Chapter 6 – Returning Friends & Subtitle Reading

Ayano's POV

I like 'em round, and big
And when I'm throwin' a gig
I just can't help myself, I'm actin' like an animal
Now here's my scandal
I want to get you home
And ugh, double-up, ugh, ugh
I ain't talkin' bout Playboy
'Cause silicone parts are made for toys
I want 'em real thick and juicy
So find that juicy double
Mix-a-Lot's in trouble
Beggin' for a piece of that bubble
So I'm lookin' at rock videos
Knock-kneed bimbos walkin' like hoes
You can have them bimbos
I'll keep my women like Flo Jo
A word to the thick soul sistas, I want to get with ya
I won't cuss or hit ya
But I gotta be straight when I say I want to f***
Til the break of dawn
Baby got it goin' on
A lot of simps won't like this song
'Cause them punks like to hit it and quit it
And I'd rather stay and play
'Cause I'm long, and I'm strong
And I'm down to get the friction on
So, ladies (Yeah) Ladies (Yeah)
If you want to role in my Mercedes (Yeah)
Then turn around, stick it out
Even white boys got to shout
Baby got back

"Geez…Patty-san actually LISTENS to these songs? I mean…the beat is catchy. But these lyrics…I didn't think Americans were so perverted."

It was the next day and I was laying about in the living room doing random things. First, I watched TV. Then I re-read Happy Go Lily 2 a little. And now, I was on my phone. Listening to the rest of that song Patty-san was dancing to that day at school.

Needless to say…I was bored.

I thought I would handle the fact that I would be all alone this Golden Week. But now that my parents are out on a cruise, Ayuko's camping with her boyfriend, and Misao's in Hakone with her family, it's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.

And to make matters worse, this year's Golden Week is 10 days long. Three days extra because of how this year's calendar is scheduled. So, I'm going to be on my own for an extra amount of time.

*sigh* I just hope Misa-chan's having a good time.

To the beanpole dames in the magazines
You ain't it, Miss Thing
Give me a sista, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Some knucklehead tried to dis
'Cause his girls are on my list
He had game but he chose to hit 'em
And I pull up quick to get wit 'em
So ladies, if the butt is round,
And you want a triple X throw down,
Dial 1-900-MIXALOT
And kick them nasty thoughts
Baby got back

"Huh? Aw, man. I spaced out while listening to this inappropriate song. Pretty sure I missed some parts of it. I'll just listen to it again later."

*KNOCK* KNOCK* KNOCK*

"Someone's at the door? I wasn't expecting anyone today. Probably a package or something." I got up from the couch and headed for the door. Opening it to see…a rather big surprise on the other side.

"Hey, hey! Aya-chan!"

"Long time no see."

"Oh, my Gosh! Tsukasa-chan! Kei-san!" I cheered as I gave to duo a hug. "Welcome back, you two!"

"*giggle* Thanks, Aya-chan. It's great to be back." Tsukasa-chan said.

"When did you two get here?"

"We just came in this morning. So, we're going around saying hi to everyone."

"Though, that was Tsukasa's idea." Kei-san said. "I wanted to sleep some more."

"You slept on the train ride here."

"Yeah, but I didn't think the trip from Takaoka to Kasukabe was so freaking short. It felt a lot longer when I first moved there."

"*sigh* You sure do love to sleep huh, Kei?"

"Just like how I remember it." I added.

"Don't get your kicks on it too, Ayano." Kei-san complained.

"*giggle* Sorry, sorry." I said with a smile. "Do you guys want to come in? It's just me here so it's fine."

"Well, if that's the case then thank you, Aya-chan. We'll be glad to." Tsukasa-chan said.


The three of us were now sitting in the living room eating snacks and drinking water that I brought out for us. All while the two were telling me all that's happened in the year since they reunited at Shinohara High School.

And boy…it was a doozy.

"So, let me get this straight. Around the time you two reunited, the boys tricked the then Student Council president into approving a swimsuit pageant to take place during a school-wide party. And so, Ikeda-san…the younger one…brought Kei-san on board to stop it. And that's when you two reunited?"

"Yep." Tsukasa-chan said.

