You couldn't sleep. A mix of moonlight and a distant street light lit Chika's room with a pale glow. You stared out at the dim light for a while before finally sitting up from the futon on the floor. She made her way to the balcony and very carefully slid the door open. She shivered slightly as the brisk autumn air rushed past her, waking her up more. Still, You was thankful for the fresh air - she needed time to think.

Resting her chin in her hand and her elbow on the edge of the balcony, You stared blankly at the curtains of the next house fluttering in the wind from the slightly ajar window. There was a lot on her mind, but mostly, she thought of her childhood friend, Chika, of their group Aqours, and of how much had changed in less than a year. With a larger group of friends, the dynamic was very different and she found herself craving Chika's company more than ever. That is why, despite it being a school night, You asked to stay over under the ruse of planning for Aqours' next activity. Yet here she was, feeling rather alone and discontent on a chilly night.

Suddenly, the sound of a door sliding open snapped You out of her thoughts. Riko had suddenly appeared on the opposite balcony, smiling gently at You. Riko silently raised her arm and waved.

Moments earlier, Riko had walked into her room and was surprised to see a figure past the translucent curtains of her room. She assumed that Chika was up late, but to her surprise, when she peeked behind the curtains, she saw You with a small furrow on her brow and a distant look in her eye. Riko instinctively waved in You's direction, but elicited no response. Riko considered leaving You to her thoughts, but the mild frown on her friend's face concerned her, so she decided to step out and ask You what was wrong.

"I've been waving at you for a little while, but you were completely zoned out." Riko says with a small giggle. She shivers a little at a cold breeze, but smiles nonetheless. "You look a little troubled, You. Is something on your mind?" Riko clasps her hands behind her and tilts her head, trying to give off a positive and friendly vibe without seeming pushy. You can't help but smile back at the gesture, knowing that Riko was doing this out of genuine concern. You shakes her head gently.

"Just couldn't sleep. So my mind was wandering." You responds with a small smile. "What about you? Why're you up?"

"I had a flash of inspiration for a song while I was in taking a bath but…" Riko smiles bashfully "by the time I got out, I lost it. I've been trying to remember it since." You chuckles at this and notices that Riko's hair still seems damp.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be great. Just like all the songs you've written." You says confidently. She was still a little unsure of how she felt about Riko. When speaking to her or seeing her, Riko gave You a certain sense of gentle comfort. Riko was caring and sweet, but also fun to tease on top of it all, she was pretty and talented. The only downside was that it seemed Chika thought the same of Riko and the two of them got along very well. You was glad that Chika had made a new friend - one she also enjoyed the company of - but couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the attention Riko was taking away from her. You did not, however, hold Riko responsible and although it complicated matters, You still considered Riko a dear friend.

Riko, on the other hand, was fully aware of how her sudden appearance had affected the two childhood friends. Riko felt a deep gratitude for Chika accepting and supporting her so unconditionally and she had grown to cherish Chika like no other friend before. However, Riko saw You almost as a part of Chika. They had known each other forever and were inseparable. Riko couldn't help but wonder if she was creating some form of fissure between the two. She undoubtedly admired and cared for You and couldn't stand the thought of causing her any trouble.

That is why Riko was standing on the balcony, trying to reach out to You despite the cold. However, when the next breeze picked up, You felt a chill, but it was a lot worse for Riko with her wet hair. Surely enough, Riko shivers quite visibly.

"Hey, you should go back inside before you catch a cold." You said seriously. Riko nods.

"Yeah…" She seems a little reluctant. "Hey…" Riko starts, an idea suddenly dawning on her. "You want to come over? That way we chat out of the cold." Riko was wholly uncertain if You even wanted the company, but Riko felt strongly about that concerned expression she had seen on You's face and wanted to offer anything she could to console her - even if she didn't know exactly what was wrong. You's eyes widen in surprise, but after a moment, You grins. Riko's calming presence would be quite welcome indeed.

"Sure! But… everyone's asleep." You thinks out loud. Riko smiles broadly.

"Then I guess you should test your stealth skills!" she giggles. You puffs up and salutes, quite up for the challenge.

"Meet me at your door. I'll be there in a minute!" With that, You returns inside, closes the balcony door and sneaks out of Chika's room. It was like they were playing some childish game. Riko couldn't help but feel a little excited - like they were spies on some secret mission!

