Hello everyone! I come with another ending to another story. I'm really satisfied with how the final chapter of this fic came out, but as always there are probably a few typos and tense mix ups. Aside from that, I really hope you enjoy it and I really hope it makes you smile.

A fun challenge while reading this is to see exactly how many references you catch, because there are plenty of them in this final chapter. (Both to previous chapters and the anime ;) )

Thank you very much for reading, faving and leaving comments and reviews! Every bit of it is very much appreciated, and I hope you look forward to the next story I bring!

"I'm off." A quiet voice calls out, echoing off of the bare walls of the apartment they barely furnished in the three days of living here.

Nozomi sighs to herself as she opens the door, holding onto the stiff straps of her school bag, the newish smell clinging onto it and the violet haired girl who holds it. She locks the door with her key, slipping it safely into the bag's side pocket before walking to the elevator. After a short wait she steps inside, pressing the button for the main floor and watching as the unfamiliar elevator doors close. She silently wonders how long she'll see these same elevator doors for.

'Probably until the end of their contracts for this station.' The green eyed girl thinks bitterly. That's how it always had been, and she knows that's how it always will be until she lives on her own.

She pushes the thoughts away as the door opens on the second last floor, an elderly woman stepping inside with a small buggy. Nozomi returns the woman's kind smile with one of her own until she turns to face the closing doors. Once the elevator reaches the main floor, the violet haired girl politely waits for the old woman to exit first. She's out shortly afterward, making her way to the building entrance and pushing open the door to the street.

Warm spring air engulfs Nozomi and fills her lungs as she steps out onto the vaguely familiar road. She takes in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and ignoring the painful memories of a happier time in her childhood. She never did get to experience weather like this with them. She thinks of this every time she begins a new spring term. She sighs, pushing the thought away and beginning her trek down the sidewalk and into the direction of her new school.

Her navy uniform fits snugly around her while her hair -tied into two low twintails as opposed to the braids she once wore- bounces behind her. Her bright blue ribbon stands out brightly against the crisp white shirt underneath her blazer. Aside from her bust (a bit bigger than your average fifteen year old girls), she looks exactly like the average first year high school student making her way to school.

It was another school her parents picked out for her. This time it was and all girls academy, picked out because the location was convenient, but also so that Nozomi could avoid lecherous comments from immature high school boys (coed junior high really wasn't the best of times for the violet haired girl.) Otonokizaka isn't exactly the nicest of schools, especially when compared to the bright and flashy UTX Academy, but Nozomi enjoyed the spiritual power that lingered around the grounds when she visited it the week before. Parts of the building were remodeled, but the older parts that stuck out were quite charming to her.

She takes a moment to make a quick stop at the shrine, paying her respects to the gods and making a silent prayer for the day to go by alright. She knows not to get greedy and hope for her parents to be home at a decent hour, and so after giving her respects she bids farewell to the nearest shrine maiden and makes her way down the long steps. She ponders the idea about volunteering at the shrine every now and then. It'd pass the time better than sitting at home waiting for her parents, that's for sure.

Nozomi stops at the foot of the final staircase. These steps lead up to the road just across from her new highschool. She wonders if it's natural for her to feel no nerves whatsoever as she begins to climb the steps. Doing this many times previously must have prepared her for the first time she'd be entering her first year of high school. That or she had become numb to the new school, new start feeling. She knows somewhere down the road she'd be doing this again. This wouldn't be her final time entering a new school, it's something she can feel in her gut.

Many girls with matching uniforms walk around her, most in pairs or small groups. Maroon and green coloured ribbons stand out; Upperclassmen, it seems. It makes sense, there probably weren't very many first years who had friend groups yet. She thinks about all the potential groups that she could be apart of this year, and reminds herself to steel up her emotions before it's too late again. There's no way she'd be able to handle another repeat of grade school.

The crosswalk light is green and Nozomi steps with care across the road. Here she goes again, dwelling on the past. It really is a curse. Nozomi's mother always reminds her that it was great she was able to experience what she had and that one day she'll look back on the memories with a fond smile. The violet haired girl wonders how many more Springs it would take before she got to that point. Looking back on the short time she had with those two girls brings more pain than it does fondness.

She pauses just past the gate, allowing herself to glance up at the school. She gives herself a small moment, wondering exactly what they were up to right now. She knows she's far different from the awkward child she used to be, older. Wiser. More connected to the spiritual side of things. She has a bit more confidence now that she had her cards and the gods helping her along the way. Maybe Eli and Nico were different too. Maybe Eli had become the greatest ballet dancer her family had ever seen; maybe Nico wouldn't mind that Nozomi adopted the same hairstyle as her. Maybe she finally had a better idol catchphrase.

Nozomi smiles at that. Maybe her mother was sort of right. There was no way Nozomi couldn't smile remembering that moment. She takes in a deep breath before continuing towards the school building.

When she enters, there's plenty of chatter between students at their shoe lockers. Nozomi quickly locates hers and opens it up, paying no mind to the students near and around her as she switches to her indoor shoes.

"Did you hear?!" A second year student speaks, a little too loudly for an inside voice. "We've got a foreign student this year!"

"Ehh? No way!" Another student says. "Where'd you hear that?!"

"Kina-chan!" The first one replies. "She says there's a tall blonde girl on campus with a blue ribbon!"

Nozomi closes her locker and steps away from the gossiping girls. Intruding on their conversation was the last thing she wanted to do, but hearing that a foreign student might be in her grade did catch her interest. It makes her wonder if the people at Eli's high school commented the same things about her. It wouldn't surprise Nozomi in the slightest if they did.

It doesn't take her long to locate her classroom and Nozomi scans the half full room for an available seat. She settles for one a second row away from the doors, hanging her bag on the side hooks of her desk and sitting down shortly afterward. She glances around the room, noticing many girls already attracting towards each other like magnets. She resists the urge to sigh and digs into her pocket, pulling out a singular card from the top of it and scanning it carefully.

The photo of a star with eight points and a nude woman greets her and Nozomi raises her eyebrow curiously. The star is an interesting draw on her first day. Hope? Renewal? Nozomi has a feeling this draw is a fluke more than anything. Even if her readings were improving greatly, there was a very slim chance of either attributes shining throughout this day. Nozomi hasn't had a great first day of school in years, there was absolutely no way today would be any different.

She's oblivious to the person sitting themselves down in front of her as she pulls her cards out, slipping the star back into the middle of it and giving the deck a quick shuffle before placing it back into her pocket. When she glances up, the classroom is just about full and the sound of the bell ringing brings everyone back to reality. Their homeroom teacher would arrive soon and then the class would begin their introductions and go over the itinerary for the semester.

The door at the front of the class opens and in walks an older woman, who Nozomi can only assume is the teacher. She greets the class with a wave and gets to her podium, placing her folder down and introducing herself to her new class. Nozomi tunes her voice out as background noise as she begins going over the changes that come with entering high school and the challenges they may or may not face along the way.

She's oblivious when students begin to stand up and say their names to introduce themselves to their peers until it gets to the first girl in her row. She looks down the line of girls unamused until the golden locks of the person in front of her catch her eye. She blinks once, remembering something from long ago. A crisp autumn day, she's walking home in her favourite lavender sweater. A few steps ahead of her, a girl with jet black hair and an excited smile and another girl with-

Her thoughts are cut off when the girl stands up, speaking in a voice loud and clear as she looks around the room.

