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Author Topic: YONJUHACHI JOGAKUEN (SayaMilky, YuiParu, YuriAnnin+) [Ch. Update: March 4, 2019]  (Read 33618 times)

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

It's been a while, isn't it  :) ? Thank you for reading the previous chapter. Extra thanks for clicking the thank you button and leaving comments. I am sorry for the delay. Things happened and I was reading more than writing lately.

@Haruko: She really will, won't she   XD ?

@no-chan: I'm glad it didn't leave you with some negative feelings. And about not-helping, don't worry, you're not the only one *chuckle*. No, really, no need to worry. Sometimes, any possible development in a story seems equally interesting that we just can't choose one, isn't it  :P ?

@jurenatsumina, Kirozoro, & weirdasspotatoe: Ooh, you'll see, soon  :lol:


Here is the next chapter. It's a rather short one, but I hope you enjoy reading it  :)



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STRANGERS (6)



Yokoyama Yui was sweeping the yard that afternoon when she heard the bell of the shrine rang. She turned her head, shifting her attention from the dry fallen leaves on the ground to the praying altar in the distance. She saw a familiar figure, so she stopped what she was doing and walked closer.

“If it isn’t Sayanee,” she smiled, “What a rare sight to see you here, praying at this time of the year.”

Yamamoto Sayaka just grinned before saying, “Is your uncle here?”

“Huh? Yes. He’s at the back, having his tea. Why are you asking?”

“I think I need some extra praying and some blessing from the high priest, just in case,” Sayaka chuckled.

“Eeeh? Whatever your wish is, it must pretty big, then,” Yui raised her brows, “If it’s anything that will happen in the near future, I can only think about the final exams. But, considering your grades, I don’t think you need any extra prayers for that.”

Sayaka laughed, “No. It’s definitely not about the exams.”

“Hm… Then, I wonder what that wish of yours is.”

Sayaka looked down, sighed, then smiled, “I think I need some extra praying and blessing to make sure that you won’t get mad at me…”

“Huh?” Yui looked confused, “Why is that? I am not mad at you.”

“But, I think you will…”

“Why would I be?”

Sayaka stole a glance at Yui who was then standing with her arms folded in front of her chest.

“…Because I gave your number and your email address to Shimazaki Haruka.”

It took Yui a second before she could comprehend Sayaka’s mumble.

“YOU DID WHAT???” she exclaimed when the words finally sank in.

“See?? I told you that you’ll be mad at me!”

“AND WHY WOULDN’T I!? HOW DARE YOU…!”

Yui tightened her grip on her broomstick. Sayaka looked like she was ready to flee at any second—just in case her best friend decided to launch an attack, chasing her around with the broomstick in hand. But, Yui was just standing there, trying real hard not to do just that.

“I am really really sorry,” Sayaka finally said while bowing deeply in front of her best friend, “But, I did it for you.”

“How can you even say that you did it for me!? I never asked you to! You know how I feel about this! You know how hard this all is for me…!” Yui said, feeling betrayed.

Sayaka raised her head, standing up straight.

“I know... That is why I said I am really sorry,” she said, full of guilt, “And... because I also know that you are hurting inside, I believe that I am doing the right thing.”

Yui stared at her angrily. Rage was evident in her eyes. But, Sayaka held her gaze, feeling determined.

“She is not someone from your past, Yui-han. She was not the one who hurt you. It’s not right to treat her the way you are doing right now. Holding her responsible for something she had never done… You’re not being fair to her. You’re just hurting yourself in the process as well.”

Yui averted her gaze. She looked to her side, not wanting to acknowledge the truth in her best friend’s words. Looking at the sight in front of her, Sayaka just sighed deeply.

“I just want you to be happy. I want you to live a life with no regrets. But, if you continue going with this pace, there will surely be a lot of things that you’ll regret.”

Sayaka paused for a second, trying to find the right words to convey what she had in mind.

“It won’t be easy, but please do try to forgive and let go. If you cannot forgive and let whatever happened in your past go… at least, please try to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for once again falling for someone you thought you’re not supposed to. Forgive yourself for not being able to admit it. Then, you’ll probably be able to see things differently. After all, Shimazaki-san is a good person.”

Yui gave no response. She stayed silent, still refusing to look at Sayaka. So, Sayaka took a deep breath and smiled.

“Jaa… I think that is all from me. I am sorry if I said too much. I understand if you’re even more angry at me right now. Later on, if you’re not mad at me anymore, I am just a phone call or a text message away. Do contact me anytime you feel like it.”

Sayaka then turned around and walked away. She left, leaving Yui still standing at the same spot, reminiscing a certain past she had been trying really hard to forget.







To be continued...


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Offline Haruko

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eh!!?!?! I want more!!! what happend?!?!

Offline @gee

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  • JUST AN ORDINARY WOTA GIRL - I'LL SHIP WHAT I SHIP
AAAAAAHHHHH CLIFFHANGER......

seriously, this chapter make a silent reader like me get so curious and can hold to give a comment.... (I'm not complaining though, so take this as a compliment will you?)

Now I can't stop wondering about Yui past, who is that girl???

Update soon.....
MY FICS LIST:
*Senpai Please Notice Me (TakaYui x Atsumina Fic) (on going)
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=37676.msg1304156#msg1304156

*Kuroishi Jealosy (One Shoot)
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=38582.msg1311010#msg1311010

*Nogizaka Girls High School Club Love Story (on going)
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=39333.msg1337015#msg1337015

* LOVE STRIKE [NOGIZAKA46 FIC / HATSUMORI BEMARS AU] (on going)
http://forum.jphip.com/index.php?topic=40738.msg1380158#msg1380158

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

Thank you for reading the previous chapter and wanting for more  :lol:

@Haruko: It really was a short chapter wasn't it? Hehe... Sorry for that  XD . Here's more.

@gee: I did take it as a compliment. Thank you XD  Yui's past won't be revealed on this chapter. Probably on the next one after this  :)


I have been thinking that, as the story drags on longer, the title seems more and more unsuitable for the story. But, I still have no idea what would be a better title for this YuiParu story. So, I am open for suggestions, Friends. Or, I will probably wait until I am done with this story before re-reading the whole chapters and re-consider some title change. Anyway, here's the next part. Hope you enjoy reading it :)



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STRANGERS (7)



“Ne, ne, Paruru-chan,” said Watanabe Milky, trying to grab her friend’s attention.

“Un?” Shimazaki Haruka responded without taking her eyes off the magazine page she had been reading for the last few minutes.

“Have you tried contacting Yui-han?”

Haruka took a deep breath before answering. She knew that, sooner or later, Milky would raise that topic in their conversation. They were actually just lounging around in Haruka’s room that evening, browsing through pages of Haruka’s fashion magazine collections—not in the mood of finishing some homework that was due the day after tomorrow.

“No.”

“Are you going to?” Milky said, not hiding her curiosity at all.

Haruka took another deep breath, before saying, “I don’t know. Should I?”

Milky sat up from her lying position and put her forefinger on her pouted lips, thinking.

“I don’t really know either… I’m not sure how Yui-han would react.”

Haruka turned her gaze toward Milky, “Haven’t you been in this kind of situation with Yokoyama-san before?”

“Mm… No.”

Haruka raised one of her eyebrows, “So, you were able to become her friend from the very start?”

Milky shook her head.

“I don’t think she considers me as her friend. Not even now.”

The answer left Haruka confused.

