It was always that way.
Anywhere Chisato went, there was someone who would greet her, and look at her with plenty of love, and feelings of idolism. She was the type to light up the room anywhere she went. Takina already knew that it was going to be that way since they both entered high school.
They were childhood friends and their parents were very good friends. Due to a complication when she was young, Chisato got held back a year and had to enter school the same year as Takina, despite actually being a year older… but that didn’t stop her from getting along with people.
She was always a jolly person, even though her heart was now an artificial one, she still lived her everyday with joy. Doing all the things she wanted to do, as first priority. Just like now.
“Chisato?” Takina sighed as she flipped the next paper under her thumb and index finger. “It’s really hot, though…” She sighed as she focused her eyes on the paper before her. “Chisato…?”
“Yeah–NNNNNo.” Chisato rubbed her nose onto Takina’s nape as she inhaled deeply. “You’ll be right here, on my lap, for as long as I want you to be.”
“You really are such…” Takina only sighed, feeling those arms tighten its hug around her waist. “What if someone came?”
Chisato scoffed and rubbed her nose on Takina’s back. “Let them come. Sounds better for me, because that way they can learn that Inoue Takina is mine, and no one else’s–ow.”
Takina sighed once again as she rubbed the hand she had just pinched gently, as if to comfort it. “Now, now. It isn’t the Archery Club’s fault that they needed more people today, that’s why I was late, okay?”
“You could have messaged me instead of making me wait. To compensate for that, you get to deal with the annoying and clingy Chisato-san.” Chisato pressed her nose onto Takina’s left shoulder as she peeked at the paper Takina was holding. “Ah, you need to do my share of paper work today too, Student Council Vice President, Takina-san.”
Takina side-eyed her before turning back to the papers. “…Don’t I already regularly do that for you, Student Council President Nishikigi Chisato-san?”
“Hey now, I do some work too, if I need to be.” Chisato flashed her a smile before burying her face back into Takina’s long hair. “Mm~ This is the only thing I like when the Archery Club kidnaps you for a bit, you smell of fresh sweet flowers and your hair is soft, really really really soft. Not that it usually isn’t, it’s the fresh out of bath soft-soft.”
Takina laughed a little before sighing once again as she let Chisato have her way for now. Just as she mentioned, she would just have to deal with her for now although it was already like a daily occurrence.
After driving out the bullies from the last Student Council, with Chisato’s charms and great ideas, she and Takina got elected as the Student Council on their second year, and in return, is actually well-known by everyone in school. It wasn’t how Takina imagined her school life to be, but as long as she could be with Chisato, she didn’t mind it.
Maybe if only she would do her job properly… Chisato does usually do her job properly, but there were days where she gets all sulky and clingy, such as today. She would cancel Student Council Meetings and use the PA system to call for the Vice President. From there she just pulls Takina onto her lap, and hugs her there for hours, until she was satisfied, or until the security guard drives them out of school. They already live next to each other, being out late was the least of their worries.
“Chisato…? Would you please just forgive me? I’ll tell you next time.” Takina gently rubbed the hands around her stomach.
“You say that, but you’ve never even done it once, and yet, if you call me, I have to answer in three calls or I get an earful forever…” Chisato spoke onto Takina’s back, tightening that hug. “Do you do this on purpose to punish me or something?”
Takina smiled. In fact, she was. It was her small ‘revenges’ for her extremely popular girlfriend, who doesn’t seem to recognize how many have fallen for her wits and charms. “I suppose, it wasn’t any grounds for jealousy.” Because her idiot girlfriend can’t see anyone else, but her.
That was one of Nishikigi Chisato’s best traits. She could never go out and tell Chisato she was feeling jealous because… Chisato would just be confused because to her, there’s only her. Takina knew it, and knowing that this popular person’s attention is only for her’s to keep, it always made her feel flattered.
“Well?” Chisato pressed her nose onto Takina’s left shoulder as she tried to get the black haired girl to look at her. “Any excuses, Ms. Vice President?”
“Hm…” Takina pondered on it for a while. If she told her, then she’ll be aware of it, then she won’t be ‘Everyone’s Chisato-senpai’ anymore. “…I rest my case.”
