I'm very very sorry for the late post 
Busy being a freshman in a university is kind of like a lame excuse isnt it 
Btw, enjoy this new chapt 
BAMMMM The sound of the ball hitting the surface of the palm, echoed in the hall. It was their fifth and final round, and their points were neck to neck with the other college. The crowds from both side of the stands cheered and jeered towards the team. The ace from the other team, Sayanee, had a fiery gaze on her face. Jurina lost to her team by just 3 points on the 3rd set the last time she played, but she won’t lose it this time.
Jurina’s inner competitive side is slowly revealing each day, and it does drive her nuts sometimes. The timer shows that they have 30 seconds left and it’s either if Jurina’s team score a point, or the other. The ‘pass’ from the other team hit the ball and was hit back again by the backcourt from Jurina’s team. Since she’s upholding the position of the serve, she needs to analyse quickly on when she should attack with her final technique.
“15 seconds left ! Would it be a tie?” boomed the commentator.
Yes, this is it. 3……… 2…… 1……….
Jurina leaped off in the air, doing her final technique, “The Vertical Jump” and smash the ball hard to the ground. Even the attackers from the other team couldn’t afford to hit the ball in time. The whistle blew, marking the end of the game. The crowds roared and so does Jurina’s team member. Jurina’s heart leapt as sudden triumph feel reached her. Their team members rushed towards her and lift her up.
“Wow wow guys…no, hey n—!” Ah, it’s no use telling them to stop carrying her around. After they had done circling the hall, they put her down back to the ground, while Jurina felt a little impure, as her buttocks were touched for numerous time while they carry her. She saw the others team ace, Sayanee, approaching her.
“Hey, that was a good play,” Sayanee complimented, “Your techniques have improved from the last time we played huh?”
“Nah….”denied Jurina, scratching her head, “You were awesome as usual.”
“Iya. I haven’t been practiced that mu—“ Sayanee was cut off by a moe looking girl, who suddenly cling on Sayanee’s arm.
“Milky…didn’t I told you to just wait over there?” fussed Sayanee, trying to loosen herself from Milky’s grip.
“Yada~~ Those girls over there are staring at you. You know I don’t like it,”pouted Milky. “You know they all don’t mean a thing to me,” Sayanee replied while blushing furiously.
Jurina seeing these two conversing in front of her, just stood there in an awkward state. “Err….”
“Ah sorry about that,”Sayanee realized the awkward situation, “Umm…this is my girlfriend, Milky.” Milky cheerfully shook Jurina’s hand. “Wow, your arms are so strong! I can feel it by just shaking your hand! Do you go to the gym often?”
“Umm….nope. Not really,” answered Jurina. Truthfully, the last time she went to the gym, it’s not because she wanted too, her high school friends sort of force her to go there, since there was a free trial.
“So, are you going to the Matsuri Festival this weekend?” Sayanee asked.
“Uh yeah, I’m going with my fr—“
“With that girl over there, right?” Milky pointed out at Rena, who was talking casually with a few people at the stands.
“H-How do y—?”
“Oh, I sat beside her during the match just now. She told me a lot of things about you. So I figure out you guys must have been dating or something.” Milky explained her conclusion with a satisfied tone.
“Uhh… actually we’re not ..umm… dat—“
“Well, we gotta go now,” Milky gripped more tightly on Sayanee, “See you on the festival, ne?”
“Uh..yeah….” Jurina then bid off to the couple. Her mind still thinking on what Milky said about Rena talking about her. What could Rena possibly tell
Milky about? thought Jurina as she racked her brains on frustration. As she set her mind to go straight to the shower room, it was a little impossible since a lot of people circled her and congratulate her and stuff. And the weird thing is, 90% of them are girls. Jurina almost got dizzy with the squealing girls here and there, luckily Mayu came to the rescue followed by YuiParu and Rena, and shooed them away.
They all congratulate her for the winning and the gain of new ‘fangirls’ , according to what Mayu said. Mayu told her that she would treat her for a special dinner.
“Wait…….you’re not going to cook are you?” Jurina’s mind wandered off again to the haunting memory of Mayu cooking them a burnt tempura.
“Baka ! I won’t !” enraged Mayu as she punch Jurina’s arm. “ I said, treat you to food. Not cook for you.”