“The first time I talked with her, she didn’t show any interest in me at all. She didn’t even ask for my name. She never avoids me. But, she never really initiates any conversation or talk to me if it wasn’t really necessary either. We just naturally spend some time together since I started going out with Sayanee,” Milky then giggled, “Rather than a friend, I think she’s just trying to tolerate my presence since I am her best friend’s girlfriend.”

Haruka blinked once, then twice—trying to let the words sink in. After a while, she turned her attention back to her magazine.

“So, you really are going out with Yamamoto-san?” she said absent-mindedly, trying to change the topic of the conversation.

“I am. I thought you know that already,” Milky giggled even more, “I think the whole school knows.”

“I heard about it, but I don’t know. You never really talk about it and everyone else in the school doesn’t make a fuss about it either. So, I kind of thought that you are just super close friends or something like that. You tend to be clingy and kind of flirty with all the other girls, too, after all,” Haruka laughed a bit.

“Well, that is true. But, even if you say so, there’s nothing to talk about really. It’s a relationship, just like any other. I love her and she loves me,” Milky giggled, “Now that you know that for sure, does it make you feel disgusted?”

Haruka tried to think about it for a moment before saying, “No. I don’t feel disgusted or uncomfortable or anything like that. You’ve been with her even before I hear anything about it and I think you both look cute. Knowing for sure that you both really are going out doesn’t change anything.”

Milky smiled at her best friend’s blunt remark.

“I am just curious, though,” Haruka continued, “How is going out with a girl be any different that being a really close friend of hers… I mean, skinship between girls tends to be accepted more than among guys, so many girls do it casually. How is it any different with going out with one or loving her romantically?”

Milky looked stunned for a moment before starting to giggle even more.

“I’m not going to say anything about the skinship.”

Haruka blushed at the thought of what that statement might imply.

“It’s still different, though. It feels like I want to be with her all the time. When we’re not together, I think of her every now and then. Whenever I found something interesting, I want to contact her and tell her about it right away. Whenever we end a phone call or a text conversation, I feel like I can’t wait to talk to her again. Many times, I found myself talking about her in almost every conversation I have with others. Most of the time, I didn’t even realize I was doing it. It’s like she’s always on my mind even when I don’t have any intention to think about her… I think it’s more like what someone may feel when she’s in love with a boy. It’s just that, in my case, it’s a girl.”

Haruka smiled at the rare expression shown on Milky’s face.

“Ah! And I kinda hate it when she says that she’s okay or stays silent when I know for sure that there must be something wrong! It feels like I have an itch, an urge to read her mind, because troubles are written all over her face, but I just can’t read the writings,” Milky giggled, “Isn’t there anyone with whom you ever felt that way before?”

One particular face instantly popped up in Haruka’s mind when Milky voiced that question. But, she immediately turned her eyes back to her magazine, trying to erase the thought.

“No,” was the answer she gave—although she knew that it was not true.

That conversation they had the previous evening kept Haruka awake almost all night. The same conversation replayed itself in her mind as she sat back in her car on the way to the school that morning. She was just about to curse Milky—and also herself—for the nth time for the lack of sleep and her inability to concentrate when the car stopped abruptly. She heard her driver’s immediate apology before he went out to check on the car. When she saw some smoke coming out from the lifted hood, Shimazaki Haruka sighed and put her hand on her temples. She should have just stayed home and got more sleep that morning—she thought.

After a few minutes of the driver’s futile attempt to fix the car, Haruka looked at the clock on her phone and got off. She was just about to tell the driver that she would just walk to school when a bicycle made a stop right beside her. Before she could turn to see who the person on the bicycle was, she heard the familiar voice.

“Is everything all right?”

It was Yokoyama.  Her face was straight, her expression was cold—like usual. But, the voice was full of genuine concern. Shimazaki Haruka silently cursed her luck. Why should she show up at a time like this? As if staying up almost all night—thinking about her—was not enough, the universe just decided to shove the real person into her miserable morning?

“The car broke down. But, it’s all right. I was just about to walk,” Haruka answered, averting her eyes from Yokoyama’s.

The girl got off from her bicycle and walked to the driver. She looked under the lifted hood and had a short conversation with him—making sure that the driver knew the number of the auto repair shop. Then, she walked back to Haruka.

“Let me give you a ride,” she said, more like a statement than an offer or a request.

“It’s all right. I can walk to school,” Haruka answered shortly.

“It’s still quite a long way.”

It was true. Haruka’s house was quite far away from the school. She never really saw any other students walked on the road she usually took. That was why her father insisted on her going to school by car. But, Haruka decided to be a bit stubborn that morning.

“It’s all right,” she said.

“But-“

“I will be all right,” she cut Yokoyama’s word immediately and started to walk away.

But, Yokoyama took her hand and stopped her.

“Please.”

This time, concern was not only evident in the girl's voice, but also written all over her face. It reminded Haruka on the day they first met. It also reminded her on that time during gym class when Yokoyama saved her from a wayward ball.

“Let me take you to school.”

Was it the expression she had on her face? Was it because of the voice that sounded a bit softer than usual? Shimazaki Haruka was not sure. But, a few heart beats after that, she found herself sitting at the back of Yokoyama’s bicycle. She was still trying to think clearly about the whole situation when she felt her right hand being taken and put around the other girl’s stomach.

“You may want to hold on tight, or we’re going to be late.”

Shimazaki Haruka didn’t know whether it was the speeding bicycle, the cold autumn wind, or the warmth of Yokoyama’s body being so close to her. All she knew was her heart had never pounded as hard as it did that morning.









To be continued...



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Offline tigers parade

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AHHH, SO CUTE!
Keep up the good work :twothumbs

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

I am back with another chapter :) I know it's been a long time. I also think that I have been dragging this story longer and longer. I wonder if I will be able to finish it within the next 1 or 2 chapters without making the ending felt rushed. The truth is: the ending had been in my mind since chapter 3 or 4, but I was still not sure how to bridge the latest chapter to that ending. So, please just bear with me a bit longer...  :P

@tigers parade: Thank you. I'm glad you seemed to enjoy the story :)

So, here's the 8th part :)



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STRANGERS ( 8 )



“You’re being a nuisance.”

Yokoyama Yui stopped in her track. A competition was coming up and she was asked to help the kyudo club again that year. But, since she was not a regular member of the club, she needed to fetch some extra equipment from the storage room and bring them to the kyudo club room. She was walking toward the back of the gym—trying to take a shortcut to reach the clubroom faster—when she heard that sentence voiced in a cold tone.

“You should stop bothering her.”

Yokoyama Yui had an idea of what was going on. She knew she should hurry up and stop it. But, right at that moment, she could feel some beads of cold sweat forming on her temples. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could also feel her hands started shaking a little.

“We don’t care if you’re the director’s daughter or what. Don’t you know that Yui-han hates you? You should at least notice that she avoided you like the plague. Making her giving you a ride to school is plain annoying!”

There was a loud thump on Yokoyama Yui’s chest upon hearing those last sentences. She knew immediately with whom that person was talking to. She knew instantly what they were talking about. There was no doubt on what was going on. She knew that she had to get there quickly. So, she tightened her grip on the bow and forced her feet to move.

“What are you doing?” was the question she voiced when she saw four third year girls circling another girl in a threatening poses.

Startled, the girls immediately turned to her. The action enabled Yui to see Shimazaki Haruka standing in the middle of the circle. She looked just as startled as the other girls.

“Yui-han! No, nothing. We’re just having a chat with the transferred student,” said the girl who stood right in front of Haruka, “Right?”

All of her friends nodded in unison.

