Kanao Can't Communicate

•~chapter fourty: free day~•

"So today, you all are free to go wherever you'd like!" Kanae announced. "But be back by five-thirty, because at six-o-clock, we'll be heading to our next hotel, and you don't want to be left behind, now do you!" She ended the last part, lightly chuckling.

Kanao stood alone in the hotel's lobby, trembling as she watched her classmates head off and get into groups. Where were her group mates?

As if on cue, Kanao heard her name being called, and she immediately saw the members of her group: Takahashi Himari and Miyamoto Chō.

"Well, should we go then? Himari? Kanao-san?" Chō asked in a businesslike manner.

"Y-yeah! Why don't we, um, head off?" Himari added on, her voice ending in a high, unpleasant squawk.

Tanjiro watched nervously as he watched the awkward trio head off, wondering worriedly what would happen to them.

•°•°•°•°•

Hmm. Cho thought, as they walked over to the train station. I had been caught off guard with being with Kanao's group, and Himari was too nervous to speak the other day, so we were unable to make plans for our free day. But never fear, Kanao! I'll make this the best trip you've ever had!

"Hey, Himari, Kanao!" Cho chirped in a sugarcoated voice. Kanao turned towards Cho at once, but Himari was focused on singing under her breath.

"Miku, Miku, you can call me Miku~"

"Er, Himari."

"Blue hair, blue tie, hiding in your wi-fi!"

"Hi-ma-ri."

"Open, secrets, anyone can find me.."

"Himari!"

"Hear your music, running through my mind!-"

"TAKAHASHI HIMARI!"

Both Himari and Kanao jumped when Cho shouted, and Himari questioned, "Yes, Cho?"

"Ahem. Sorry for scaring you two." Cho muttered, a pink flush littering her face. "As I was saying, I made us a schedule for today's activities."

Himari, who had recovered from her sudden trauma, nodded eagerly. "Thanks, Cho-san!"

Both girls suddenly turned their heads towards Kanao in a robotic motion, silently asking for her approval. When Kanao finally caught on, she shakily nodded, earning bright smiles from her group mates.

As the trio headed to the train station, Cho took a slightly wrinkled paper from her bag. It was covered with very neat handwriting and what seemed like a miniature map.

"So first of all, we'll take a train to Osaka, where we'll visit Utopia Street Japan." Cho mused.

Within a few minutes, the girls were on the train, taking their hour long trip. They sat in silence for a while, but Himari broke the silence by saying, "So, what do you do on your free time, Cho? Well, besides hanging out with your-"

"AHEM!" Cho said, clearing her throat loudly over Himari's teasing. "I play shogi in my free time. My grandfather's been teaching me, but what do you do in your free time, Himari?"

"Um!" Himari squeaked. "I just laze around. And what about you, Kanao-chan?"

Kanao wrote, Well, I just laze around too.

Himari was screaming mentally at these words. There it is! The "I don't do anything to be this pretty, I just laze around at home." that only pretty girls can say!!