Overdue Replies ^^':@rochilu: Haha! I wanted a continuation too! So much so that I asked Louise-sama if I could do one and well, here we are. Yuki IS going to go through a lot here, and I'm hoping that I'll get it right. I hope you'll continue enjoying this
@Louise-sama: GET HER. NOW. GET THAT MEAN SENPAI. HER SADISM MUST GO NOT GO UNPUNISHED! Haha! Seriously though, even if my head may start to lose its hair from all the thinking I'm doing, I'm grateful that I had the chance to continue your fic. And for being my (sorta) Edit-chan! I don't know what I would do without your guidance xD
@michiyo: Thank you for taking the time to read this! And I'm glad that it's helping your vocabulary ^^ I'm hoping that you'll stick to this though, as your JuriMayu will have to wait a bit.
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A/N: This chapter is right up there next to the “Genetic Probabilities” essay on my “Things that are Stanking Hard to Write” list. Hope you enjoy it.
Next chapter should be up
in who knows when because school started again that’s why... I'm so sorry ;_; SOON™There's also a few tidbits at the end of this chapter for you guys if you want to read 'em
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Game
Arc 1: The Past
Chapter 2: Should History Repeat
Jurina fiddled with her wallet, quickly trying to find a smaller bill to pay the cab fare and panicking at the fact that the meter went up whenever she glanced at it. She silently cursed herself for only having 10000 yen bills, but immediately smirked at the thought. There she was, inside one of the most expensive forms of public transportation in Japan, annoyed that she had so much money. The irony of it all made her want to laugh.
“Ojou-chan, I have change for 10000 yen,” the taxi driver said, finally realizing why his customer seemed so agitated.
Jurina looked up at the old man and smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry, Oji-san. I wasn’t planning on riding the taxi home, you see. Would it really be alright?”
“It won’t be a problem at all.”
After paying the fee and thanking the driver profusely, Jurina half-walked, half-dragged herself towards her condo building. Arriving at a large glass door, she took out her keys and inserted them into an ATM-like machine mounted on a wall to her right. The glass door opened with a quiet click, permitting her access to a small room that served as the building’s secondary security entrance. From there, she inserted her keys into another machine and punched in her occupants’ ID number onto a small metallic keyboard when the device prompted her. She sighed as another air-tight door in front of her sluggishly opened, and quickly walked into the building’s well-furnished lobby before the door could crush her.
“Welcome home, Matsui-sama,” a voice teasingly called out, and the tall girl immediately knew who it was.
“I’m home, Churi,” Jurina halfheartedly replied, reaching the security kiosk at the end of the large room. Normally, she would’ve smacked the bird-lover upside for calling her that, but with how exhausted she felt, she wasn’t in the mood. “Where’s your dad?”
“Bathroom,” Churi answered, referring to the building’s usual front-entrance security guard. She shot a concerned glare at Jurina, frowning ever so slightly at the fact that her friend didn’t retort to her earlier taunt. “You look like you had fun, coming home waaay past your bedtime and all. You were at Watanabe’s place, right?”
Jurina nodded slightly at the inquiry.
“Doing Takahashi-sensei’s Jap Lit project?”
Again, Jurina inclined her head.
“You guys done?”
At that, the tall girl shot her a dirty look, and Churi chortled in response.
“I’ll take that as a ‘Mayu and I are screwed’ glare. Wait a moment…” The bird-lover took out something from her schoolbag, showing Jurina a rather thick stack of heavy-set papers fastened together. Her voice then turned serious, and she gave a sympathetic smile, “This is our research sources document. Airi and I already finished ours, so you can borrow it if you want. Just return it to me before the deadline.”
Jurina sighed, her gaze softening at the offered papers. “No, we’re fine. Watanabe-san and I are almost finished with it,” she smiled slightly, heading towards the elevators. “I’ll see you later, Churi. Tell your dad I said hi.”