“Right?”

This time, she directed the question to Shimazaki Haruka who was looking at the ground. The girl didn’t say a word. But, she reluctantly nodded. What she saw made Yui frowned.

“Bullying is a violation of article number 3 point 1 of the school regulations.”

Her voice might sound calm. But, her eyes were giving them an icy glare.

“Of course! We know that! We’re not bullying her,” another girl chimed in while putting her arm around Haruka, “Right?”

The younger girl looked very uncomfortable.

“Leave her alone,” Yui said while letting some of the equipment she carried fell to the ground—leaving only an arrow in one hand and a bow in the other.

“We really are not bullying her! We’re good friends! Right?” said another girl while touching Haruka’s shoulder with her hand, “You should also say something, Shimazaki-chan!”

“I said,” Yokoyama Yui tightened her grip on the bow, attaching the arrow on the string, and aiming the bow towards the girl while pulling the string back, “Leave her alone.”

“W-wait! You’re not serious, are you?” the older girls started to look panicked.

“Try me.”

“H-hold on! Threatening another student with violence... Isn’t that also a violation of the school regulation? Isn’t it the real bullying here?”

Yokoyama Yui didn’t give any answer. She was just pulling the string a bit further back.

“You have three seconds to apologize and leave,” she finally said.

“Are you serious!?”

“One...,” she focused her gaze on an imaginary target.

“W-wait!”

“Two...,” she inhaled some air to fill her lungs.

“You really are misunderstanding things here!”

“Thr...”

Yokoyama Yui was about to release the arrow as she exhaled. But, one of the older girls immediately gave a deep bow to Haruka, forcing the other girls to do the same.

“We’re really sorry, Shimazaki-san!”

Right after she said that, she pulled her friends’ hands and ran away. Yokoyama Yui had gone crazy. They would surely stop being her fans after that incident.

Meanwhile, right after they left, Yokoyama Yui felt like all power had suddenly been drained from her body. She had to lower her hands and sit on the ground because her legs could not support her body any longer. In between her hard breathing, she could hear Shimazaki Haruka running to her side.

“Are...you...all right?” she managed to say somehow.

“I’m okay,” Shimazaki Haruka answered while kneeling in front of her, “Are you?”

“I’m...all right...”

Yokoyama Yui wanted to assure her with a small smile. She really tried to. But, as she said those words, she could feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Before she could stop it from happening, they had started trailing down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop the sobs that followed either. No matter how hard she tried to hold them back, they just kept on coming. Within seconds, she had crumbled in front of Shimazaki Haruka.

“Just... leave me alone...,” she said while shielding her face with her hands.

“But...,” Haruka tried to argue.

“Please...,” she pleaded.

Why did it always turn out like this? Why did something bad always happen when she started to feel attracted to others? Why couldn’t other people leave her alone? Why should they drag her and the person she liked down? Didn’t she also deserve some kind of happiness?


Disgusting.


Sick.


I hate you!


You should’ve just died.




As voices from the past returned to haunt her, Yokoyama Yui crumbled even more.








To be continued...



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Offline ミサキ

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  • misaki. 46/48G lover. yoroshiku
    • Misakii46
eh? nani? nani? nanii? what happened to yuihan? Σ(゚ロ゚)
why she always avoid paru?!(・・ ) ?

please update soon!  ☆ ~(^▽^人)
just a simple otaku and silent reader

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

I want to make sure that I can finish this story soon. So, I've been using every bit of any extra hour I could have to work on it. Hope you like this continuation as much as I like writing it (despite trying so hard not to exhaust myself over writing it and doing work  :nervous )

@Tupi: Thank you. And sorry, I guess it really was kinda short, huh  XD ? Well, you'll know what happened to her in this chapter.

@ミサキ: I'm trying to update as fast as I can in between my drowning in work XD Sorry if it's not fast enough. Your question will be answered in this chapter... Well, kinda. At least, half of it. The other half will be in the next chapter :)

Enjoy :)



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STRANGERS (9)



News sure traveled fast, Shimazaki Haruka thought. A day after the incident, the whole school had heard the story about Yokoyama Yui threatening to shoot other students with kyudo bow and arrow. Rumor had it that the number of Yokoyama’s fans had gotten drastically smaller. But, many of her die-hard fans refused to believe such gossips. Some insisted that there’s no way the well-mannered and level-headed Yokoyama-han would do such thing. If something like that really happened, there must be some really strong reasons that made her take such a desperate measure.

Yes. Of course there was. Shimazaki Haruka knew full well what that reason was. There wasn’t any misunderstanding. Yokoyama Yui did threaten those sempai when she directed her arrow at them—and she did it for Shimazaki Haruka’s sake. Funny enough, among all of the twisted versions of the story Haruka had heard since the morning, not once had she heard her name being mentioned. Unless... if those sempai were the ones spreading the rumors and they just didn’t want to get in any trouble for bullying the director’s daughter. Of course. No other student knew about the incident except them anyway. Haruka gritted her teeth.

“It is very unusual that Yokoyama-han doesn’t attend school today.”

“Huh. After such actions, it is only natural that she feels ashamed of herself.”

“Well, if it were me, I will not want to show my face at school either.”

“You all are wrong. She did show up this morning, but she got called into the director’s office before the bell even rang.”

Shimazaki Haruka was trying to drown out all of the annoying chatters about Yokoyama Yui as she was walking in the hall way during lunch period. But, those last words she overheard stopped her cold. She looked to the source of the voice and found Oba Mina, one of the girls she managed to make friends with, talking with some of her classmates in front of class K.

“Minarun, is that true?” she didn’t even bother to say ‘hi’ or any prior greeting before butting in to their conversation.

“Ah, Paru!” said Oba, startled, “What is true?”

“About Yokoyama-san being called to the director’s office.”

“Ah, yeah. I saw it myself,” she explained, “I was on my way to the teacher’s lounge to get some handouts this morning when the principal called her and said that she should come to the director’s office with her.”

“Thank you.”

Shimazaki Haruka didn’t even wait for a reply from the girl. She instantly dashed to the director’s office. The door was closed. But, without any hesitation, she opened it and barged right in.

“Papa!”

It turned out that her father was not alone. But, it was not Yokoyama Yui who was standing in front of his table. It was Yamamoto Sayaka. They both turned her way, startled by the interruption.

“I believe that you fully understand the importance of knocking and waiting for permission before walking through a door, Shimazaki-san,” was the scolding that followed.

Shimazaki Haruka lowered her head before mumbling a, “...Sorry.”

“Well, that aside, you may stay. Yamamoto-san is almost finished here and I was about to call you anyway,” he said, “So, please continue, Yamamoto-san.”

Yamamoto Sayaka seemed a bit uncomfortable. Haruka got a feeling that she hesitated on what she was about to say—probably because she was standing there. But, in the end, Sayaka said it anyway.

“As I explained, Sir... Yokoyama-han was a victim of severe bullying herself during her first year in junior high. It was a traumatic experience that forced her to transfer to this school. The effect was so devastating that her family believed that her living here with her uncle, far away from her parents and older sister, would be far better than staying there. There’s no way that she would be a bully herself, Sir. Not after going through everything and experiencing the destructing impact first hand. There must be some misunderstanding related to her case. So, please, look into this case once again and re-consider about her punishment.”

Yamamoto Sayaka ended her plead with a deep bow. She was not moving until the director stated that he understood. He was not going to promise anything. But, he would look into the case once again. So, Yamamoto Sayaka did the only thing she could do—she said her thank you, gave another deep bow, and left, but not before exchanging glances with Haruka.

