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Dia rested with her back against her bed, her arms wrapped around Yoshiko’s stomach who sat with her back against Dia, a controller in hand to play the console she brought to Dia’s house. Chika lay on the bed behind them, a light novel held high over her head, the occasional giggle escaping her lips. A normal peaceful Saturday for the three.
But peace could only last so long. After a few minutes of silence aside from the noises of Yoshiko’s game, Chika slammed the book shut loud enough that Dia jumped a bit.
“C-Chika!”
Tossing the light novel aside, Chika sat up, turning a serious look to her girlfriends. Yoshiko paused her game and craned her neck to see her. A bout of silence followed as Chika seemed to ponder something and both Dia and Yoshiko waited for the tension to be cut with something serious, maybe a personal issue that she wanted to discuss between the three of them. Either way, they thought they were prepared. Until she actually spoke.
“When we get married… whose family name are we taking?”
If Dia hadn’t had her arms around her, Yoshiko would have fallen over in a comically overdramatic manner. But Dia caught her, barely able to hold herself up after that comment.
“… What?” Dia asked.
“You know, your mom probably took your dad’s family name, right? So, I was wondering whose we’re going to take. Honestly, I’m not sure how big a fan I am of Takami Dia or Takami Yoshiko. It’s cute but, hm…” Chika pressed a finger to her chin in thought. “Something just doesn’t sound quite right about it…”
Dia was about to ask why they can’t just keep their family names when Yoshiko responded first. “I agree. Maybe it’s just because it’s my family name, but Tsushima Chika and Tsushima Dia just… you know?”
“Yeah, I get it! It’s the same for me!”
“You know, there is such a thing as just keeping our family names, right?”
Chika swung her feet over the bed, nearly taking Dia’s head off in the process and jumped up. “But that’s not romantic at all! When you’re newlyweds, you’re supposed to be lost in the romance! And I think this is part of that! Yoshiko-chan gets it, right?”
As much as Chika expected her to follow, Yoshiko just shrugged. “I don’t really mind either way. I don’t mind taking one of your family names, it’s not like I’m really attached to the name Tsushima.” She started up her game again, directing her attention back to the television. “I’d be happy to take either of your names if you want me to.”
Dia assumed Chika took that as a win from her fist pump. “Well, what about you, Dia?”
“While I’m not particularly attached to my own name, my family might have something to say on the matter. I’m not against changing my family name, it’s just not something I think we need to worry much about.”
“Come on!” Chika plopped down next to the two, leaning into Dia. “You don’t get excited at the thought of people calling me Kurosawa-san? Kurosawa Chika doesn’t sound bad, right?”
Before she could deny it, that exact thought did in fact pop into her head. And it… wasn’t bad, she thought. But there was no way she was going to give Chika the satisfaction of knowing that with that smug grin sitting all comfortably on her face like she could read Dia’s mind.
“It does not.”
“Come ooooon! You’re being so stubborn about this, Dia. Just think of it as something to seal our eternal love or something.”
Dia knew exactly what Chika was trying to do with that but she heard the deep laughter of her girlfriend’s Yohane voice before she could respond. “Eternal love?” Yoshiko shimmied out of Dia’s grip and jumped to her feet. “I like it. Our pact of eternal love has already been made, of course!” She turned to face the two with a, “giran,” and struck a pose. “You’ve convinced me. I will be happy to take Dia’s name.”
“What? How did that get decided on?”
“It is a representation of this stream that we have conquered!”
“That’s the wrong kanji, Yoshiko. And I’d prefer if you did not refer to our relationship as ‘conquering’ me.”
Yoshiko shrugged off her mistake. “Regardless, a fitting name for one born of darkness such as myself.”
As Dia began to explain why that was a ridiculous reason for Yoshiko to change her name, Chika interrupted her with a call she had started at some point during the conversation. “Hey, You-chan. Eh? You’re on a date? Don’t worry, it won’t take that long! In fact, you can ask Ruby-chan too!”
“Seriously… You’re asking our friends now?”
Chika’s voice took on a much too serious tone for the conversation. “You-chan, Ruby-chan, tell me your honest opinions… Tsushima Chika or Kurosawa Chika?”
An audible “E-Eh!?” from Ruby made Chika pull the phone from her ear. Chika hit the speaker button to save her ears from another outburst. “Y-You’re getting married already!?”
“Not yet, Ruby-chan!” Chika laughed. “This is for the future. So, what do you think?”
Some muffled conversation on the other side ensued before Ruby’s voice came through again. “I think… I would be happy if Chika-chan and Yoshiko-chan had my family name.”
“Heh. The least I can do for one of my most loyal little demons.”
“In the first place,” Dia started, snatching the phone away. “You do realize polygamous marriage is not legal, correct?”
Chika sighed. “Oh, Dia. We’re not children, of course we know that.”
“Then―”
“But I’d like to see the government try to stop us from having a secret ceremony!”
