tigers parade's OS Collection (WMatsui, AkariKei, SayaMilky)

[tigers parade]

A/N: IMPORTANT. PLEASE GO READ THE LYRICS TO BILLY PAUL'S "Me and Mrs. Jones" BEFORE STARTING THIS FANFIC. Other than that, enjoy! This will be a collection of one shots featuring multiple pairings.

Me and Mrs. Jones

    For a large portion of my youth, I had no ambitions. I was utterly clueless about what I wanted to do with my future, and even if I had had the slightest idea, I always figured that I would never be able to accomplish anything. Thus, as a university student on the track to nowhere, I spent long hours moping at the café on the corner by my apartment. It was an old jazz café, but a sense of relaxation and ease flooded through anybody who stepped inside, along with the soothing scent of freshly ground coffee. The jukebox in the corner was always whirring out old ballads or swing tunes, and I'd often catch couples spinning and twirling about on the dance floor. Songs like "The Peppermint Twist" always made me wish I lived in the 1960s.

    My second summer of college, I began working part time at the café. I needed the money, and it was a bonus that the proprietress was rather attractive. Her name was Matsui Rena, and she had just gotten married earlier that spring. Her husband was a successful businessman who was often abroad for business trips. Rena didn't love him. It was no secret that his travels were riddled with women and sex. As a result, she often spent entire days in her private room at the back of the café drawing, only emerging after a completed work.

    Rena's drawings were unique, to say in the least. If I drew something, the image always remained flat and stuck on the page. She would draw people, animals--anything and it would come to life. Rough lines on paper would bunch together to form a solid line, and carefully blended colors would solidify into textures. One by one, elements of the piece would join together and eventually peel off the page into a tangible object. The first time I saw it happen, I was wiping down tables when she had materialized a kitten.

    "You don't seem very surprised," Rena mused. She stroked the kitten, adding, "I don't suppose you've seen this before?"

    "I haven't. How'd you do it?"

    "It's a secret," She smiled. "But I'll teach you if you want." I shrugged my shoulders and tossed the dirty table rag in my hand aside, wiping my hands on my apron. She beckoned for me to come closer and pointed at a barstool in front of her. Obliging, I plopped down on the worn leather cushion. A mischievous grin crossed her face and she grabbed my chin and jerked it up. Her lips crashed against mine, and a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, knocking down a few signs. Releasing me, she arched an eyebrow and looked at me expectantly.

    "You're married."

    "I know. Try drawing something." Frowning, I snatched a pen and napkin from across the counter and doodled a rainbow. Sure enough, a small rainbow emerged from the sheet, lasting only a few seconds before disintegrating. Rena shot me a smug, triumphant look, but I ignored her and went back to cleaning table tops, pausing when I noticed that the windows and doors of the café were all closed.

    Following that incident, I went in every day at six-thirty, the start of my shift. I would serve customers until we closed up the café at twelve. From then, Rena and I would play around and experiment with various drawings. All the while, the jukebox would be playing music. The one song it always played was Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones." It was Rena's favorite.

    Most of the time, I would wait for her to conjure up random creatures and people, and then I would weave stories and lives out of her characters. Occasionally, she and I would kiss, and even though I knew it was wrong, it was too strong to stop. Unsure about the two of us, I once asked her why she kept kissing me.

    "Rena, why do you do this?"

    "Perhaps you could think of it as matters of the heart."

    And she was right. All my fears and concerns faded through her companionship. In this way, I spent two years with the proprietress of a obscure jazz café, and in this way, I grew to love stories.

    On the day of my graduation from college, I decided to confess my feelings for Rena and ask her to move in with me. I never got the chance to. Later on, I found out that she had died in a car crash on the way to my graduation ceremony, and the café had been shut down.

    It's already been five years, but I haven't moved on from her yet. I tried to fill the void in my heart by spinning wild tales of adventures that the two of us might have had. In the end, I wasn't satiated, but I realized that I wanted to write. I work as a novelist now; it was a struggle just scraping by at first, but I caught my big break when I released a book inspired by Rena and her favorite song. It told of the adulterous relationship between a college girl and the proprietress of the café the girl worked at.

[Janix123]

Noooooo  Rena died 
 
The story is so nice it's so awesome!!!! 
What's the next pairing?

