It wasn't supposed to happen like it did. Maybe their relationship had just gotten stale. It seemed like not too long ago that they were childhood friends, and just like that they were dating. Of course, time seems to go way too fast when you're having fun, and then suddenly the fun stops and time slows to a crawl. That's what it felt like in the aftermath of their breakup.

They'd known each other since they were little kids. At the time, it would be the two of them plus Kanan: three peas in a pod. They were close enough to be sisters: a thought that Chika was careful to never mention in front of her actual sisters. Kanan was a year older than them, but that didn't stop them from hanging out together. All three of them were active and favored physical activities over schoolwork. It just made sense that they would be together.

As they got a bit older, Kanan began to spend more time with her new friends, Dia and Mari. That just served to bring You and Chika closer, leaving no doubt about them being best friends. It was when they reached high school that You began to feel that there was more to it than just friendship. However, the subject seemed too awkward to bring up, so for awhile she just sat on her hands about it.

It took a lot of dreaming and self-assurance before she could even gather up the courage to ask Chika out. Her fear was that even if she was able to ask, Chika would just think it was them hanging out as friends and answer yes obliviously. So she made herself say the word 'date' explicitly. There'd be no beating around the bush, and there'd be no going back once she asked.

To her surprise and elation, Chika didn't get a different impression, and even said yes. That was the beginning of a four year relationship that at times were the happiest that You had ever been. They spent most of their time together while Kanan was having her little angstfest with Mari and Dia, celebrating lots of firsts together over those four years. Nothing lasts forever, though.

Maybe they'd just dived in too fast and they burned up all of their interest. By the time they were at university, the amount of time they spent together began to dwindle. Even though they were rooming together, it always seemed as if their class and extracurricular schedules would conflict. With that came a strain on the relationship, and coupled with what seemed to be everything becoming more routine than exciting, they decided to break up.

It was awkward at first, since they were still rooming together, though it was slightly assuaged by their schedules usually not aligning. There was also a lot of pain, and despite them both agreeing to it, You regretted it almost instantly. Had it really been that bad that they needed to call the entire thing off? She spent a lot of time in her room crying in the first two weeks following the breakup, and afterwards had to hide all of her pictures of Chika lest it trigger a setback.

Eventually things calmed down, though. It still stung her heart, but being around Chika started to feel more normal again. There was something refreshing about hearing her laughing and clowning around like she used to, and You in turn began to fall into similar patterns. It was like they were in high school again, and it gave a bit of healing to her hurting heart.

After their second year of university was completed, the two of them went back home, and the separation between them began to weigh on her heart once more. At university, there weren't many people she had wanted to hang out with. At least, none like Chika. It meant that she was usually alone, so she wanted to try and connect with old friends during their break. Maybe it would help her feel a bit better.

That led her to hanging out with Kanan again, which gave her a large sense of nostalgia. It was fun, but at times it didn't feel right. Part of it was because it was hard to find time where just her and Kanan would hang out. Dia and Mari always seemed to be there, and while it was still fun, she often didn't feel like she belonged in their friend group. It felt so different from what she was used to.

The other part was that it felt weird hanging out with Kanan without Chika. They used to be an inseparable trio, but look at what time had done: from inseparable to separated. Maybe she was just being difficult. At that point, she and Chika had been broken up for nearly four months. Most people probably didn't hang on to their misery for nearly that long.

When it all became too much, she would end up moping in her room until it passed. Her latest moping session, however, had extended into day three. She hadn't seen Chika in nearly three weeks, and it seemed to be affecting her. This was just how it was going to be for the rest of their lives, though. They weren't dating anymore, and they weren't going to be rooming together either. The thoughts just made her feel even worse.

It was the middle of the afternoon when the doorbell rang. She didn't bother to get up from her bed, though. Her mom would answer it. She went right back to her usual moping, hiding her face against her pillow. Being single sucked. She should have done more for the relationship. There must've been hundreds of things she could've done differently.

She was even thinking of calling Chika on a whim and trying to get the relationship back together when the door to her room opened, and in came Kanan, Dia, and Mari. You stared at them in confusion, then remembered the door. Her mom must've let them in, and now they were just letting themselves into her room.

"Are you still up here moping?" Kanan frowned and went over to You's bed, sitting down on it while Dia and Mari stood side by side near the door. "You didn't answer my text yesterday."