"It's nice to meet you all. My names Ayase Eli. Let's get along."

Nozomi's heart leapt from the deep pits of her chest cavity right up into the top of her throat. Her eyes widen as Eli moves to sit down. Everythings in slow motion as she struggles to find her voice; to control her emotions. It's her turn to introduce herself, but how is she able to do that now? Her stomach turns as the eyes of every student paying attention to the introductions land on her and she internally panics. She never could handle it when the attention was all on only her.

She tries to swallow the nervous lump in her throat but with one of the greatest people in her life sitting in the seat right in front of her, Nozomi isn't so sure she's able to even form a coherent sentence. She carefully stands up, her hands shaking ever so slightly. She inhales deeply; exhales slowly. She gives a silent prayer to the gods to help her get through until lunch when she can make a break for the bathroom to compose herself.

"G-Good morning." She mentally winces as her voice cracks, but presses forward. It's now or never, she has to say this introduction as quickly as ripping off a band aid.

"I'm-" a short pause, her eyes forcing themselves to look away from the girl seated in front of her. "I'm Tojo Nozomi. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to working with you."

The girl in front of her stiffens and it doesn't go unnoticed. Nozomi bites her lip and sits down quickly, wondering why of all people to be seated behind it had to be someone from her past. Someone important, but with unresolved conflicts. Well, it wasn't like any of those were Nozomi's fault, but Eli had every right to hate and be mad at her for not telling the truth and giving a proper goodbye to her and Nico.

Her heart sinks at that thought. Eli and Nico were so good to her. The best of the best. Nozomi thought about them for so long, wondered what they were up to. Did they miss her like she missed them? Did they resent her for not being able to say goodbye properly? They were all small, fragile children. She should've told them she was moving all those years ago, she should have gotten their phone numbers and stayed in touch. There were many things Nozomi should have done but she was so caught up in the memories she was making with them, she forgot all about her parents nomadic lifestyle and the fact she would leave. Even though she reminded herself when she befriended them, being with them helped her forget all of her worries. She was a really dumb child. She would never be able to make up for the mistakes she made in her childhood.

The student introductions are finished and Nozomi's eyes focus on her desk as the teacher's voice becomes background noise again. The feeling of being watched becomes awfully overwhelming and Nozomi knows that if she were to glance up, she'd find a piercing blue gaze glancing back at her. But she couldn't do it. How do you look in the eyes of someone whose last vision of you was from the back seat of a cab as you were being taken away to a new home? Nozomi didn't have a clue. She wonders if they look at her with disgust or hatred, but she doesn't want to take that chance to find out. It might make the mask she struggles to keep on her face shatter.

The eyes that are on her look away and Nozomi lets go of the small breath she holds. The teacher instructs everyone to pull out their notebooks and Nozomi forces herself to think of only the tasks at hand. The school work is easy enough and time consuming, so it's easy to distract her from the current worries that linger in the back of her mind.

It works like that for the whole morning. The lunch bell rings and Nozomi wastes no time in making her hasty exit. She pushes herself up from her seat eagerly, not bothering to gather her lunch bag as she pushes herself towards the back exit of the classroom. She needs to find the closest bathroom and she needs to take a good five minute breather by herself in the closest stall available. Her eyes well with tears and keeping back the grand mixture of emotions she feels begins to get harder.

For once, Nozomi wishes that her parents would announce their next move later that evening. She silently scolds herself because running away from her problems never solves them in the long run. Even if she's unprepared, she knows something will be done about it today. The cards themselves say so.

She steps down the stairs carefully, remembering a bathroom close to the shoe lockers at the entrance. It was a bit far from her classroom, but it was better to head somewhere she knows rather than explore the hallways aimlessly, ready to pop like a balloon and let her tears spill. A couple students walk past her and she can feel her anxiety growing at the thought of girls being in the bathroom and hearing her cry.

The sounds of fast approaching footsteps coming from above reach her. She quickens her pace and moves from the first staircase to the second, making sure to stay out of the way of whoever was speeding down the stairs. She can hear the sound of feet leaping from the first set of stairs onto the platform to the next, and the sounds of a pair of shoes skidding to a stop at the top of them.

"NOZOMI!"

And just like that, Nozomi freezes. Her lips quiver as her name is shouted in that familiar and yet completely different voice. Heavy and labored breathing can be heard from the person who called her and she scrunches her eyebrows slightly. Did Eli run after her?! Nozomi's curiosity takes over and with the little courage she can muster, she turns herself to face the girl at the top of the stairs.

It's worth it. Nozomi inhales deeply, her eyes clouding a bit with her tears as Eli stands six steps above her, one hand on the wall to support her as she gulped in breaths of air. How fast did she run to catch up with Nozomi?! Did she turn the wrong direction? Nozomi didn't think she was a huge distance from the classroom itself. Whatever the reason, it's quickly forgotten as Nozomi watches the worried expression on the blondes face make a 180 and become a small, unsure smile.

With that, her mask cracks. Nozomi lets her emotions show, returning the blondes smile with an unsure one of her own. Her heart is beating like crazy and time slows slightly as they keep eye contact. The tears don't spill but her voice is raw when she opens her mouth to speak.

"Hi Elichi."

Nozomi isn't sure if she's seen anyone's eyes light up so brightly before and Eli's smile becomes more genuine. She laughs and god- it's like the spirits themselves blessed Eli with the voice of an angel. She smiles a bit more as well, the worrisome thoughts from earlier slowly evaporating into nothing. A laugh didn't mean Eli had forgiven her, but she's happy to see Nozomi at least. That much shows.

Eli's quick to move, stepping down the steps carelessly and throwing her arms tightly around the violet haired girl. The warmth from her body travels rapidly through Nozomi, like a spark shooting through her entire being. Nozomi keeps her feet anchored carefully, stiffening from the surprise hug and grabbing onto the hand railing tightly with one hand, using the other to cling to Eli just as tightly. She may be wearing a petrified expression but the only thing her mind registers is how warm Eli is and how wonderful this hug feels. When Nozomi's footing begins to slip slightly, she decides to stop being lost in the moment.

"E-Elichi, we're gunna fall if we aren't careful!" Nozomi's voice cracks and she hopes and prays that gravity isn't too harsh on them when they do topple backward.

"I knew I'd see you again." Eli whispers, her arms loosening only a little bit so she can plant her feet firmly on the stairs as well. "I knew that day wouldn't be goodbye forever."

It's taking all of Nozomi not to burst into tears in that very moment. Eli had faith she would come back when Nozomi believed she'd never see her or Nico ever again. Her heart aches at just the thought of it and she watches as Eli pulls herself away, her eyes locking with Nozomi's for the second time.

"You-" Nozomi starts, but the words get caught in her throat.

"Me?" Eli prompts, and Nozomi struggles to find her voice.

"You're not... upset?"

Eli looks baffled for a moment before a serious expression rests on her features. Butterflies begin to swarm in her stomach and Nozomi instantly regrets asking such a stupid question. Of course Eli was upset, she had no reason not to be.

"I was," Eli begins. "But not at you."

Nozomi isn't sure how to react. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion as she stares at Eli. Eli's hands find their way to Nozomi's, holding them gently like they had the first time Eli reassured her. Nozomi's butterflies die down at the comforting gesture as Eli elaborates.

"I was upset because I never got to say goodbye. Or even give you my number." She mumbles, and there's a tiny laugh from her. "Can you believe that? In all that time I never even gave you my phone number. We were pretty dumb kids, huh?"

