On a warm summer afternoon, Honoka let out a quiet sigh as she stared longingly at her phone. Up on the screen was a snap of her two best friends, Kotori and Umi, out eating ice cream together. She chuckled to herself, knowing exactly what kind of ice cream Kotori had: cheesecake, her favorite. Umi's kept changing, though. She had once suggested blueberry, but Umi apparently didn't eat ice cream just to match her hair.

After ten seconds, the picture went away, bringing her back to the main screen. With another sigh, she waited a few more seconds, then loaded it again. She'd already seen it five times, and viewing it for a sixth time definitely wouldn't help her mood. Still, she smiled slightly as it came back up, though it seemed to hurt more each time it appeared.

Both Kotori and Umi had been her friends for many years, and she loved both of them dearly. It just so happened that she loved one of them a little bit more. She didn't know when she first became infatuated with Kotori, but when she finally realized how she felt, two things happened. One, she fell head over heels way too quickly, and two, she found out that her friends were already dating.

Honestly, she was happy for them. They both were perfect for each other: she could admit that. She could also admit that it hurt like hell to see the girl she had fallen in love with holding the hand of another. This was not something she had ever experienced before. Not that she'd experienced a romantic kind of love before, but this just felt horrible. How was she supposed to handle it?

She would have to deal with it like she dealt with everything else: with a smile. Nobody could know how she felt now, lest it rip all of their friendships apart. That was the last thing she wanted. Oh Gods, did it hurt though. Pangs of jealously would ripple in her heart whenever she saw them together, and it would end up manifesting into tears whenever she was able to find time to be alone. Nothing had ever hurt like this before.

At times she found solace in solitude. Being away from her friends would allow her time to recover her hurting feelings, but then she'd miss Kotori again, and she'd end up doing what she was doing now: staring longingly at pictures of her. It was pathetic, but it fit, since she felt as pathetic as possible. If only she'd realized her feelings sooner...

By now, she should've gotten over it. The two of them had been dating for seven years now. Hell, they were already married! It should've long ago stopped being such an issue, but apparently Honoka's heart still had a lot of issues. Despite all the time that had gone by, she still held a burning candle for Kotori. That candle seemed to forever burn, even though it had been extinguished a long time ago.

The shame never faded away. How despicable was she, pining after a married woman? After all this time, she could've tried to branch out and do something with her life, but the very few dates she'd been on were fleeting and had gone nowhere. It always seemed like her hang-ups were keeping her from breaking out.

Forcing herself to look away from the picture, she shut off her phone and threw herself onto her bed, groaning pitifully. Gods, she wished Kotori was hers. Why did Umi have to be so much... better? Even a long hug would fuel her for a few days, but that would probably be an awkward proposition. There was nothing left to do except to bemoan her misfortune alone.

Staring into the darkness of her bedsheets, an idea came to mind. She tried to dismiss it, since it wasn't a good idea, but it kept growing until it took over her entire mind. Rolling onto her back, she grabbed her phone again and opened it up, scrolling through her contacts. Despite Muse having been broken up for many years, they were still well-known for what they did to bring school idols into the mainstream, and that came with some perks. One of those perks was groupies.

She really didn't want to call a specific set of their fans that: it sounded vulgar. Still, they had... certain fans that were more eager than others, and none were more eager than the leader of the Muse-inspired Aqours, Takami Chika. While they'd all graduated from being school idols by that point, there was still a mutual respect between the two groups, and quite a bit of adoration from a couple specific members.

As her finger hovered over the button that would start a text conversation between herself and Chika, Honoka hesitated. This really wasn't a good idea, using someone else to try and chase her unrequited feelings away. Then she started thinking about Kotori again, and there was no more hesitation. She shot off a text to Chika: Hey Chika-chan, what's up?

Part of her hoped that there wouldn't be an answer. That would keep her from doing anything too stupid and irreversible. Alas, she also knew that wasn't likely to happen. It only took forty-five seconds to get a reply: Hi Honoka-senpai! I'm just hanging out at home. You?

