against the large plate windows that let summer sunlight stream into the shop. You glance out the window, watching a breeze ripple through the trees that line the street, then take a breath and look back towards Erika. You're here to say 'yes,' so why is heart pounding this much? You're not rejecting her. In fact, part of you is worried that she'll reject you now that she's ha time to think about it. Erika has a mouthful of ice cream and is looking back at you with wide eyes (those very pretty, very wide earth-brown eyes behind her cute glasses that just help frame her face).
"Erika," you begin speaking then have to pause for breath, trying not to let your heart jump into your throat.
"Erika, um..." She's leaning forwards now, ice cream forgotten. Her cheeks are getting even more flushed as she looks at you expectantly. She's probably wondering if you're about to break her heart.
"...I--I like you too," you mumble quietly, then repeat it. "I like you too. I--I'd like to return your feelings. And. Try going out." You force the words out and brace yourself for Erika to laugh. Or maybe tell you it was just a prank, but that doesn't come.
"I--I'm really happy..." Her voice is so soft, barely carrying across the table. Did you really make her feel happy just by saying those words? You can feel your butterflies settling a little as you realize that maybe, just maybe, Erika has been having her own feelings of anxiety and worry over this. Probably for a long time, too. You swallow and nod across the table.
"Me too," you mumble and find that it's true. There's a warm feeling of contentment, excitement, and happiness welling up in your chest. It's warm and fuzzy and comforting and you find ti getting even more so as you look at Erika.
"I'm still figuring myself you," you add. "So. Thank you, I think. And... Please be patient with me, even if I am your senpai." Erika laughs.
"Of course. Always." You smile in return and then laugh. It's impossible not to. You had been so worked up about this, so worried, so scared. And now it seems like it wasn't that big a deal the whole time. You take a bite off your ice cream and shake your head.
"I wasn't expecting it, but... I'm really happy you asked me," you say. "...I'm really new at this, but I'll do my best to make you happy."
"I'm sure you will. I want to do my best for you, too. So let's both support each other." Erika is positively radiant and that smile that you're so used to seeing subdued or sarcastic is on full display. It's brilliant and beautiful and... Is this what love is? You don't know but you're enjoying it, no matter what. Slowly, the ice cream disappears as the pair of you chat.
"So, um..." You fidget in your seat. "...This is a weird question but how long have you...?" You trail off, not sure if you're supposed to ask that. Your usual anxiety is kept at bay, fortunately, if only because it's hard to be anxious with ice cream and a cute girl.
"Oh!" Erika laughs. "Um... Probably the middle of last year," she admits. "Just... being around you so much with the club. And the way you handled things. You just... come across as really reliable." Erika is twisting a lock of hair around her finger again, blushing a little as she speaks. She's way too cute like that and it feels like you've just been hit in the chest watching her. Gosh.
"And besides that, um... I think you're super pretty," she actually mumbles that, sounding shy as she glances away from you as her blush gets a little deeper. "...Like, your hair and your fur is always so neat and soft and it looks so glossy." Your tail twitches a little at the praise and you rub the back of your neck.
"Ah, you're just piling on too much praise for me now," you say with a laugh, though it makes you a bit giddy to hear the good thing she can see in you said with such straight forward words. There'll be time to feel insecure about it later, you figure. You shift your weight a little and glance down at your half-finished ice cream.
"No! I'm not, really," Erika insists. "You have really lovely eyes and smooth skin and--and---" She trails off, her face almost red in embarrassment. It's an expression you're intimately familiar with yourself, considering how often you seem to get flustered (especially about girls lately). You'vd never really thought you'd be the cause of it but it's a nice feeling.
"Well. You're really pretty too, Erika-chan," you tease a little, giggling behind one hand. "And you're one to talk about people being reliable..." You're just sitting here complimenting each other and for the moment at least, you feel like you don't have to worry about anything.
"And... Honestly, I think I've liked you longer than I realized," you say with a small frown. "It's. Weird for me to say because..." You lower your voice, glancing at nearby tables to make sure no one is dropping any eaves on you. "...you know, because I didn't. Figure this out until really recently."
