A new school year began as surely as the leaves turning a new shade with the changing season. The newest round of elections for both Etoile and Student Council had resulted in very few changes at Spica. Somewhat surprisingly to the sitting president, no one had challenged her for the office. Thusly Spica entered the second year of the Miyamae presidency, which Himiko vowed would be just as good as the previous one. Not a bad year before but this could be so much better for their noble and beloved school. Athletics were looking particularly strong on a national scale from equestrian to baseball, which made her even prouder to be a Spican. There were a few new faces on the Student Council, though, so having a first full meeting had allowed her to introduce herself and start to learn everyone's names. Now most of those girls had filed out of the room upon conclusion of the meeting to attend to schoolwork or other club activities. No huge issues had come to her attention so the meeting ended a bit early, which suited Himiko just fine. After all the Warrior of Astraea Hill had plans herself which didn't have anything to do with sports.

Quite cunningly she'd asked one of the council members to stay behind for a private talk away from prying ears. She made sure that it sounded like dull council business so that none of the other girls would suspect anything. Partly because she just wasn't sure how she really felt about the girl whom she'd asked to stay. So this would allow her to spend more time with the cerulean haired council girl while also letting her gauge her own feelings. Months had passed since she'd been in love, dating another member of the council. Now? There was definitely a spark, a chemistry between the two that sent her heart aflutter. Was it just friendly affection or more? No way to tell unless she spent some time alone with the girl. And so, she stood there waiting for the last extra girl to leave before looking at Iori. Dear, cute Iori who'd gotten salt water in her eyes at the beach and been rescued by the president of Spica. A smile crossed her face as she stepped over to the girl, taking her time to put a bit of extra swagger in her step.

"Iori! Nice to see you here, how are classes going?" she started up before explaining, "Thanks for this summer, too.. I was in a really rough spot, but you.. well, no other way to put it than you saved me. So you have this warrior in your debt!"

A new school year had finally begun! Even though Iori had stayed on campus for the summer break, there was still and air of renewal and excitement in the air. She was a year older, but t didn't feel like much had changed. She still went to classes, still lived in the same room, and Himiko was still President of the Student Council. The air was slightly cooler, the leaves just starting to change color. The cerulean haired girl wasn't noticing any of this, though, even though the window was open in the student council room. Her gaze was solely focused on the girl sitting at the far end of the table, with the beautiful raven hair and steely gray eyes. Ever since the day on the beach, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about her friend. And now that school had started again, she got to see Himiko at every Student Council meeting. She had paid attention during the entire meeting, even taking dutiful notes. Right after the meeting was adjourned, the girl in question had called her attention to stay after. Iori's heart beat harder in her chest - she wanted to talk to her! What could it be about? From the tone of the girls voice, it didn't sound like anything exciting. Still, after everyone else had filed out of the room, Iori gathered up her things and stood up to greet the girl.

"Himiko?" The blue eyes girl blushed as she realized maybe she shouldn't be so casual while they were doing council business. "Or, um, President? Um, classes are going well!" She smiled brightly at the taller girl. "I haven't had any trouble so far." Iori felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach - was she nervous? Thinking about it, hadn't she just stuttered a bit? But why would she be nervous about talking to Himiko? They were good friends! Brushing it off, she turned her attention back to the conversation at hand.
"Don't worry about it," she giggled. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."
She paused. "So how have you been? Feeling any better?"