"Pretty much." Kei-san said.

"What about the pageant?"

"It never happened. Thanks to Kei's conniving thinking."

"*chuckle* I'm not the three-time top bullshitter in the country for nothing, you know." Kei-san bragged with a smile on his face.

"I still can't believe that's actually a thing…" I gained a sweatdrop.

"This is Japan, Aya-chan." Tsukasa-chan said. "We can pretty much get away with anything."

She ain't wrong about that…

"So, who did you see so far?" I asked.

"Well, I was at home. So, I was able to see my family again after over a year. Kona-chan was there, too."

"And then I came over after placing my stuff down and had great memories with them." Kei-san added in an exasperated tone.

"Let me guess. You started bickering with Kagami?" I asked.

"I seriously don't know what her problem is. I make ONE joke about her cliché tsundere personality and she goes chewing my ear off. It's like she has no sense of humor."

"Onee-chan's personality may be cliché. But you really shouldn't point it out to her face like that. I think she's clearly aware of how annoyingly overused it is at this point."

"True." Kei-san and I said.

"Anyway…we then went over to Yuki-chan's place to see her. Minami-chan and Yutaka-chan were there, too."

"And apparently, Minami often goes to Takaoka to meet up with Chizuru." Kei-san added. "Hell, she was just there not too long ago."

"Really? I didn't know they were friends."

"Me neither. And so, when I asked what made them become friends, all Chizuru said was "it involves books. That's all you need to know.". And knowing what she goes through on a somewhat daily basis, I just left it at that."

"I see…" I gained a sweatdrop.

Even though the younger Ikeda-san is one of the few normal ones, this IS Takaoka we're talking about.

"So then now you came to me, huh? Makes sense."

"Yeah, but…" Tsukasa-chan said. "…how come you're not with Misao-chan, Aya-chan?"

"Huh. Come to think about it, it's rather rare to not see you two together. You two get into a fight?" Kei-san asked.

"N-No, nothing like that. Misao actually left town for the holidays. She's in Hakone with her family after getting them tickets for her dad's birthday."

"What? How does someone like Misao afford tickets to Hakone?"

"She has connections. Pretty much."

"Huh." Was all Kei-san said.

"It must be tough not being with her is it, Aya-chan?" Tsukasa-chan asked. "Especially with this year's Golden Week being longer than normal."

"I-I'm fine, really."

"Yeah, come on, Tsukasa." Kei-san added. "You're making it sound like they're a couple or something."

C-Couple?!

"I-I'm not saying they are! It's just Aya-chan and Misao-chan are known for being really close to each other."

"I get that. But I'm pretty sure they're not THAT close. Right, Ayano?"

"Ayano?"

"Aya-chan? Are you okay?" The two asked as they witnessed me having a huge blush on my face while looking away from them.

Sh-Should I tell them? I-I mean…Misao and I only got together not even a day ago. And even though I do love her, telling people about our brand-new relationship is…

W-Well…it's these two. So, I'm sure they can keep a secret. Hopefully.

"W-Well, actually, you guys…you aren't that far off." I said quietly.

And it took a while for them to realize what I actually meant by that. But once they did…

"No…freaking…way…"

"Aya-chan…are you saying…"

"Yep…Misao and I are dating. Surprise."

"Damn…I didn't take you to actually swing that way, Ayano." Kei-san said.

"Well, I kinda figured so. Since I had no interest in any boy at Ryou for as long as I could freaking remember. No offense, by the way."

"Eh. None taken."

"Wh-When did it start?" Tsukasa-chan asked.

"To be completely honest…yesterday."

"Y-Yesterday?! S-So, we're like the first to know about it?!"

"Pretty much. Which is why I'm hoping that you two won't say anything to the others. With it being so recent and all."

"Oh, don't worry, Aya-chan! We definitely won't tell anyone! Right, Kei?!"

"I have no interest in screwing you over. Your secret's safe with me, Ayano."

"*sigh* Thanks, you guys. I knew I could trust you."

"Just be glad Konata wasn't the first to hear. She would've told the whole freaking city by now."