A couple girls watch curiously as they walk by them, Eli's hand still holding onto Nozomi's closely. Nozomi opens her mouth to say something, but the thought quickly leaves as she lets out an awkward laugh. Eli's gaze softens as Nozomi laughs a bit more, taking her hand to wipe her dampened eyes.

"You know, I think about that all the time. How did we even plan things back then?" the violet haired girl asks and Eli laughs again.

"At school and more often than not pretty spontaneously." Eli recalls. "It was usually-"

Eli cuts herself off, a realization dawning on her and her smile growing into a bright grin. She lets go of Nozomi's other hand, grabbing her wrist firmly instead. Nozomi gasps as Eli yanks her back up the stairs, determination on her face as she pulls Nozomi to match her pace.

"E-Elichi?!" Nozomi breathes. She can't form any words as Eli glances behind her, the smile still on her face.

"You're coming with me."

There's that playful tone to her voice and Nozomi's unable to believe the similarities she's noticed after so much time has passed. Sure, Eli's taller, her voice is deeper and puberty has clearly begun its transformation on the quarter russian, but there's no mistaking that expression. The sly glint of her eyes is dangerous and yet Nozomi can't help but let the blonde pull her up the stairs, back down the hallway she eagerly walked through only moments before.

"W-Where are we-" Nozomi stumbles along after Eli, increasing her pace to keep up with her. Her heart thuds louder and louder and her breath shortens, becoming more anxious as Eli continues to guide and weave her through the other girls in the hallway.

"You'll see!" Eli replies, quickening her pace. Nozomi's expression is fearful.

"S-slow down Elichi! I can't keep up!" She tries to reason with the blonde, but the hold on her wrist tightens a bit painfully and Eli says nothing.

They approach the classroom of 1-C and Nozomi's grateful they've finally reached their destination. She takes a quick moment to inhale deeper breaths of air, but Eli gives her little to no time to take a second breath as she whips the sliding door open with a loud "BANG." The students inside leap at the sound and Eli takes a single step inside, taking no time to scan for someone as she shouts one single name.

"NICOCCHI!"

Nozomi's grateful she took that deep breath of air because the winds knocked out of her at Eli's declaration. She's glad Eli is tall and still just in front of the doorway and blocking her from anyone else's view. She scans the parts of the class she can see carefully, trying to locate the person Eli calls out to, but she's only greeted with the confused expressions of other girls in their grade.

"What the heck Eli?!" And there it is. Nozomi tenses up at the voice. It's deeper as well, but it's one hundred percent Nico. The violet haired girl wonders if it's possible for her heart to explode from this much emotions.

"What makes you think you can just slam into other classrooms and-" There's a pause for a moment and Nico speaks again, not amused in the slightest. "What gives with the nickname? I haven't been called that in-"

"Five years." Eli interrupts, that sly grin still on her face.

"Yeah. So what gives?" Nico's voice is unamused. Panic sets in with Nozomi again at the thought of Nico's reaction. Given by the sound of her voice, it doesn't seem to have a good start.

Eli says nothing as she steps out of the way, pulling Nozomi forward. Nozomi gasps and stumbles a bit, fixing her footing and blushing in embarrassment. The sound of a bento box dropping and a gasp is all Nozomi hears and she glances away from the floor to the source.

Unlike Eli and herself, Nico barely changed physically. She's petite in every sense of the word and very pretty. Like a doll, Nozomi thinks. A dainty, twin tailed doll with the brightest red eyes she'd ever seen. Her eyes are wide, her mouth agape and her lunch all over her desk. Her hair no longer sits in the low twintails it used to but rather in higher ones on either side of her head, tied together carefully with two bright red ribbons. She stands immediately from her seat, quickly moving until she's only a few steps away from Nozomi and Eli.

The eyes of everyone in the classroom are on them and Nozomi's grateful that Eli and Nico are here to take some of the attention. Nico's eyes look over Nozomi two, three times before they settle on her face. She swallows nervously and for some reason, that reassures Nozomi. She smiles a bit, and it's all just a little too much for her now. The mask she wears shatters completely, the cracked bits falling as her smile grows more.

"Hi Nicocchi." She greets, and Nico's stance relaxes ever so slightly. There's a twitch to the corner of the red eyed girls lips and she begins to smile.

"I can't believe it." She says, and her voice is just as raw as Nozomi's. "Is this even real? Is that really you, Non-tan?"

Nozomi quickly nods her head, her heart soaring at the use of a nickname she hasn't heard in so long. Nico doesn't skip a beat as she laughs, stepping closer to Nozomi.

"You've changed so much!" She blurts out and Nozomi laughs. It's wet, and she realizes now that her tears have finally started to fall in big, heavy drops.

"You haven't changed at all!" She replies, earning a tiny laugh from the blonde next to her.

Nico's quick to close the space completely, chopping Nozomi on the forehead with a firm hand. Nozomi flinches and mumbles a small ow, rubbing the now sore spot and looking at Nico with only one eye open. More of Eli's laughter can be heard as she pouts.

"That's for insulting my beautiful, tiny figure and for you shitty ass goodbye the last time I saw you!" Nico shouts sternly. Nozomi's pout becomes a small frown as she stops rubbing the spot Nico hit.

She probably did deserve that small whap to the head.

She's quickly enveloped by tiny arms, pulling her tightly towards the smaller girl and holding her closely. Tufts of black hair tickle Nozomi's face as she freezes, a bit confused from the gesture. Nico's voice is quiet as she speaks again and Nozomi can feel her shoulder dampening from tears.

"And this is 'cuz it's okay and I forgive you." Nico mumbles, her fingers clinging tightly to her and wrinkling Nozomi's uniform. "I was just mad cause I didn't want you to go so soon."

A sob escapes Nozomi's lips as she wraps her own arms around Nico just as tightly, burying her face into the tiny girl, muffling her voice as she spoke.

"I didn't want to either!"

Quiet whispers from onlooking students come from around the room. Eli pays no mind to them as her two friends cling to each other, their tears and sobs muffled by each other's blazers. Some get bored and bring their attention to other things and eventually Nozomi and Nico pull away, smiles on both of their tear stained faces.

"I can't believe this." Nico says, struggling to find her handkerchief as Nozomi pulls her own from her pocket. When she proves to be unsuccessful, Eli digs into her blazer and hands Nico her own.

"Me either." The blonde says with a smile. "I told you it'd happen."

"Are you seriously giving me an 'I told you so' right now, Elichika?!" Nico scowls, using the nickname Eli's grandmother had given her. Nozomi giggles, wiping her face free of the tears.

"Would you have preferred I waited until after school? Or when Nozomi wasn't around?" the blonde retorts with a blush and Nozomi laughs harder, her anxiety about seeing the two of them again gone and that feeling of complete bliss settling in it's place. It pulls Nico and Eli away from their argument and they smile softly towards their friend.

"I can't believe it either." Nozomi says. "Aside from your looks and voices, you guys haven't changed much at all, have you?"

An awkward silence settles over them as Nico and Eli look to each other with unsure glances and frowns. Nozomi wonders if it was too quick for her to assume everything between the three of them would be okay. Nico looks away as Eli slowly begins to speak.

"Actually-" she pauses, looking at Nozomi apologetically. "A lot's changed."