Spending more time with Iori had been high on the president's to-do list when the new year came around. Since they were in different classes there weren't as many opportunities to hang out as summer had provided. Every moment she got here at meetings had to be treasured due to that rarity. To ensure they weren't just fleeting moments but individually fulfilling events in daily life which helped heal the warrior's wounded heart. Things were worse when you hadn't been outright rejected by the person who'd held your heart; you couldn't really come to a decisive conclusion about why they'd left. A break up, no matter how painful, would have been preferable since it would give closure where simply fading away had done nothing but raise questions. Another girl had come into her life who made the president's heart race in a familiar way which hadn't been felt for months. Himiko was starting to think this wasn't just a one time thing that happened at the beach when she was more vulnerable than any time since her sister's rejection of her dream. Not only was that dream taking flight at long last, but the vulnerability had made her think a lot about where she was in life. Things were pretty good overall. Just that hole that had been left open before and now seemed to have finally closed.. or at least healed. As her junior on the council spoke Himiko was reminded how cute she was, the way she kind of stuttered but managed a beautiful smile all the same. Suddenly a compulsion fell over Himiko - she had to hug this girl again! Not now of course but eventually her will would give in and she'd have to take Iori into her arms again. Look into those deep blue eyes and lose herself in their tranquility. Until then she would relax and treat this like any other private chat with a cute girl who'd captured her imagination.

"You can call me Himiko here, it's a policy of the Miyamae Administration to be as direct as possible with all the daughters of Spica. Unless a situation truly warrants the use of titles there's no reason to use honorifics here. I know some people are bothered by that but honestly it's how I feel deep inside and nobody will change that," Himiko replied to the cerulean haired maiden as she put a hand on her shoulder, "Great to hear that you're doing well in classes! Or that they're going well anyway. If you need any help with homework you can always come to my room and get some private tutoring. I'm always happy to help my friends with whatever troubles them.. anyway.."

Then she grinned as she heard Iori's question, happy that the girl was worried about her. It'd been a really rough time and it still hurt sometimes when she was reminded of what had once been. The future was bright, though, and somehow standing in the light of its hope was this girl she'd met at the beach. Did she feel something similar for Iori? It was entirely possible that such feeilngs were growing now. Trying her best to ignore them Himiko continued, "I'm doing much better now that I have work to do and classes to attend. I think just being left to think about it too much is unhealthy for me.. but it still hurts sometimes. But.. I think there's someone who makes me really happy, though I haven't realized it until recently. She doesn't know it yet, and I'm not sure the feelings are what they feel like. I just hope she doesn't leave before I have a chance to sort it out and tell her."

Trying to break from the serious tone with which she'd just spoken Himiko teased, "I bet you'd make a really cute girlfriend for someone Iori. Of course you're already adorable, pretty and kind so it's only a matter of time before someone asks you out."

Looking at the raven haired girl, Iori couldn't help but notice how nice she looked today. Even in her uniform, Himiko looked cute. She started absently twirling a piece of hair around her finger, the light blue strands reflecting the ceiling lights above them. Iori was glad to hear her friend was doing better, and the question of what exactly had been ailing her came into her mind again. It wasn't really any of her business, but the younger girl still couldn't help but be curious. It must have been something pretty dramatic to upset such a cheerful girl. But as long as she was feeling better, that was all that mattered!

She smiled when the girl offered up her help. "That's good to know! I'll make sure to let you know if I need help then. I'm normally pretty good at math, but history can be a little harder." She smiled a little sheepishly at the other girl.

So there was someone who made Himiko happy? "That's really great! I'm happy for you!" Even though the words came out of her mouth, Iori felt...sad? She was lost in thought for a minute, wondering why on earth she would feel sad that Himiko liked someone. No, she knew these feeling too well - it became apparent to the girl that she was jealous. Realizing this made her cringe as memories of her adolescence cam flooding back. The time in her life she had been so determined to block out, when she was still in Hawaii acting like a brat. Back then, feelings of jealousy, selfishness and bitterness were all she knew. She didn't want to go back to that time.

No, she wouldn't let herself feel jealous over this. She wanted Himiko to be happy, that she knew for a fact. Why was she jealous, anyway? Maybe because she was afraid if her friend got into a relationship, they wouldn't be able to see each other as often. Yeah, that must be it. Making up her mind, she was able to return to the present situation.

"I'll be rooting for you! I'm sure it'll end up well, anyone would be crazy not to like you." It was true, with how pretty and cool and smart and nice and confident she was...
Himiko's comment about being a good girlfriend really surprised her. A small giggle escaped her lips. "You think? I don't know about that. I only have a couple friends here...It would be nice to be in a relationship, though. Anyway, I'm not too focused on it right now. I'm sure if someone asked me out and I liked them, I'd say yes. But until that happens, I'm just going to see what happens and spend time with my friends."

