Episode 1: Love Like A GameAnd the next message is from ringo_daisuki-san:
I-sensei konnichiwa! It's going to be the birthday of the senpai I admire, and I really want to make an impression so she'll remember me. What do you suggest I give her? She's really proper and elegant and reserved, so I'm not sure what to get her that will stand out from the rest. What should I do???
Ahh, young love! Don't worry, ringo_daisuki-san! I-sensei is here for you! Firstly...~*~*~*~
"Thank you so much for helping us with the boxes!"
Sayumi had to fight to suppress her squeal reflex. The person who was helping them was
sooooooo handsome! Never mind that she was in love with Reina, surely she could be forgiven for ogling such a wonderful specimen of eye candy? The best part, it was a girl! Tall and cool and so much like a fairytale prince! If only...
A sharp pinch to her arm brought the bunny to her senses. Sayumi made a small yelp and glared balefully at her erstwhile best friend, one Kamei Eri, who had already moved on to speak with said "prince", their neighbour and resident eye candy, Yoshizawa Hitomi.
"Oh it's no big deal, I just came back to pick up some documents and equipment. Work doesn't start until later in the afternoon anyway, and I'm always glad to get out of those production meetings."
Sensibly dressed in flannel shirt and jeans, Yoshizawa ("call me Yossy!") cut a fine figure in practical sneakers, and a silver watch that didn't quite match the rest of her outfit rested around one slim wrist. Her hair was dyed a deep brown, with bleached streaks hidden in the waves that almost reached her shoulder, though not quite. She was taller than Sayumi and Eri both, and had very kindly lent a hand with the unpacking process.
Reina had had to leave halfway after an irate phone call from her manager, with many apologetic looks and a last affectionate kiss on Sayu. The kitten did make a point to glare at Yossy while doing so, as if daring the older woman to say something about inappropriate relationships. To her eternal surprise, Yossy only chuckled and said something about young love. Reina had seemed somewhat mollified by the response, though she still cast suspicious looks at the tall woman. Reina did not warm to strangers quickly or easily. It probably did not help that she had spotted her girlfriend getting a serious case of googly eyes at the handsome appearance of their new neighbour. Jealousy was unbecoming, but the green eyed monster was a somewhat familiar guest for the pair.
When Sayumi had drawn her best friend aside to ask about Yoshizawa's non reaction to Reina's territorial display, Eri only grinned and said that she wouldn't have found a place for them to live that would be hostile to their relationship.
Speaking of which, Sayumi had been more than surprised when Reina first showed her the new place...especially when Eri popped up from a door over dressed only in her pajamas. Clearly, her girlfriend had been keeping it from her, judging from the smug expression on her face when the two best friends embraced with a squeal.
The apartment itself was a dream come true. Reina refused to let her know how much it cost, but Sayumi had promptly changed gears and declared that she
would be in charge of all other household expenses instead. Reina took one look at her girlfriend's face and wisely decided not to press the point. She
did know when to pick her battles.
It was a modest 3LDK, with 3 rooms, a living room, dining room, and a kitchen. When Sayumi asked Reina why they needed 3 rooms, the girl said this:
"Well, one is for our bedroom of course. We probably need a second room for all our clothes...mine alone already spilled over to the spare room at my old apartment."
"And the last room?"
"That's for you. I know you always wanted a room for all your tech stuff, so, well...I wanted to make it a reality for you. I have absolutely no idea about all that advanced crap so you can do whatever you want..."
Reina had been cut off at that point by an enthusiastic squeal from Sayu, who practically smothered her tiny girlfriend with appreciative affection. If Eri had not been standing nearby, it was very likely that they would have had sex right there and then. As it was, they almost did, but Eri reminded them of her presence in spectacular fashion. A bucket of cold water had never been taken quite so literally.
As it was, they already had Eri muttering something about soundproofing, to which Sayumi smartly replied that if Eri could sleep through an earthquake, she could sleep through anything. This was actually a proven case. When they last had a "minor" quake, Sayu had been worried sick about her best friend, who had remained uncontactable during the time. A quick visit revealed that the turtle girl was quite safely ensconced in her futon and had apparently not even been aware that she had just slept through a 3.4 earthquake. It was the stuff of legends, one of many that surrounded one Kamei Eri. They had met in high school, and through some twist of fate, become absolutely inseparable in the process. Considering Eri was a year older (you really couldn't tell), that was a surprise in itself.