[vickystar]

A sad ending, it's a nice fic. it's a unforgetable memories of a person lost somebody the love. Althought its sad but i love it that ways you wrote. Thank you for writting it

[tigers parade]

A/N: Dear lord, what is this ending. Sorry guys, it was a little rushed, but enjoy!
Please excuse any mistake I've made lol

Flower Shop

Pigtails. That was my first impression of her. Who in the world, at age 22, wears pigtails to work? I found it incredibly irksome to see a woman my age don such a childish hairstyle. Furthermore, the fact that it looked good on her was even worse. She was tall and slender, with long black hair and a pretty face. And although the red apron of the shop covered most of her body, her sense of style was decent as well. If I was completely honest, she looked a little erotic. Not that I'd ever admit it to anyone.

   That's why, when the manager introduced her as a new coworker, I expected a deeper, huskier voice and a mature woman. I couldn't be more wrong. She had a sweet, girly voice and a childish personality, as I would later learn.

   "Jonishi-san, this is Yoshida-san; she will be joining us today. Show her the ropes, please." The manager of the flower shop I worked at was the laziest person I had ever met, and had a tendency to drink on the job. He wasn't a bad guy though, and was generous with workers' pays. Gesturing at the woman next to him, he left the front and retreated to the backroom.

   "Nice to meet you, I'm Yoshida Akari, but you can call me Akari." Woah. This girl was seriously cute. Right up my alley, too. I'd have to be careful when working with her.

   "Same here. I'm Jonishi Kei, but you can call me Kei." I flashed her a smile and winked. "I'll be showing you around today, so please follow me." I led her to the cashier counter and wrote her a name tag. We chatted as we worked, and I learned that she was majoring in electrical engineering at Tokyo University. When I asked her why she would choose to work at a flower shop, she only let out a shy smile and looked away. Strange. I ignored it and continued explaining the arrangements of flowers. Akari was a a fast worker, and we finished by noon. As we ate, she began to question me about myself.

   "So you're a botany major at Tokyo U? Is that why you're working here?"

   "Yeah, I figured it was a good chance to gain experience," I nodded. We talked for a while, and glancing at my watch, I was surprised to find that it was already time to get back to work.

   Out in front, I caught sight of a fashionably dressed college student gazing at the rows of carnations. Her head snapped up at the sound of my footsteps, and her face broke into a grin.

   "Hey, Keicchi! I see you've got a new employee," she greeted. Elbowing me slyly, she whispered, "I hope you're not trying to seduce her. You've already got other girls!"

   "I'm not!" I retorted. "Try not to let her get any wrong ideas about me." I turned to Akari, who had been standing silently behind me the entire time. "Akari, this is Watanabe Miyuki, also known as Milky. Milky, this is Yoshida Akari, the new employee."

   "Nice to meet you, Watanabe-san. I take it you're Kei-chan's friend?" Milky nodded happily. She held out a bag to me.

   "My mom wanted me to give this to you. She says you should come and visit next time." I took the package and dropped immediately. It was heavier than she made it out to be. Picking the lumpy bag up, I thanked Milky for the gift.

   "Well, I have to go now--Sayaka missed me so we're going on a date," she explained. "Bye, Yoshida-san. Try not to fall for Keicchi's charms!" She dashed out of the store, her laughing echoing in the distance. Akari and I stared after her, not knowing what to say.
   "What's in the bag?" Motioning at the package Milky had left me, she grabbed a pair of scissors to help me open it. I tore open the package and was surprised to see the contents.

   "Rice?" Seeing the brightly colored bag of Osaka rice, Akari burst into laughter. "What an interesting girl," she mused. I shrugged, heaving the rice onto a nearby chair. I would deal with it later.

   By the end of the day, Akari and I had acquainted ourselves with each other fairly well, so I offered to walk her home. We lived in the same direction anyways. Thanks to Milky's ridiculous gift, by the time the two of us reached her apartment, I was exhausted and panting. Seeing my tired state, Akari offered for me to come in and rest. Gratefully obliging, I lugged the rice through the doorway.

   "I feel sorry for you, having to carry that bag. Perhaps if you stayed for dinner, I could use up some of the rice to lighten the load?"

   "Is that really okay?" I was surprised. It wasn't everyday that someone you just met invited you home to dinner.

