Though Asakura Mio knew perfectly well that the 'like' Sena Ajisai spoke of was almost certainly not the ambiguous, romantic sort she was imagining, that did nothing to dampen her exhilaration.
What she thought was a secret spark between two people might actually involve a third!
If there was anything more thrilling than seeing a crack ship potentially become canon, it was the prospect of an even more tangled, messy, and utterly compelling web of girly relationships!
She wasn't just invested in the Oozuka Mai x Amaori Renako pairing; she could totally get behind the Sena Ajisai x Amaori Renako ship too!
In fact, Amaori Renako's slightly clumsy, timid personality was a perfect match for Sena Ajisai's 'archangel'-like gentle nature.
Her reasoning was solid—having been Sena Ajisai's junior high classmate, there was a time when Mio herself had craved that feeling of being accepted and illuminated just by being near her.
Broadly speaking, Sena Ajisai fit the 'caring big sister' archetype.
Probably because she came from a large family herself, her role as an older sister had ingrained thoughtfulness and caring for others into her very nature.
A girl like Amaori Renako, who wasn't exactly socially adept, must have received plenty of Sena Ajisai's meticulous care within their little 'Quintet' group.
This was basically—blatant 'favoritism'!
'Out of everyone, she treats Amaori Renako specially'—that kind of setup was the perfect breeding ground for romance!
Maybe Sena Ajisai had genuinely fallen for Amaori Renako because of it! Wouldn't that just be the most delicious thing to witness?
"Mhmm, I see, I see~" Mio nodded, trying hard to keep her tone from sounding too much like a fangirl chewing on candy, "So, what did you want to know from me, Sena-san?"
Even though she now considered herself Amaori Renako's 'head of the fanclub,' divulging a little harmless information probably wasn't a big deal.
After all, Sena Ajisai had said it herself—it was out of concern for Amaori Renako.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing to use this chance to mediate a little through her, during this period where Amaori Renako hadn't quite calmly sorted out her relationship with Oozuka Mai yet.
Of course, Mio had no intention of outright revealing that 'Oozuka Mai confessed to Amaori Renako.'
Even without asking them directly, she could guess that neither of them would want that news to spread. Otherwise, Sena Ajisai wouldn't have needed to come to her for information in the first place.
But giving some subtle hints was still possible... after all, it was Oozuka Mai who 'jumped the gun' first!
Sena Ajisai fell silent for a moment, as if steeling her resolve, before speaking slowly. What she said next, however, was a request that completely took Mio by surprise.
"I'd like for Asakura-san... to call me by my first name, like you did in junior high."
Hearing this, Mio fell silent. Her gaze towards Sena Ajisai grew complex and hard to read, mixed with surprise, hesitation, and a hint of something darker, carefully concealed.
"That... doesn't have anything to do with what we're talking about, does it?"
"It does, though." Sena Ajisai's voice was soft, yet held an undeniable firmness. "Because... what I want to talk about next is something very important, and very personal. It's hard to bring up with just anyone, so—I need to confirm first if Asakura-san is someone I can trust."
"Otherwise, I'm a bit... I can't quite bring myself to say it."
If that's how you felt, why come to me in the first place?
Mio pressed her lips together, feeling a flicker of discontent at Sena Ajisai's words, but she quickly talked herself out of it.
Well, it was true. After entering high school, she and Sena Ajisai had barely spoken. Every time they crossed paths, Mio would avoid her from a distance.
On the rare occasions Sena Ajisai initiated conversation, Mio would be perfunctory and make a quick escape.
If their conversation today hadn't involved Amaori Renako, she probably wouldn't have stayed this long.
"Mio... do you still consider me a friend?"
Stared down by Sena Ajisai's clear, focused eyes, Mio was momentarily at a loss for words.
Sena Ajisai was probably the only person from junior high who could be called her 'friend.'
While they had never deliberately defined the relationship, friends were friends, just like her and Amaori Renako—they had mutually understood they were friends without needing to spell it out.
It was just that this simple relationship had stalled due to a small misunderstanding before graduation.
In Mio's view, it wasn't anything worth dwelling on. Her subsequent choice to distance herself from Sena Ajisai was simply because she felt she was no longer suited for deep friendships.
If Amaori Renako hadn't been so 'clingy,' she would have surely withdrawn quietly from her life too, pretending nothing had happened, pretending she had never appeared.
Now, with Sena Ajisai bringing up the past, Mio felt flustered.
"How does Mio see me now? As a friend... or something else? I'm curious, and... I really want to know the answer."
Fingers hidden by her skirt hem twisted together unconsciously.
From an angle Mio couldn't see, an unmistakable tension showed on Sena Ajisai's face, as if the answer to this question was of utmost importance.
Clearly, without an answer, Sena Ajisai didn't intend to continue. Mio let out an impatient 'Tsk!' sound, before finally shutting her eyes and yelling out in resignation.
"Fine! We're friends! We're friends, okay! Ajisai and I are friends! So now can you please tell me in detail about you liking Amaori Renako?!"
Anyway—whether they were friends or not wasn't really important. It wouldn't stop her from avoiding her later.
For now, she'd just go along with it and cement this 'friends' relationship!
Mio thought this rather darkly to herself. Hearing this answer, Sena Ajisai seemed to relax, yet a hint of an indescribable disappointment flickered through her eyes.
"So—what exactly did you want to tell me, Sena-san?"
Mio was eager to steer the conversation back on track.
"Huh?"
Sena Ajisai seemed momentarily stunned, then suddenly remembered her original purpose. But before speaking, she didn't forget to add,
"You promised, you know! To call me by my first name!"
"Ugh... I know! A-Ajisai-san! Is that good enough?!"
Mio snapped the name out, her tone already carrying a hint of sulkiness. Her patience was wearing thin. If they didn't get to the main topic soon, she might really just leave.
Sena Ajisai, recognizing this, quickly voiced the question that had been on her mind, not wanting to risk her actually running off:
"The glasses—did Renako-chan help you pick them out?"
--+--