Churi returned her smile and nodded. She wanted to tease Jurina further, but if her friend wasn’t returning her taunts, the bird-lover knew that it was time to back off. Besides, Jurina had already indirectly hinted that she didn’t want to fool around. Quickly returning back her attention to the CCTV screens in front of her, she bit her lower lip.
Since when did you start calling Mayu, “Watanabe-san”? She heard the security kiosk’s telephone ringing, but before answering it, she glanced at Jurina’s figure on one of the screens. The girl’s forehead was pinned against the elevator door, waiting for it to open. Her hands were clenched in fists, and her bag was slowly sliding off her shoulders.
“We’re fine” my ass._________________________________________________
Despite the fact that Jurina lived alone, her apartment was quite large. Of the four bedrooms that she used, one was converted into a small recording studio, another served as a large study, another was a (rather large) guest bedroom, and the room that she slept in was the biggest of the three. Her kitchen had the latest in culinary technology—even though the only dish she knew how to cook was her mom’s meat spaghetti—and her fridge was always well-stocked with the most delicious junk food known to man. She only used one of the three large bathrooms of the apartment in order to save time on cleaning, but even then it would take her two hours just to make sure everything was spotless. Even though the urge to get a cleaning lady was tempting, Jurina felt proud that she had survived for three years without calling anyone in for help and that her apartment looked as though it was one of those model homes you see on magazines. The apartment wasn’t fully hers because she still had to pay her parents for shouldering most of the costs of buying the unit as well as providing her with furniture, but she was the one who knows every nook and cranny of the place, she was the one who paid the bills, and she was the one who chose what to do with her home. All rooms had modern furniture, and all those rooms ultimately had only one owner: her.
“I’m home,” Jurina unenthusiastically announced to the empty living room. Despite it being her favorite place in the apartment, she ignored the cheery atmosphere of the large space, let her heavy bag fall to the floor with a resounding smack, and proceeded to rub her eyes with a force that could remove them from her face. The coldness of her palms started to ebb away as she then decided to slap her cheeks—not caring about the stinging sensation that came with it—in a feeble attempt to wake herself up. After remembering to trade her sneakers for her indoor slippers, the pillows on her couch were instantly on the floor as she sat down with a heavy sigh.
Shiiiiiiiiiiit. Leaning back on the seat, Jurina drew out a groan as she felt the muscles of her legs start to ache as she expected they would.
After leaving Mayu’s house earlier than she had planned, Jurina had walked aimlessly around her twin-tailed friend’s neighborhood as well as the area surrounding it. With a heavy heart, she trudged on and had memorized every landmark of the area without really intending to. Whenever she would arrive at the same convenience store she knew she had passed just moments ago, she would pause and contemplate whether or not to return to her friend’s house but immediately shrugged off the thought once she felt the lump in her throat resurface again.
When she finally noticed that it was already quite late and that the convenience store clerk was looking at her from inside store like she was crazy—and maybe she was—she opted to board the train home. Once she arrived at the station, the station manager at the gate said that the last train to her destination had already departed, and so she had to wait thirty minutes in the cold October wind before she could wave down a taxi.
Heeeeeeeesh. With a frustrated grunt, Jurina remembered why she was in her situation in the first place. The tall girl really didn’t know what went on inside Mayu’s room. What she did know was that Mayu was acting so strange for the past couple of weeks—avoiding her touches, leaning away from her, being impatient when they were together, clinging on to her girlfriend more than she normally did once Jurina sits next to them—and it seemed to have culminated in Mayu growling at her earlier. Now, the fact of the matter was that as she sat on her couch in a self-induced pity party, she still didn’t understand why the twin-tailed girl was so cold towards her. She didn’t know why Mayu was acting like that in the first place, and she didn’t know if she had done something wrong. Even after forcibly trying to remember what she did and said since meeting the twin-tailed girl back in April, she couldn’t find one thing that would offend Mayu nor make her act cold towards her.
So why?
_________________________________________________
Jurina looked into Mayu’s eyes, and was utterly confused by what she saw.
Was it… anger that was in the smaller girl’s gaze?
Perhaps hurt?