   "Yeah, I hope you're fine with fried rice." Damn, what a stroke of luck! A pretty girl cooking dinner for me was practically a dream come true. As she set about preparing the rice, I set the dishes, and within ten minutes we were both eating.

   "Woah, this is really good. You cook often?" I shoveled down my share of the rice eagerly; I hadn't realized I was so hungry. Akari nodded at me, propping an elbow up and smiling softly. The girl seemed to enjoy watching me eat, though she didn't eat much herself. I had noticed it at lunch, but chose to ignore it. We ended up chatting the night away, and I left her house with a better impression of her than I had earlier that morning. I left the rice at her apartment as thanks for the meal, as I was too lazy to bring it home anyways. The last thing I needed was strangers staring at me on the train home.

   "Are you sure you want me to have all this rice? Watanabe-san did say it was from her mother."

   "Yeah, it's fine. If you really have qualms about it, just invite me over again. I enjoyed the meal." I shot her an easy smile, and I could have sworn a faint blush tinged her face.

   "If you say so. I enjoyed having you over as well." Akari laughed and shyly looked at her feet. "Oh, could I also have your phone number? If that's alright with you."

   "Sure, my pleasure." We exchanged numbers and bid each other a good night. I walked away with butterflies in my stomach, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

   The following day I had a lecture in the morning, so I went into the shop at early afternoon. Stepping in, I was greeted by a foreign but pleasant aroma. Working at a flower shop, you might think it was the flowers, but the source of the fragrance turned out to be my new colleague.

   "Ah, Keicchi!" Akari greeted me with a mega-watt smile, and I was surprised to find that my heart skipped a beat. I was right--this girl was trouble. She turned away from me to continue helping the customer next to her, a tiny, fragile-looking grandma. I smiled, seeing her joke around with the elderly lady.

   After pulling on the store apron, I headed out to the front to check our flower stock. As I was recording the supply of lilies, a ringing from the door jingle caught my attention. I looked up to see a high school girl waving energetically at me.

   "Kei-chan, when do you get out today? Let's go on a date!" Yagura Fuuko, a childhood friend of mine, clung to my arm like a staticky sock and refused to let go. From behind me, I could feel a pair of eyes boring into my back. I wrung my arm from Fuuko's vice-like grip, attempting to remedy the awkward situation.

   "Sorry, Fuuko, but I already have plans for today. Maybe another day?" The girl pouted, crushing my conscience with a powerful set of puppy eyes. I refused to cave and stared straight back at her. Eventually she sighed and resigned. I smiled triumphantly.

   "Well, now that that's out of the way," I gloated. "Shall we continue the lesson?" Fuuko nodded her head and dug a worn, leather bound notebook out of her bag. She held it out and I accepted it, flipping through the pages until I landed at the latest entry. I scanned through the writing and and smiled approvingly at her.

   "Good work. This week, I want you to identify and analyze these plants parts." I gestured to a tray containing various floral structures. Fuuko was an aspiring botanist and took advantage of my job in the flower shop to improve her botany. At the same time, grading her work was a good review for me, so it was a win-win situation. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves and disappeared behind the counter, taking the tray with her.

   Sighing, I turned and faced the pair of eyes that had been glaring at me. Akari, who had long since finished helping the old grandma, was standing behind me with her arms crossed, looking none too happy. We stared at each other for a while, neither moving nor speaking.

   "Who is she?" Was it just me or did I hear hint of...jealousy? I studied her face carefully before responding. She had a defiant look on her face, but there was no hiding the blush forming on her face.

   "Childhood friend," I responded lazily. "She's also studying botany. Her name's Yagura Fuuko." She turned away and glanced at Fuuko, who was immersed in the plant parts. I smirked--could this girl be any more obvious? It was clear that she had some sort of thing for me. Regretfully, while she was cute, I just wasn't looking to be in a relationship at moment. That wouldn't stop me from playing with her a little, though.

   Setting down the clipboard I was holding, I gingerly lifted an African orchid out from a basket near me. "I never told you why I decided to go into botany, did I?" She shook her head. "Well, my mother was very into flower arrangement, and had taught me the names and meanings behind various flowers. However, she died of cancer when I was in middle school. She had been arranging a particular work, but left it unfinished. I'm trying to complete it. I figured that if I studied botany, it would provide the time and knowledge for me to finish the arrangement."