Nozomi looks between them, the mood settling into an upsetting one. She contemplates asking the two of them about the things that went on in her absence but the looks on their faces tell her it isn't the appropriate time to ask such details. She thinks back to her morning card draw, the image of the star lingering in her mind. Hope and renewal were two of the things that came with it upright, but reversed the card meant lack of faith. Despair. Discouragement. She makes another selfish decision, and she hopes this time it's better for her beloved friends.

"Even so," Nozomi says, her voice clear and for the first time that day, confident. "The cards say only good things can happen today."

Eli and Nico make eye contact again, both of them confused by Nozomi's words. They look to her afterward and Nozomi's smile creeps towards her eyes, her dimples standing out as she puts her hands behind her and holds them together. Her smile doesn't help their confusion and she glances to the clock. There's about fifteen minutes left of their lunch break, but that wouldn't be enough time for what she began planning.

"What do you mean by that, Nozomi?" Eli asks, unsure of what Nozomi's planning.

"Hmm.. I wonder too." Nozomi replies, her smile still wide. "But I trust it. The cards haven't failed me yet, and today I got to be reunited with the both of you."

Eli falls silent and Nico frowns a bit.

"The cards?" She says, a bit skeptical. "What kind of hobbies have you gotten yourself into?"

There's a small smirk on her face and Nozomi chuckles.

"I'll have you know I've spent less time reading by myself in the past five years and more time connecting with my more… spiritual side." She grins a bit, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Why don't we meet up after school?"

It's an innocent question and Nozomi pushes away the thought bubble of worry that forms in her head. Nico doesn't hesitate with her answer.

"Of course. You've missed five incredible years with the great Nico Nii! You're gunna need all the time you can get to catch up with that."

Eli and Nozomi laugh and the mood picks up as the two shorter girls look to their taller blonde friend.

"I don't see why not. I don't have any plans after school anyway." She reasons, and Nozomi smiles more.

"Perfect." She says, turning around and heading towards the door. "There is still something I need to do right now, but maybe we can all meet at the gates after school?"

"Sounds good. You better be there." Her black haired friend says in a warning tone, eyeing her carefully as she makes her way closer to the door. Nozomi laughs again and her smile softens.

"Believe me, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Once Nozomi exits the room Eli and Nico look to each other. There's a small silence between them before Eli turns and steps back towards the door. She hesitates, unsure of if there's anything else she should say and before she can turn around to face Nico again, the red eyed girl speaks.

"Hey Eli..?"

Eli glances backward for a moment, looking at the other girl.

"Thank you. For thinking of me too."

It's earnest and heartfelt and Eli can't help but smile at the other girl, turning around and voicing her reply.

"It wouldn't be a proper reunion without you, Nico."

The blonde then exits the classroom, leaving Nico standing there with a broad grin on her face. She quickly moves to her desk, cleaning up and saving what she can of her spilled lunch. She hastily finishes it, keeping in mind of the great after school plans that await her.

School ends and Nozomi is eager to leave. With her books packed and everything on hand, she heads to the shoe lockers on her own, since Eli was held up by a couple of the upperclassmen outside the classroom. She hums a bit to herself as she slips her outdoor shoes back on and makes her way to the school gates. Nothing can bring her mood down- she was on cloud nine.

She sees the small form of Nico standing by the entrance and she takes a few larger steps towards her. As she gets closer, she notices Nico isn't even paying attention to her scenery and the idea to sneak up on her has never been more tempting in her life. With a mischievous grin, Nozomi slows her steps to a stealthy creep. She tiptoes closer and closer to the unsuspecting girl, laughter bubbling in her throat.

She's right behind Nico now and the other girl has yet to notice her. She leans closer slowly, biting her lip to hold back the giggle that tries desperately to escape her lips. She's as close as she can get to the shorter girl and without even thinking about it, Nozomi blows against her ear. Nico shouts, jumping away from Nozomi immediately as the violet haired girl bursts out into a loud fit of laughter. She clutches her ear and frowns instantly, not impressed with Nozomi's joke.

"You know, a normal greeting isn't exactly sneaking up on people and blowing in their ears." Nico scolds. Nozomi wipes an imaginary tear from her face, composing herself and grinning at her friend.

"Sorry Nicocchi, I couldn't resist." A grin stays on her face as she tilts her head curiously. "Something on your mind? Or are you just super easy to sneak up on?"

Nico shrugs, looking away from Nozomi towards the school.

"Forget about that, where's Eli?"

Nozomi's eyebrows furrow a bit, but she doesn't question the topic change.

"A couple upperclassmen wanted to speak with her. She told me to go on ahead." Nozomi responds. Nico nods a bit before looking back at Nozomi.

"Can you believe the amount of gossip about her?!" She asks incredulously. "It's only the first day and she's all anybody can talk about. You should've heard my class after you guys came in at lunch time, some of them are convinced she's a foreign delinquent who came here to get on the path to a better life…"

Nozomi laughs at the rumour.

"Blonde hair and blue eyes seems to attract a lot of attention considering it isn't common here." Nozomi reasons. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Nozomi and Nico glance over to see Eli running towards them. She takes a couple breaths and smiles crookedly. "Were you guys here long?"

"Not at all, Elichi." Nozomi smiles.

There's a small silence between the three of them before Nozomi proposes the they begin the trek to her house. Nico and Eli aren't sure if it's okay to intrude unannounced, but Nozomi assures them that it's fine. Even if her parents are home -as unlikely as that would be- they wouldn't mind. Being reminded of that fact and learning it was still the same as the past makes Eli and Nico look to each other with concern as Nozomi leads the way towards her place.

A quick ten minute walk is all it takes and the three of them stand silently in the elevator up to Nozomi's apartment. The violet haired girl digs her key out of her bag, stepping off the elevator once it reaches the floor she lives on. Eli and Nico follow behind her silently, both lost in their own train of thoughts. It catches Nozomi's attention as she stops in front of the apartment door that reads 502. She pauses only for a moment before moving to unlock her door, opening it up and allowing them to step inside first.

"Pardon our intrusion." Nico and Eli say almost immediately, pausing in hopes that they might hear some sort of response.

"It's alright. It's just me today." Nozomi gives them all a small smile, despite a pain lingering in her eyes. She shuts the door behind herself, mumbling a quiet "I'm home." To herself before kicking off her shoes.

"We can go to my room. Nowhere else is quite unpacked yet, but I'll put on the kettle and make some tea for us." The violet haired girl suggests. Nico and Eli agree to the idea and Nozomi shows them to her room, telling them to make themselves comfortable wherever they'd like.

They take in the appearance of the room and Nico smiles a bit at its appearance. The setup of the furniture is almost the exact same as it used to be, aside from Nozomi's futon being replaced with a bed. Sitting atop of it is an old but well loved raccoon plush and the black haired girl picks it up, giving it a small hug as Eli glances over the objects Nozomi has on display atop her desk. There's that same framed photo of her and her family and right next to it, a new addition. Eli picks it up and smiles brightly.

"Hey Nico, come look at this." Eli turns to Nico, holding out the picture frame to her. Nico puts the plush down, stepping over and grinning a bit at the photo.

It's a shot from winter that Nozomi's father had taken at the shrine of the three of them. It was a sneak shot with the three of them laughing by the steps, bits of snow all over their faces. Eli and Nico recall the moment clearly, Nico slipping on the final step and pulling Nozomi down with her, who in turn dragged Eli along for the ride. The shot was taken after the three of them had pushed themselves up from the snow mound, and the tears in the eyes were only from laughter rather than pain. It's a nice memory and Nico puts the picture back down on Nozomi's desk with a smile.