From that fleeting seconds of glances, Haruka came to an understanding. Was this past experience somehow related to Yokoyama Yui’s attitude toward her? Was this the reason Yui was avoiding her? But,... why?

“Haruka!”

“Ah, yes!” Shimazaki Haruka was startled by her father’s sudden call.

“I’ve called you a few times, but you didn’t seem to pay attention,” he frowned, “You are my daughter and I love you so much. But, I’m also still the director of this school. So, make sure that you watch your manner.”

“Yes... I’m sorry.”

“Well, that aside,” her father motioned her to take a seat on the couch before sitting on the opposite couch himself, “I did want to call you and ask a few things about this case of Yokoyama-san. I’m sure you’ve heard?”

“Yes,” Haruka said, lowering her gaze.

“I want to talk to you because we actually have a witness...”

That caught Haruka’s attention.

“Apparently, Kojima-sensei saw the incident from the second floor window as she walked in the hall way. But, she didn’t think too much about it until the rumor was spread, so she couldn’t tell us much. But, she did mention that she thought she saw you in the scene. So, were you really there?”

“Yes.”

“Could you tell me what happen?”

“Yes.”

Haruka told her father everything. She mentioned how Yokoyama Yui had offered her a ride the previous morning because their car broke down. She talked about how it seemed to anger some sempai who then asked her to come with them to the back of the gym. She told her father about the intimidation and how Yokoyama Yui was actually just helping her.

She felt a little relieved somehow. She came to talk about it with her father after all. She didn’t actually want to let her father know about it before because she didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. But, now that Yokoyama Yui might face a severe punishment because of it, she was determined to tell her father everything.

“I see... Do you know the name of those sempai?”

If her father was angry, he didn’t show it. But, Haruka knew it must have angered him somehow. There’s no way he would let the sempai go unpunished.

“I don’t know, but...” she proceeded to describe how they looked.

“Thank you. Someone must have been able to identify them based on your description. I’ll make sure to find out about their names and their classes. I will also talk to Principal Ohori. They will also get a punishment for violating the school regulation. We have zero-tolerance policy on bullying after all.”

“Is that mean the punishment for Yokoyama Yui will be lifted?” Haruka asked, full of hope.

“No.”

Her hope crumbled down. She felt disappointed. Is there really any point in her telling her father everything then? She didn’t care about taking revenge or anything. All she cared about was what would happen to Yokoyama Yui...

“When I asked her this morning, Yokoyama-san didn’t deny anything. She admitted that she had threatened other students with violence. She didn’t even mention anything about saving you,” her father recalled.

Shimazaki Haruka frowned.

“If it was up to me, I would say that I am really grateful that she helped you twice yesterday,” her father continued, “But, we have zero-tolerance policy on any kind of violence, not only bullying. Threatening to shoot other students, even more with a sharp arrow, and admitting it... There’s no way we can let her free without any punishment, Haruka.”

He sighed.

“I told her that she is suspended for the time being, until the school decides what the punishment for her action will be.”

“But...! Papa! The final exams will be in less than a month! And... Isn’t the kyudo competition will take place right after that?” Haruka protested.

“I know. I even considered suspending her until after the exams and holding her back, making her repeat a whole school year. Either that or expelling her altogether.”

Shimazaki Haruka was ready to continue her protest, but his father held his palm up, stopping her.

“But, I do take your story and her reason into consideration. So, I’ll make sure that she will only be suspended until the week before the final exam. It will probably be hard to maintain her perfect grades. But, it should not be a big problem for her. Sadly, she will still be permanently banned from the kyudo competition and even from any kyudo club activity.”

Haruka reluctantly nodded. She knew that it was the best her father could do. There would be no point in arguing more. So, she asked for a permission to leave as the bell had also rung, signaling that the lunch period was over.

As she walked in the hall way toward her class, she took her cell phone out. After all that happened, she felt a strong urge to text a certain somebody right away.







To be continued...



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Offline Haruko

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Wooot no way!! but why!?!?! Yuihan doesn't deserve this! She helps her daughter! agh.. well now paru needs to talk with her.. ASAP!

Offline Soysaucee

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Paru! Heal her! Visit her house when she's suspended! Kiss her or something omg!

I wish Paru would just contact her directly for once :/

Good luck author-san and keep on writing! :D

Offline ミサキ

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thank you for updating author-san! i'm enjoying your fic (o´▽`o)
eh? yuihan was a victim of bullying? and nooo... she is suspended from kyudo club activity ☆o(><;)○ paru don't just call, visit her too
please update soon! m(_ _)m
just a simple otaku and silent reader

Offline phoenix0i

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It's good to be back and reading.
This fic is really great!
Thank you author-san!
SayaMilky is really a cute couple.  :cathappy:
Discovering the wonders of your vague imagination.
Taeny, Atsumina and SayaMilky <3

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

It's really nice to see all of your thanks and comments. Thank you. You made me feel very happy :) And for all of you, Silent Readers, I know you're there. Thank you for reading this stories. I hope you like them, too :)

@Haruko: Well,... She did deserve it. A threat is a psychological violence and violence is a big no no, especially in Yonjujo. But, don't worry. All of this punishment will surely give Paruru no other option but to contact her, won't it :P ?

@Soysaucee: We seemed to have similar line of thinking, lol. Thank you. I also hope that Paruru will do all that... But, we'll see... :P

@ミサキ: You're welcome. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. :) I'll try to update as fast as I can.

@phoenix0i: It's good to read a new comment :) Thank you. I'm glad that you seem to like it. SayaMilky really are cute couple, aren't they :) ?


So, here's the new chapter. As I mentioned before, the other half of Yuihan's past will be revealed here. So, it will be kinda long and it may get a bit ugly. But, just try to endure it for a bit, okay? For there will always be light after the dark... :)

Enjoy.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRANGERS (10)



Yokoyama Yui sighed. Since she was suspended, she didn’t have anything to do. What should she do tomorrow? Or the day after? Did she still have to do all the homework and turn them in later? She wondered.

Yes. Yokoyama Yui was more troubled about those than the real punishment that might be given to her later. She was fully aware of her action. She had gone overboard. She had to be ready with whatever consequences she might need to face.

Her uncle was kind enough to not question anything when he saw her coming back from school very early that morning. Well, perhaps his own experience on being suspended gave him enough wisdom to know about what to say—or not to say—in such situation. His hair—which was kept dyed rather brown—was a reminder of his own rebellious teenage years. Everyone in that small town had heard the story about Omizo Kiyoto the bike gang member. Who would have thought that he would be a Shinto priest now? Despite all that, Yokoyama Yui had told him about the suspension and the cause right away. She had even started discussing school options, just in case she would be expelled from Yonjujo.

“Well, let’s save this discussion for later. We don’t want to jump the gun, do we?” her uncle smiled kindly.

Yokoyama Yui nodded although she was quite sure the expulsion would happen.

“Rather than that... How do you feel, Yui-chan?”

“I am...fine.”

Her uncle didn’t question her answer. But, he spent some time to look at Yui properly—trying to see any sign of discomfort.

“Then, is it all right if we talk about the incident a bit more?”

“...yes,” was her answer.

“Why did you do it?”

Her uncle’s question was simple enough. It was very easy to comprehend. But, Yui found herself struggling to form an answer. Why did she do it?
Flashes of memories from the past started to cloud her mind. Voices she had been trying to forget were coming back again. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to block them all out. But, it didn’t work.


