Behind the Club Room Door

Where did I go wrong?

Hello all! I'm not going to write a whole paragraph here and instead let you read what you came to read! I hope you all enjoy~

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Nico's P.O.V.

I started at the water of the ocean, the light of the setting sun swimming across the surface in vibrant reds and oranges. It had been a long time since I'd seen a sunset as beautiful as that. I only wished Maki were at my side to see it too. My hands clutched at my sides as tears slid down my cheeks but I quickly wiped them away. Maki...chan Where did I go wrong?

I came out to the ocean for some peace--to get away from my raging thoughts--yet I hadn't done anything but think. Staring off into the horizon, I decided that it was time. I wasn't going to be a school idol forever. It was time to take action and make my dreams come true. 

Whatever it took.

With a sigh, I stood and began making my way back into town to put the preparations into place.

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Maki's P.O.V.

"What do you mean Nico-chan is missing?!" I started at Hanayo, who was looking rather scared.

"Maki-chan please try to calm down," Umi said, looking up at me with concern in her brown eyes. "It's not Hanayo's fault."

"Kayo-chin and I came in here to tell Nico-chan it was time for practice but we couldn't find her," Rin said, looking down at her hands with tears in her eyes. "So we went to her teacher and she said that Nico-chan didn't even come to school today. We went to her house and her mom said she left for school this morning, but she said Nico-chan looked kind of down. We told her that she wasn't at school and she got really worried. We are supposed to go look for her tonight," she finished, sniffling slightly.

"So you're saying that Nicochi just ran off?" Nozomi asked, shooting a glace at me. I glanced back but didn't have the energy to respond to the look in her eyes.

"Yes. We don't know where she could have gone," Hanayo said, holding Rin's hand tightly. The sight made my chest burn with jealousy and I had to look away, twirling a lock of my hair to keep myself sane.

"Let's not wait until tonight," Eli said, standing up and looking around the room for her bag. "Let's look right now. We need to find any clues relating to why she's missing, to make sure she's not in danger."

"I agree. We need to find her as soon as possible," Honoka said, getting up and heading towards the door.

"No." Everyone turned to me.

"What?" Kotori said, her voice full of surprise.

"You guys stay here and practice." The rest of the members exchanged worried glances but I ignored them. Instead, I said, "I have a feeling I know why she's missing." I walked towards the door, everyone parting so there was a path.

"I'll go with," Nozomi said, opening the door for me. "You might get lonely out there by yourself."

"But--"

"I think its a good idea. Who knows what is going to be waiting for you two," Eli said, her and Nozomi sharing a look.

"Fine. But let's just hurry okay?" I looked at Nozomi with an expression that masked my worry, hoping she couldn't see right through me.

"Let's go."

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Two and a half hours later...

Nozomi's P.O.V.

I watched Maki search the crowds, looking for the girl with the twin-tails and red bows. I couldn't figure out why she was denying how she felt when it was so painfully obvious to the rest of us. Everyone could tell how she felt about Nico. Except maybe Nico herself. But I had a feeling Nico was keeping a secret of her own.

Maki ran over to me, panting slightly. "Nozomi, I can't find her. What if something bad happened to her?" The genuine worry in her eyes filled me with surprise as she continued to such the faces in the crowd. It wasn't like her to let her guard down; she must've been truly scared.

"Hey, Maki-chan. Let's take a break."

"But Nozomi, we can't--"

"Maki-chan. You've been working hard. Let's go get something to eat." I looped my arm through hers and, a few minutes of protesting, we were sitting in the café that μ's normally meets at.

"Nozomi, will we ever find her?" Maki asked me, her voice quiet. She hadn't even touched the burger I'd gotten for her and instead stared at it with a look of disinterest. Was she really that worried? I stared at her for a long second, unsure of what to say for the first time in my life.

"Hey, Maki-chan. Can I ask you something?" I asked, closing my eyes.

"Sure." She said, looking out the window at the darkening sky. If I knew anything about Nico, I knew she would be heading for this exact spot after a long day of being by herself. It was her favorite spot after all, thanks to μ's. A smile tugged my lips up as I folded my hands together, resting my elbows on the table and my chin on the backs of my hands to prop myself up.

"Do you like Nico-chan?"

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Maki's P.O.V.

I whipped my attention to Nozomi, my eyes filled with shock and my cheeks as red as my hair. "N-Nozomi! Why would you ask something like that?" How did she know? Had I messed up somehow? And if so, where did I go wrong? Thoughts raced through my mind as I thought of something to say.

She opened one eye and smirked at me. "Because it's obvious. Everyone knows." She giggled as my face turned redder. "Everyone except Nico, of course. But I can tell she's got a thing for you, too. My cards told me so."

I stood up, slamming my hands on the table as I closed my eyes tightly. "I do not love Nico-chan!" I shouted the words, many of the patrons of the cafe whirling around to face me. My cheeks heated but I stayed standing, my shoulders tense and my lip quivering as tears threatened to spill over. What was wrong with me?

"Maki...chan?" My eyes flew open as I turned around to see none other than Nico herself standing there with a surprised expression on her face. Her bag fell to her side as her own eyes filled with tears. Without another word, she snatched her bag from the floor and fled from the cafe, my hand outstretched as if I could catch her before she slipped through my fingers forever.

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Ooooo aangst~ Sorry, I couldn't help myself! Also, as an apology for the lack of updates, here's a bonus one just for you~ That's really all I have to say. I hope you enjoyed and as always, comments are always appreciated! I love interacting with everyone! Well, I think that's all from me! Until next time! Jaa ne~