"That really was the best way to get into the new year." Nico admits. Eli laughs lightly.

"We had so much snow that got into our parkas and pants. I didn't feel warm until we got back to Nozomi's house and had hot chocolate." She says and Nico laughs loudly as she recalls the moment perfectly.

"We huddled close to you afterward and you were still freezing!"

They laugh together and a comfortable silence falls over the two of them. They move to sit down at the small table set up in the middle of the room, placing their bags down beside them and waiting patiently for Nozomi to return. They don't make eye contact, the both of them deciding it's best to take in what little was around the room. Nico's the first to break the silence between them.

"Do you think we'll be able to go back to like it was?" It's asked like a question, but Eli knows that Nico has an idea of the answer.

"Of course not." Eli replies, closing her eyes. "It'll never be like it was back then. There's no point in hoping for the impossible."

"But do you really think that?" Nico doesn't look at Eli as she asks it, instead turning her head up to the ceiling and pondering the question herself.

Eli thinks for a moment and sighs.

"I want nothing more than to go back to the way we were." She mumbles, putting her focus on the table in front of them. "But it'll never happen."

Nico sighs, looking down from the ceiling and looking to the table as well.

"You're probably right." She agrees reluctantly.

"Hmm, I wouldn't quite count on that."

The voice startles the both of them and they leap in their spots, looking over surprised to Nozomi. She has a warm smile on her features and a tray in her hands. Three random mugs filled to the brim as well as a plate of assorted cookies sit on it. The violet haired girl makes her way towards them, placing the tray down and carefully setting a cup in front of the other two. Nico pales slightly and Eli bites her lip, unsure about how much of their conversation Nozomi heard.

As if reading her mind, Nico speaks first.

"How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough." Is Nozomi's reply. She sits herself down on the other side, crossing her legs and looking between the two of them.

Eli and Nico share awkward eye contact before glancing to their friend.

"So.." Eli begins, wondering how to continue. Nozomi takes a small sip of her tea, flinching because it's still a bit too hot for her liking. Nico snickers and avoids the gaze Nozomi sends her way. The green eyed girl then turns her attention to Eli, smiling quickly and putting her tea down.

"So?" She prompts, and Eli frowns a bit.

"So uh.." She pauses, wondering exactly what to ask. "I guess.. what's up…?"

Nico and Nozomi stare at Eli and watch as a blush dusts her cheeks. Nozomi grins a bit, shrugging.

"A lot of things are up Elichi. The ceiling, clouds, the bright blue sky-"

"Nozomi!"

"You forgot to mention birds, stars, the infinite amount of galaxies in the distance-"

"Nico!"

Nozomi and Nico laugh at the same time as Eli pouts. It's still too easy to tease the blonde and Nozomi relishes in the moment.

"Sorry Elichi." She says with an apologetic smile. "and to you too, Nicocchi. I'm sorry."

Eli and Nico are confused as Nozomi takes a cookie from the plate, opening its package carefully before elaborating for them.

"I can tell this is a bit awkward for you both." She says simply, able to read the mood as easily as a newspaper headline.

"You can?" Nico asks, not bothering to hide the fact.

"Well yeah." Nozomi shrugs a bit, looking at Nico. "I'm pretty good at reading situations."

Eli decides to take a sip of her tea, winding from the heat but letting the hot liquid go down her throat regardless. Nico says nothing and takes a cookie for herself, munching on it idly as Nozomi continues to hold hers. They sit like that for a moment before Nozomi looks at the two of them.

"Is it okay if I ask what happened?" It sounds a bit vulnerable in her soft tone of voice. She's curious, but she doesn't want to pry if Nico and Eli aren't willing to share.

They're both silent and Nozomi glances down from them, feeling a bit unsure about her plan to talk it out with them.

"It wasn't because I left, was it?" She asks in an even quieter voice.

Hands slam on the table and cause her to jump and tea to spill from Nico's full cup. She accidentally flings the cookie in her hands into the air and it lands with a small thud onto the table.

"Never." Nico begins, her voice low and serious. "Never EVER let yourself believe you're to blame, Nozomi."

There's a hint of fear in Nozomi's eyes. She's never seen Nico so serious before, and while it's quite a thrilling sight, Nozomi knows this seriousness isn't something to marvel. A storm of emotions swarms through Nico's vibrant red eyes.

"What happened when you were gone-" Nico continues, swallowing the small lump in her throat. "What happened has no relation to you at all. It was just a string of bad things turning to worse things. The only way it really involves you is because it started when we lost you."

Nozomi stays silent, a worried frown appearing on her face. She looks to Eli for some sort of reassurance, but the blonde's unable to glance at her. She's focused on Nico, her eyes reading worry as the black haired girl struggles to find more words to continue.

"Nicocchi-" Nozomi mumbles, looking towards the black haired girl. "You don't have to tell me if you can't."

"No." Nico objects, shaking her head. "I do."

She takes her handkerchief from her bag, wiping up the spilled tea before holding it carefully and thinking about where to begin.

"After you left, Eli and I were sad of course. We just lost our best friend and we didn't get to say goodbye. It wasn't fair. We knew it wasn't your fault at all, but boy was I pissed at your parents."

Nozomi listens intently as Nico begins the story, all focus on her tea and the abandoned cookie gone. Eli watches with soft eyes, knowing exactly where this story lead and not looking forward to it. The red eyed girl doesn't face either of them as she continues to speak.

"We fell back into our old routine, but it wasn't the same without you. The stuff we used to do, the things we talked about, it just got hard to do that again. It wasn't the same anymore, you know? We needed some time to get used to it again."

She lets go of her tea, facing Nozomi completely now.

"Anyway, eventually it worked. Sort of. We didn't mind where we ended up with each other. But I guess about three months after you left-" There's a small pause as Nico takes a deep breath, as if accepting something and preparing herself to say it.

"Three months after, Eli's family went on their annual vacation to Russia. Since half of Eli's family is there they went all the time, but this time they decided to stay there a bit longer-"

"It wasn't a permanent move." Eli quickly adds in, bringing Nozomi's attention to her. "Grandma just wanted to spend more time back home, and since Mom and Dad are pretty busy with their work and we were young kids, we went with her."

"Right. Yeah, so I knew that too." Nico continues, recalling the facts perfectly. "We recently made e-mails in school. You know, learning computers and all that jazz, so we decided to stay in contact through e-mails. They were kinda fun and it gave my mom an excuse to let me on the laptop a little bit more so that Eli and I could talk as much as we could."

"You'd think everything would be fine that way, wouldn't you?" Nico has a tiny, broken smile on her face as she looks away from Nozomi again. "But it wasn't."

Nozomi doesn't dare speak as Nico pauses. She shakes her head, and Nozomi knows that's about all she can say. She looks to Eli for more answers, and is greeted by sad, blue eyes.

"Nico's Father passed away." Eli says sadly, getting right to the point of the story. "She hadn't responded to my e-mails for a week. Her mom ended up going online to let me know."

There's an overwhelming urge to comfort Nico washing over Nozomi, but she reminds herself that all of this happened in the year she left. What good would comforting her now do? Five years is a long time, if Nozomi comforts her about it now that might bring more painful memories to the surface. She looks to Nico, not at all offended that she has turned herself away from the both of them.