A girl was standing in front of the window. Her younger self was sitting on her seat, collecting her belongings and put them all in her bag. The sun had started to set. It colored the empty classroom in a rather orange hue.

“I think I fell in love with you,” was the words the girl said.

Yui’s younger self snapped her head toward the girl. A bit confused by the confession, she tilted her head. She remembered herself thinking whether it was really possible, whether she had heard it right. She started wondering whether the girl was joking. But, the sad smile on the girl’s face negated that thought.



The scene changed.


They were walking home together hand-in-hand. They talked about everything and nothing. They laughed every now and then. It felt like any other day. Nothing changed despite her best friend’s confession days before. Yui’s younger self smiled.


Another flash of memories replaced it.


An infirmary. A girl was sitting on the bed. Yui’s younger self was sitting on a chair next to it. The speaker made a crackling sound before an announcement was heard. The school nurse was called to the administration office. She left the girl alone.

“I think... I fell in love with you, too,” was what Yui said before the other girl moved in for a kiss.

Right when their lips touched, the infirmary’s door was abruptly opened. Another student was standing at the door, stunned.

Then all hell broke loose.

Lesbian. Disgusting. Die.

The words were written all over their desks and their lockers. No matter how many times they cleaned them, the words would be there again the next day and the days after. Rumors went around like rapid fire. Other students and even teachers started to whisper things behind their backs. Some didn’t even try to be discreet about it at all. They were called names and ostracized. Not long after that, they found themselves in the principal’s office.

“Was it true?”

Yui’s younger self could not give any answer. Fear left her paralyzed. Her feet felt cold. Her throat was dry. The other girl started to sob.

“I repeat. Was it true?”

The voice was colder. The fear in her grew bigger—even more when the principal slammed his palm on his table.

“Answer me!”

The other girl sobs turned worse. She tried to talk, but nothing came out. The sobs soon turned into wheezing sounds. The girl struggled to breathe.

Yui’s younger self could only stared at the floor. She stayed silent as the principal started rambling about how his daughter had never been “like that” before. None of his daughters were “like that.” It must have been Yui’s bad influence. In the end, Yui’s younger self was suspended for a week.



The scene changed again.


Yui’s younger self came back to school after her suspension only to find her being moved to a different class. Everyone stared at her as she walked down the hall way. The rumor had started to die down. But, the harsh treatment continued. The other student avoided her like the plague. Mean words appeared at the back of the handouts put on her table. More than once, her bag was hidden. When she finally found it, mean words were written on every blank page in her books. Many times, her shoes disappeared from her shoe locker, only to re-appear in the trash bin.


But, the one that hurt her most was the only person she cared about...


“Ricchan...”

The girl didn’t answer. She also refused to see her. When it seemed like she would cross path with Yui at school, she took a sudden turn to avoid that from happening. She always walked with some friends and acted like she didn’t hear anything no matter how many times Yui tried to talk with her.

“Ricchan...”

“Stop following me, you creep!” was the words she finally said that one day, “I am not like you!”

Yui’s younger self was stunned.

“In fact... I hate you! You should have just died!”

She and her friends left right after that. Yui could only stare at their retreating backs.



The day turned into night.


Yui’s younger self was tired. She was tired of crying. She was tired of trying. She kept on hearing the echoes of girl’s words in her head. She looked at the scissors in her hand. Maybe the girl was right... It may be better that way...


“Yui-chan!”

Yokoyama Yui opened her eyes. She didn’t realize that she had started shaking. Nor that she realized that she had held her head with both hands and bowed deeper and deeper until she almost curled herself up in a fetal position. Her uncle needed to hold her and shook her harder to bring her back to the here and now.

“I... I...” were the only coherent words she could utter.

“No, you don’t have to say anything,” her uncle immediately said, “I am sorry for asking such a foolish question.”

Yui shook her head. It wasn’t her uncle’s fault at all. It was all her. Her fault. Hers.

“Let’s see your doctor this afternoon, okay?”

Yui wanted to say no. She had stopped taking any medicines for two years. She didn’t want to do it all over again. Although she was still unable to form any words, her discomfort was not gone unnoticed.

“I know you don’t want it. But, you are a smart girl. You know you have to. You need to,” her uncle said softly while stroking her back.

Yes. Yui knew that well.

“This Shimazaki girl... You care about her a lot, don’t you?”

Yui didn’t answer.

“I’ve been wondering when this time will come. I’ve been thinking about what may happen if you have started to feel attracted to other people again. Will it possibly a boy? Will it be another girl? Will you be okay whoever that person will be? But, you know what?”

Yui stayed silent.

“I don’t care with whom you will fall in love. The only thing I care about is you. Your health. Your happiness. Being able to feel love is a blessing, not a curse. I want you to be able to see that and embrace it. But, I know it won’t be easy, considering everything you’ve been through. So... Let’s see the doctor this afternoon, okay? It will probably be easier to talk about this with her than with your uncle,” he laughed, trying to lighten the mood, “Just talk it out with her. She will surely know what we can do to make you feel better. After all... I don’t want to see you suffer each time love comes to you.”

Yui knew her uncle cared about her. He really did. A whole lot. He was the only one who was patient enough to walk her though hell and back. His words were always kind no matter how tired he was in dealing with Yui’s symptoms. That was the reason she chose to start living with him. That was the reason her parents agreed on her living with him. Then, that was also the reason Yui found herself sitting in the hospital’s waiting room, right outside her psychiatrist’s door, that afternoon—sighing as she recalled everything that happened that morning.

Yui looked at the door. Thirty minutes had passed since the man who sat next to her was called in. There was still no sign of his session ending soon. Feeling tired of sitting down, her uncle decided to walk around and get some coffee from the vending machine. He then started talking with a male patient about the winter that seemed to come late that year.

Yui decided to take her cell phone out, thinking of browsing through the internet or something to pass the time. But, right when she held it in her hand, it vibrated and the screen lighted up, showing that she got a new email. She wondered if it was from her fellow student council officers. They were the only ones sending her emails lately. Sayanee—and sometimes Watanabe Miyuki—had always been texting her through LINE since she installed the application on her phone.


---Hello.---


That was the only thing written in the body of the email. Looking at the sender’s unfamiliar email address, she knew it was not from any of her student council friends. But, she had an idea of who the person might be.


===Hello, Stranger.===


She sent her reply.


---Do you always reply an email from a stranger?---


Yui raised one of her eyebrows before sending another reply.


===Do you always send an email to other people without introducing yourself?===


A minute passed without any reply. Yui had started to open her browser, thinking of looking for some cat videos she hadn’t watched before. But, then, a reply came.


---I’m sorry. It’s Shimazaki. I got your email address from Yamamoto-san.---


Yui smirked and sent her reply.


===Aah, Director Shimazaki. Please pardon my rudeness.===


Another reply came right away.


---No, Silly. It’s Shimazaki Haruka.---

===I know.===


Another minute passed before Yui received another reply.


---Haha. Funny. I didn’t know that you do joke around like other people.---

===I don’t.===

---Well, you clearly just did.---

===Didn’t.===

---Yes, you did.---

===No, I didn’t.===


Five minutes passed without any reply. Yui had started to wonder whether she had annoyed the girl enough to make her stop sending her emails. But, then, her phone vibrated again.


---Yes, you did. But, let’s stop this silly debate here because that was not why I decided to contact you.---

===All right. So, why do you contact me?===


She thought, the girl would reply by asking how she was doing. Perhaps, it would be something along the lines of saying thanks for yesterday and asking if she was okay. Yui was actually not interested in talking about that. But, she was crying uncontrollably the last time that girl saw her. So, such reply was to be expected.

