"A snack so packed, it'll even put the great Beast to sleep! Nutritious, filling, and most importantly, filling! Coming to stores near you!" Just as the man finished his words, the Oguri Cap on the television mimed a roar as she walked through a miniature city, devastating the tiny city beneath the scaly foot of her costume.
"Gaoo!" Oguri roared, copying herself from the commercial that'd just played. I couldn't help but snort, and Oguri turned to me. "Is something wrong?"
I cleared my throat. "Nah, it's nothing." I then patted her head. "Good commercial there. Seems like you had fun."
Her eyes lit up, and her ears perked up. "Mm! They gave me a lot of food and told me to go run around as godzilla!"
"Is that so~"
From the few anecdotes I heard from Musaka, the whole ordeal was a lot less fun for the people producing the commercial. Oguri's strength was too formidable, and she ripped through three different godzilla costumes before they managed to complete the commercial. And that wasn't even mentioning how many of the special protein bars they had to feed Oguri before she became genuinely full.
Well, Oguri at least had fun. That was good enough.
That aside,
"Aren't you uncomfortable?" I couldn't help but ask, careful not to let her head slip from my shoulder.
She gently shook her head. "It's fine." She said simply.
I flinched slightly as her hair tickled my neck, but I then sighed. "So clingy~" I said, though I didn't push her away. She was probably just making up for the fact that we didn't really talk much yesterday. Oguri returned late into the night, and since I was still resting, I decided to sleep early.
We'd been like this for a while now. Belno was initially with us in the clubroom as well, but she got too flustered at one point and made a tactical escape. Smart of her, really. At least she managed to escape before Oguri trapped her like she did with me.
As expected of our Tactician!
"Star, will you make these too?" Oguri then asked, gesturing at the television.
I hummed. "I'm not sure. I mean, I probably will have to eventually, but it's not my thing." Not that I would refuse if the offer came. If I could pay back some of the money Musaka had undoubtedly spent for us, then I was willing to do a few commercials to try and pay him back.
Oguri went silent for a moment before she glanced at me. "Can I make one with you?"
"About what, though?"
"Hmm." She paused to think, before her ears twitched. "Running?"
I blinked, before I tilted my head slightly. "That could work." I whispered. And it certainly could work—hell, Belno's family owned a local brand of sports goods. Maybe we could all work together to make a commercial for Belno's family. It'd certainly help boost their store's popularity, at least. "I'll tell Musaka about it when I next meet him."
"Nn."
We returned to a pleasant silence, broken only by the commercials that continued to play on the television.
It was still early afternoon. Belno was probably out training by this time, with Kitahara and Musaka by her side. I was still on my mandatory rest, and Oguri didn't seem like she was willing to part with me anytime soon.
It was unlikely for anyone to disturb us.
This was a room for only the two of us.
Maybe, once upon a time, the close contact would've discomforted me. Scared me, even. I was never the friendliest person, and I spent most of my days either working in a cubicle or being home alone. Even after I crossed into this world, that loneliness had remained, even if my parents' warmth had softened the cold. It was why I liked to write in my diary so much back then.
Oguri had changed that. She'd come into my life like a freight train and refused to leave. Even when she was about to enter Kasamatsu Central, she'd immediately asked me to join her, absolutely confident that I would.
Because of her, my diary had remained untouched for months now. The solace it once offered, no longer needed.
A true miracle.
"Star?"
I smiled fondly as I patted her head. "It's nothing." I said, still smiling as I gazed out the window. "Just happy to be here."
Oguri stared for a moment, before she smiled as well. "Me too."
…
"There is no way that's normal." Dicta Striker said with gravity. "Blossom Star never sounds like that with us! She's all playful and teasing and whatever!"
Mejiro Ardan giggled warily. "I-Is it? I do not see why it has to be strange. They are friends even before you met them, right Belno?"
"Well, they are, but-" Belno Light narrowed her eyes as they kept moving away from the spot they'd escaped from. "I've been with them for nearly a year now, and it's only recently when it changed." She smiled. "They're softer around each other. Oguri like being pampered by her, and Star's always willing to spend time with her."
Yaeno Muteki's expression was completely blank, though if one looked closer, they'd see that her eyes looked particularly stormy.
"I-Is that so…" Ardan whispered, slightly confused.
It all started like this,
Belno had gone to the cafeteria for a quick snack. She'd just finished training, and Kitahara had told her to eat up a little to recover. She then met Dicta, Ardan, and Muteki, and they eventually decided to head to Team Kitahara's clubroom to ask if Oguri and Star wanted to join them for a light meal.
But just as Belno was about to open the door, they heard Star's gentle laughter. It was completely unlike the playful laughter Star normally had, and driven by curiosity, they placed their ears onto the door and listened in.
The rest was history.
"Though I don't understand why you find it so strange." Ardan admitted. "Relationships between rivals often blossom into something more. Spending three years of our lives together is bound to tie our hearts together." She said, before she paused. "That was what grandmother taught me, at least."
"Sounds like some romance novel." Dicta said, though she didn't disagree. After all, the whole story around Symboli Rudolf and Mr C.B. was still quite famous even now.
Muteki's silence stretched on.
"Though I also heard some stuff about Mejiro Ramonu taking a liking to our pres as well." Dicta then added, glancing at Ardan. "That true?"
Ardan blinked, before she narrowed her eyes. "I…am unsure. I do know that Ramonu-nee often heads out on her own during the weekends. She's mentioned that she goes out to meet someone when she does so, but she has never explained further."
"Oof, a love triangle, huh?" Dicta grinned. "That's rough."
Muteki's eyes went blank for a moment, before a new determination burnt in her eyes.
"However, can they not simply remain friends?" Ardan eventually offered. "Their bond could simply be one of philia and pragma, no?"
Dicta stared. "Sis, what the hell does that even mean?"
Belno giggled, though she had a fond look as she glanced back at the door to her clubroom. In truth, she didn't really have the need to confirm what Star and Oguri's relationship was. Perhaps they were friends, perhaps best friends, perhaps more—whatever the case, it didn't change who they were.
"Now, now. Let's not stay here for too long." Belno said, hoping it'd stop Dicta from getting into another argument with Ardan. "Why don't we go and have some lunch? I think Oguri and Star are a little…uh, busy."
"Indeed." Ardan said, gracefully ignoring Dicta's annoyed stare at being interrupted. "I'm quite peckish myself. A snack or two would serve me well."
Seeing that Ardan would likely never hand her an actual explanation, Dicta eventually sighed. "Yeah, a meal sounds pretty good right now. Need some calories to keep training." She then turned to Muteki. "How about you? Still up for some food?" She smiled wryly. "Sorry about the detour by the way."
Muteki took a small breath before she shook her head. "It's fine. And I am still willing to join you for some food."
"Cool, cool." Dicta grinned. "Let's go then!"
.
.
.
AN: There's only going to be one chapter daily for a few days. This isn't permanent; it'll return to 2 chapters daily soon.