"Ahaha, yeah, sorry. I just..." She sighed, glancing up at Kanan. "I just wasn't feeling up to it." She still wasn't, either. While she didn't want people around her just to pity her, it admittedly made her feel good that there were people who wanted to figure out what was going on with her. It made her feel wanted: at least a little bit.

"Well, let's all get up, then!" Mari smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. "Nothing cures the blues like a good day of shopping!"

"I told her we'd be going to a sporting goods store, but that didn't seem to phase her at all," Kanan admitted with a laugh. Dia, on the other hand, didn't seem too interested in that revelation, but when You looked her way, she just shrugged and smiled.

"Well..." She still felt like moping, but her friends were trying to involve them in their plans: plans that seemed specifically tailored to her. It was clear they could tell that she was feeling down, and they wanted to bring her back up. That was really sweet of them. How could she say no after that? "Okay, let's go."

"Yay!" Mari cheered and marched out of the room, with Dia rolling her eyes and following after her. Kanan got up and waited for You to follow suit, letting her get ready to go before they went after Dia and Mari. Giving her a reassuring smile, Kanan led You outside and to Mari's car, where the four of them piled into it and were off into the city.

When they reached the sporting goods store, their differing personalities really shined through. You and Kanan went to look at snapbacks - You needed a new one, since she couldn't wear the one that Chika had bought her anymore: too many bad memories. Meanwhile, Dia was looking at the packs of gum, and Mari was gleefully bouncing a ball up and down the aisles.

You only bought a snapback in their time there, but she was satisfied with the purchase. Plus, it looked good on her. Despite the trip being done for her, somehow Mari had bought the most stuff, which Dia was being forced to carry. Obviously Mari couldn't carry it, because she was bouncing that ball again.

They were heading back for the car when Kanan suddenly froze, causing You to bump into her back. "Eh? Kanan?" She tried to see what was going on, but Kanan grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, starting to push her the other way. "H-Hey!"

"I just remembered how hungry I am!" Kanan's voice was higher-pitched, as if something had freaked her out. Dia and Mari had also turned around and followed her without a word, which seemed strangely suspicious. You tried to protest, attempting to see what had caused this complete change in direction.

"You don't have to push! What is going on?!" Her struggles finally set her free, sending her down to the ground. Luckily, she shot out her hands just in time to keep herself from slamming into the pavement, and she pushed herself back up quickly so she could see what was going on before she could be turned around again. What she saw made her instantly regret her decision.

There was Chika, but she wasn't alone. She had draped herself around Riko's arm, and even from a distance You could tell that Chika looked very happy. The two of them appeared to be looking at something in a store window, as Riko pointed at something and Chika nodded enthusiastically. Then she kissed Riko on the cheek, and You felt her heart shatter.

She turned around and hid herself in front of Kanan, in case either of them turned around and noticed her. The mood around her had dropped significantly, and she didn't even respond when a pair of hands landed on her shoulders. "Maybe we should go home," Kanan murmured softly. That sounded like a much better idea than staying there.

The four of them took a different route to avoid passing Chika, but they couldn't even make it to the car before You completely broke down. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed loudly, her knees buckling just before Kanan grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. Both Dia and Mari stood around the two of them awkwardly, neither of them sure what to do or say as You cried on Kanan's shoulders.

It was the most intense pain she had ever felt, something that just kept growing. Chika kissed Riko's cheek, so they were likely dating. She had found someone else, and it seemed like she'd done it so easily. Was You nothing to Chika? While she had been moping about the end of their relationship, Chika had gone out and found someone new. The scabs on her heart from the breakup had ripped open anew.

"I-It hurts so much," she mumbled weakly into Kanan's shoulder before a fresh wave of tears crashed down upon her. It felt like everything was closing in on her, and there was no way to escape what happened. Why had she let this happen? "I-I have to go..." She pushed herself away from Kanan, running away from the group before any of them could stop her. If they did try, she didn't know. She didn't turn around to check.

Tears continued to obscure her vision as she ran until she was forced to stop, falling to her knees as her breath came out in ragged pants. She was exhausted and miserable, having run herself completely out of energy. It still hurt though, and now she didn't have an outlet to release her sadness. She curled up into a ball on the sidewalk, half-hoping that a car would just bounce up onto the curb and run her over. It hurt that badly.

She didn't move when she heard the sound of shoes loudly slapping the pavement, but then they stopped and someone grabbed her. When she was turned over to look at whoever had grabbed her, she recognized Kanan looming over her with an extremely concerned expression. She still didn't have any energy left, so she couldn't resist as Kanan hoisted her back onto her feet and held her close.