“Ehhh? Do you really just do that on purpose? Why would you give me such pain of longing for youuuu?” Chisato wailed as she swayed Takina left and right. “Takina-saaaaaan.”
“Ah, Chisato! I was signing something!”
“Sorry…” Chisato whispered and sat obediently again.
“Haah…” Takina sighed before turning to the papers before her again. “Everyone’s Chisato… Huh…”
If it was anything, it was the one thing Takina both loved and hated about Chisato. She was so open to everyone, she will try to help anyone that would need help. Everyone adores her, their very own sun. As Chisato’s childhood friend, and well, lover, it was one thing she would not forgive herself, if Chisato were suddenly to change how she dealt with people, because of that small feeling of jealousy she felt sometimes.
Takina reached for a clipboard, checking each permit on hand… She eyed the tower of papers beside her that weren’t thinning any time soon. “Chisato… I really need some help, or else these papers won’t make it in time for the School Festival.”
“Mm… I’ll help you if you apologize and tell me why you bully me.” Chisato continued sulking as she gently turned Takina sidewards, resting her right hand on the desk to support Takina’s back. “I feel like ever since we became part of the Student Council, you’ve grown meaner to me.”
“It’s because you need to pull yourself together and be a reliable senpai, Chisato-senpai.” Takina let go of the pen in her hand and completely leaned her weight onto Chisato’s right arm behind her.
“But I am serious at the things I need to do! I just wanted you to tell me that you were going to be late, if I had known, I wouldn’t have wasted two hours waiting and just finished all of these papers so we could’ve just went home after.” Chisato pouted as she stared at the desk in front of them. “Don’t I deserve a little something for that?”
Takina looked at Chisato’s face and felt a pang of guilt. “Okay… I admit that one is my fault. I’m sorry for making you wait two hours… Next time, I’ll tell you.” She touched Chisato’s cheeks and gave it a peck.
“…Muuu.” Chisato looked at her with a pout pointing her lips at her, as if requesting for her kiss to be on it.
“…We’re at school, you know?” Takina blushed as she stared at Chisato’s face bashfully.
“…Just one?” Chisato looked at her like a lost puppy.
Takina looked around the room, outside the window, then to Chisato. She sighed before gently touching Chisato’s jaw, slowly closing her eyes as their lips met in a warm kiss. Takina turned away from her. “Is that fine…?”
Chisato smiled at her brightly. “Mm!”
Takina felt her heart skip a beat at that gentle and bright smile.
“I still want you to answer my question though…”
“What is it?”
“Why don’t you tell me how long you’d be with the Archery Club? Is there something going on there I need to know? Maybe I should join the Archery club.”
“I plead the fifth.” Takina answered as she tried to move around and face the table again but Chisato held onto her. “What?”
“…Do you not know how Janome-san always looked at you?” Chisato pouted at her again.
“…Erika? What of her?” Takina raised an eyebrow.
“…I’m pretty sure she’s into you, you know?” Chisato looked away as she blushed lightly.
Takina laughed. “Really?”
“Why are you laughing?! I’m pretty serious heeeereeee! Mrrrghhhh.” Chisato wrapped her arms around Takina’s body as she rubbed her cheeks onto Takina’s neck.
“Ah, stop.” Takina wrapped her arms around Chisato’s shoulders as she tried to hold onto her balance. “Chisato.”
“Mu?” Chisato peeked at her face.
“Erika’s just a friend. Even if just as you said, she has feelings for me. Do you really think I’ll leave you?” Takina smiled at Chisato who shook her head. “Do you even know how everyone…” Takina looked away as she kept her mouth sealed.
“Everyone?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“What’s with everyone?”
“Did I say that?”
“Pretty sure you did.”
“Maybe you just misheard me?”
“Pretty sure you said ‘Do you even know how everyone…’ and then stopped there.”
“…If I offered a kiss, could we forget about it?”
Chisato raised an eyebrow as she looked at Takina’s red ears. “You drive a hard bargain, Inoue Takina-san. Is it really something you can’t tell me?”
“You can’t get anymore information from me without my deal.”
“Arguing with an aspiring lawyer sure is tough…” Chisato knotted her eyebrows for a moment before turning to Takina with a grin. “…Then I’ll take the kiss.”
