"I'd like to," Hoshi whispered. "I don't know. It isn't the same-"
"What's not the same?" Neko implored her. "I haven't changed from yesterday. I'm still me!"
"My perception of you has changed," Hoshi explained, avoiding Neko's eyes. "You don't know how strange it is to think of you this way. When I think of you with that girl-"
"Her name is Tenshi," Neko declared. "And she's not just some girl to me, Hoshi-chan. I know you don't understand. Maybe you never will. But I love her, okay?"
Hoshi covered her ears. "Stop it," she whispered.
But Neko had no intention of stopping. "She is the one person who has ever challenged Mi-chan as the best thing in my life." Her eyes shone with tears. "Our hearts beat as one, and rooms light up when we're together. She calls me 'Koneko' and it means the world to me, when I would hurt other people for calling me that. She would give her entire being to keep me safe, and I for her, if it were possible. Hoshi-chan, you were so happy for Mi-chan and Jian-kun; can't you be even a little happy for me?"
"Stop it. Stop it. Stop it!"
Neko did. She sat there staring at Hoshi for a minute, tears forming in her eyes. It was true then - Hoshi wasn't going to forgive her. "Why not?" she cried finally, just before pushing herself from the couch and running out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hoshi had blown it. She knew it. But even though all she wanted to do was to somehow fix their friendship, to go to Neko and say it was okay, as Neko stared at her, she just couldn't.
Neko looked crushed. "Why not?"
Hoshi couldn't think of anything to say. And before she knew it, Neko was up and running from the room, justifiably upset.
"Neko-chan," Hoshi whispered. But Neko was already out of the room. *Baka, go get her!* she scolded herself. But for a few moments, she still couldn't make herself move. *Don't let your friendship end like this! STOP HER!*
"Neko-chan!" she cried as she finally found the strength to get up and run after her. "Neko-chan, matte!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Neko was at the top of the stairs, but, though she kept her back to Hoshi, she stopped. She stared at the ground as she waited for Hoshi to continue, not knowing whether Hoshi was going to criticize her or apologize or something in between.
"Neko-chan, I am." Neko turned around as Hoshi started up the stairs, until she was just a few steps below her. She kept her voice down, in hopes that they wouldn't wake Neko's family up. "I am happy that you're happy. I don't agree with why, but it's enough that you are. I was worried I'd hate you, but I never could, and� and I really do want to stay friends. If you don't hate me, that is."
Neko shook her head. "Not possible," she cried softly.
Then, out of the blue, Hoshi hugged her. And, for just a moment, Neko imagined that things were going to be just the way they had always been, and for that moment she was so happy. But just as suddenly as she had embraced her, Hoshi jerked away and took a nervous step back. "W- We should go back to bed," she said uncomfortably.
Things weren't the same. But it was enough that Hoshi wanted to stay friends, Neko thought. She nodded and they went back to the twins' room to go to bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'll miss you," Hoshi cried as she hugged Mi-chan. Her shuttle was about to board, and she didn't want to miss anything when saying goodbye. "I'll write everyday!"
"We've been through this," Mi-chan laughed. "So if we're lucky, we'll remember to write in a month, right?"
Hoshi nodded and wiped her wet eyes. "I- I'll miss Neko-chan too. Will you tell her?"
"Yeah, I will." Neko had been getting ready for pole vault practice when they left. And as Chiyako had had problems finding the street, she had been running late and had rushed them to pack up the car and go. So Neko had been a little gypped on her goodbye from Hoshi. But right now, Hoshi wished she were here with Mi-chan.
Hoshi's and Chiyako's seat numbers were called. Her mom indicated to her to wrap it up. "Well, I guess that's it," Hoshi sniffed. "Are you guys ever visiting Mercury?"
"We'll try," Mi-chan promised. "Have a good flight. Good luck with school. We really will write."
"Bye," Hoshi said glumly as she followed her mom into line. This was just as bad as when the twins said goodbye before coming to Earth.
"Hoshi-chan!"
She was about to give the airport employee her ticket when she heard her name called. She looked back to Mi-chan. But Mi-chan was looking around too, just as confused as Hoshi.
"Hoshi-chan!" They both followed the shout back to see Neko, dressed in her pole vaulting attire, dashing through the terminal to Hoshi's departure gate.
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