"How... did you... catch me?" You gasped out, too tired to even speak a full sentence without needing to catch her breath.

"I paced myself." Kanan pulled out her cellphone and typed something out. "I'm having Mari come and take us all to her place. I don't want you wandering out on your own," she continued before You could object. "I don't want you doing something you may regret." You sighed and slumped against Kanan. She was right, as much as she didn't want to admit it. The thought of running right back and screaming at Chika had come to mind, but that wouldn't be a healthy endeavor.

The car ride was completely silent, with not even the radio on. None of them seemed to know how to comfort You, and she really didn't feel like talking. She felt like even trying to speak would just make her cry again. It was like she was the awkward girl who everyone was trying to comfort out of pity, and it made her feel worse. She started crying again before they reached the hotel.

Once again, Kanan was the one to lead her, this time into the hotel, up the elevator, and into Mari's room. It was a beautiful room, one that You had never been in before. She'd been friends with Kanan and Chika, not Dia and Mari. Though it was nice that they were there for her, she still felt like a stranger among them. If only Chika was there: if only they hadn't broken up...

"Ah, she's gonna cry again." Mari spoke up, looking towards Dia. "Dia, please get some ice cream for You."

"Ice cream? That's not proper dinner food."

"Just do it, sweetie." Dia sighed but complied, standing up to get some out of Mari's freezer. Because of course she'd have a fully-stocked fridge in her room. While she did that, Mari turned towards You and Kanan with a grin. "Sorry about that. Dia is, how you say, special. She thinks the proper way to console someone is to tell them to suck it up."

"I heard that." Dia came back and handed the ice cream to You, along with a spoon. You could only nod her thanks, slightly embarrassed at the preferential treatment. "You know, you're really spoiled here, Mari. Do you really need a refrigerator and silverware in your room?"

"Yes."

"... Okay, but disregarding that, I don't see anything wrong with my way of 'consoling', as you say. When life gets you down, it's best to just pick yourself back up and keep goin- Ow! Mari!" Dia rubbed her arm crossly, glaring at Mari, who had fallen into her lap and slapped her arm.

"That's very rude, Dia. You're supposed to be sympathetic to your friends in their time of need." Dia grumbled, but didn't respond, so the focus then all shifted to You. She had temporarily been distracted by the back-and-forth between Dia and Mari, but now that everyone was looking at her, she felt heavy with the thought of Chika kissing Riko again. It made her stomach turn.

"How... How long has this been going on?" She didn't need to be any more specific than that. They all knew what she was talking about.

"Ah... About two weeks." Kanan was the one who answered, squeezing You's shoulders tightly. So they all knew that it had been going on, or at least Kanan had, and they hadn't told her. She felt that she couldn't blame them for not telling her something that would've made her so miserable, but there was an irrational part of her brain that was mad. Maybe if she'd known from the beginning, she could've done something to prevent it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She looked up at Kanan, wishing she could stop herself from asking. The best thing would be... Well, she didn't know what the best thing would be, but it wasn't being accusatory to the only friend she had left. "I could've..." The tears started to fall again. "If I'd known..." What could she have done? Was she so narcissistic that she believed just sweeping in would've changed Chika's mind? "Oh Gods, I shouldn't have agreed to break up!"

"Oh You, it's gonna be okay..." Kanan hugged her again, murmuring softly in her ear. For some reason, this felt foreign too. Maybe it was because she hadn't been really close to Kanan since elementary school, but she wasn't going to complain about it. She didn't want to try and truck it out alone. It'd leave her in complete ruin. Still, she didn't feel like she could believe Kanan. It didn't feel like it was going to be okay. It didn't feel like it was ever going to be okay.

"Why did you two break up anyway?" If Dia wasn't interested in what was going on, she was at least making an effort to be involved. That was nice.

"I... I guess things were getting stale... A-And we didn't get to see each other as much, so we... we thought that we needed a break." She felt incredibly stupid with each word she said. Why had she allowed this to happen? "Chika wasn't happy. I could tell she wasn't. Things weren't exciting anymore, and I just wanted her to be happy... I-I didn't realize it would hurt so bad..."