She wondered how subtle she had to be. Maybe if she just casually brought up wanting to take a seaside vacation, it would lead to more. Did she have to try that hard? Gods, even thinking that made guilt start to build up inside of her. Same. Hey... I was thinking of going to Uchiura this weekend. Wanna meet up?

Really? Yeah! Yeah yeah! I can pick you up at the station and we'll have a lotta fun! Riko-chan will wanna see you too! Honoka gulped nervously reading what she received. She had conveniently forgotten about the rest of Aqours. Would it be weird for them if she just showed up on a whim? What if Riko sniffed out her intentions?

That didn't stop her from confirming things with Chika though. After all, it wouldn't be until Friday that she'd head out to the sea. There was time to realize she was making a mistake and cancel the trip with great misgivings. Satisfied, she set her phone down and laid down on the bed. Instantly images of Kotori flashed through her mind. This was going to be a long week.

The passage of time did not stop her from making a bad decision. Honoka found herself on the train to Uchiura, looking out the window with a palm pressed against the glass. This wasn't a good idea. She was risking so much just for a chance of being temporarily distracted from her one-sided crush. What was her damage?

As the train pulled into the station, she felt her stomach turn as she stood up and headed for the doors. There was no way for her to turn around and head back home. She was many things, but a coward wasn't one of them. Cowardice sure seemed good right now, though...

It wasn't hard to find Chika. There weren't any other excitable gingers bouncing around looking like they'd lost something important. Honoka made her way over to keep Chika from having to look too hard. "Hey Chika-chan."

"Honoka-senpai!" Chika rushed over and grabbed Honoka in a tight hug, nearly knocking the breath out of her lungs. "I'm glad you could make it! How was the train ride?"

"It was fine." Honoka felt awkward suddenly, her throat starting to dry up. What was she supposed to say now? Luckily, Chika took the initiative and grabbed Honoka's hand, dragging her away from the bustling crowds.

"I hope you don't mind walking, Honoka-senpai. It's not far from my house, I promise!"

"Ahaha, it's fine. No worries." Chika did most of the talking as they walked to her house, but that was fine with Honoka. She was still trying to steel herself for what she was planning on doing. Still, she did her best to be attentive, responding appropriately whenever she was called upon to. There was still a lot of worry inside her, though.

When they reached Chika's house, she took Honoka upstairs immediately, rushing to the screen door that led to her balcony and flinging it open. She hurried out and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Riko-chaaan!"

Nothing happened at first, but then the glass door on the other balcony opened and Riko stepped out, frowning. "Chika-chan, what are you shouting about now? You can just text me, you know..."

"Look who came to visit!" She pointed at Honoka, who waved awkwardly. Riko let out a little gasp, then smiled as she waved back. "She's staying for the weekend! Exciting, right?"

"Yes, very." Riko kept smiling as she bowed slightly. "It's nice to see you, Honoka-san." The honorific made her blush slightly, not being used to being held in such high esteem. If only Umi could see her now.

They didn't speak for very long before Riko had to go, and with that the two of them were alone again. It was time for her to make a move. "Hey, Chika-chan? I was thinking maybe we could, you know, get something to eat or... or something. I'd pay, so-" Her words trailed off when she noticed the overly-excited look in Chika's eyes.

"Dinner? Like a date? You wanna go on a date? With me?!"

"Uh, yeah, I... I do." She hadn't expected Chika to be so eager. Was she that cool? She couldn't help but smile at that thought. This was definitely going to be something she bragged about to someone later. Kousaka Honoka: Heartthrob. She liked that title.

"Oh Gods, this is incredible! I never thought- Oh! Oh, Honoka-senpai, please excuse me, but I have to put on something nicer than this!" Despite Honoka's protests that she looked fine, she couldn't stop Chika from pushing her out of the room so that she could get changed. That left Honoka outside of her door, staring at the wood blankly until she heard Chika shouting for Riko again. Uh oh.

She probably should have realized that Chika was going to tell someone, especially her friend that just happened to live next door. While Chika got ready, Honoka tried not to think about how much trouble she might end up in. Those guilty feelings started bubbling up again.