   Akari smiled. She had a charming smile that was annoyingly infectious, but also provided a sense of warmth to whomever she bestowed it upon. "That's sweet. You must be busy, then."

   "Pretty busy. It's worth it, though." I reached across the counter, wetting a small cloth and tying it around the stem of the orchid to preserve it.

   "Too busy f-for a ...relationship, even?" Surprised, I looked at Akari, finding a tomato-colored girl furiously twiddling her thumbs, refusing to meet my eyes.

   "Not really," I smiled. "It's not that I can't be in one, it's just that I don't want to." Her brown orbs gazed at me curiously, trying to read my thoughts. Continuing, I said, "That doesn't mean I haven't come across attractive people before." Her face fell, but changed to a expression of surprise when I handed her the orchid.

   "For you," I stated simply.

   "What's this for?"

   "I thought you'd like it."

   "What does it symbolize?"

   "Exotic beauty," I explained. "Very fitting for you, although your personality is a little childish." She frowned, but quickly resumed her happy grin.

   "Thank you, I'll treasure it." The childish excitement on her face shine through a beaming smile. Badump. My original plan was play around with her, but that seemed like it was backfiring. Turning away, I pondered the situation. Perhaps I would fall in love this girl.

   Not that I would mind.

[kuro808]

Interesting story to read, the rarity beyond the usual pairings is welcoming so good job

Keiichi being the way she is  wonderful surprise

[Yuki88]

AkariKei, huh? I haven't seen any fic involving these two in a long while so I'm really grateful for you to write it out. Not to mention it works so well too.

[tigers parade]

Thank You (SayaMilky OS)

There was something about her. It wasn’t her appearance—that Sayaka was certain of. Sure, the girl was cute, but there were plenty of other cute girls and Sayaka had never found herself so attracted to one. After studying the girl for another moment, the raven decided that the aura the girl exuded was the magnetic force reeling her in. There was a calling air around her that Sayaka found enchanting. Squinting, she further examined the girl’s face. Round, brown eyes fitted perfectly with a petite nose and a impish grin, all framed with luscious, wavy chocolatey brown hair. The hair color didn't look natural—it was probably dyed—but it looked good on her even so.

A cough snapped Sayaka out of her reverie. A customer had just stepped inside the cafe, stamping his legs on the doormat to warm himself up. He made his way to the counter and raised his head to study the menu. Up close, Sayaka noticed that the man was pallid and decided that he was sick and probably needed something warm.

“Sir, if you want something to warm you up, may I suggest our winter special?” She piped. “It’s a rich peppermint hot chocolate flavored with cinnamon.”

Surprised, the man nodded and hacked out a “thanks.” Sayaka whirled around and promptly set to work on the drink. Slipping a holder on the cup, she handed it to the man who received it with relish.

After the customer paid and went on his way, Sayaka resumed her seat behind the counter. The weather was cold; not many people would stop by the cafe today. With the exception of a certain brunette. Sayaka snuck another glance at the girl, sitting peacefully by the window. She was sipping on her coffee absentmindedly, scrolling through her phone.

“Yamamoto!” Another distraction jolted the raven into awareness. It was her boss, scolding her for something she forgot to do. Pushing herself off her stool, she trudged to the back and found a cranky old man pointedly glaring at her.

“What is it?” She sighed.

Her boss, indignant at the way Sayaka seemingly brushed him off, shouted, “I said I wanted the coffee beans put away!” He gestured excitedly at brown sacks lying in a pile at the corner of the room.

“Sorry boss,” Sayaka muttered. “It slipped my mind. I’ll do it after my shift ends.” A bell rung, signaling the arrival of another patron. She turned on her heel and made her way to the counter.

To her surprise, she found a familiar looking face gazing at her. It was the girl from before. She smiled prettily, and pointed at a poster advertising the winter special.

“Can I have one these, please?”

“Coming right up, miss.” Sayaka began preparing the drink. Catching sight of the girl’s uniform, she decided to strike up a short conversation. “So you’re from Namba High?”

Startled, the girl nodded. “Yeah, I just transferred in, so I’m pretty new here.”

“I go to Namba High as well. I guess we’re both second years?”

The girl glanced down at the red ribbon on her uniform. “Yup. Class 2-2. You?”