"But then we were having fun again, as friends, and things were feeling normal. I thought it would be okay... But now she's with someone else, and it hurts!" She punched her leg a bit too hard, but didn't lose any steam due to the pain. "I was wrong! W-We were meant to be together, and I should've done something! Anything! I shouldn't have let her walk away... I should've asked her what we needed to do to make it work. I-I could've changed..." Nobody tried to stop her from her self-deprecating rant, so she just kept going.

"What does Riko have that I don't anyway? I mean, she's pretty and talented, but aren't I pretty too? I don't know, I... I'm going to get her back." She tried to stand up, but Kanan immediately dragged her back down. "K-Kanan!"

"I told you I wasn't going to let you do something you'd regret! Stop... squirming!" The two of them were practically wrestling on the ground, which seemed to excite Mari for some reason. She jumped up and flung herself on top of them, nearly knocking the breath out of them.

"Yay, dogpile!"

"Mari, your boobs are crushing me!" Kanan groaned, who in turn was crushing You. This seemed to be what got Dia to get up and come over to them, but instead of helping, she picked up the ice cream and took it away from danger.

"You three are going to make a mess with all this ruckus." She put the cap back on the ice cream and took it over to the freezer, mumbling something about how much it would've cost to clean the dessert from the carpet. Glad to know that her priorities were still on track.

By that point, You's energy had been drained again, so she couldn't even fight them off anymore. She just laid on the ground and sighed miserably, shutting her eyes tightly. Why did she have to be the biggest idiot on the planet?

Later that night, You waited impatiently until everyone had fallen asleep. Mari had insisted that they all sleep together, so she and Dia were sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag they had procured. Dia had tried to get two, but Mari wouldn't budge, and was clearly using the opportunity to practically sleep on top of Dia. Meanwhile, Kanan and her were in the bed. Kanan had fallen asleep first, but it took some time before Mari and Dia stopped arguing and became quiet.

As carefully as possible, You got herself out of bed with as little noise as she could manage, glancing back at Kanan: still asleep. Then she tiptoed past Dia and Mari, who had both finally passed out. That made it easier for her to silently open the door and leave the room, barely remembering to grab her shoes on the way out.

The elevator ride down was tense as she attempted to think about what she was going to say. This was her last stand, and she had to make every word count. She wanted to let Chika know exactly how much she meant to her, and that them breaking up had been the worst mistake of her life. Then she'd see that they could make things work. It'd be better with her than with Riko.

It was quite the walk to Chika's house, but You persevered every time she felt tired in both body and mind. This was going to be worth it: she could feel it. She knew that Chika would be asleep by the time she got there, but it would be okay. Chika would understand why she was doing what she was doing.

When she reached Chika's house, she grabbed the garbage can in front of Riko's house and hefted it over to where the balcony was. Then she went back out and got Chika's as well. She would have to get more height in order to reach, so hopefully the trash cans would help with that.

Placing them in what she felt was the perfect place, she placed one trash can on top of the other, then began to climb on top of them. They immediately started to wobble while trying to deal with her weight. She gulped nervously and quickly looked up towards the balcony, finding herself within reach. Grabbing onto the balcony, she hefted herself up, the trash cans clattering down to the ground a second later.

Praying that nobody heard that, she hoisted herself onto the balcony and went over to the doors. The curtains were closed, and an experimental try of the doors found them to be locked. She hadn't expected it to be so easy, though. After a moment of hesitation, she knocked on the doors, trying to make it as quiet as she could while simultaneously being loud enough to wake Chika up.

There was no response though, so she knocked louder. Every second she had to wait was torture, but she tried to use that time to build herself up. She wasn't ready to lose Chika yet. There had been a mistake, and she was going to correct it.

The curtains opened a bit, and she could barely make out Chika staring at her with wide eyes. Then one of the curtains was pushed back more, and the door was opened to reveal Chika standing there in her pajamas. "You? What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. It's urgent," You pleaded, clasping her hands together. Chika frowned, but just nodded and stepped aside to let her in. Then she closed the door and turned to her.

"It's really late, You."

"I know, and I'm really sorry, but it couldn't wait. I had to talk to you." 'Before it's too late.' "I... I don't want you to date Riko!" Chika's eyes widened further, apparently having not a clue that You knew.

"H-How did you find out?"

"I saw you two in the city. I saw you kiss her." Thinking about that moment made her want to vomit, but she pressed on. "I want you back, Chika. I know that things were getting boring, but I can change! I can be exciting for you, I promise!"

"Y-You, we broke up..." She looked really awkward trying to break bad news. "I'm with Riko now."

