There are three girls in the room; one working her butt off on some papers whiles the other two watching her every move intensely.
"Ugh…" Honoka grunted, reading the umpteenth hell of papers the bluenette told her to review. It was obvious as day that the ginger head would collapse anytime soon based on the countless pile of papers waiting to be reviewed by her. There's lot of times when she lost her focus and she had to review all the way back from the beginning.
At the far end of the room, Kotori sat with both hands supporting her chin. She had a worried look on her face, knowing that her beloved childhood friend is nearly at her limit. She had this urge feeling to rush over to Honoka's side and comfort her, but the bluenette has foreseen that and so she was forced to sit on her current seat at the moment which in radius five meters from Honoka's. Hang in there, Honoka-chan, she silently cheered, letting out a worried sigh.
Pretty far from the ash-grey haired girl, but not to the ginger head, Umi leans against the wall with one hand folded over her chest. She had papers in her other hand, the ones Honoka has reviewed, and currently double-checked to make sure Honoka did no mistake with her work. Not that she didn't trust the ginger head, it just Honoka is always full of surprises, be it a good one or not. The last time something like this happened; Honoka misplaced some club's monthly budgets and Umi had to spend the rest of the day working on the papers while writing apology letters to each of the club.
Umi took a glance every now and then, making sure Honoka's still doing her job. And that only made the atmosphere worsen.
"Umi-chan, Honoka-chan" Kotori was the first to break the silence, standing up to face her beloved childhood friends. Umi looked at her with questioning look while Honoka silently thanked her for breaking the atmosphere, even just for a little while.
"What is it, Kotori?" Umi asked, placing the papers she has checked on the table in front of her.
"I think Honoka-chan is already at her limit"
"Kotori-chan…" Thank you, Honoka cried. She was about to say more but silenced by the glare Umi gave her.
"That won't do, Kotori. I said I won't let her away this time, and I always keep my words"
"W-well…" Kotori smiled, her brain working it's best to find something to make the ginger head better. "I think…I should go buy some drinks. Do you want something in particular?"
"I'd like the usual" Umi answered, turning to the ginger head. "Honoka?"
"Me too, I'd like the usual"
"Okay, I'll be going then" Kotori forced a smile, excusing herself out of the room.
It was then that the bluenette collapsed to her seat, putting her hand over her head. Honoka turned at her with alarmed look. "Umi-chan, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay" She nodded, turning her head down to avoid the ginger head's worried eyes. "You can keep going"
"…Okay" Honoka gave her a hesitant answer before going back to her work, sometimes she would cast worried glance over the bluenette. Umi sat with her hand still placed on her head, her eyes pointed outside the window. Her head hurts, and it happens often the past few weeks. She had consulted to a doctor about this once, and it seems didn't work. She also asked Kotori before, and the girl only said with a smile; 'I think Umi-chan should stop worrying and make everything clear already'. It's been in her head ever since then, and despite Kotori saying she should make everything clear, she herself wasn't even sure with what Kotori was talking about.
She had paid the thought more efforts, and she remembers the pain first came when Honoka announced that they'd form a school idol unit. It didn't stop there; the pain even goes worse as μ's grown in number of members. From the three of them, then Hanayo, and then Rin and Maki―
"Ah" She mumbled low enough that the ginger head on her side couldn't hear her. There is a realization look on her face as she turned her focus to the girl beside her. Now she understood everything.
Nishikino Maki, she thought. And now with a certain red head filled her head, she felt her heart throbbing. It wasn't the throb you would feel every time you see your crush; it was something more…something that you would feel when you found out your crush had another lover. It was the kind that shows Sonoda Umi is jealous with Nishikino Maki.
"Maki…"
"Eh?" She saw her childhood friend startled at her sudden call, turning her head with slightly blushed face. "Umi-chan?"
"Maki, what do you think of her, Honoka?"
"Err…" Honoka looked away, avoiding her bluenette friend's gaze. "Why so sudden…?"
"What is it, Honoka?" Umi repeated, by now she was leaning at the edge of her seat.
"W-well…Maki-chan, huh? I-I like her, of course, just like how I like you and Kotori-chan" Honoka stopped. Umi gulped, and it feels incredibly bitter as the blush on Honoka goes deeper. "Umi-chan, w-what are you―?!"
"Shut up" Umi growled, throwing herself over the ginger head. Jealou