It actually was a pretty funny story. Eri was supposed to be in class 2B, but for some reason she had wandered into the wrong classroom and wound up napping in class 1B instead...right next to freshie Sayu, who thought that the sleepy looking girl was her age until after the end of first period when an exasperated form teacher had strolled past them and exclaimed loudly that if Kamei-san wanted to be held back a year so much, all she had to do was tell the principal. Or something. To which Eri had only yawned, grabbed Sayumi's hand, and towed the disoriented firstie along with her to the cafeteria for a mid-morning snack.
Of such stuff friendships are made, and they had bonded over yakisoba bread and tea. The rest, as they say, is history.
"We ought to take a break from all the heavy lifting though! Why don't we all head down to the cafe and get something? It'll be on the house!"
Eri flopped down by the squishy couch that the burly movers had moved in days before. The only things left that had required Yossy's help was mostly Sayu's stuff, since Reina already had hers shipped over. Reina had been right, they would need a whole room to contain both their not-inconsiderable wardrobes. Sayumi joined her on the couch, also visibly worn out by spending the better part of a morning supervising the move.
"As much as I'd like to join you ladies," Yossy checked her watch, "I really have to get going or I'll be late for a meeting I can't afford to skip. And ah, gotta grab some files for Ai-chan too!"
"That's right, you're working with Ai-chan for that new production she was talking about! But wait, isn't Gaki-san off at work too? How are you gonna get into their place?"
Yossy grinned and produced a small key with some impressive sleight of hand. "Ai-chan passed me hers. She's stuck in cast meetings and they're having a preliminary reading later on, but she left a couple of her notes. I offered to pick them up since I was coming back for some of my stuff too."
Eri nodded. "Okay~ Say hi to Ai-chan for me when you see her later!" She waved as Yossy headed for the exit.
"Will do~ Oh, and rain check on that cafe offer?"
Eri stuck her tongue out at the departing figure. "Limited to today only~ I have a business to run, you know!"
Yossy's laugh echoed from round the corner, fading quickly as the lanky woman headed to a different floor via elevator. Sayumi, who had been watching the proceedings with some amusement, turned to her best friend with a raised eyebrow.
"What happened to the person who was too lazy to socialize that I remember?" Sayumi poked a pouty Eri in the cheek, giggling at the injured expression on the turtle's face.
"Occupational hazard? But well, in this case it's all really Gaki-san's fault."
"Gaki-san? Is that the same girl you shared most of your classes with in college?"
Eri leaned back, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she made herself comfortable. "Yup! She's rooming with Ai-chan now, so that's one down. And Ai-chan runs into Yossy at work often enough that they've moved from colleagues to friends by now, and Ai-chan was the one who recommended Yossy to move in about a year ago or so. Oh! You should meet Yossy's girlfriend! Gorgeous, but scary. Definitely scary." Eri shivered at the last bit, leaving Sayumi to gape at her.
"Wait. Wait a minute. Are you saying that my prince, I mean, Yoshizawa-san...
is gay and lives with her girlfriend?" For all of her vaunted wit, Sayumi found herself nearly short-circuiting at the casual way her best friend was dropping all this information on her.
Eri smirked. "Just to show you how good of a best friend I am, I won't even tell Reina about your oh-so-obvious schoolgirl crush on Yossy. And yes she is very taken and very happy about it. They're even more of an old married couple than you and Reina...speaking of which, you are also 'gay and living with your girlfriend' as of today."
Sayumi hit her best friend on the arm. Eri had definitely taken a level in Verbal Sparring. The turtle laughed and then begged mercy when her best friend unleashed the weapon of last resort: The Tickle Attack!
Ten minutes later and utterly reduced to helpless puddles of mirth and gleeful tears, the two best friends leaned against each other on the couch, heaving for breath after having called a truce. Sayumi missed hanging out with Eri. They hadn't been able to spend as much time together as life and work started getting in the way, but it was good to unwind with her whenever they got together. The lack of expectation and mutual acceptance of each other's flaws made it easy to relax. Sayumi loved Reina, but Eri would always hold a special place in her heart.
"I think I'm ready for that tea now." Eri breathed between gasps. Sayumi nodded, also trying to recover from the intense side-splitting ordeal they had just been through.
"Shall we go then?"
~*~*~*~
"So explain to me how you managed to gather so many gay people around you. Are you sure you're not secretly gay too?"
Sayumi stirred her ice tea, watching the cubes clink against the frosted glass as she waited for her best friend to respond. Eri shrugged.