"It was hard. I came back to Japan for a week and stayed with Nico the whole time." Eli continues the story from where Nico left off. "But I couldn't really do much. I didn't really know how to comfort Nico, and it got pretty awkward."

"It's the thought that counts." Nico interrupts. Her eyes are teary, but her voice is softer and quieter than before.

"Still-" Eli starts again. "I felt pretty bad I couldn't do much for Nico and when I returned to Russia, Grandma had enlisted me into the old dance academy she had been apart of. It was nice, because I had hoped to do some more dancing and focus on that."

"It was a lot harder than dance classes here, but I didn't let that phase me at first. I tried really hard, but by the end of it I kept getting bothered by little things. Where my steps landed, my form at the end, everything wasn't good enough for me or my teachers."

Eli smiles weakly at Nozomi, and the violet haired girl doesn't need to think hard to guess what Eli's about to tell her.

"I came in last in the only competition I entered there. It was between only me and three other girls, and it was after that I decided to quit."

Nozomi has no words to say as Eli takes a moment to sip her tea, it at the perfect temperature for her to get a good gulp of it. She places her cup down carefully, keeping her hands around it and absorbing its warmth.

"I decided to focus on my studies instead. E-mails between Nico and I became less frequent, I became busy with my grades and she became busy with other things. We didn't really have a falling out of any sort, it just became a bit harder to stay in contact with one another and eventually, it went from best friends, to friends… and then to here."

It's quiet between the three of them, and Nozomi feels better now that she understands what happened between the both of them.

"And then to here, huh..." She says absentmindedly. She takes her own cup of tea in her hands, looking into the liquid and thinking about the morning card draw again. "You really weren't kidding when you said a lot's changed."

There's a few chuckles from the three of them and Nozomi smiles a bit. Despite the heavy atmosphere the story brought, it's feeling lighter and fluffier already. It hits Nozomi exactly what path her cards are trying to lead her down and she carefully sips more of her tea, gingerly placing the half full cup down and looking at her two friends.

"I'm really sorry." She begins. "I wish I could've been there for you, Nicocchi. Even if I couldn't help, having at least one of us here to go to might have helped. And I wish I was there to support you in your choice Elichi. You both went through a lot of stuff at the same time as each other."

Eli and Nico nod together. Hard is an understatement, especially since it all seemed to happen at once for the two of them.

"But maybe that's why the cards told me what they did this morning."

"The cards again?" Nico asks, a frown on her face. "What exactly are these cards, Nozomi?"

"My tarot cards." Nozomi answers.

Eli looks at Nozomi with curious eyes and the violet haired girl only smiles at her. Nico's eyebrows are furrowed, waiting for a further explanation from their friend. Nozomi digs into her pocket and pulls the deck out, placing it gently on the table.

"After we moved again, I decided to change." Nozomi begins her own story, looking between the two of them. "I decided that even if I never got to see you two again, I wanted to continue being the person the both of you helped me become. For some reason, I thought it might make you two a bit proud of me even if you might never know."

She pushes herself from her spot on the table, moving over to her closet and digging inside of it a bit. She continues to speak to them as she searches for a specific object.

"It worked. I was able to talk with kids in my class, I was able to be a bit more open with myself, and I even learnt how to be more open with my parents too."

She pulls out a small, unpacked box and walks back over to the table. She puts it down on the floor next to her, wiping a bit of dust off of it before opening the flaps up carefully. Eli and Nico watch on silently, unsure of what she planned to show them.

"It's all thanks to you two." Nozomi says, putting a photo album down on the table with a small smile. "If I never met you, and got to experience the fun and eventful few months I did, I think it would have taken me a lot longer to realize who I wanted to be."

Nico reaches out to it first, pulling it closer to her and examining the plain, purple cover carefully. She opens it up to the first page and dawning the front of it is a photo of the three of them from the first time they ever hung out outside of school. They were standing in exaggerated idol poses courtesy of Nico, and it was the only successful photo they were able to take that day with the timer on the camera. The black haired girl laughs, scanning the photo with a grin.

"You still have these?!" Nico says, looking at Nozomi with smiling eyes. Nozomi nods.

"That photo album holds every single photo we ever took together. Well, every single photo we didn't delete." She grins a bit, scooting over to one of Nico's sides "I made it myself after our second move since leaving Tokyo. Mom decided to print out all the photos for me so that we could make space on the camera. You can tell I made it forever ago because of the awful gel pen handwriting."

"Oh my god, you're right!" Nico laughs again, noticing the date scribbled underneath the picture in bright purplish, glittery gel pen ink. "Eli, you gotta come over here and look at this!"

The blonde scoots over eagerly, looking over Nico's shoulder. The three of them flip the page, revealing a ridiculous collage of Nico's terrible pictures with Eli and Nozomi making idol poses.

"Oh my god, I remember this one!" Eli says immediately, pointing to an exaggerated one of her. "You claimed it was the best photo you had ever taken in your entire life."

"I still believe that." Nico grins. "Come on, look at that lighting and tell me it's not good." Nico looks at Nozomi for approval but Nozomi laughs.

"Well it's not. It's terrible. Elichi's face is so dark and you can barely see anything else going on aside from her pose because the lighting is super overpowering."

This time it's Eli who laughs and Nico pushes Nozomi lightly with a tiny smirk on her face.

"Oh yeah? Let's see how great of a photo your nine year old self took!" Nico challenges, encouraging Nozomi to try and top her camera skills. There's a glint of determination in those bright green eyes of hers and Nozomi flips a few pages ahead, stopping only when she gets to a page with a single photo on it.

It's a simple photo of Nico and Eli laughing really hard with their faces completely red. They recognize it as a photo from their sleepover after Eli's dance competition, during the time they were making their cute little necklace pendants together. There's a bit of glue on Eli's face and Nico stuck a plastic gem to her, and there's nothing but absolute fun and happiness in the photo. The two of them look to Nozomi, who smiles softly at them.

"You know what my one of my favourite parts about being with you two is?" She asks them quietly, playing a bit with the hem of her skirt.

"Everything?" Nico answers instantly, causing Eli to nudge her playfully. Nozomi grins at the answer.

"Aside from that, Nicocchi." She says with a laugh.

Nico shrugs, smiling at Nozomi and waiting for the real answer.

"You're both so different. You have different mindsets, you're stubborn on what you think is true, you both even tried looking to me so that you'd have some outside party who would agree with your choices." Nozomi laughs a bit more, recalling a time when they asked her if cats or bunnies were better.

"But you never let that come between you two. You were closer than ever and you gave me an opportunity to be apart of the friendship you guys had. I loved watching you two and I loved being included."

Nozomi flips to the next page, showing another photo of the three of them at that same slumber party. Underneath it is the very same pendant Eli had given her, glued carefully to the book and with an arrow pointing to it, describing it as "The best accessory in the world."

"You still have it." Eli breathes, her fingers reaching out and touching it carefully.

"Of course!" Nozomi replies instantly. "The chain I had broke and it was around the time I was still in the middle of making this. So I glued it down here so that I'd never lose it."

Eli's gaze softens as she pulls her hand away. She looks at Nico and Nozomi, and the violet haired girl is quick to notice the tears that threaten to fall. Her eyes glimmer in the light and the happiness is all Nozomi can see through the tears that well up.

"You know something funny?" She asks them, her smile keeping its place on her face.