Takina turned to her, and without saying anything she opened her mouth and kissed her. A type of kiss that Takina doesn’t usually initiate. Chisato responded equally to the kiss as she trailed a hand down Takina’s thigh. Takina pulled away a moment to inhale, before finding her lips sealed once again in a hungry kiss. She opened her eyes and noticed a familiar blonde hair pop in by the window at the hallway.
“S- Sign this please!” Takina was already on her feet, and the clipboard nearby was already pressed flat onto Chisato’s face as the Student Council Room door slid open.
“Wassupp…?” 1st Year Disciplinary Committee Member Otome Sakura raised her hand as she greeted. “You okay there, Chisato-senpai?”
“Mphmhphjhhph!” Chisato gently touched Takina’s hand and pulled the clipboard away from her face. “Yep!”
Takina turned around to face the table, her back to Sakura, and Fuki who was just behind her. She side eyed Chisato with a glare. Chisato just stuck her tongue out at her as she rubbed her nose.
“You okay? Your nose is red…” The head of the disciplinary committee, and second year, Harukawa Fuki looked at Chisato, then turned to Takina. “And your ears are red.”
“M- My ears are fine!” Takina held a hand onto her ears as she turned to look at them. “Why were you two here?”
“Hm? Ah, we just came to turn in the reports of the late students the past two weeks, and a proposal for the School Festival’s security. Chisato asked for them today.” Fuki handed Takina the papers. “You sure you two are okay?”
Chisato gave her an OK sign and rubbed her nose. “We’ll get through the papers today and let you know tomorrow~”
“Okay.” Fuki raised an eyebrow and opened the door. “Sakura, let’s go.”
“Okay, Fuki-senpai~” Sakura followed her and the door closed behind them.
“…You did that knowing full well they’re coming, didn’t you?” Takina glared at Chisato who just stuck her tongue out at her again. “You…”
“Because you kept on bullying me so I thought I needed to keep the relationship interesting!” Chisato extended her arms above her head as if creating a big arc. “I didn’t know they were coming at that moment though? I just knew they were going to be here today.”
“I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest…” Takina sighed before glaring at Chisato again. “…If you’re going to keep that up, I might as well just forbid you from touching them at school.”
“Eh?! I’m sorry, Takina-samaaaa.”
“No holding hands, no hugging.”
“Even holding hands?! Uu… I’ll be a good girl!”
“Geez…” Takina only smiled at her wryly. “Then please be a good girl and help me finish going through these papers.”
“Takina.” Chisato stood up from the chair and walked towards her, trailing her fingers on the table. “…Do you know how much I love you?”
Takina shyly looked away from those intense red orbs. “…I do.”
“Then there’s no need for you to be jealous… right?”
“Jea…?!”
Chisato only grinned at her.
“Did you know?” Takina glared at her.
“Know what? I just notice it when you’re feeling a little bit jealous… Hm… Because I know you well, the most?” Chisato smiled at her. “Is there something else?”
“Then, it’s fine.” Takina walked away towards the other side of the table. “I just want you to stay the way you are.”
Chisato only looked at her in confusion. “I don’t think I’ve changed much though?”
“Then you don’t need to know.” Takina smiled at her.
“Need to know what?”
“My lips are sealed.”
“Are you tempting me to open those with mine?”
“Do you ever get your head outside of the gutter?”
“Not with you around.” Chisato gave her a playful grin.
“Pervert.”
“The one who calls someone a pervert, is the pervert!”
“I think that saying doesn’t go that way.”
“It does now! I said so!”
Takina laughed as she continued collecting papers around the table, handing them to Chisato who accepted them diligently.
What Takina only wanted was for Chisato to stay the same way she has always been, because that was the Nishikigi Chisato she will always love. Truthfully, if Chisato learned that other people’s attention on her bothered Takina, then she would refrain from doing the same things she does, then she wouldn’t be the Nishikigi Chisato she has always known.
Call it selfish, but for now, it’s going to be Inoue Takina’s own secret.
“Say, Takina. If I go through all these papers in thirty minutes, will you give me a reward for being a good girl?”
“I’ll make a boxed lunch for you tomorrow?”
“Oh~ Then I’ll do my best!”
“Do your best, President-san.”
(Everyone’s Chisato-senpai/END)