"Luck? I'm pretty sure I'm not gay though...not sure what I am, but definitely not just into girls."
Sayumi snorted. "I seem to recall you dating Reina back in school. You sure you're not into girls?" Surprisingly enough, considering what was being said, Sayumi did not sound jealous. In fact, she seemed rather amused. Eri sighed and rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her tea.
"You
know I say 'yes' to any given person depending on my mood. And I think Reina wasn't so much interested in me as she was in what I could
do. It certainly didn't last." Eri shrugged. "
You hated her back then though."
Sayumi smiled wistfully. It certainly was ironic how things turned out. She really did go out of her way to make life hell for Reina after the yankii (that she was back then) had split with her best friend. Not that Reina took the punches lying down either. The hostility between them was legendary, and it practically polarized their entire year into opposing camps as both sides sought to out-maneuver each other.
Sayumi could never have imagined that she would end up with Reina. And now she was moving in with her! It would have been unthinkable to her high school self. Youth and immaturity plus Unresolved Sexual Tension (this, Sayu determined years after the fact) had led to a very explosive combination. Throw in friend jealousy and general irritation at Reina's don't-give-a-fuck attitude, and it made for a very interesting last year at high school. It did not help that Eri had already graduated by then and was off at college. High School Sayu probably just needed something to focus on, the older (and hopefully more mature) version mused. Even if it was just a petty rivalry...or righteous rage...or just
something.
"I was upset that she took you away from me...and then you guys split up. I thought she dumped you or something so..." Eri laughed at Sayumi's sheepish admission.
"We just...didn't work out. And for your information,
I dumped her, not the other way round!"
Sayumi laughed. Reina had said exactly the same thing, down to the dumping part. The bunny had pretty much resigned herself to never finding out who actually did do the dumping. With both parties actively muddying the waters, the truth was unlikely to surface. Not that it mattered, since Reina was with her now, and Eri was still her best friend. Best not to dig up old issues.
"So how's business around here?" Sayumi changed topics smoothly as she looked around the cafe. It was a small, intimate space with many private booths like the one they were seated at. The wood panelling could easily have lent a heavier atmosphere with a lack of adequate lighting, but the usage of pseudo gas lighting along with strategic placement of furnishings gave it a cozy and homely feel instead. A sprig of fresh greens poked out of a slim vase on every table, and soft chamber music played in the background. The soft murmurs of customer conversations was suddenly pierced by running feet, muted only by the carpeting.
"Sorry I'm late!" A panting voice wheezed from just out of sight. A high pitched voice replied with some exasperation.
"Mou, Ikuta-kun, that's the third time this week!"
"Sorry Haruna...ah! I saw your spread in last week's Seventeen! You looked great!" Some rustling as the newcomer rummaged in her bag. "And here's the latest issue of your favourite manga! I saw it on my way in Akiba earlier!"
"Thanks! I see you had a good haul yourself!" The two teenagers chatted on for a short while before Eri stuck her head out of the booth and not-so-subtly told her employees to get cracking. The shamed silence was very telling for the next several minutes.
"Your employees sure are lively." Sayumi twirled her straw. Eri sighed.
"Ikuta gets a little over-excited at times, but he makes up for it by being enthusiastic and being a decent hand in the kitchen. And I'm not even sure why Iikubo-chan is working for me. She's a history major at Todai and models part-time." There was a pause as Eri steepled her fingers and rested her chin on them. "I suspect she just likes wearing an apron and calling people
goshujin-sama."
Sayumi giggled as the aforementioned girl flitted by, expertly balancing a laden tray and greeting customers with a brilliant smile as she set down their orders. The slim university student stopped by their table with one last dish on her tray.
"Kamei-sama! Suzuki-san asked me to pass you and your friend this! It's a new recipe and she would like your opinion on it!" Again, Sayumi had to marvel at how effortlessly the girl hit the higher ranges without even trying. It was like hearing a real-life anime character talk. She even looked like one, Sayumi had to admit. Large, dark eyes and doll-like features paired with a stick-thin figure and the most brilliant smile you could imagine. It wasn't hard to picture the girl as a model, though Sayumi personally preferred her girls to be more petite.
"Thanks Iikubo-chan. You can take a break now that Ikuta's here." Eri smiled briefly as she dismissed the bouncy girl. Her attention drifted down to the pastry resting on the little dish between her and her best friend. It wobbled enticingly, seducing the onlooker with the promise of rich cream and chocolate. The frosting seemed to shimmer in the low light. It was beautifully presented and it felt almost like a waste to sink a fork into the confectionery.