"What?" Nico responds, lifting her eyebrows at Eli.

The blonde carefully pulls up her blazer sleeve, and soon after the sleeve of her long shirt. Around her wrist is a carefully crafted bracelet made with light blue and light purple coloured threads woven together. Attached to it in the center is the very same pendant Nico had gifted her. The two girls marvel at the neat handiwork of Eli's bracelet and Eli smiles.

"I try not to wear it all the time because the threads are kind of weary and need to be replaced, but I never forget to wear it on the first day of school."

Nico's eyes sparkle and she grins a bit at Eli, digging down underneath her blazer and cardigan and pulling out her own necklace that held the purple pendant Nozomi crafted. Nozomi's eyes sparkle with glee and she grins as Eli's eyes go wide at the revelation.

"Me either!" She replies in an excited voice, looking to Nozomi "I remember deciding to wear it in case the odd chance of seeing Non-tan again happened so I could say 'Look! I'm wearing it!' But eventually I just got used to wearing it on the first day of school or the first day returning from any kind of holiday just cause."

"That's what I was thinking when I did it too!" The excitement in Eli's voice is crazy high and both her and Nico laugh together at their strange yet amazing coincidence.

They continue to laugh, Nico throwing her arm around the taller blonde's shoulders and pulling the two of them closer to each other. Nozomi's heart swells at the sight. It seems the star was an appropriate draw for today's fortune, because some sort of renewal happened in this moment. Unspoken apologies are given between the laughs of her friends and it's as if the three of them were continuing from where they left off. Like that five year break had never happened. In this moment, they were the three nine year olds on a quest to have fun and make the most of themselves.

Nozomi carefully brings out her phone, quietly opening up her camera and sneaking a quick snapshot of the two of them. The sound of the camera click is heard and Nico and Eli freeze, their attention falling on Nozomi as she lowers her phone. She blushes embarrassed and laughs, putting her phone back into her pocket.

"Sorry," She apologizes, nervously playing with her skirt again. "I couldn't resist. You both looked really happy and cute."

Nico and Eli pull apart, sharing a look for the umpteenth time that day. Even after all this time, they could still read each other well and slow smirks grew on their faces.

"Get her phone, Nico!" Eli declares, pushing herself up from the floor.

"Got it!" Nico shouts, advancing from her spot to Nozomi. The violet haired girl yelps in surprise, digging into her pocket and clutching her phone to her chest as she backs away from the twin tailed girl.

"Hand it over, Non-tan!" Nico commands, getting closer to Nozomi and reaching for the phone.

Nozomi holds it up and out of her reach, laughing as Nico leans against her and struggles to grab the phone. She uses her free hand to keep Nico out of reach as the black haired girl reaches desperately to grab it.

"No way! What do you need it for!?" She asks through her giggles.

She doesn't notice Eli sneaking over, swooping in and grabbing the phone directly from her outstretched hand. She cries out and her and Nico fall backward, Nico grinning and laughing triumphantly on top of her as Eli beams down towards them. She looks around for someway to retrieve her phone, desperate to get the advantage. She sees Eli's feet next to her and she doesn't miss the opportunity to pull them out from underneath her and with a loud thud, the blonde lands directly on her butt.

"AH!" Eli's laughing as Nozomi struggles to retrieve her phone from the blonde's hands.

Nico's clinging onto her from the side, trying to pull Nozomi back and help Eli out. Nozomi's stronger than she looks and with a lot of laughing and squirming, half of Nozomi ends up in Eli's lap as she lets her hands fall and lies there, breathing a bit heavy from all the giggling that came from her. They all fall into a comfortable silence, too content with the mood to do anything but enjoy it. Eli places Nozomi's phone carefully on the ground next to them all and Nico presses herself closer to Nozomi. One thing is on the violet haired girl's mind and she closes her eyes, relaxing a bit and Nico speaks.

"Do you think we'll be okay?"

It's might not be the same, but it's similar to her question to Eli earlier and Nozomi wonders exactly how to answer it. It's impossible to tell right now what they're future might be like. Maybe she'll move again. Maybe they're personalities are just too different now. Being a teenager is a completely different experience compared to the daily lives of a child. Not even her cards could predict exactly how the relationship between them might go, but Nozomi places a hand on top of Nico's head, eventually giving her an answer.

"I think so." She starts, smiling as she thinks about it. "Nothing can change what we went through or who we've started to become, but I don't think that will affect us. When it comes down to it, I think we'll always be around for each other."

Nico and Eli look at Nozomi, and she opens her eyes, peering up at Eli and turning to glance at Nico.

"We have an unbreakable bond, y'know?" She grins a bit. "Look at us now. Not even ten minutes ago you were telling me about everything that went on when I was gone. Now we're in a pile on the floor."

Nico laughs and pushes herself off Nozomi, who in turn sits up from Eli's lap. The three of them stay close and Eli hands Nozomi her phone again. Nozomi thanks her and the blonde looks at the both of them, deciding to say what's on her mind.

"I don't want to be anything less than best friends with you two." She confesses. She has her beautiful crooked smile on her lips as she brushes some strands of hair behind her ear. "Even if we have different goals or things we want to do, I'd rather be alongside you two than do it on my own."

Nico smirks a bit.

"You mean that?" She asks in a playful voice. "You'll stick around when I need you the most?"

Eli quirks her eyebrow questioningly, but confirms it for Nico anyway.

"Yes, I mean it." There's no hesitance in her voice and Nico shouts triumphantly.

"You said it! So you have to hold true to it!" She moves over to her bag, digging around for a bit until she pulls out a form of some sort.

"What's that Nicocchi?" Nozomi asks, curiously looking at the paper.

"A club registration form!" Nico replies, sliding it to Eli with a smirk. "Congratulations Eli, you're the first member of Nico Yazawa's idol research club!"

Nozomi laughs as Eli's lips go tight, a tiny frown forming on her face as a couple thoughts run through her mind. Without saying a word, she grabs her own bag and pulls out a pen, gesturing for the form in Nico's hands. The black haired girl smirks proudly, watching Eli sign her name in the top spot of the form.

"Jokes on you, because I've also enlisted in the student council." Eli says, writing the last stroke of her name and handing it back to Nico.

"Is that what the upperclassmen wanted with you today?" Nozomi asks with a curious grin. Eli nods.

"Otonokizaka Academy is the same high school my grandma went to. I told her I planned on joining the student council and sought out the group this morning to see if there were any availabilities. Turns out there are quite a few, so they recruited me later on today."

"That's alright. It doesn't change the fact you're still a member of my club too." Nico grins. "You'll be excused from club activities for student council duties only!"

"Alright, alright. I'm in then." Eli chuckles, turning to Nozomi. "What about you, Non-tan? You'll be with us too, right?"

Nozomi smiles as Eli uses her childhood nickname and the fluffy feeling that had been dormant in her chest since lunch begins to expand throughout her chest. She doesn't need to think twice about her answer. She takes the pen from Eli and holds her hand out for the club form.

"Of course! I'd miss out on all the fun if I didn't join."

She signs her name neatly in the box underneath Eli's, content with her work the moment she's finished. She stares at the only three names on the form, the warmth inside her chest growing even more. This is it. This is the beginning of a new stage in the lives of the three of them. She lets her mind wander, wondering what kind of shenanigans will come their way. It's something she considers asking the cards about as Nico takes the form and slips it back into her bag.