“2-3. It’s a surprise I haven’t seen you around then. Here’s your drink.” Sayaka slid a steaming cup of hot chocolate over to the girl. “Hey, if you don’t mind, can I ask your name?”

“Watanabe Miyuki,” She giggled. “But everyone calls me Milky.”

“Nice to meet you Milky. I’m Yamamoto Sayaka, but you can call me Sayanee.”

Milky paid for her drink and exited the cafe, with Sayaka staring after her. The short exchange had energized her, strangely. What a stroke of luck, Sayaka mused to herself. Perhaps she would see Milky at school tomorrow.


As expected, Sayaka eventually ran into the brunette at school. Several times, as a matter of fact. The two grew close as a result of these encounters, to the point where Milky would visit Sayaka every day at the cafe where Sayaka worked. She always ordered the special of the day, no matter what it was. Milky wasn’t a very picky girl.

Time progressed quickly, and soon it was summer. She went to beach with Milky and let the girl drag her around a local festival, buying masks and food and winning toys for the brunette. She didn’t really mind. Milky looked stunning in her summer yukata. It was pink with yellow lining and flowers and birds etched onto the silky fabric. When the two sat side by side watching fireworks illuminating the sky, Milky resting her head on Sayaka’s shoulder, the raven could hardly suppress the urge to kiss her.

It was killing Sayaka. She had long since accepted her feelings for her friend. She just didn't know if the object of her affection returned her love. As much as she wanted to confess, Sayaka couldn’t bring herself to change her status as a “friend.” She was content just watching over Milky, who was an unwitting flirt. The girl flirted with everyone—girls, boys, teachers—and always seemed to be unaware of the consequences of her actions. By now, Sayaka was pretty certain that at least half the school was in love with Milky.

She turned her attention back to the present. Milky had fallen asleep on Sayaka’s shoulder during the train ride back home, and Sayaka hadn’t the heart to wake the girl up. There was a peaceful smile that she didn't want to disturb. Gently, Sayaka carefully lifted Milky up into a bridal-style carry and set out for Milky’s house. She caught a couple of strange looks on the way, but it didn’t matter.

Arriving at the doorstep, Sayaka rung the doorbell and stepped back to wait. The door opened shortly, revealing Milky’s mother.

“Sayaka-chan, thanks for bringing Milky back,” the lady apologized. “I hope she wasn’t too heavy.”

“No problem,” Sayaka shrugged. She would do it anytime. “I’ll get on my way now.”

“How about staying the night? I’ll phone your mother; it’s not safe for a girl to be alone this late at night.”

“Are you sure?” The raven inquired. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

Milky’s mother smiled. “Of course, you’re always welcome here.”

Sayaka ended staying over, her feelings for the brunette only amplified after the night of the festival.


Summer drew to a close and school resumed. Sayaka went back to her normal routine of school and work. Everything was like it had been, except that Milky had been acting more distant lately. Worried about her, Sayaka had consulted her friend Maachun about the situation. Rather than comforting her and offering advice, Maachun had merely shrugged the issue off and awkwardly run off, claiming that she had something to do. Sayaka had found the entire ordeal quite suspicious.

Winter arrived, and Sayaka and Milky slowly drifted apart, and Sayaka found herself wrenched in pain from it. It was only when Sayaka had run back to the classroom to retrieve her bag late after school ended that she learn the truth.

She was about to slide open the door when she caught a sniffling voice from inside. Someone was crying. She slid the door open just a crack and peered through it. To her surprise, she saw Maachun comforting a girl…Milky?

“…Maachun, what should I do? I think I’m in love with her.” Sayaka’s eyes widened at Milky’s sudden confession. Milky in love? With whom? Feeling her heart sinking deep into her chest, Sayaka closed her eyes to prevent tears from splashing down onto her skirt.

That would certainly explain the distance. Milky had left her for whomever it was that stole her heart. As Sayaka trudged into the cafe ten minutes late, her boss frowned at her delayed arrival, but deigned to say anything. He had seen the puffy eyes and damp sleeves of his employee.
“Yamamoto,” he said gruffly. “Take the day off.” Sayaka looked up, surprised that the manager wasn’t being his usual crass self.

“Boss? Are you sure?”

He waved her aside. “Go, you look terrible. I can handle the cafe for today.” The raven nodded gratefully and left.


While Sayaka was at the cafe, Milky was crying her eyes out to Maachun.