Dia couldn’t decide if Chika’s line was attempting to sound cool or just a usual result of her idiocy. Well, whatever. “Sorry for interrupting your date, Ruby. I’ll let you go now. Remember to have her home by ten, You-san.”
There’s a pause on the other end before Ruby’s meek voice returns. “A-Actually, Onee-chan, I was wondering… if I could spend the night at You-chan’s tonight…” The hesitance was understandable considering Dia’s prior reactions to said request.
But she figured since Chika and Yoshiko were already there, they might end up asking to stay anyways. Without her parents there for the night, the chance was… likely. “That’s fine. Do you have a change of clothes and whatnot?” She was just a bit curious exactly how long they had planned said night.
“Oh, I have some clothes at You-chan's from―” What the three could only imagine were panicked You sounds come through the phone before Ruby speaks again. “I’m fine! I’ll talk to you later, Onee-chan!” And then hangs up.
When Dia turns to offer the phone back to Chika, she’s offered a smirk in return. “What is it?”
“Think about it, Dia. You’re losing one Kurosawa but gaining two. Not a bad deal, right?”
Yoshiko almost spit out the soda she started to take a sip of. Dia rolls her eyes. “Ruby is not getting married to You-san anytime soon. And what makes you so sure she’ll take her name?” They all blink once before Dia clears her throat. “Alright, I’ll give you that one. Haa, this conversation has me exhausted. I’m going to go wash my face. Are you two planning on staying over? I’ll grab the futons if you are.”
“Yeah!” They both called out.
“I figured. Well, I’ll be right back then.”
The trip to the bathroom and then the closet where they kept spare sheets and the futons provided her with a much-needed moment to gather her thoughts. How was it that every time Chika and Yoshiko were over they somehow managed to bring up an absurd conversation that would lead to possibly hours of discussion which would ultimately feel useless in the end. Like that time Chika insisted she had seen a UFO and Yoshiko agreed despite never having seen it herself. In the end, it was a stray balloon. The thought of going through something like that again had Dia rolling her eyes despite being alone.
Despite herself though, Dia smiled as she pulled the futons out. They may be idiots, but they were her idiots. She could almost choke on the cheese from that one. Plus, Chika had stuck that thought in her head and it now lived rent free. “Kurosawa Chika… Kurosawa Yoshiko… not bad.” She mumbled the names, feeling them out. Really not bad. She could imagine once the other two were used to that name, hearing somebody call out ‘Kurosawa-san,’ and having all three of them turn. The thought had a light laugh escaping and she mumbled the names again, enjoying how the names felt rolling off her tongue.
“Phew~”
“W-Wha!?”
The breath on her ear had Dia jumping, tossing the poor clean futons to the ground. Chika burst out laughing from her hidden spot in the restroom doorway. “Dia! That was such a cute sound!”
“Chika! Do you have to do things like that?” Chika’s innocent smile spoke volumes. “Don’t answer that, of course you have to.”
Just then, Yoshiko peeked out from Dia’s room. “I’ve heard my little demon’s call. And by call, I mean Dia’s adorable scream.”
By that point, Dia’s face had far surpassed that which could just be considered a blush. “I was just surprised by Chika! Come on, you two, help me pick these up.”
Yoshiko rushed over and picked up one by herself, laughing at Dia’s expense. Chika helped Dia with the other and they started a slow walk back towards the room. They had only been over a few hours and Dia already felt a headache coming on. Even when she thought the best of her girlfriends, they somehow pulled a new trick from the hat of annoyances. She’d give it to them that they could always come up with new ones.
“Hehe, sorry, Dia. I couldn’t help myself when I saw the chance.”
At the very least, Chika seemed genuinely apologetic, and it made Dia feel a little bad for getting annoyed by the fairly harmless prank. Yoshiko took a few steps back to get even with them. “I’m sure Dia’s just grumpy over our earlier.” She nudged Dia and received a frown in return. Yoshiko just snickered in return and quickly looped an arm around Dia’s, barely reaching back in time to keep the futon from crumbling to the ground.
“You’re insistent on making this walk harder, Yoshiko.” Yoshiko smirked but just kept walking.
Following her lead, Chika did the same, though on that side it actually kind of made it easier to keep the futon up with her closer. When Dia glanced her way, Chika just smiled, the kind of infectious one that had a smile forming on Dia’s lips before she could even think otherwise. She sighed, knowing that, once again, she had lost to them. It was pretty hard to stay annoyed with those two on her. Wasn’t often she got to walk like that with them anyways since they tried to avoid it in public. So she would enjoy this peace and quiet for as long as it lasted.
“So… ‘not bad,’ huh?”
Of course, that peace and quiet only lasted all but five seconds before Chika promptly started up a truck and rammed straight through it, reigniting Dia’s face in the process. Yoshiko burst out laughing.
“Chika!”