"This is sooooo good!" Sayumi all but moaned into her fork. "It actually melts in my mouth!"
Eri licked her fork discreetly and pinched another forkful before Sayu could. Between the two of them, they polished off the little cake in record time. Sayumi dabbed at her lips delicately with a napkin, eyes flicking to the kitchen doors.
"Can I kidnap your patisserie?"
"Only if you want to get arrested as a lolicon on top of kidnapping charges." Eri shot back with a grin. "Suzuki-chan's still a student, but she's very gifted as you see. I let her have more or less free run of the kitchen when she's here, and she comes up with my bestsellers. She gets to practice and I get a reputation for excellent pastries." Eri shrugged. "Win-win."
Sayumi gazed at Eri for a few beats, until the turtle girl raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"Nothing. Just thinking that you've grown a lot since we were in school. You're so capable now."
Eri scratched at her head sheepishly, betraying a hint of the slightly goofy girl that Sayu remembered underneath the capable businesswoman she had become. She tried to disguise it by lifting her teacup to her lips, forgetting that it was just recently topped up with fresh brew, and scalded her tongue with the overly large gulp she took. The next several moments saw her fumbling with her cup, splashing hot tea on her hand, and trying desperately to fan her tongue at the same time.
Sayumi burst out laughing at the hangdog expression her best friend was sporting, helping to clean Eri up as the older girl pouted. Sayumi poked her best friend in the cheek as Eri puffed them up, chuckling at the indignant expression on her face.
"And here I was just saying that you have gotten so capable..." Sayumi fussed over Eri with her usual gentle care, making the older girl squint as she ruffled her long silky hair on purpose.
"I'll always need you to take care of me, Sayu." A rabbit-toothed grin. Sayumi rolled her eyes and smacked Eri on the side of the head, but inside she felt nice and warm. She
had been a little worried that they were drifting apart as they grew up, but as usual Eri knew what to do and say to allay her fears. What more could she ask for in a best friend?
"Don't change, Eri."
"I won't...so tell me, is that a mosquito bite on your neck or did a certain kitten get there first?"
"Kamei Eri!!!"
~*~*~*~
The back door to the dorms creaked open with the faintest of squeaks, letting in a sliver of moonlight and a human-shaped shadow before it swung back into place. A click of a lock turning, and a quiet thanks was murmured as the intruder tiptoed with extreme care down the dim hallway. It wouldn't do for the dorm head to catch her after curfew, and she skirted the main common areas where the other girls congregated for talk or study before lights out. Too obvious that she had been out late given that she was still dressed for the outdoors. Once she managed to get back to her room and changed to more appropriate indoor wear, she would be able to blend in. Of course, getting there was half the challenge. The other half had been getting
in without being spotted. The girl gave thanks that her roommate was supremely understanding and also an exemplary student...an exemplary student who managed to swipe the keys to every door in the dorm building, make copies, and then return them before anyone was any the wiser. Rumours of that girl being the incorruptible and perfect star student who could do no wrong were greatly exaggerated, though no one else but her knew the truth.
And success! Tonight's skulking trip had gone without a hitch, and the girl exulted as she pushed open the door to her dorm room. The room was dark except for the lamp at the table, which spilled light in a halo onto a pool of hair that trailed silky tendrils across an exercise book. There was a light snoring sound, though perhaps that was too inelegant a term. Her roommate did not snore, she snuffled like a kitten and made little mewling sounds once in a while. A pencil was clutched slack in her limp hand. Clearly, the girl had fallen asleep while doing work. Again. As usual.
"Nngh..." The sleeping girl stirred as the newcomer dropped her bag on her bunk. "Kanon-chan?" The voice was blurred with sleep, and the mop of hair stirred as the sleepy girl lifted her head and rubbed at one eye with a hand...the pencil-holding one. The effect was such that she managed to poke herself in the eye. "Ow!"
"Riho-chan..." The girl named 'Kanon-chan' by the newly awoken sleeper seemed halfway between laughter and a familiar, fond exasperation. Her roommate was a klutz, could fall asleep any time and anywhere, and who would forget her own head if it weren't permanently attached. The last two years rooming with her had seen Kanon acting as schedule, alarm clock, and personal nursemaid to the somewhat oblivious yet at the same time, completely brilliant Sayashi Riho.