Chika had changed into a light blue summer dress, which really did look nice on her. When Honoka complimented her, she had another giddy fit, which was pretty cute. They talked about idols and food, which put her at ease and did a good job of distracting her.

They went to a restaurant that Chika recommended, since Honoka wasn't as familiar with their location. Looking at the menu hadn't seemed like a dumb idea, but when she flipped to the dessert page, her stomach flipped at seeing cheesecake listed there. Shutting her menu a bit harder than intended, she just decided to order anything she could remember. She just needed to think about something else, anything else to take her mind off of a certain beautiful bird.

Chika looked good. That was something, although Honoka felt that she should've worn something nicer herself. A t-shirt and a skirt didn't seem very appropriate anymore. Maybe there was a clothing store she could buy a dress from or thoughts weren't exactly what she had been aiming for.

Now that she thought about it, had she ever 'dressed to impress' on a date? She couldn't remember wearing anything fancier than said skirt. That couldn't be right, could it? Yet it seemed to be the truth. She'd certainly wear the fanciest outfit she could afford if it involved Kotori. Oh no, now her mind was drifting back that way again.

"Are you okay, Honoka-senpai?" There was concern in Chika's eyes. Oh jeez, had she been emoting that noticeably? Trying her best to seem unaffected, she put on a big smile and nodded.

"Mhm! I'm great! Just thinking about... the food. And... washing my hands! Gotta be hygienic! Hygiene is very important. If you'll excuse me..." She had to make a great effort not to run out of sight and into the bathroom, breathing unevenly once she got inside. What the hell was she supposed to do on a date?

She needed help, and she knew someone that might be able to. Grabbing her phone, she dialed a number and hoped that they would pick up. After three rings... "Honoka?"

"Eli-chan! I need your help!"

"Eh? Okay, with what?"

"I'm on a date, and I've never been on one before. How do I date?"

"You waited until now to ask this?" Huh... Good point. Well, it was too late to go back and change that now. "Why would you ask me anyway?"

"Because you've been banging Nozomi-chan for eight years now." She could hear what sounded like Eli spitting out her drink. "You've gotta know how to impress a girl!" There was silence on the other end. "Eli-chan?"

"Honoka... Look, there's no real secret, okay? I'm not some dating master. Just... be confident. Show her that you're interested in what she has to say."

"That's all?"

"Well, no, but I suspect that if you're on that date, you don't have time for a full lesson. You'd better get out there before she wanders off."

"Aah! Alright alright, thanks Eli-chan!" Honoka quickly hung up and rushed out of the restroom, hoping that too much time hadn't passed. Luckily, when she got back, the food they'd ordered hadn't even gotten there. What a relief. "Sorry for the wait!"

"It's okay!" Alright, now that she was back, she needed to express confidence and interest. Starting with Chika's life would be a good start.

"How's university going?" She'd never been too good at small talk. Ever since she was young, she'd been into big talk, for lack of a better term. She'd ramble on and on about whatever was on her mind, but asking about a specific topic herself had never been her strong suit. It sounded so generic. Would Chika be put off?

"Oh it's going great! I still wanna sing and dance, ya know? But they won't let you major in idols for whatever reason, so I'm majoring in agriculture. I can have my own mikan farm, and then I'll host concerts there! Riko-chan said it was a dumb idea, but I like it! What do you think, Honoka-senpai?"

Honestly, it sounded like a cool idea. Even though she wasn't in an idol group anymore, she still got that urge to get up and start dancing. It was something she missed about her high school days. "I think it's a great idea! It's definitely unique." Chika beamed at this, which made Honoka smile in return.

At that point, their dinner was brought to the table, and a comfortable silence fell over them as they ate, punctuated by the occasional light conversation. It was nice, giving Honoka time to relax and think about what they were doing rather than about what she needed to say. When the check came, Chika tried to pay for at least half of it, but Honoka was insistent on paying for the whole thing.

After that they were walking back to Chika's house, enjoying the cool sea breeze on their skin. Honoka's mind began to drift to thoughts of what a nice night it was, how nice it was being around Chika, and of Kotori. It was probably the desire to think of herself for once and not about how much she wanted Kotori forever that made her do what she did.