"I know you are, but we have a history together! We dated for four years, Chika! She doesn't know you like I do. She can't love you like I do." Before she thought about what she was doing, she stepped closer and cupped Chika's cheeks in her hands.

"Y-You, what are you do- Mmpf?!" She kissed Chika. It wasn't in her initial plan, but she did it anyway. Oh, how she'd missed those lips. They were still as warm as the last time they'd kissed, and she didn't want to stop. Chika pushed her away, though, bringing a premature close to their little reunion. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Showing you that I can be exciting?" That wasn't even the truth: it had just been done on a whim. She didn't regret it, though. Those were lips that she should be kissing, not Riko. She needed to reclaim them. "Don't you still feel the chemistry we had together? Even now?"

"I..." She hesitated with her answer, and it gave You hope. Maybe she could still win this after all. "How am I supposed to decide between you two?!"

"D-Decide? Chika, you know me so much better than her!" She tried to argue her point vehemently, frustration evident in her tone. "How could there even be a choice?"

"It's exciting with her!" Chika blurted out, stamping her foot on the ground. That shut You up, her own eyes widening as she was stunned into silence. "She's... really nice, and interesting, and she makes me feel good."

"Don't... Didn't I make you feel good too?" It was like her heart was shattering all over again? Had she not been a good girlfriend to Chika?

"Y-Yes, of course you did!" Chika corrected herself, pushing her hands out in front of herself as if to shield herself from the sad accusations. "I-It just... started to feel routine, you know? We weren't trying as hard anymore."

"But... But I can change!" No. She wasn't going to give up, even if every word Chika said stung like an angry hornet. Somehow, she could feel that Chika's stance was weakening, and she pounced on it. "We've been broken up for months now, haven't we? Won't it be exciting to try again? To try and renew what we used to have? You know I can be exciting! I would do anything for you!"

Chika's lip quivered, and she looked like she was about to cry. That wasn't what You wanted, but she would do absolutely anything to get back the happiness she once had, and it could only exist with Chika. "Look at me, Chika." She did, and You took her hand and squeezed it gently, refusing to break eye contact. "We've been together in one way or another for almost our entire lives. I can't lose you now. Not like this."

"I... B-But Riko!" Chika wrenched her hand out of You's grasp, pacing anxiously around her room. "We just started dating, and I really like her! I don't want to break her heart too!"

"But what about mine?! It's breaking every time you deny me!"

"I know, I know! I don't know what to do!" Chika hit her head with her fist a couple times, then suddenly the mood changed completely. It was like a lightbulb had just turned on in her mind. "I've got it! We can all date!"

"Hah?"

"Well, since I can't decide between the two of you, why don't I date both of you?" You was floored, her eyes wide and jaw dropped. This didn't make her feel any better. How could Chika think Riko was worth so much that they should all date? She should've been the frontrunner, not the co-MVP. This was ridiculous, and it hurt just as much.

What was she supposed to say, though? If she told Chika that she was being selfish, and that she could only date one of them, she'd choose Riko. There was no doubt in her mind now that would be the outcome. Even if she expressed hesitance, it would hurt her in the long run, because if they all did end up dating, she would be on the outs from the get-go. However, perhaps Riko would express her own doubts, and that would put You in the lead. She had just said she'd do anything to keep Chika...

"That's... That's a great idea, Chika!" Hot fires of fury burned in her heart as she spoke, but she ignored them. This was a long term play, and she was determined to win. "Now you get two girlfriends, you sly dog." It seemed to work, as Chika laughed in embarrassment. Thinking of Chika in Riko's arms made her blood boil, but she was determined to see this through. She was an athlete: failure was not an option.

"Why don't you stay the night, You? We can explain things to Riko tomorrow morning." Chika groaned, flopping back into bed. "Ugh, I'm not looking forward to that conversation."

"We'll do it together, Chika." You shut the curtains and took off her shoes before climbing into bed. She wrapped her arms around her former ex and took her hands in her own. "Just like we've always done. You and me." That seemed to make Chika happy, as she smiled and tilted her head slightly, seemingly expecting a kiss. You was more than happy to oblige her.

As they kissed, You did her best to not become too possessive in that moment. There would be other moments, and for those she wouldn't hold back. She wasn't going to be a passive person and let Riko walk all over the relationship. Chika was hers, and she'd always been hers. That wasn't going to change: not anymore. She was going to show Riko exactly what it meant to be Chika's number one.