“But I have to admit, Mayu’s cooking has been improving,” Paruru told them with an approving nod. Rena also agreed by adding, “Yeah, recently I also saw her reading some cooking books.”
“Okay enough. Rena, you’re not getting on their bad side too, right?” questioned Mayu, and they all laughed.
=
Jurina woke up with a sigh. She couldn’t slept that much that day. She decided to take a short nap during the mid evening, but it was no use. The festival was tonight and the streets were already bustled with stalls and lantern decorations. Mayu burst into her room with a neatly folded Yellow kimono in her hands.
“Aren’t you going to change yet?” asked Mayu as she sees the lazy Jurina still laying on her bed.
“Give me 60 seconds……” Jurina said before she dive her face in the pillows. She quickly changed into her kimono, which was already on her bedside desk. She rarely wore kimono, except on certain occasions where she really requires to wear it. Although kimono and yukata were their official traditional Japanese clothes, she finds it a little hard sometimes to move around while the front hem was tightly knotted on her waist.
Jurina checked herself in the mirror. Her hair was tied in a not-so-big bun while strands of her hair still came upon loose on her face. The ball blue with small white pattern flowers on her kimono, makes her look a little stand out, much to her dissatisfaction.
“Awww….Juritan is such a cutie,” Paruru came inside their room squealing. “Let’s put a little blusher on you.”
Somehow Jurina managed to runaway with that kimono draped on her. With small running steps, she almost toppled over someone as she lost her balance. Luckily, she managed to grab that someone’s shoulder. She looked up and saw a pair of brown orbs staring at her in a suprising state.
“E-Eh ! G-Gomen !,” Jurina quickly snatched away her hands from Rena’s shoulder. Bad hand, bad, bad hand, Jurina mentally face palmed in her mind. But her eyes immediately when to Rena’s attire. Her hair was also tied up like Jurina, but in a more neat way. Her cheeks were also in a pink shade. Jurina mentally pictured Paruru forcing over the blusher towards Rena earlier and stifled a small giggle.
“It looks bad isn’t it?” Rena’s sudden question snapped Jurina’s mind to reality. “Paruru t-told me to put it…”
“No, no. It’s really…r-really cute,” added Jurina. Seriously this girl, doesn’t she realize that everything she wears is cute. Rena blushed at the small compliment.
“Jurina looks c-cute too,” Rena began to blush more harder as she slipped the compliment. “What….you call this cute. I can barely even move.” Jurina denied as she stared down at the front hem of her kimono.
“Maybe you tied it too tight?” Rena approached behind Jurina and untie the bow behind Jurina. Even though they weren’t having some skinship or anything, but just by knowing Rena redoing her bow behind her makes everything so heart tightening.
“All done. It isn’t too loose right?” asked Rena in a concerned tone. “No, I like it this way. Thanks a lot.” Jurina slightly patted Rena’s shoulders to show her gratitude but she then heard a whistle coming from her right.
“Aww you guys are
sooooo cuteee,” mimicked Mayu while she high five Paruru. “You guys should go ahead together first. We’ll be going with our own partners later.”
“E-Eh--?” “What? I thought we’re going altogether?”
Paruru pushed both of them forward and out from their apartment. “Well, see you guys around. Don’t come back home too late and look after Rena here properly. Make sure she doesn’t trip on anyth—“
“I get it ! I get it ! Jeez ……”
=
The streets were filled with every walks of life. Kimono of different colours burnt Jurina’s eyes as they walked in the streets. The roadside were crammed with food stalls and lantern decorations. Jurina’s eyes were blinded by the aroma of the food filling her nostrils. Her stomach did churned but she tried to cover it, since she doesn’t want to look like a total person in hunger.
Jurina and Rena walked side by side. Neither starting a conversation, both kept averting eyes. Since the streets were bursting with people, some kept pushing here and there, rushing away. Jurina almost forgot how clumsy Rena could be, until she almost tumbled forward when some dude with his girlfriend bumped her. Luckily, Jurina managed to gripped Rena’s waist and pulled her by her side.
“T-Thank you….” Rena exhaled in relief. She wasn’t aware of the waist-grip for a moment and they continued walk in that position until both of them realised and hastily stopped in their tracks, before distancing themselves a little between each other.