"Kanon-chan? You're back?" Riho yawned, showing even white teeth that gleamed in the lamplight. She winced in the next second when Kanon flipped the room lights on, shielding her eyes from the glare.
"How many times must I tell you to not work in the dark?" Kanon repeated a familiar refrain, and Riho grinned sheepishly, scratching at the back of her head as she stood and stretched.
"How was work? I saved you some dinner by the way." The wrapped sandwiches rested on the other tiny desk that was a lot more organized compared to whirlwind mess on the one where Riho had been taking an impromptu nap at earlier. Kanon smiled gratefully up at her friend, falling into the plain foldout chair and grabbing the sandwiches. Her gaze drifted to the other mess on Riho's bed. A small mountain of unopened gifts teetered precariously in a disorganized heap, shifting and spreading into a wider hillock of presents when Riho's weight sank onto an open spot on the bed.
Riho caught her gaze, smiling ruefully. "I don't even know how they found out about my birthday. It's not like I go around advertising it." That was true. Riho was intensely private, and kept a closed circle of friends. If the random room assignment had not landed her with Kanon in their first year, there would have been little chance of them becoming anything more than just classmates. After all, they had chosen different specializations, Kanon going down the cookery route, and Riho choosing the sciences. Riho could just as easily have gone down the humanities route with her strong grasp of Japanese and literature, but had preferred to pick a course that would provide her with more opportunities when college rolled along. She was an ambitious girl, Kanon had to give her that. Even if she was a forgetful klutz who was messy and slept too damn much.
"Happy birthday again, anyway." Kanon grinned, eyeing the pile with a kind of amusement. There was a price to being too popular. Though it was fairly convenient at times. Riho always shared the spoils with her, so to speak. For whatever reason, most of the gifts were usually foodstuffs, and even with the girl's legendary appetite, she needed Kanon's help to finish everything. Which Kanon was only too happy to, of course. Some of those gifts had been really tasty!
"I saw your gift by the way. Thanks." A cat-like grin curled thin lips, her eyes thinning into slits as her cheeks dimpled. There were times when Kanon felt like she was living with a cat instead of a person. Whenever Riho smiled that way the feeling grew stronger.
"I've got something else for you though." Setting her half eaten sandwich aside, Kanon turned and carefully removed a box from her bag. The edges were a little battered, but the plain cream-coloured box was still happily intact. She breathed a sigh of relief at that. It would be a waste if the contents got crushed.
"Oooh?" Riho bounded off the bed, sending another cascade of gifts scattering to the floor, which she gleefully ignored and instead pulled up her own chair closer to Kanon's side of the room. Her eyes were bright and fixed on the box in Kanon's hand. Living with a chef-in-the-making had its benefits, and Riho never minded being used as a guinea pig for Kanon's culinary experiments. She ate basically anything and everything, and gave informed criticisms as necessary. Kanon could not have asked for a better test subject. Not that she was testing anything on her dear roommate tonight.
"You got your present earlier today, but I figured we should celebrate properly. Tadaaa!" Kanon undid the ties holding the box closed. The sides unfolded to reveal a perfect wedge of cheesecake with the words
"Happy 16th birthday, Riho-chan! Hya~hoi~" written in syrup that seemed embedded in the topmost layer of the cake, and a chocolate carving of a kitten and a puppy perched on one side.
Riho beamed and promptly leapt on her best friend, enfolding the smaller girl in a bear hug. "Kanon-chan you're the best! Hyahooooooi~" Her random exclamation was only reserved for special moments and amongst friends, and was an indicator of how excited the girl was depending on the pitch and volume of the cry. Riho was practically brimming with energy right now, all sleepiness forgotten in the face of cake.
With a quick 'itadakimasu!', Riho took a bite...and then promptly froze. Kanon stared at her with obvious worry for a few seconds, before her friend turned to her suddenly with...
was that actual tears in her eyes? "Kanon-chan..." Sobs. "Cider cheesecake..." Another quivering mouthful. "I love you..." She actually sniffled as she said the last, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
Kanon barked a laugh. Riho was such a dork, crying over
cake. Well, it
was very good cake, if she could say so herself, so she felt somewhat justified by the reaction. Honestly, she could never have imagined that the perfect student who aced both academics and club activities could be capable of such derpiness. A total 180 degree change from her first impression of the girl, that was for sure.
Leaving her roommate to polish off the rest of the treat, Kanon stood up and started tidying up. She had a neat streak and it was a constant battle to maintain a spotless room with Riho's tendency to leave things everywhere. Her current task: picking up the fallen presents and stacking them in a corner.