However, when the reply came, it was nothing like she thought it would be. It was a picture of a page from the math book with Watanabe Miyuki in the background, lying down on the carpet while reading some sort of magazine. There was another email right after that, saying:


---Could you please teach me how to solve this? Milky is not helping :(---


Yui couldn’t contain her laughter. Her uncle and some other people turned their heads her way because of the sudden burst. Feeling the eyes on her, she stopped abruptly.

“This girl... Seriously...,” she mumbled as she typed her reply.







To be continued...


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End note:
I am sorry for all Kawaei Rina's fans who read this. I needed a character who Yuihan loves and loves her back. Since Sayanee had gotten her own role here and anyone from any gen earlier than 9th gen would either be a Yonjujo sempai or some other older figure, Ricchan seemed to be the one that would be perfectly fit for this role. So, yeah, I decided to use YokoEi for Yuihan's past. However, I hope that everyone reading this will be able to see that Ricchan was not a bad person. She was being mean because she herself was trapped in a bad situation. So, yeah... I am one of Ricchan's fans after all.  ;)

Offline Haruko

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OHHH!! What a sad past.. T_T.. but well Yui needs to recover about all this accident.. we know paru could be helpful with this..

Offline Soysaucee

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Damn! They are really small-minded for doing that to her.  :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown:
Also YAY! :w00t: :w00t: :w00t: Paru finally talked to her, like seriously Paru finally had the guts to finally do it.

And also author-san! It seems we are reading each other's stories. Let's work hard and spread the love! :twothumbs :twothumbs :twothumbs


Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

Thank you for the comments, and the likes, and all the silent reading. *Yes. I know you are there, Silent Readers! No need to take a peek. Please do come and join in the fun*  :lol:

@Haruko: Yes. It was really sad, wasn't it? Now you know why Yuihan avoided Paruru all this long. Her character was just too similar with the person who hurt her before. I also hope that Paruru can help Yuihan. Save her from all this nightmare... Heal her heart... :)
 
@Soysaucee: They really were. Just like many other people in this real world... And, yeah. Paruru did take forever for that, didn't she? *chuckle* And we do! I really like your stories! Reading your updates encourages me to update mine as well. Thank you :)

@9purple: Thank you. I'm glad that you seemed happy with the updates. I'll try my best :)


I think this story is finally getting closer to its end. There will only be one chapter left after this (or two if I can't manage to finish it in one sitting). I have actually written the first chapter of YuriAnnin's Yonjujo a few months ago. But, I still keep it locked in my laptop because I haven't done with this arc. I had been thinking that the next story will be theirs. But, I also remember that I promised some of you that I'll be writing more SayaMilky. So, I'm still thinking about which one I should share first, right after the final chapter of this YuiParu story. Let me know what you'd prefer :)



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRANGERS (11)



A week had passed since the start of Yokoyama Yui’s suspension. The weather had become colder and colder. But, despite the fact that she could barely breathe now, Shimazaki Haruka had just finished climbing almost five hundred stone steps successfully, all by herself. Her driver followed her quietly a few steps behind—just in case. But, it turned out that his help was not needed—at least, not yet.

Haruka smiled as she took her inhaler out of her bag and took a few puffs. It seemed like she really had gotten better. She asked the driver to wait before she walked to the shrine. After putting some money in the offering box, she rang the bell and prayed.

“We rarely have a visitor at this time of the year. Were you praying for the final exams?”

She heard a man’s voice once she opened her eyes. When she looked to the side, she found a man in priest clothing smiling at her.

“Ah, yes... And for some other things as well...,” she answered.

“I see...”

The priest was about to leave, but Shimazaki Haruka’s words stopped him.

“Ano... I actually come to see Yokoyama-san as well,” she said, ”Is she here?”

The priest look at her for a while before saying, “...Shimazaki Haruka-san?”

“Y-yes,” Haruka answered while wondering how the priest knew her name.

But, the smile on the priest’s face calmed her curiosity and nervousness down.

“She’s at the kyudo range, a bit far back,” he said before giving the direction to the place.

Shimazaki Haruka said her thanks and followed the direction. She needed to walk through the woods and climbed a few steps down. But, at last, she saw the small kyudo shooting range.

Shimazaki Haruka walked closer and entered the place. There was no one there but Yokoyama Yui who was sitting down while closing her eyes. A bow and an arrow were in her hands. A moment later, she slowly stood up and got into position. Shimazaki Haruka tried to stay quiet as Yokoyama Yui took her aim. After a few deep breath, she released her arrow, feeling satisfied that it hit the bullseye.

“I can hear your breathing you know,” Yokoyama Yui said without turning to face Haruka.

“...Sorry,” Haruka mumbled as she saw Yui took another arrow and got back into position.

They had been sending messages to each other every day for the past week. The messages had gotten longer and longer and they had switched from emails to LINE. Haruka thought it would be easier for them to have a face to face conversation now that they had started to talk through text. But, perhaps, she was wrong.

“So, why are you here?” Yui asked after her second arrow landed right next to the first one, still not facing Haruka.

“The final exams are coming closer. So, I bring you all the handouts and assignments from this week. Besides...,” Haruka bit her bottom lip before saying, “I thought we are friends...”

Yokoyama Yui took her aim and released her third arrow. It hit the target a bit to the left, landed on the second ring instead of the bullseye like the previous two.

“We are,” she said, much to Haruka’s relief, “And thank you.”

She put her bow in its place before walking closer to Haruka and sat next to the girl.

“But, the weather’s getting colder. The snow will fall anytime soon. You shouldn’t risk your health by coming all the way here.”

Although there wasn’t any change in Yokoyama Yui’s expression or tone when she said that, the words were kind.

“Don’t worry, I’m getting better. Sata-san also climbed the stairs up with me. He can give me some help if I have troubles climbing up or down.”

“Sata-san?”

“My driver.”

“Ah, I see.”

There was a couple seconds of silence between them. So, Haruka took the handouts and assignments she brought and gave it to Yui—hoping that the silence won’t continue longer and turn awkward.

“Thank you. It’s very kind of you,” Yui said, accepting the papers.

“That’s what friends are for,” Haruka said, “Besides, this way, it will be easier for me to ask for your help in doing homework. Our classes have the same teachers and assignments after all.”

Yokoyama Yui smiled at that remark. Haruka felt like the smile warmed her heart. It felt as if they had known each other forever while, in fact, they had just met a couple months ago. Then, there were also those weeks in which Yokoyama Yui completely avoided her and refused to talk to her. Funny. It seemed as if those weeks never happened.

“You really do like kyudo, don’t you?” Haruka asked, just to resume the conversation.

“I do,” Yui said, “It took my mind out of any other things.”

“Is that so... Then, why didn’t you join the club?”

“The sempai from the student council managed to recruit me first. After joining the student council, I don’t have time to do any other thing full time.”

They laughed at that answer.

“Nee... Yokoyama-san...”

“You can call me Yui.”

“Well,... Yui... I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“For getting you into trouble, making you unable to participate in the coming kyudo competition...”

Yui looked down. Haruka could feel that the body next to hers tensed up when she mentioned the competition. But, after a few seconds of silence, Yui answered.

“It’s all right. I wasn’t your fault. It was the sempai’s fault for bullying you and it was my fault for going overboard when I tried to handle the situation.”

Haruka looked at the girl beside her, trying to read her expression.

