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Rena found herself laying awake that night, wrapped up in her thoughts, as she frequently was. She’d had a lovely trip with Ajisai, even if Mai had changed the vibe a little when she arrived. There was just something that kept bothering her.
She had no idea what it was that Ajisai had said when that train passed by.
Normally she’d write it off, but there was something so sad about her smile when she’d said it was nothing. It was like something inside of her had died just then.
Was it actually nothing, or was this Ajisai being all self sacrificial again?
“Ughhhh.” Rena growled into her pillow, kicking her feet on her bed in frustration.
“Nee-chan, are you alright?” Haruna called through the door.
“Y-yeah!” Rena lied unconvincingly.
“Ugh.” Her sister groaned, and, after a moment, opened the door. “What’s the problem now?”
“Hehe...” She laughed nervously, pushing her fingers together. “I was just thinking about a moment with Ajisai. She seemed like she really wanted to say something, but stopped herself.”
“Stop!” Haruna held up a hand. “Nee-chan, you cannot go down the harem route! Especially not with a good girl like Ajisai!”
“Eh?!” Rena scrambled back, shaking her head furiously. “A-Ajisai?! Me?! No way, impossible. She’d never fall for someone like me.”
“Normally I would agree with you,” Her sister nodded along, as though she hadn’t just casually insulted her, “But lately strange things have been happening. If you’ve already pulled such excellent candidates as Satsuki and Mai, it’s entirely possible that the entire friend group has caught some kind of disease, sending them into a Renako frenzy.”
“Please don’t insist that the only way someone could love me would be a disease.”
“That’s beside the point.” She shrugged. “What I’m trying to say is that this sounds a lot like a confession, and you can’t be tormenting poor Ajisai if you’re not going to commit. As much as I am on Team Mai, you can’t keep this going.”
“What do I do?” Rena sighed, flopping back onto her pillow.
“You’ll just have to make up your mind.” Haruna stood to her feet, smoothing out her pajamas. She went towards the door, before stopping to speak over her shoulder. “Whatever you do, you’ll need to do it quickly. You’re even more likely to hurt more people by doing nothing at all.”
With that, she closed the door behind her.
“Well that was no help at all.” Rena groaned into her pillow once more.
In fact, that was worse than no help. Her sister was right that she’d dragged this out far too long already, and, if she was also right about Ajisai, she owed it to her friend to hear her out and give her an answer.
Satsuki was a good girl, and Rena wanted to make sure they stayed friends. However she was also the easiest to say no to. In the end, her feelings were really just from her rivalry with Mai. Rena could appreciate how much work she was putting in, but it just wasn’t ever going to come to anything.
Mai was another matter entirely. She was Rena’s first friend in High School, and she was also perfect at everything she did. The only problem was how unpredictable she was. If Mai wanted to do something, she did it, no matter how anyone else felt about it. She would be remorseful once she’s realized that she’s imposing, as she was when she butted in on the hot springs trip, but still. That was also not mentioning how Mai had forced herself on her in the bath a while ago. Even if Rena still wasn’t sure how she felt about it, it still didn’t make things easier.
Ajisai didn’t have any of that baggage. She was Rena’s angel. Ajisai was self sacrificial to a fault, and kind to everyone. Even if she used the excuse of it being for her own enjoyment, that still didn’t change anything. Not to mention her spoiled side, calling Rena ‘Onee-chan’. It was so adorable to get to see such a different side of her, and it made Rena want to spoil her even more.
Still would it be right to get with another girl, if it wasn’t Mai? She was the one who’d shown her that she was into girls, after all. Did she not have some kind of dibs here?
Then again, she hadn’t even actually heard what Ajisai had to say. It was entirely possible that Haruna was just making things up, and she was sitting here overthinking it all.
There was nothing else for it.
She pulled out her phone, and typed up a message to Ajisai.
*I really need to talk to you in person. I know we just got back, but when are you free?*
She stared at it for a moment, before deleting it.
*Hey, do you think we could hang out again before break ends? I have something I wanna talk about.*
She stared at it again, before deleting it.
Then her heart nearly jumped out of her chest, as Ajisai started typing. Had she seen her typing?
*Thanks for coming with me. My parents and I talked and agreed I can have more free time. We’re going to find a sitter when school starts, but for now, they’re going to give me the afternoon and evening off.*
*That’s great, Ajisai!!*
Rena sighed in relief, as she sent her reply. She hadn’t seen.
*Did you need something? I saw you were typing. Sorry to cut you off.*
Rena suppressed a scream.
*Could I see you tomorrow?*
She hit send before her brain could catch up with what her fingers were doing.
Ajisai’s typing bubble pulsed for a moment.
