Love Live!! If Three's A Crowd, Nine's A Multitude!

Hanamaru's Ending

Hanamaru's POV

I always was afraid of the spotlight ever since I was little. My parents ran a temple and I grew up helping them. 

I was what you call a real country girl, even having a dialect with zura at the end of each sentence. I met Yoshiko-chan in kindergarten and Ruby-chan in middle school. I was shocked to find Yoshiko in high school. 

I figured it'd be a good group of three to get me through high school. We met Chika and the others soon after, but unfortunately our school closed midway through the year. 

We had to wait till the next year for us to continue. So when we met Shizuko he was technically our age. We both should've been second years, but due to the closing of our school the three of us were now first years.

So like I said before I was afraid of the spotlight, never wanted to be the "main protagonist" even though I'm supposed to be the main person in my life. 

I always did what's best for the others, thought about myself last. I took time to help Ruby-chan when she had problems with Dia, I helped Yoshiko-chan have more friends at the old school. 

I was surprised when someone asked me what I was doing helping everyone. I paused at that time, why was I helping everyone? Is it because I have nothing better to do?

When we changed schools I decided that I'd try to stand out a little bit more. It's kind of hard to do that when you're the shortest out of all of your friends. 

When we met Shizuko I thought he was a boring guy and that today would be the only day we'd meet him. 

All of those thoughts went out the window when he walked into the freaking girls locker room as I struggled to put on goggles. I was actually ashamed that I couldn't do it.

Yeah yeah we all know the story... the situation could've ended differently if I just said that nothing happened and I just couldn't put on the goggles.

But no, I started crying from embarrassment...

So like I said, main protagonist wasn't really my thing. So you'd assume that as soon as I found out someone liked Shizuko, I'd let go of my feelings.

I already told myself that there's no way I'd win, Shizuko would definitely pick a second year. But for some reason those feelings wouldn't go away. 

When I found out the third years all liked him, I told myself to stop. Even going as far as ignoring Shizuko. But the more I did it, the more the feelings grew.

"If Ruby-chan likes him I'll stop." Surely I'll let go my feelings for my best friend right?

Wrong. 

In fact I believe it ignited that little competitive spirit in me to win. Fast forward a month or so and I confess to him. My heart sort of sank when he asked to take his time.

True he didn't reject me, but also he didn't say he liked me back. It was to be expected, I wasn't the heroine of this anime...

So when I wrote the letter I wanted him to forget us if he wanted. If he did forget us, then we were never really important to him in the first place. 

But if he didn't... then that meant he was special to us.

Five years later, we all moved to Tokyo. Everyone finished their education. We all celebrated finding jobs and all stayed in another home not far from the city.

It was clear that everyone had moved on from Shizuko. I did my best to make it seem as though I too moved on. In reality, I didn't...

We walked into a café for You's birthday. Not only were we celebrating that but You also got a job that same day. As the staff came out to sing I noticed one staff member going on his break. He looked oddly familiar.

It took a while for me to remember where I'd seen him, my heart started to race. It was him.

I wanted to stay but, at least I knew where he was.

I went home satisfied, or tried to go home. We were stopped by a voice behind us. 

There he was, standing in front of me. He held up the letter. The same one I wrote five years ago. 

"It was you wasn't it?" he pointed to me.

Tears filled my eyes. He had remembered me. Did that mean I was the one he liked to?

That question was answered when he said the fated words, "Do you want to go out with me?"

Those same seven words are what gives me joy today. Maybe it was finally my time to be the true protagonist of my life. Maybe it was time for me to get my happily ever after.

"Hey Shizuko?" I asked as we sat down next to each other.

"What's up?" 

"Thanks... for waiting."

"Waiting for you to get here? Well I mean it was only like five minutes-"

"Whether it's five minutes or five years... thank you for remembering me."

"Are you making some sort of cliché reference? Is there some emotional moment that's supposed to be happening right now?" he said confused.

"Shut up stupid, just let me say my freaking lines that I rehearsed!" 

"I can't tell if you actually are joking or not."

"Of course it's a joke! Didn't you read the script?"

"What script?!"

"They do make a good couple." the other eight laughed from behind us.

"That's kind of scary, please stop doing that." Shizuko grinned.

"Isn't this supposed to end with a cliché kiss?" Riko asked.

"Where'd you learn that your yuri doujins?" Shizuko joked.

"Well come on, are you going to kiss or not?" 

"Kiss her! Kiss her!" Chika chanted. The rest of them also joined in the chant.

I started to turn red. "We're in a public park!" 

"Yeah we are in a public park!" Shizuko echoed, "We'll kiss at home!" 

I sighed... sometimes I forget I'm dating an idiot...

But at least he's my idiot.

HOLY FRICK THAT WAS CLICHE! 

Anyways thank you all for 12k reads! Wow... that is incredible... Thank you all so much!

I hope you all liked this ending... 2/9 complete! I should've just picked a random girl... have a random number generator and hope that it lands on someone that's hard to write.

Thanks for reading! I love you all!

Be safe! Mask up! Don't be stupid!

-Kazuya