As they were walking, some of the passer by kept greeting her and complementing her as usual. By now, Jurina has gotten a little used to all the overwhelming compliments and praises. She thought she’d reached her hundredth time of saying “Thank You” and “Thanks” tonight. Rena on the other hand, just keep quiet and merely nodded to all the people greeting them. They also came to an awkward situation when a few people asked whether they were an item.
“E-Eh..?”
“N-No…umm..we—“
“Iya….Rena-san is so lucky to have Jurina senpai. She’s not just talented, she’s good looking too.” A junior said that right in their face. Both of them were lost for words and simply chose to respond nothing.
Time went by and they heard sounds of the drums closing by. A hot tempered looking man with arms crammed with tattoos suddenly ordered the crowd to give way to the huge lantern parade. The scene was spellbinding. Wooden clappers echoing sharply, the young paraders on parade engage one another's paper lantern sculptures in a magnificent demolition derby. Gallant young voices echoed towards the crowd with cheers from the onlookers, following by the tan-tan-tan sound made by the taiko drums. It was truly amazing.
Jurina looked sideways to her left and saw Rena’s gleaming face watching the parade. Seeing such a happy look on the person she likes, make one heart skips a beat. Nah, it wasn’t a beat. More like her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. At that time, seeing Rena’s beaming face is more fascinating than seeing the huge lanterns itself.
But then Rena suddenly turned to face her. Their eyes met as if trying to reached an unexplainable message between each other. Jurina didn’t even blink an eye when those two brown orbs stared at her. But one thing she knew was her left hand suddenly reached out for Rena’s right hand and slowly, they interwined their fingers together. A genuine smile curved on Jurina’s lips.
“Wanna grab something?”
=
They went to some food stalls and bought a little bit of everything. They sat at one of the unoccupied benches which was a little further than the bustling streets. But at least, they’d found one. Because most of them were filled with couples, mostly students from their colleges. Jurina swear she saw a face which oddly looks similar to Mayu, but the thing is, she was in a position where her lips were completely eaten out by her partner. I soooo need to get that image off, thought Jurina.
A comfortable silence fills the surrounding between Jurina and Rena. Their hands still interwining with each other. One doesn’t feel the need of letting go. Jurina was slightly confused on where this skinship is leading, because usually, in books, or movies, one of them is going to confess their love to the partners. Should I—
“Jurina……..”
“Hmm?”
“W-What…..What do you think of me?” Jurina could feel Rena’s grip on her hand tightens as she ask the question.
“I-I…..” Jurina ungripped her hands from Rena. As soon as she released it, a solemn face could be seen in Rena’s face, even with the colourful lanterns decoration surrounding them.
A painful smile shot at Rena’s face. “No, it’s okay. I-I underst—“
It might not be one of the best confession like Jurina had ever read in books or saw in the TV. But oh well, a sudden hug wasn’t too bad, right? Wont it be to fast if they escalate into a kiss? Jurina thought to herself while her heart pounds like mad while she hugged a confused Rena.
“Ju-Jurina….w-what are you….?”
“You asked me what I think of you. And I… I don’t –“ Jurina released her hug and saw Rena’s questioning and anticipating look on her face. “I seriously don’t know how to explain this....but I…umm…. I… I wanna be with you.”
Rena’s puzzled face seems to be like she was processing the words Jurina just said. “You….You want to be with me? As if, friends or as if—“
“As if something like Paruru and Yui.” explained Jurina, recklessly trying to find the right words to say. “Do….do you want to?”
Rena just stared at Jurina in silence. Probably thinking whether Jurina was serious. But she immediatly found a clear answer when Jurina grabbed hold of her hands firmly. With a nod and a sincere smile, Rena replied, “Yes.”
=
It was already half past 1 in the morning and people were starting to head off back to their respective places. Students from the college, back to their dormitories. But some chose to head somewhere else though. And here was Jurina, hand in hand, with her roommate, who now turns to a something called a ‘lover’. A stupid plastic grin was plastered on Jurina’s face and she tried her best to wipe it off but it didn’t really work.
As they were reaching the college compound, they suddenly came face to face with the birdie girl, Churi, eating a huge lollipop and… Airin.
“Hey where have you guys…….been…..” Airin saw the two holding hands and a sudden crestfallen look showed on her face. The delicate fingers wrapping on Jurina’s also slowly slides away. Now what? thought Jurina.[/size][/font]
Topic: The Everyday Life - Chapter X (WMatsui) (12/8/14) (Read 31267 times)