"Tell me about it…" I grew agitated at the possibility of that happening. "…It would've been the second most aggravating thing that girl has done."

"Second? You mean Konata did something before?"

"I'm honestly not surprised. Considering that it's Kona-chan…" Tsukasa-chan said with a small sweatdrop. "…but what did she do this time?"

"Well…"

I already told them that we're dating. I might as well tell them how it led up to such a conclusion…

"…You know that book Happy Go Lily 2: High School Days?"

"Happy Go Lily? You mean that book Kyouko wrote?" Kei-san asked.

"Oh, my gosh! I LOVE that series!" Tsukasa-chan cheered. "The first book was so funny and sweet! And the current second book had all the right amount of emotional drama and happiness! And the ending was SO worth the read! Risao X Ayame is probably my favorite ship ever!"

"Y-You don't say…" I gained a huge sweatdrop.

Damnit, Tsukasa-chan! Now you just made this harder to tell!

"Anyway…why bring that up, Aya-chan?"

"Well, you see…Toshinio-san recently confessed to me that Risao and Ayame…are based on Misao and myself."

"S-Seriously?!"

"You really didn't notice, Tsukasa?" Kei-san asked. "I mean…their names were Risao Kasakubo and Ayami Negishi. Not only that, but their personalities were near identical and the setting of it all…being Kyou High School, in Kumakabe, in the Saitama Prefecture…sounded way too familiar."

"Well…when you say it like that, I do feel kinda dumb for not seeing it. But why would Kyouko-chan write a book based on you two?"

"I'll give you a hint: KO-NA-TA."

"Figures…" Both boy and girl gained a sweatdrop.

"So, how did Misao take the news?" Kei-san asked.

"As you would expect, she was flat out pissed. I had to calm her down before she left for her trip. She REALLY can't stand Izumi-san."

"So I've noticed."

"You did?" Both Tsukasa-chan and I asked.

"I may have only been at Ryou for a short time, but I was able to recognize the feelings and relationships between you girls. And Misao REALLY hates Konata. So does Minami."

"Well, yeah. I knew about Minami-san."

"You did?" Tsukasa-chan asked me.

"Well, when someone repeatedly jokes about your flat chest, wouldn't you hate that person, too?"

"Yeah, you got a point." Tsukasa-chan said after thinking about it.

"So, what are you two going to do after this? Any plans?"

"No, not really. We're just gonna do our own thing until Kona-chan's doing done setting up that party for us."

"Oh, yeah…that party." I mumbled to myself. "Well, I don't have anything planned for…basically the whole week. So, I might as well attend. Where is it going to be at?"

"Our place since it's bigger. Everyone's coming, too. Well, those that are still here."

"I see. Well, we still got some time. I gotta do some quick errands that my parents want me to do. So, I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Alrighty, then." Tsukasa-chan said.

"Later, Ayano." Kei-san added.


After the duo had left, I had changed clothes and soon left my house to head for the nearest station. I was totally prepared for it to be bust as all hell. With it being the first day of Golden Week, people are busy traveling to different parts of Japan to either shop, relax, have fun, or a combination of all three.

And for someone like me, who has no plans whatsoever…it could get annoying to watch.

Maybe I should've begged Misao to take me with her…

A lot of the stores I had to go to were in Kichijōji. So, I went there first. And as I expected, it was crowded. I mean, why wouldn't it be? Kichijōji is that one place in Japan that EVERYONE wishes to live in (myself included). So, no doubt in my mind that it would be busy.

I had just left one of the stores I had to go to and was wondering how to get to the next one. This was my first time coming to Kichijōji. So I had no idea where to go.

"I could ask someone…but with this place so packed, I highly doubt people are going to stop just to give me directions. *sigh* Seriously, Dad. Why do you keep coming to Kichijōji for your things? Kasukabe has all of these things."

As I tried to figure out where to go next, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. It kinda got my worries up since this was a highly-populated area and there are perverts out there who use places like Kichijōji to their advantage.

I was prepared to tell the creep off and kick his ass if needed to. But when I turned around, I saw that it wasn't a perverted old guy and instead it was a rather cute girl. With long light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She waved at me…but I was too mesmerized by her freaking beauty to notice.