"Oh? Riho-chan, did you see this?"
"Mmgh?" Came the reply from a mouth stuffed full. Kanon held up an oblong box with a scroll attached. The scroll had come loose, and out of curiosity, the aspiring chef had glanced through it. Love letters were fairly common...even with this being an all girls' school. The two roommates often read them out loud to each other for comic effect. A little sad for the sender, but it amused the recipient and her friends well enough before landing in the trash. Harsh, but when you got that much spam, you learned to tune most of it out.
"Someone's being a little more original for once." Kanon waved the scroll at Riho, who snagged it out of the air and eyed it with the speed and grace of a professional.
"Basic calligraphy.
Someone did their research at least..." Riho muttered. Her secret admirer, whoever it was, had written a haiku in traditional form, though she found enough to pick upon in the execution. The strokes were rough and unsteady at the edges. A beginner who picked up the bare basics.
I was doing better work than that when I was 8, Riho thought to herself with a small scoff, but she gave the work the courtesy of being read. She would at least honour the effort put in.
"Do you even remember who gave you that?" Kanon asked skeptically. Riho pulled a face, scrunching her nose as she tried to recall. Nothing. Maybe a vague sense that it was someone smaller than her. Nondescript. Riho wasn't very good with names and faces outside her immediate social circle. It couldn't be helped. Kanon watched her with a small smirk on her face. She knew Riho never remembered these things.
"So how many does that make this month?" Kanon teased. Riho made a face, putting the scroll aside and reaching for the box it came with. She came to a girls' school to get
away from this kind of nonsense! Unfortunately for her, she forgot that fangirls were always more demonstrative than fanboys. At least boys knew to back off...or at least, they couldn't follow you into changing rooms without being called a pervert. Riho sighed. At least she didn't have to deal with
that. Only starstruck juniors who wanted her to mentor them. Things could be worse.
She almost dropped the gift when she saw what was inside. A fine set of brushes, elaborately tooled and set. An ink stick that seemed to glow from within, a cool blue that matched the equally impressive ink stone. Riho held her breath almost reverently as she stroked the cool inkstone. It was of excellent quality. Expensive, to be sure. She frowned when she found a minor flaw on the inkstone. Bought with more money than sense, she determined after a closer inspection. They were good tools, pretty tools, but not
perfect. And Sayashi Riho was very exact when it came to what she used for her calligraphy.
"Another one bites the dust?" Kanon commented offhandedly as Riho set the package aside without so much as a second glance. Riho waved a dismissive hand over the gift.
"I don't need people bribing me with gifts for my attention. Especially if they don't even know what they're doing." And that was that. Kanon chuckled and shook her head. Riho could be completely heartless sometimes. She almost felt sorry for the girl's fans, given how fickle Riho could be. They would have better luck approaching her directly rather than resorting to such desperate and extravagant measures. She shrugged. Not like it was her loss in any case.
They spent the rest of the night sorting through the stack. Or rather, Kanon sorted; Riho rejected. It was a familiar routine. Many things happened behind closed doors. They laughed at extravagant love letters. They ate the chocolates that came with more than one package. Kanon appropriated some of the useful gifts that Riho didn't need or want. No matter that they were indirectly trampling on the unanswered feelings of many admirers.
High school life was cruel like that. Best to learn these things early, after all.
~*~*~*~
1) Get something significant to your senpai's interests! If she has a hobby or craft of some kind, get her things she can use, so that she will remember you when she uses them!
2) Write something classy in a note with the gift! Anyone can gush in prose, maybe you can try poetry? Something that stands out, for sure. Try to avoid cliches in your message and it should be fine!
3) Pass the gift directly and when she is alone. If she is as popular as you imply, you don't want to be lost in a sea of faces! Smile at her and be confident! That will be memorable, instead of leaving gifts in her locker or on her desk.
And lastly, ringo_daisuki-san...good luck! I hope I was able to point you in the right direction! All the best from I-sensei and your fellow listeners!================================================================================================
I am a terrible person, I know.
I troll with the best.
Long chapter. Probably mistakes I can't spot with my eyes drifting shut Typing half blind cos I can't see the words on the screen. orz Will proofread again after I get some sleep, hee.
hope everyone enjoys the chapter! All the characters!
And no, I don't know where the chapter title came from. Sleep deprived brains don't always make sense.
Goodnight!