“Maybe I should just give up on her,” Milky mumbled dejectedly. “She doesn’t even get jealous when I flirt with others.”

Maachun stroked the girl’s hair. “Don’t worry. Just because Sayaka is too dense to notice your advances doesn’t mean she doesn’t care about you.”

“Then what should I do? I can’t get her attention no matter what I do!” Milky cried out.

“I think you should confess,” Maachun said calmly. “If she doesn’t notice you, then you have to be straightforward.”

“I-I’m afraid of being rejected. If she doesn’t feel the same way, then it’ll be so awkward.”

“You’ll be fine. Sayaka isn’t the type of person to do that. Besides,” she continued. “Who’s to say it won’t turn out well?”

Milky peered up at the smiling girl. “You really think?” Maachun winked in response.

“Go for it, Milky.”



Sayaka had fallen ill. The day after the fateful event in the classroom, she caught a cold and stayed in bed to nurse her burning fever. Milky, who had been waiting anxiously to confess, rushed over to the girl’s house. She knew that the raven lived alone, so she stopped by the market to buy some things.

Milky set herself up in the kitchen as quietly as she could. She didn’t want to disturb Sayaka’s sleep, so she did her best to make a porridge silently. Carefully treading across the room, Milky approached the sleeping figure. However, the soft clink made when the food tray was set down on the nightstand caused the raven to stir and waken.

Shocked to see Milky kneeling by her side, Sayaka struggled to form words but was quickly shushed by her companion.

“Shh, don’t speak. You’ve got to take care of yourself,” Milky chided. “I’ll feed you porridge.” Blowing gently on the spoonful of watery rice, she held it to the cracked lips of her crush. Milky blushed to herself, glad that the darkness of the room hid her face, and continued feeding. On the other hand, Sayaka had finished the porridge and was now drinking water to quench her thirst.

“Milky,” she whispered. It was now or never. While Milky was feeding her, she had resolved to do this. God knows if she would ever get another chance. The brunette was staring at her curiously, waiting for her to finish her sentence. Sayaka locked her eyes with the pair gazing at her.

“I love you.”


It was quiet. Sayaka had whispered the words, but Milky heard them quite clearly. Her mouth opened, unable to respond. She shifted her gaze to the window, away from Sayaka’s expectant one. They stayed like that for a while, before Milky clamped her mouth shut and opened it again, mumbling something incomprehensible.

“Sorry?” Sayaka ventured. She couldn't quite make out the words.

Milky pouted and took a deep breath.

“IsaidIloveyoutoo!”

Sayaka stared at her. Milky couldn’t stand the penetrating gaze of the raven and dashed out the room, shutting the door and collapsing against it, trying to catch her breath. The door opened suddenly, causing Milky to fall back on the floor, looking straight up at a grinning Yamamoto Sayaka.

“Thanks for coming today, Milky.”

[kuro808]

That was nice of Milky to go forward with her plan although in the weirdest way while Sayaka was sick

[Haruko]

... and then?

[tigers parade]

Once More (wMatsui OS)

It was the first day of Rena’s graduation concert. Jurina had known for months that eventually, the Nagoya princess would inevitably leave the group, but had refused to acknowledge it. The two had been a pair for seven years—almost half of Jurina’s life—and yet, that still wasn't enough.

She had tried her best to keep her tears to herself. Although it was painfully obvious that the young ace was wounded by the Rena-shaped hole in SKE, nobody dared to confront Jurina about it. Not even Churi, in all her kindness, had the heart to force the girl to cry. It was just a fact of life that Jurina hated crying in front of others—she hated being weak.


Jurina had only cried once after hearing Rena’s graduation announcement from the radio. Only when everyone had left the set for a short break before the filming of a Rena’s last music video with the group did she allow herself the luxury of revealing her emotions. She had stayed behind by herself, determined to finish decorating the set, and struck by the goodbye messages everyone had prepared, finally broke down.

Jurina wept silently, desperately stifling her sniffling. Salty tears burned her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, forming a constellation of dots on the banner below her. Her left hand gripped a roll of streamers tightly, leaving nail marks on the tissue paper. The streamers were a cheerful pink, but joy was the last thing on Jurina’s mind.

Hearing footsteps approaching her from behind, she fiercely wiped her eyes, smudging her mascara and leaving it on the back of her sleeve. Through her peripheral vision, she saw Furuhata Nao gently embracing her.