Then it hit me…as I kinda knew someone who was this insanely cute.

"Oh…you're Hosokoji-san, correct?"

(That's right. Nice to see you, M-I-N-E-G-I-S-H-I-senpai.) Hosokoji-san signed with her hands.

"What are you doing in Kichijōji?"

(I was heading home when I saw you looking confused. Are you lost?)

"Well…yeah, basically. This is my first time here so I don't really know where to go. I'm running errands for my family."

(I see. Well, I could help you if you want. I am well familiar with K-I-C-H-I-J-O-J-I.)

"Really? You are? Well, in that case, thank you so much, Hosokoji-san." I said with a smile.

And so, for the rest of the time here, Hosokoji-san guided me through the streets of Kichijōji. Taking me to the different stores I had to go and even to a small café that was really popular around here.

It was then that we got to talking. And I learned some interesting things about this hearing-impaired Kōhai of mine.

"Wow. So, you live here in Kichijōji but you attend school in Kasukabe? That's quite the distance."

(Yes, it is. There are not that many high schools here. There are mainly two and they are both all-girls. Which makes it pretty hard for me to attend.)

"Pretty hard? Why's that?"

(Well…) Hosokoji-san paused for a bit. (…I am sure you have noticed already, but…I am kinda cute.)

"Honestly, Hosokoji-san…"kinda" isn't the right word to describe your cuteness. It's like…on an insane level."

(Figured you would say that. That is the reason I do not attend the two schools here.)

"Your cuteness?"

(Around here, I am known as…The Insanely Cute Deaf Girl. My beauty is so mesmerizing that I have had classmates and even complete strangers fall in love with me. And it did not matter what gender they were, either.)

"Wow. That's…actually insane. I bet you had to do a lot of rejections, huh?"

(Yes. It was a daily part of my day. And I grew tired of it. So, I begged my parents to send me to a different school. And R-Y-O-U was the nearest one here.)

"I see. So, that's why you transferred to Ryou. Does it still happen now?"

(Yes. but not as often. There have been streaks of days where I did not have to reject anyone. Plus, I have made friends with Y-U-T-A-K-A, M-I-N-A-M-I, H-I-Y-O-R-I, and P-A-T-T-Y. My school life is as normal as it could be.)

"I see. Well, I'm happy for you, Hosokoji-san."

(Thank you, M-I-N-E-G-I-S-H-I-senpai.) Hosokoji-san then paused again. (You know…I have been wondering. How are you able to understand me so well? Are you knowledgeable in American Sign Language?)

"No, not at all. I've just been reading the subtitles that appear whenever you sign."

(Subtitles?) Hosokoji-san looked confused.

"The texts that are in parentheses."

(Oh…Oh, I see now. I guess that does make it easier to understand me. You are pretty smart to have noticed such a thing, M-I-N-E-G-I-S-H-I-senpai.)

"Yeah…you could say that." Was all I said.

She's probably unaware of the whole "4th wall break" thing…

*NOTIFICATION CHIME*

"Oh! Look at the time!" I yelled as I looked at my phone. "I gotta get back home to drop this stuff off and head over to that party!"

(Party? Of what kind?)

"Oh, it's just a small party to welcome back two of our friends who moved to a different area. They're visiting for the holidays."

(I see.)

"Hey, why don't you come? The other second-years will be there."

(Are you sure? I do not wish to intrude)

"It should be fine. Everyone there already knows you. So, you'll have help during it all."

(Well…okay. I guess I can tag along. Thank you for inviting me, M-I-N-E-G-I-S-H-I-senpai.)

"You're welcome, Hosokoji-san." I replied with a smile.

And so, The Insanely Cute Deaf Girl guided me back to the station. To where we were heading back to Kasukabe to attend this party that…now that I think about it, got dragged into going.

It still beats sitting at home, I guess…

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Work has kept me busy. But with also so many stories currently active, some will have to be a less priority than others.

This one will have to be one of those less priority stories. Mainly due to the views and followers it has and the fact that it won't be a long story. So, don't expect another update for this for at least the rest of the year.

Thanks for reading. Later.