*Sure! Where do you want to meet?*
*Would my place be too far?*
*Not at all! I’ll text you when I’m on my way. Probably 4ish?*
*See you~*
Rena slammed her phone face down on her bed, and tried to catch her breath. She was already worn out from so much socializing, and she’d invited Ajisai over? Now she’d have to clean, not to mention worry about whatever it was she’d wanted to say.
Regardless, she’d already sent the text, so all she could do was wait. She might as well get some shuteye while she did so.
___________
Rena slept about as well as she’d expected, which was to say she hadn’t slept at all. She spent the entire day until Ajisai texted her in a haze, pacing back and forth, as she retread the same ground in her mind over and over. Then it came.
*OMW! Be there in 30.*
Rena’s heart skipped a beat, as she read Ajisai’s message.
In hindsight, it would’ve been wise to get ready before she got the text, given that she had been told when to expect her. That knowledge did little to remedy the fact that she was still in her pajamas.
Thankfully, the stress turned out to be more good than bad, as it gave her something to focus on, rather than her impending doom. By the time the doorbell rang, she was fully ready, with the exception of having a plan or any kind of decision made.
“Nee-chan! Your friend is here!” Haruna called up the stairs.
“Coming!” She called back, pausing in the mirror to slap herself lightly on the cheeks. “You’ve got this...”
Down at the foot of the stairs, Haruna was entertaining Ajisai, who was still radiantly beautiful even in simple jeans and a blouse.
“Y-Yo!” Rena tried to force a little enthusiasm in her voice.
“Yo!” Ajisai waved, matching her intonation.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Her sister smiled, before mouthing, “Good luck.”
Rena had a feeling she would need it.
“S-shall we?” Rena gestured up the stairs towards her bedroom.
“Sure!” Ajisai nodded with a smile.
They marched up the stairs together, and sat across Rena’s floor table from one another. For a moment, they sat together in silence, staring into one another’s eyes.
Ajisai was the first to break, blushing and looking away. “So did you have something on your mind, or would you like to play some games?”
Resisting the urge to take the easy out, Rena took a deep breath, before speaking a little louder than she’d intended. “What did you try to say to me the other day when the train passed?”
A red blush slowly covered Ajisai’s face, as she began to stammer. “A-ah, nothing important! Just... I just said I enjoyed the trip! Yes, that’s all.” She nodded firmly.
Rena narrowed her eyes, and leaned in.
She’d never been smart, either socially or otherwise, but even she could tell something wasn’t adding up. If it were something like that, she would’ve just repeated herself, or wouldn’t have even remembered.
“Rena... Your stare is embarrassing.” Ajisai whined quietly, wilting under the attention.
“It really makes me sad when you bottle things up like this.” Rena sighed, looking down at the table.
“No!” She cried out, shaking her head. “It’s nothing wrong with you! I just...”
“Please? I hated the way you looked so sad when I didn’t hear you.” She deployed her best puppy dog eyes.
Ajisai groaned wordlessly, as tears began to well in her eyes. Rena was almost ready to back off, when she shouted out. “I love you, Rena! Not like friend love, like love love!”
Rena stared blankly in shock, as an image of her sister mocking her for not listening played in her mind.
“Please say something...” Ajisai whispered, hiding her face in her hands.
“Like... you want to be girlfriends?” She asked after a moment.
Ajisai only nodded, not daring to come out from her hands.
This was it then. Exactly as her sister had told her, she’d have to choose between Mai and Ajisai. She still had no idea why all of these cute girls were coming at her left and right, but that was beside the point.
None of the facts had changed since she’d spent the last day mulling this over, so there was only one thing she could do.
She just had to choose.
“Ajisai-chan, can you look at me?” Her breath shook as she spoke.
Weakly, Ajisai lowered her hands, and managed to meet Rena’s gaze. She looked so fragile in that moment.
Rena knew her answer, but something in her just couldn’t get it out.
“Are you really sure you want to be girlfriends with someone like me?”
“Y-yes.” She whispered, barely audible. “I love you so much, I don’t know what to do...”
“Even if I’m no good around people?”
“Even so.” She nodded.
“Even if I’m not very smart?”
“Even so.” She nodded again.
Rena sighed, unable to avoid it any longer. “If you want a girl like me to be your girlfriend, then I guess I’ll just have to do my best.”
Ajisai’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “You mean...?”
“Yes.” Rena nodded, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
“But Mai...” She looked down, but Rena lifted her gaze
“I’ll tell her no. You’re my number one.”
“I’m not as good as you think I am. I might ask you to spoil me again.”
“Then I’ll just have to be your Onee-chan.”
“Rena...” Ajisai hesitated, before falling forward into Rena’s arms.
Both of their tears finally let loose, as they held one another, soaking their shoulders.
She knew it would be complicated, sorting everything out with Mai, but in the end Rena knew this was the right decision. It was like Ajisai’s arms were a perfect ‘Rena-shaped’ fit, and everything in the world was right.