Irritation?
What was it?
Did Jurina do something wrong?
The taller girl had her hand up, feeling it sting even though Mayu didn’t touch it. She felt her chest tighten almost painfully as she looked into Mayu’s eyes. She didn’t know why Mayu looked at her like she had insulted her. Jurina knew that the smaller girl could be a little sensitive at times, but she didn’t know what provoked the rude action. Her earlier tease about the dakimakura was just that—a tease—and as far as she knew, Mayu had thicker skin than that. So why?
Suddenly, Jurina saw the brown orbs shift. At this point, the taller girl knew what they were trying to say. She’s seen it before, after all. And, just like all those other times, her confusion would only grow as Mayu’s eyes once again reflected it at her.
‘Sorry’
And, just like all those other times, she could do nothing but shrug it off.
_________________________________________________
“Hey, kiddo. I’m abusing my key privileges.”
A grinning face appeared before Jurina’s line of sight and, despite herself, the exhausted girl slowly grinned as well.
“I didn’t hear you come in, Mari-nee-san,” She replied, sitting up. Jurina felt the coldness in her body slowly fade as her older sister tackled her, and chuckled lightly when Mariko pulled back and ruffled her hair affectionately.
“Are you deaf now?” Mariko teased.
“I’m trespassing as well, Jurina-chan,” Another voice announced. Turning her head slightly, Jurina’s grin seemed to reach its limits as she met the eyes of her sister’s girlfriend, and the short-haired girl immediately stood up to embrace her as well. Pulling back from the hug, Jurina chuckled again as her cheeks were pinched by the long-haired woman.
“Hey, Haru-nee,” She greeted, cheeks still restrained by Haruna’s grip. “How’ve you been?”
“Fine,” Haruna replied, winking, “But I’ve really missed my kiss monster.”
“Don’t you have me for that, Nyaro?” Mariko teased as she walked over to them, pouting ever so slightly as she did so, “Or am I not enough?”
“Mou, Mariko, of course you’re enough~”
“You two are sappy as always,” Jurina laughed, “It’s like I’m constantly interrupting something. You guys really can’t get enough of each other, can you?”
“You’ll understand once you get a boyfriend,” Haruna playfully replied. She sauntered up to Mariko, and the older woman immediately put a hand on her waist and drew her close. “Or are you as straight as your sister?” Haruna added, chuckling.
Seeing her younger sister’s reddening face, Mariko gave an amused snort. “I’ve never seen someone so excited at going to Ni-Chōme,” The older woman winked, “She’s a heartbreaker though. Caused a lot of trouble in high school, ne?”
Jurina groaned, “Can we please drop this?”
As the three’s laughs bounded through the spacious apartment, Jurina could feel her worries slowly recede. After the stressful events of the day, she was physically and mentally exhausted beyond belief. She didn’t expect Mariko to drop by so suddenly, but that very thing seemed to lift her spirits more than anything. Since Mariko was the one to succeed their stepfather and therefore was quite busy with the family business, Jurina got to see her less and less as time went by—even the excursions that she and Mariko had during the weekends were usually skipped. The fact that her older sister took the time to see her was a welcome change to her otherwise melancholic day, and she was quite grateful that even Haruna, her sister’s (very busy) secretary, was there as well.
“Anyway,” Mariko started, she removed herself from Haruna and placed a hand on Jurina’s shoulder, “You okay?” She gently asked, a hint of concern flickering behind her dark eyes.
“I’m fine,” The younger girl replied, brows furrowing at her sister’s sudden change in tone. Her receding worries suddenly came back tenfold as she saw a glint of suspicion in Mariko’s eyes. “You?” She timidly asked, biting her lip afterwards.
“Peachy,” The older sibling said, her troubled tone still there. Squeezing Jurina’s shoulder slightly Mariko sighed, frowning as she continued, “But you’re not. You just came home, right? Churi said that you don’t look too well—and I agree.”
Jurina sighed at the fact, “Nosy bird lady.”