She giggled. "Like you! If there was someone as cool as you who asked me out, I'd probably say yes. I'm-"
Iori paused, stopping herself mid sentence. She was going to say that she was surprised Himiko didn't have a girlfriend, but remembering about how upset the older girl had been before and reducing that it was probably something love related, she figured it would be best to let sleeping dogs lie.
So, she just finished her sentence with "I'm really happy I met you, Himiko," hoping that it was a good cover up. And it's not like it wasn't true. Himiko was the closest friend she had at school.

The Student Council President had just come dangerously close to confessing her crush on Iori. Staying subtle about it had clearly been the way to go since she wasn't 100% sure that was how she felt about the cerulean haired girl. Not until she started noticing all the little things about Iori while she listened intently to the girl's answer. Twirling some hair with her finger plafully only added to the adorable visage she presented. A Spica uniform really suited her in all honesty. Its close fitting form accentuated her looks without looking ridiculous, the crisp white and blue complimenting her hair and eyes perfectly. As if she had been born to wear this uniform really. Memories of Iori in her swimsuit came flooding back into the president's mind as she fought off thoughts of hugging the girl on the spot. Shame that she hadn't brought her own to the beach, they would have been a lovely compliment for each other as Himiko rescued Iori from the sting of salt water in her eyes. Surely there were at least some rumors flying about now from the other girls who'd seen that rescue, but Himiko didn't care one bit. Her predecessor had been a great president and put up with far more rumors of nastier nature during her administration.

Iori did her best to give a supportive answer when it was revealed that Himiko liked someone but there was something about her that seemed a little off. Something that said maybe everything wasn't okay with that. Naturally she might assume that the president was talking about anyone else rather than herself. The response she gave to the suggestion that she would be a great girlfriend definitely indicated this must be the case. Now Himiko was as sure as she was ever going to be that her heart had not only healed but now had opened itself to another. A pretty girl who spoke Hawaiian, suited the Spica colors perfectly and was far too cute for her own good. Just that giggle she gave was enough to send Himiko's heart all aflutter and bring that big goofy grin back in full force. A blush appeared rapidly as well when Iori admitted that Himiko was the kind of girl who she'd go out with. Plus she'd just admitted to liking Himiko so any worries about the feelings being mutual was out the window. Now she just had to find the right way to do what Iori had suggested and ask the girl she liked out on a date.

"Thanks! I'm just totally honest about who I am as a warrior, a leader and a woman, and some people have a problem with that. It's nice to know that you support me. In fact it makes me a hundred times stronger knowing that you're here with me on the council!" Himiko proclaimed, then spontaneously threw her arms around the girl to glomp her, "Don't worry, I have a feeling someone not only likes you but is going to ask you out really soon. I've got a good sense for these things."

That said she giggled and let go, "So.. this girl I like is also on the council.. so I want to let her know how I feel while still acting professional. Do you think she could handle that? And that she'd like to go out for pizza sometime? Heck, for her I'd be happy to get all prettied up and everything!"

A light blush had appeared on the President's face, and the value haired girl vaguely wondered why. She guessed she had flattered the older girl by saying that she would date someone like her. Actually, to be honest, Iori wouldn't mind dating Himiko herself. She was such a cool and caring person. To top it off, she seems to genuinely like Iori, and the Hawaiian got the feeling that she would still like her even if one day Iori sucked it up and confessed about her past faults.

"Of course I support you!" She suddenly found herself in a tight hug from the other girl. A look of surprise crossed over her face briefly, but it was quickly replaced by a smile as she returned the hug. She just passed off the remark about getting a date soon with a small laugh. Himiko was so supportive of her; truly a good friend!