“Is it...okay if we talk about what happened?” she asked carefully.

It took a moment before Yui nodded and said, “I think it’s about time. Sayanee was right... you were not someone from my past. It wasn’t right for me to treat you the way I did... Especially not when you didn’t even know what was wrong...”

Shimazaki Haruka listened as Yokoyama Yui started to re-tell her story. There were times when Yui needed to stop because she started shaking. When Haruka said that it was all right if they continue talking about it some other time, Yui shook her head. She said that Takahashi-sensei, her psychiatrist, had mentioned that she might experience some more flashbacks and regressions if she tried to recall the incidents or if something triggered that memory. But, trying to talk about it might help in the long run. At the very least, it might help her getting used to the flashbacks to the point that it wouldn’t bother her as much as it did before. So, Haruka did the only thing she could do in that situation—she held the girl’s hand, trying to share some strength to help her continuing on.

“May I ask a question?” Haruka said when Yui was done with the story about her past.

“...Yes.”

“The one that triggered your action the most... Was it the bullying... or was it me?”

Yui’s body tensed up again. Haruka knew full well what her question implied and she knew that Yui did, too. So, when Yui looked into her eyes, she tried her best to convey what she had in mind. She had known the answer—or, at least, she thought so. She just needed a confirmation.

“It’s... I...”

Yui struggled to form and answer. When she couldn’t form any, she looked down. Haruka thought the slight blush on the girl’s cheeks looked adorable.

“I think you’ve known the answer...,” Yui said at last.

“I want to hear it from you.”

“...I can’t,” Yui refused.

“Was it the same reason why you avoided me before?”

“...Yes.”

“Then...”

Haruka tightened her grip on Yui’s hand, making the girl looked her way. In the next fleeting seconds, she moved closer and touched the girl’s lips with hers. Then, she moved away before Yokoyama Yui was even able to show any reaction.

“...there’s no need to avoid me any longer because I think I’ve fallen in love with you, too.”








To be continued...



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Offline ミサキ

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yosha!!! finally they are together~
really yuiparu's problem is more complicated than sayamilky's one, till they took more time to confess each other, and took my patience to wait for your update
LOL
please update soon and thanks for chapter 11 author-san :bow:
just a simple otaku and silent reader

Offline Haruko

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I know.. a kiss and everything it's gonna be ok

Offline DeNight

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Dear Friends,

Hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I initially planned to let this chapter sit for a while until I have some time to review and possibly edit it again. But, I will be very very busy for the next month or two and it's done anyway, so I guess I should just share it with you.

@ミサキ: Are you sure they are together 8) ? But, yeah... I agree that YuiParu's problem in this story is more complicated than the SayaMilky's one. I'm glad that you kept trying to be patient in waiting for the story to unravel itself. So, thank you :)

@Haruko: Well... I'm not sure one kiss was all they need. Guess, I'll let this chapter speak for itself :)


So here it is. The last chapter of this YuiParu story. Hope you like it :)



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



STRANGERS (12)



Yokoyama Yui sat behind the drum set in the light music club room. She had the drum sticks in her hands, but she wasn’t playing the instrument. She was just staring at the window, watching the snow falling down, covering the school yard in white, like a giant blanket from the sky.

Yonjujo students had had their final exams for three days and the last exam had already been over a few hours earlier. It was the Christmas Eve. Christmas day would be their last day of school before the winter break started. They would have ten days vacation then. But, Yokoyama Yui knew that her uncle and all the shrine helpers—including her—would be very busy during that time, preparing and working for the New Year. Since theirs was the only Shinto shrine in town, practically everyone—except those who had planned to visit their family out of town—would come to the shrine for their first visit of the year.

“Guess it will be hard to find the right time to talk to her...,” Yokoyama Yui mumbled to herself.

Right after she said that, the door to the club room was slid open rather forcefully, startling Yui from her own musing. Then, Yamamoto Sayaka stomped into the room with some posters in her hands. The stomping and the expression she had on her face clearly showed that she felt really irritated about something. But, before Yui could ask what was wrong, the short haired girl had already walked to her, then suddenly hit the back of her head with said posters.

“Ouch!!! What the heck was that for!?” she immediately exclaimed.

“It’s for your stupidity.”

“Huh!?”

“I felt really happy when I heard that Shimazaki-san had started talking to you through emails. She was practically beaming each time I saw her after that. I was a bit worried when she suddenly turned gloomy all over again a couple weeks ago. But, I thought it was just because of you, putting your usual façade, refusing to talk to her when she went to see you in person, not wanting her to know about your true feelings. I had my suspicion when she didn’t really cheer up even a week after that. When your suspension ended and you had started coming to school again, we were too busy with the exams that I didn’t get to ask you about it. But, then, I freaking just heard about what happened, and I just couldn’t help but feeling like I want hit you before Milky beats me and do it herself!”

Yokoyama Yui cringed as Yamamoto Sayaka blurted all that out to her face. When the girl finally stopped and tried to control her breathing, Yui’s expression turned to its initial state.

“Aah... So, you’ve heard about it. Did Watanabe-san tell you?”

“What do you mean by that ‘Aah...’? Don’t you have anything to explain!? That girl had actually gathered all of her courage to come and see you! She listened to you! She realized that you had fallen in love with her! She didn’t think badly about you because of that! She even confessed to you first and kissed you! And what did you do? You ran away from her!” Sayaka started to lose her temper again, “And for the record, Milky didn’t say anything to me. I was about to meet up with Milky when they had this conversation and I accidentally overheard them.”

Yui stayed silent. Yes. It was true. That was what happened. Right after Shimazaki Haruka kissed her and confessed her feeling, Yui froze up. She couldn’t give any answer. The kiss itself had reminded her of the first kiss she had in the school infirmary years ago—the kiss that started all the nightmares which had been haunting her ever since. When she came back to her senses, Yui immediately said sorry and left the place. She hadn’t been replying any of Haruka’s LINE messages ever since—but the girl hadn’t stopped trying.

“I thought you love her?” Sayaka asked, still feeling irritated.

“...I do.”

“And she said she loves you, didn’t she?”

“She did.”

“Then, what happened?”

Yes. What happened indeed. Yui knew that she should have felt happy. She fell in love with a girl. She was afraid that everything that had happened in her past would repeat itself again. So, she kept her feelings to herself and treated the girl harshly to cover them up. But, despite all that, it turned out that the girl loved her, too. She should have felt happy... Right?

But, no. Fear gripped her heart tighter than Shimazaki Haruka’s hold on her hand that afternoon. For years, she believed that she had been wrong to fall in love with another girl. Everyone in her old school, even many others outside the school, had made that point crystal clear. She, a girl, should not be falling in love and kissing another girl. Or else, something bad would happen. Their words had not only been etched on every single page of her books, on every single inch of her desk, on every bag, on every shoe, or on every uniform they managed to ruin out of hatred... They had also been etched on Yui’s heart and mind. It was not easy to change what one had been made to believe for years. So, when Shimazaki Haruka kissed her and confessed her feeling to her, Yui was panicked. She believed something bad would happen if she accepted that feeling.

“You wouldn’t understand,” were the only words she managed to say before she put her drum sticks down and took her bag, starting to walk away.

“Yui-han,” Sayaka’s call stopped her right in front of the door.

“Yes. I may not understand. No one will understand. Unless, if you try to talk to us about it. What is it that you have in mind? What made you do what you were doing? What is it that stops you and keeps you from moving on?”