"It's okay. I think the important thing is that we're trying now, don't you think?" Erika waves a hand good-naturedly to dismiss your half-apology and just smiles. "I'm just happy you gave me the answer I wanted to hear."
"I was scared to at first," you admit. "I... I wasn't expecting to be told that by anyone and... well, I'm glad you said it now." The ice cream is gone now and you dab at the corner of your mouth with a napkin before the pair of you stand from the table. Erika glances across the street towards the nearby park.
"Want to walk for a little while?" She glances at you, seeking approval. You nod, feeling your cheeks grow a little warmer, and the two of you slip across the street and into the park. You walk in circles for what seems like hours (though you're not sure it's actually that long), talking back and forth about the club, the haunted house, anime, music--whatever comes to mind. You both know each other well enough to know what interests you share, though she insists about going on about her favorite shonen series that you find just a little dull--but it's a small price to pay for spending time with her. Eventually the afternoon shadows start to grow longer and as the two of you finally begin to move towards the park entrance, she steps a little closer. You feel two of her fingers hook against yours and your face burns. You glance away, letting your fingers curl against hers in return and smile, trying not to feel too pleased with the touch. It's a little electric jolt that shivers right down into your toes--Erika really is pretty.
"Hey... Hanako." You glance at her as the two of you linger at the entrance to the park, not yet wanting to go your separate ways. Erika beams up at you. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy and just... alive. You give her hand a squeeze as the pair of you reluctantly begin to part ways.
"See you at school tomorrow," she says quietly.
"See you. You should come eat lunch with me and Mari and Ryou. Sometimes Jesse drops by. It'll be fun," you say.
"...If I can get away," she sighs. "If not, I'll see you at the club meeting. We gotta whip those first years into better shape." She laughs, then slowly her hand slips away from yours as she begins to walk away. You waggle your fingers, feeling absolutely silly and giddy, then turn for home with a final goodbye. The train ride home seems to pass in a blur and your parents exchange knowing glances over dinner when you're actually happy (almost giddy) at the dinner table instead of just conversational.
The next day of school is pretty good. You don't get a chance to see Erika at lunch and though Mari throws you questioning looks the whole day, she doesn't ask you outright how things went. It's not until the club hours that you see Erika again and you have time to give her hand a squeeze and talk about the day before the first years all come piling in, tanned and laughing and looking like they've had the most amazing time on their class trip. Their chatter overwhelms the room, which you don't mind, and soon enough it's down to club business and launching back into the planning and prep for the haunted house as time ticks away. It's probably one of the best meetings you can remember having--maybe because you still feel like you're floating.
It goes on like that for a week. You and Erika share small moments between classes or at lunch or before and after meetings, murmuring soft nothings in private spots and not doing much else. The emotion is almost overwhelming at times and you drift through that week without much comment or trouble. Then, on Friday (the 14th of June), as the first-years say their goodbyes and all pile out of the club room, Erika catches your sleeve to tug you back.
"Hey, Hanako..." Your heart still jolts when you hear her say your name. What a sap you care. "I need to ask you something..."
"Oh? Huh? What's up?"
"Um... I know this is a hard question to talk about right now but--um..." She takes a breath. "How... open do you want to be about, you know. Us? Because we've been... pretty quiet about it so far." The question hits you in the gut and your breath vanishes for a moment. That hadn't been something that been on your mind all day or even at all and now it seems to be the only thing your brain can focus on. How do you feel about that? It's... God, the thought makes your anxiety spring right back into being all over again and you shiver. What are you supposed to say?
[ ] You want to keep it private for now--you're not sure you're ready to be out.
[ ] No way! We can't tell anyone about this?! What if it gets back to our parents?
[ ] You don't want to tell anyone, but maybe you don't have to hide it, either?
[ ] Maybe just tell your close friends who already know about you, uh, being a lesbian and all that.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] You want to keep it private for now--you're not sure you're ready to be out.