The three of them get back to their tea, Nozomi finally taking her abandoned cookie and munching on it as Nico begins to describe the club and what they'll do ("It'll be just like when we were younger, except better! We'll start by covering other songs but eventually we'll make our own too!") She and Eli listen intently to the ideas Nico has for her club and occasionally Eli slips in her own opinion on Nico's suggestions.

They move on to other topics eventually, spending a few hours going from one thing to the next, catching up with each other and learning the new things about one another. Nozomi learns about Nico's step-dad and her new baby brother (who is a cheeky little boy, from what Nico has to say about him.) She learns about Eli's extremely awkward social skills, laughing uncontrollably when Eli describes a moment at her junior high graduation where a boy had confessed his undying love for her and how her only reply was 'Thanks I guess?'. She mentions new things about herself as well, educating the two of them about the temples and shrines she had seen that inspired her, and about her spiritual power.

Eventually it's time for Nico and Eli to head home, and Nozomi walks with them to the door. They slip their shoes on, double checking they had everything they brought. Nico looks at Nozomi, holding her hand out and speaking in a stern tone.

"Hand me your phone, Non-tan." She instructs. Nozomi blinks surprised, but pulls it out of her pocket nonetheless.

"Okay?" She questions, but watches Nico unlock the screen and head straight to her contacts.

"There. Now you have my number." The red eyed girl hands Nozomi's phone back to her. "It's my home phone number right now, but Mama promised I'd get my own phone for my birthday."

"That's a good idea!" Eli's face lights up and she holds her hand out for Nozomi's phone as well. "Let me add mine too."

Nozomi passes her phone to Eli with a wordless smile and watches the blonde eagerly add her own number. When she's finished she hands it back to Nozomi, her fingers grazing the green eyed girl's hand as she pulls it away. Nozomi stares at her phone for a moment, looking at the two other contacts aside from her parents with a tiny smile. An idea hits her and she quickly goes to her camera, opening it up and looking to them with a grin.

"One last thing before you go-"

Eli and Nico watch Nozomi turn around, holding the camera upward and angling it differently. They both look up to see the three of them on the screen, Nozomi's big dimpled smile catching their eyes almost immediately. Without questioning it they move closer to her, looking up at the phone and smiling along with her. Nico flashes her trademark "Nico Nii" hand signs and Nozomi takes the photo with a quick tap of her finger and brings her phone back down, smiling at the end result.

"Perfect." Nozomi whispers, holding her phone closer and turning to face Eli and Nico one last time for the day. "The perfect picture to commemorate a perfect beginning."

Eli and Nico beam and the black haired girl moves to the door, opening it slowly for both her and Eli. They step outside and Eli hesitates just in front of the doorway, turning to Nozomi. The violet haired girl tilts her head, waiting for Eli to say what's on her mind.

"One last thing," She starts, a hint of worry in her voice. "How long do you think we might have with you until you have to leave again?"

Nico's gaze finds Nozomi and she swallows. She doesn't know how to answer Eli, because in truth it could be in the next couple months, or even in the next year. Nozomi never understood how her parents were able to travel so easily from job to job. But there was one thing she did know for certain.

"I'm not sure, Elichi." She answers. "But I'm not gunna let myself leave so easily this time around. This was all fates doing, and I'm not gunna let a blessing like this slip through my fingers."

The answer reassures Eli and Nico the little bit they need, and they finally say goodbye to Nozomi for the night. The violet haired girl watches them walk down the hallway with a smile on her face and the warm feeling staying in her chest. She doesn't need the cards to tell her that the three of them would be on the path to a brand new chapter of their story and she steps back into her apartment, closing the door behind her and silently deciding to make the most of every moment that came their way.

And that's just what she does. All throughout their first year, she makes the most of their early idol activities, learning about the thrill of singing and dancing live in front of an audience and sharing it with Nico and Eli in their matching costumes. Their steps aren't as perfect as Eli would like, but their voices are on key and they make their audience smile like Nico aims for them to.

She joins the student council to assist Eli when the blonde begins to overwork herself, and even Nico gives them a hand when second year comes along and the student council decides to enlist Eli as the future student council president. Idol activities between the three of them are put on hold, but Nozomi and Eli make sure to spend time in the clubroom with Nico as much as possible, even if it means bringing their work with them. They have a great time together between school and student council duties, especially when it comes to teasing one another (especially Nico and her love for their rivals at UTX.)

Nozomi's readings get better and better and they warn her of an upcoming move she might have to expect. The move happens, but it all benefits the violet haired girl. Halfway through her second year, she moves into her own place right down the road from the shrine. Nico and Eli are there every step of the way, helping Nozomi move into the small apartment and celebrating with a small house warming party amongst the three of them.

Later on -after Nozomi's settled with her new routine and her apartment- the three of them would sit together with Nozomi on her bed as she called her parents to tell them she's a lesbian. They'd smile along with their older friend as her parents celebrate on the other line, happy that their daughter is who she is and proud she was able to tell them. When they get off the line, they celebrate amongst themselves with their favourite snacks and one of Nico's favourite idol dvds.

By the time their final year at Otonokizaka begins, Nozomi's walls are decorated with various photos and memories she got to make with her two best friends. From the very first day they hung out as children, to their first day as third years, Nozomi puts every memory on display with a smile on her face. Her lonely days spent missing her beloved friends was no longer an issue because she got to spend everyday with the people that mean the world to her.

She now sits with Eli in the student council room, going through documents together and trying to swallow the fact that the school they spent their teenage years making all these memories at would be closing down after the final class of first years graduate. It doesn't settle well with either of them, but it's something that's completely out of their hands. The school was old and unpopular. With UTX not too far away and a having a lot more to offer their students, it was inevitable that Otonokizaka would soon close its doors to new students. Was this how their final year together in school would go? The three of them continuing as they were, without even attempting to save the place that held a special place in all three of their hearts?

The answer comes in the form of a knock at the door. Eli's confused, but calls out to the visitors.

"Come in."

Three second years enter the room, and Nozomi immediately recognizes one of them as the director's daughter, Minami Kotori. She and Eli went to ask her about the school's closure a few days beforehand, and the two girls she enters the room with had been there that day as well. She stands to the left of the ginger haired girl, who has a glint of determination in her vibrant blue eyes. To the ginger haired girls right is a composed girl with long blue hair, who Nozomi remembers seeing in the archery club a few times. Sonoda Umi was her name, if she was correct on that thought.

Which left the oddly positive girl in the center. The name was escaping the violet haired girl, but that didn't matter as she began to introduce herself to them.

"Pardon our intrusion, President!" Her voice is bubbly and excited, and it intrigues Nozomi more than she expects. "My name is Kousaka Honoka, and I'd like to submit a form for a new club!"

A curious glint flashes through Eli's eyes as she holds her hand out for the form, taking it from the second year and scanning it quickly. Her eyes widen and she rereads the form, before looking at Honoka with a raised eyebrow.

"You want to form a school idol club?" She asks the girls in front of her.

Those are the only words that register in Nozomi's mind and a slow smile creeps on her face as Honoka begins explaining her plan to Eli. Eli wasn't pleased with the girls intentions, but Nozomi doesn't need her cards to tell her how this might play out. She leans on the table, eyeing the three of them curiously.

This was just another beginning to a new adventure in a new chapter, and she intends to bring Eli and Nico long for one last, thrilling ride in their high school career.