Before they reached the house, Honoka stopped. This caused Chika to stop as well, but before she could ask what was wrong, Honoka leaned in and kissed her. It clearly caught Chika off guard, and for a moment Honoka wondered if she would be pushed back for being so forward. This didn't happen though, and Chika seemed more than eager to get this kissing business started.

When they pulled apart, she came to her senses and started to apologize, but Chika grabbed her hand and started pulling her back to the house. Her senses went away again when they got through the door. Up the stairs they went, excitement crackling like electricity between them. In Chika's room, she quickly closed the curtains, then was pushed onto the bed by Honoka. She didn't want to think about anything else, or worry about the consequences that may come of it. What she wanted was a night with Chika, who looked up at her happily, her eyes screaming 'Take me!'

They fell into each other for the next couple of hours, losing track of time as their focus remained solely on each other. Honoka drank in every quiet moan she drew from Chika, diving into the hint of mikan that lay within the room. They had to be careful due to Chika's sisters being in the house, though. It was dangerous, but it was thrilling at the same time. They kept going at it until neither of them had any energy left, and after a couple half-hearted attempts to get back up, they both crashed where they lied on the bed.

When Honoka woke up the next morning, she was confused at first. Had her walls always been this color? When did she start sleeping with another naked woman? 'Oh fuck.'

Paling at the realization of what she had done, she instinctively tried to back up off the bed, but her feet got tangled in the sheets, and with a barely-concealed yelp, she went down to the floor. Groaning, she pushed herself back up, just in time to realize she'd woken Chika up.

Sitting up, Chika stretched and yawned, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. "Oh wow, I slept incredibly well. Huh? Honoka-senpai? What are you doing on the floor?"

"I... fell." That was lame, but it was the truth. Embarrassed now, Honoka got up and back into bed, consciously aware of how naked both of them were. It didn't seem to bother Chika though, who was practically glowing. She shimmied over and laid against Honoka, smiling brightly.

"That was incredible last night, right? It felt amaaazing! You're so skilled with your fingers!" Honoka purposefully pressed Chika's face into her chest to try and hide the raging blush on her cheeks. Eventually she had to let Chika breathe, and when she did, she caught a knowing glint in her eyes. "You know... I think morning exercise is very important."

With that, she jumped atop Honoka, and with the morning sun already blazing in the sky, the two of them lit up the bedroom once again.

She was to leave that evening, standing at the station and waiting for the train that would send her on her way back into the city. It wasn't a surprise that Chika had come to see her off, but apparently she wasn't the only one. Several of Chika's friends had wanted to come see Honoka as well.

Both Dia and Ruby were there, having spent the first half of the wait pretending not to be fangirling over the former leader of Muse, and the latter half bouncing around her and peppering her with questions until Riko was forced to interfere. It was at that point that You came over, having found an opportunity to speak to Honoka alone.

"Honoka-senpai," You began, bowing slightly. "I'm glad you came to visit. Chika-chan seems very happy with your visit." They both looked over at her, and she did indeed seem happy, smiling at Riko, who was still admonishing the Kurosawa sisters. Before she could say anything in response though, You continued.

"I hope you treat my best friend with the care and respect she deserves, though. Otherwise, I'll have to bench press you into the afterlife." It sounded like it was in jest, but the look in You's eyes didn't hold a hint of humor. Gulping, Honoka could only nod before Dia came over to apologize, easing the overall tension.

The tension didn't leave her, though. It only compounded her guilt. She couldn't just leave and never return like some ruffian. Chika deserved better. It was with that in mind that when she hugged Chika goodbye, she asked if they could see each other again next week. Chika was overjoyed, agreeing instantly, which brought a feeling of relief to Honoka.

On the train, she leaned against the window and waved to Chika and the others until they all disappeared from view, a small smile on her face. She felt better about her decision with the knowledge that she'd be seeing Chika again. There was a lot to like about the excitable ginger, and she had a feeling they'd have another fun date next week.

It wasn't until she reached the city again and stepped off the train that she thought about Kotori.