Yui didn’t give any response to those questions. She didn’t even turn around to face Sayaka. So, the girl continued.

“Did you notice that everyone had stopped gossiping about the incident and your suspension? Don’t you think it died down really quickly? Do you know why? It’s because Shimazaki Haruka had personally came to the director to clear things up and ask for a less severe punishment for you. She had also come to every single student that was talking about you and told them the truth. And you know what? They believed her. They also believe in you. Although many people still think that what you did was wrong, they all agreed that you were not a bad person, you were just trying to help. So, in case you haven’t notice, this is not the school or the hometown you’ve left. Everything is different here. Everyone is different. The fact that I can openly date Milky should have told you that. So, if anything still holds you back right now, it’s you and you only.”

Yui still gave no response. She just continued walking, leaving Sayaka behind. At least, the girl had tried—and Yui actually really appreciated that effort. She just didn’t know how to respond those words. After all, she knew that Yamamoto Sayaka would not say anything but the truth.

“You’re leaving?”

Yui walked to the front building and found Watanabe Miyuki leaning on the shoe lockers right in front of hers.

“What do you want Watanabe-san? If you want to hit me, Sayanee had beaten you to it,” she said while opening her locker and changing her shoes.

“Whoaa... Someone’s in a bad mood,” Milky smirked, “To be honest, hitting you was something I would really like to do. But, since Sayanee had taken care of that, I’m just here to deliver this.”

Yui looked at the small box that Milky held out to her. It was wrapped in Christmas pattern gift wrap with ribbons and all.

“What is this?” Yui asked as she took the box from Milky.

“It’s your Christmas present. Well, since Paruru-chan thought that you probably don’t celebrate Christmas, and she just found out that your birthday was earlier this month, she said that you can think of it as a late birthday present as well.”

Yui looked at the box in her hands, not knowing what to say

“She actually wanted to give it to you in person. But, even until today, it seems like you’re still avoiding her. She won’t be able to give it to you tomorrow either because she won’t be here. So, she asked for my help to give it to you.”

Yui looked up to Milky’s face, “She won’t be here tomorrow?”

“No,” Milky said, “You haven’t heard? She talked to the director this morning. She’s getting better so she’s going to go back to Tokyo tonight.”

Yui felt an invisible hand started to put its tight grip on her heart.

“Are you really okay with all this?”

She didn’t know how to answer that question Milky had just voiced. The only thing she knew was that her chest hurt.

“She’s going to take the 7.00 P.M. train from the main station to Tokyo. So, she should at least take the 6.30 P.M. train from the town hall station to reach the main station and then catch the train to Tokyo,” Milky looked at the time on her phone, “You know... If you hurry up now, you’ll still be able to see her before she leaves.”

Yokoyama Yui made up her mind. She couldn’t afford to lose a girl she loved—not again, not after everything Yamamoto Sayaka had just told her. So, she put her coat on and rushed to the bicycle she parked outside—saying thanks to Milky in the process. The girl just smiled and waved.

It was already 5.30 P.M. Normally, Yui would only need less than 30 minutes to reach the station on her bicycle. But, it was snowing and most of the roads she needed to take had been covered a few inches deep under the white blanket. Yokoyama Yui tried really hard not to curse as she almost fell off her bike a few times—not to mention the times she was almost hit by other vehicles along the way. But, just like those dramas her uncle liked to watch at night, she miraculously arrived just in time and—thanks to Kami-sama—still in one piece.

She parked her bike and entered the station in a hurry. Her hands were shaking from the cold as she tried to take her train pass out. They were still shaking as she put the pass on the automatic gate, but somehow she made it through. She immediately looked to her left and right and front and back afterward—trying to find Shimazaki Haruka among all the other people who wanted to board the train that night. When she finally saw the girl in the distance, she immediately ran to where she was.

“Shimazaki-san!”

She stopped running when Haruka turned her way. There were only a few steps of gap between them.

“Yui? What are you—“

Shimazaki Haruka couldn’t finish her question because Yui had closed in the gap and hugged her tightly.

“I’m sorry.”

“Eh?”

“I’m sorry for ignoring your messages. I’m sorry for avoiding you in school. I’m sorry for being a coward. I’m sorry for being stupid. I’m sorry—“

“Wait... Calm down. What are you saying, Yui? Why are you saying this?” Haruka hugged her back, confused.

“I’m sorry for everything. I love you...”

“It’s all right. I understand. I’ve told you that I love you, too, haven’t I?” Haruka stroked her back to calm her down.

“Please... Please don’t go...,” Yui hugged her even tighter.

“Huh? But, I have to go—“

“No! Don’t go! Don’t move back to Tokyo! I’ll try to change... Please...”

“Huh? Wait... Yui...”

Yui could feel that Haruka’s trying to break their hug. She then touched Yui’s face with her hands, asking Yui to look at her properly. She wiped some tears that managed to stain Yui’s cheeks with her thumbs.

“I’m not moving back to Tokyo,” she finally said.

“Huh?” Yui was dumbfounded.

“I need to go back to Tokyo to celebrate Christmas and New Year with my mother and my baby brother.”

“Huh? But, Watanabe said that you’re getting better and—“

“I am getting better,” Haruka interrupted, “Didn’t you get my note?”

“What note?”

“The note I asked Milky to give to you along with the present.”

Yui was confused. She didn’t get any note from Milky. She could only stare as Haruka sighed and smiled at her.

“I am getting better. But, I am not completely healed yet. I got a call from my manager yesterday. He said that I got an offer to be in one of the New Year’s programs in a local TV station in Tokyo. There was also a small modeling job offer for me right after the New Year’s break ended. I talked to my father about those offers and he said that it’s all right since I’m getting better. I can also spend more time with my mother and my baby brother if I stay there until the end of the winter break. But, I know that it won’t be good to leave things as they are... I mean, what I did might have startled you and that’s what made you avoid me all over again. So, I left you a note, saying that I need to leave for the winter break. But, I’ll be back here right after that and we’ll need to talk then.”

Everything started to click in Yui’s mind.

“So... You’re not moving back to Tokyo?”

“No,” Haruka smiled.

“And... You’re not leaving because you’re mad at me?”

“Well... I felt a bit hurt and disappointed before, but I understand. So,... No. We just need to talk to clear things up when I get back later.”

Yokoyama Yui felt like the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders. A big wave of relief washed over her. So, she did the only thing she could do—she pulled Shimazaki Haruka into another hug.

“Thank you...,” she whispered right next to the girl’s ear.

Haruka giggled, “I don’t know why you’re saying thanks. But, you’re welcome.”

“And please remind me to shoot Watanabe Miyuki down later for making me think that you’re moving back to Tokyo.”

Haruka burst in laughter, “No. I think we should thank her instead. If she didn’t do whatever she was doing, you wouldn’t be rushing her to see me off.”

Right after she said that, the train that would take her to the main station arrived.

“I need to go now,” Haruka broke their hug and smiled, “Wait for me, okay?”

“I will,” Yui replied it with a smile of her own.


Then, they sealed the promise with a kiss.








END.



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End Note:
I'm thinking about writing an omake or a transition chapter to bridge this story and the next. But, well... we may need to wait until I'm not so busy anymore...

Offline phoenix0i

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  • Aigoo! Hwaiting!
SayaMilky is such a cute couple.
Even their heart to heart interventions are suprisingly awesome.
Finally, YuiParu is a couple.
Thank you for the fic author-san!  :rock:
Discovering the wonders of your vague imagination.
Taeny, Atsumina and SayaMilky <3

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