“Jurina-san,” she murmured. “You don’t have to bottle everything up.” Nao started rubbing the young girl’s back in slow circles, hoping she would calm down. Bending forward to get a clearer view of Jurina’s face, she felt the girl shift and avoid her gaze. Frowning, Nao stepped in front of her and chided softly, “Please look at me, Jurina-san. You’re a pillar for SKE, but you don’t have to be alone in that. I too will bear this with you.”

Jurina sighed. It wasn’t like she was trying to refuse everyone’s (much needed) support, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Accepting help meant talking things out, and talking things out meant showing weakness. And showing weakness was the one thing she would never allow herself to do. The group was going to lose a leader in a short matter of time, and the last thing they needed was a fragile leader.

“Nao, I’m fine.” She let out a tired smile, though she could tell that she wasn’t fooling anybody.

“No, you’re not,” came the prompt reply. Jurina shot the other girl an annoyed look. She appreciated the effort, but couldn't Nao read the mood?

“Don’t give me that,” Nao pressed firmly. “Anybody can see that you’re suffering.”

“Leave me alone,” Jurina replied. She stiffened and turned away.

“Sorry. Listen, Rena is going to graduate in a matter of weeks and I can tell that the two of you have been awkwardly distant from each other since she announced it.” Nao paused, checking to see if Jurina was paying attention. The girl’s back was to her, but she had stopped all activity when Nao began speaking.

“You probably have a lot you want to say to her,” she continued, “but the only way to do that is to actually confront her about it. Nothing will happen if you continue to avoid the subject. You only have a few weeks left with her, Jurina-san. I advise that you make them count.”

Nao finished her little speech and found Jurina staring at her stoically. She gestured at the dressing room, indicating her wish for the younger girl to find Rena. The two glared at each other for a few minutes before Jurina finally relented and set down the streamers. As she watched the girl’s back recede into the studio, Nao sighed with relief. The silence had almost become unbearable.

“Oh, and Jurina-san?” She waited for SKE’s unshakable ace to turn and face her before resuming. “If you have something you want to tell her, better do it soon. She might get taken after she graduates!”

A smirk flicked across her face as she watched Jurina’s face flush and her jaw drop.

“H-how did you know?” The girl stammered.

Nao smiled sweetly. “Trust me,” she laughed. “Everybody knows.”


Jurina had promised herself that she would confess to Rena before graduation, but never managed to muck up the courage to do so. Now, with the concert in a couple hours, she was feeling forlorn about ever getting to tell the older Matsui.

She sighed and shook her head. A walk sounded welcoming right now.


Three hours later, she found herself staring at the rippling sea of neon green light sticks. Twenty-thousand fans were screaming “Rena!” repeatedly and waving the the lights in unison. Closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath, Jurina resigned herself to the stadium lights and focused herself on the concert.


The second day of the concert passed similarly like the first one. After two days of consecutive performing, Jurina was exhausted. As soon as she got off the stage, she made a beeline to the shower room. Her sore muscle deserved a rest. She spent half an hour cleaning up and getting dressed, taking note of the gloomy atmosphere in the dressing room. As she made her way out to the parking lot, she noticed Rena standing a few yards in front of her. The older girl was about to step into taxi and leave the world of SKE permanently.

It took Jurina a split second to make up her mind.

“Rena!” She shouted. “I love you!” The freshly graduated member whipped her head around so quickly that Jurina winced at imagining the possible whiplash caused. The girl’s eyes were saucers and bored right through Jurina.

“Say that again.” Rena’s tremulous voice rose above the street noise.

“What?”

“Repeat what you just said.”

“I love you?” A brilliant smile emerged upon the exhausted features of the Nagoya princess. Jurina’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.

Rena stepped forward and cupped her palm around the younger girl’s cheek, the smile now a little melancholy. “Jurina,” she whispered. “I love you too. Don’t forget me, okay?” Retreating into the taxi, the older Matsui pulled the car door shut and sped off into the night. Jurina could only nod and stare after her.

The yellow cab had long since disappeared from sight, but Jurina’s feet only began to move after a length of time had already passed. Waving over another taxi, Jurina repeated the same three words again.

“I love you.”

[Minami-chan]

Actually this OS is Beautiful!!