Being let go of the hug, Iori clasped her hands in front go her, tilting her head while listing to Himiko's question. It was odd to be asked for advice; she had never really been in a position like it before. "Wow, you must really like her," the blue haired girl commented. Thinking for a minute, she answered "Well, if you'd like to make it seem professional, you could always do something like asking her to stay after a council meet...ing..."

As her words trailed off, Iori slowly tilted her head up to look into Himiko's eyes. Could it really be what she was thinking? Iori was the girl...Himiko wanted to date? Maybe she was just jumping to conclusions, but she couldn't be sure. She felt her heart beating faster and her eyes widen.
"Himiko..." she murmured. Not wanting to make herself sound stupid if her hypothesis was wrong, she just finished with "I'm sure she'd be happy to go on a date with you."

Iori's warmth added fuel to the fires of passion that had been stoked in the president's heart. She'd been alone long enough to have forgotten how wonderfully fulfilling such an embrace was. Selfishly she wanted to linger in the hug as long as possible so that warmth didn't leave her. If she could just stand in this moment for the rest of the day she would almost certainly rest easily! Himiko could smell the traces of the other girl's shampoo, its sweet scent just emphasizing the sweet girl which the warrior president held in her arms. Things were certainly progressing faster than she'd anticipated but these were things that you didn't have complete control over. When one's heart was set on someone, no matter what you did to distract yourself it would remain and only grow stronger. Without realizing it Himiko had planted the seeds of confession into their conversation and with her actions. Once Iori realized that they were in fact in the kind of meeting which she would expect a president to stage in order to confess.

As she came to the startling realization Iori looked incredibly cute looking up into Himiko's eyes. Perhaps yearning for an answer to her growing suspicions? Himiko wasn't sure how to respond to it without attracting a lot of attention to the meeting room from any lingering girls nearby in the hallway. Still she had to wonder if Iori felt the same way about her too. Were there stirrings in her hearts as strong as what motivated Himiko? Something in the girl's eyes made her doubt it could be anything else. The president gulped when Iori started murmuring, wondering what kind of news would be broken after the pause. While not exactly confirming her suspicions it did more or less convince Himiko that more bold action would be all right. She nodded slowly and then placed her hands on Iori's shoulders as she gazed deeply into the girl's widened eyes. It was time for the warrior to charge headlong into this battle of her heart's desire.

"Then maybe she'll accept, because I'm asking her," Himiko responded before giving into temptation, leaning down and touching her lips to Iori's. She only lingered briefly, but there was a charge of energy that ran down her spine which she hadn't felt in quite a long time. Iori's lips were so soft!

Himiko pulled back from the kiss, then hugged the cerulean haired girl, "Iori, would you do me the honor of going out with me?"

In that moment, it was like everything else in the world had gone quiet. The ticking of the clock, the gentle hum of the vents, it all just seemed to stop. Even the room went a little out of focus, leaving nothing but the two girl standing in the middle of it. Himiko put her hands on the other girl's shoulders, and Iori could do nothing but look back into the girl's eyes. She knew, something was about to happen. Something that had already been put into motion, and there was no stopping it now. Not that it was a bad thing - Iori's heart gently fluttered in her chest in anticipation of what was about to begin.

As the older girl leaned in closer, Iori's aqua eyes slowly closed. It was almost as if she had missed hearing what Himiko had said, but the words echoed around inside her head. When their lips finally touched, she was overwhelmed with a soft tingly feeling, becoming almost lightheaded, as if she were floating. It only lasted for a second, but somehow, it seemed like a lifetime. As Himiko pulled away, Iori just thought about how she didn't want to stop being close to the girl. Luckily, she didn't have to, as she was wrapped into a tight hug.

She returned the gesture, clinging onto the sides of Himiko's uniform and burying her face into the other girl's shoulder. She could feel her eyes tearing up, but did the best to ignore it.
"Yes," she answered, her voice soft. "I would love to go out with you. Thank you, Himiko. For everything."
She never wanted that moment to end, so she stayed as still as she could, just taking in the fact that she was standing in Himiko's arms, and everything seemed right with the world.