You sneaks to the back exit of the Ryokan Chika's family owns. However, when she reaches the door, she realizes that she cannot take the door key with her and will have to leave the door open and hope nothing happens. With a silent prayer that all will be okay, You slips outside into the chilly autumn night. The stars are bright today and it is easier to see outside than it was inside the dark Ryokan. You slips on her shoes, despite still being in her sleeping shorts and shirt, and easily makes it to Riko's house, stopping only to pet Shiitake on the way to make sure the dog didn't alert others of her presence.

Riko was already at her front door, eagerly looking through the peephole. Both girls cringe as the gate to Riko's house squeaks slightly. You manages to lessen the damage by swinging the gate shut quickly, but ensuring it doesn't slam. Riko opens the door at the exact moment You reaches it and You walks in without breaking her stride.

You removes her shoes and the girls stifle a giggle as they make their way upstairs. Riko holds You's hand to guide her in the dark. Riko can barely hold in her laughter as they reach her room and nearly slams the door shut from all her pent up energy. You sits on Riko's bed, trying her best to calm her rapid heart rate from the tension the whole thing built up. Riko calms down by finally letting out a small laugh. You stands up straight as Riko looks at her.

"Agent Watanabe reporting! Mission Successful!" You declares with a small salute and a soft voice. Riko giggles again and then salutes back.

"Well done, agent. Stand down." Both girls then burst into giggles for a while over the whole thing.

Eventually they have to stifle their laughter before they get too loud. Riko sits next to You and shuffles back on the bed so her back is against the wall.

"I can't believe we did that." Riko sighs, still smiling, although at this point her cheeks were beginning to hurt from suppressing her laughter.

"Yeah… that was a little silly, huh? But I'm still pretty proud of myself." You says as she shuffles back to also lean against the wall. As the excitement of their little game dies down, tiredness began to sink in.

Riko leans her head on You's shoulder. It was a strong shoulder, good for leaning on. Despite Chika and You being the same height and stature, there was something more stable about You's build. Both girls were athletic, but while Chika's athleticism came from her boundless energy, You's constant diving practice meant she was toned in the way only a swimmer would be. Riko felt somehow safe near You, like she would be protected no matter what. With that feeling Riko found herself closing her eyes and nodding off against You's shoulder. She briefly tried to resist sleep - it seemed unfair to simply fall asleep after making You go through all the trouble to get here, not to mention her hair was probably leaving a damp patch on You's shirt. However when You moved her arm to wrap around Riko's side and move Riko so she nestled her head under You's chin, the warmth lulled Riko to sleep.

You was content sitting there as Riko drifted off to sleep. However, eventually the night caught up with her and she found herself needing some rest herself. Knowing better than to fall asleep there and being found by confused parents and/or waking with a sore neck from the awkward sleeping position, You decided to go back to Chika's for the night.

You began to very carefully lift Riko off her, trying very hard to not move Riko too fast and wake her. You began to lower Riko onto the bed on her side but, despite her best efforts, Riko stirred and realized what was happening. Too tired to react, however, Riko kept her eyes closed, but made sure You was not carrying her whole weight and made it easier for You to lie her down. You noticed this and smiled as she reached back to grab Riko's blanket and tuck her in. Riko half opened her eyes as she felt her blanket slide over her body and made eye contact with You who was looking down at her.

The room was lit in a gentle white glow as the two girls looked at each other, more intimate than they had ever been. You leaned down, ending the moment in the only way it could have been ended - with a small, caring goodnight kiss on Riko's lips. The act caused Riko to close her eyes again, and within seconds, she had fallen back asleep with a deeply content feeling in her heart.

You carefully made her way out of the room, down the stairs - taking her sweet time so as to not be caught. However, as she stepped out of the house and into the crisp, cool night, a passing breeze chilled the damp patch on You's shoulder and she felt suddenly awake and suddenly aware of what had just happened. Her eyes widened and her hands came up to clasp over her mouth. Guilt and confusion washed over her and she was unsure of what possessed her to do such a thing in that moment. Her mind began to spin, but she pushed the whirlwind of thoughts to the side as she very quickly made her way out the gate, back to Chika's house and up to Chika's room.

The room was bathed in the same white light as before, making You feel like she hadn't really escaped from the scene of her crime and the night sky had been watching the whole time. Even Chika's soft breathing seemed accusatory. She sought solace in the empty futon and hid from the light and sounds from outside. Her thoughts were a jumble but as she lay there trying to sort them, exhaustion sneaks up on her, putting her to sleep for the night.