“It’s not only that, Jurina-chan,” Haruna also wore a concerned frown, “You looked like you were drunk when we came in.”
“I’m not even allowed to drink—”
“We know. It’s the reason why I’m not giving you a sermon about it now,” Mariko gently replied, “Can you blame Haruna though? You had that look.”
Jurina cocked up a brow, “I didn’t know that resting on the couch could make you look wasted.”
“You were sighing and mumbling too,” Haruna pointed out.
“Not to mention, you smell like tobacco,” Mariko added, “Which means you’ve either started smoking or you rode a taxi. And I don’t know which one worries me the most.”
The younger sibling bit her bottom lip. Jurina had forgotten how observant her older sister could be. In most cases, it was a blessing for the younger girl but now, with how Mariko was looking suspiciously at her, it was anything but.
“Why would I riding a taxi worry you, Onee-san?” Jurina quietly asked. It was a long while since her older sister had been skeptical of her, and she didn’t like how their first meet-up in quite a while was going.
“Because it means that you were far from home for too long,” Mariko replied matter-of-factly, “Long enough that you missed the train, and far enough for you to use a taxi instead of walking.”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” Feeling a growing irritation at being cross-examined, Jurina had to control herself in order not to snap her reply. As stupid as it sounded, in the back of her mind, her earlier stresses with Mayu was beginning to take over and was affecting how she was responding, and she didn’t know why.
Stop it. “I think I’m allowed to go home as late as I please.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should,” Mariko stated. Jurina could almost detect the hint of anger in her voice, further irking her. “You’re only nineteen, Jurina. And even if you could make your own decisions, you still need to remember that rules apply to you.”
“I know they do,” Jurina gritted her teeth. The hand that touched Mayu’s shoulder earlier began to sting and, trying to push the feeling off, her reply came out harshly, “But going home late isn’t supposed to be an issue.”
Stop it. Mariko held a defensive hand up, “I’m not saying it’s an issue—”
“Then why are you acting like it is?”
“I’m not, Jurina.”
“Then what
are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that you’re still young,” Mariko’s voice was rising; beads of sweat could be seen on her forehead as she glared at her younger sibling, “You’re still a university student. If something were to happen to you—”
Jurina’s vision darkened, the ache in her legs seemed to drag her down.
An image of a remorseful Mayu flashed in her mind.
Stop it! “Why do you even care?!”
“Because I’m your sister!” Mariko growled. Surprised at the sudden outburst, Jurina winced and took a step back. Mariko paused when she saw the action. The fearful eyes of her younger sister bore in to her as she swallowed the guilt she felt in her throat. Running a hand through her short tresses, the older woman’s voice softened as she gently explained, “I just… I don’t want you to get hurt.”
As Mariko slowly walked over to the couch to sit down, Jurina could only stare at her sister’s slumped figure. The sting of her own out-of-place question lingered on her lips, and she knew that they were the stupidest words she had ever uttered in front of the older sibling. She knew that Mariko had nothing to do with her problems with Mayu, but even so, she allowed her frustrations to spoil an otherwise happy reunion. She didn’t know what came over her. As her conscious mind tried to make sense of all that happened since seeing Mayu wince at her touch for the first time all those weeks ago until right now, while looking at her sister’s dejected form, she could only really think of one thing.
Is… something wrong with me? “I… I’m sorry, Onee-san,” Jurina finally mumbled. She didn’t dare look into Mariko’s eyes. “That was out of line.”
As she stared at her feet, Jurina felt Haruna’s hand pat her shoulder lightly. “We weren’t even counting on you being awake right now,” Haruna said softly, “We have a business conference near here, so Mariko thought it would be nice if we stayed here instead of in a hotel—” She gestured at the luggage near the TV, “—To surprise you.”
“When Churi mentioned you earlier, I got worried,” Mariko quietly added, looking at Jurina with somber eyes. The older woman sighed when she noticed that the younger girl wasn’t looking at her. “I know I haven’t visited you in a long time—I didn’t even call you or anything—so hearing what Churi said and seeing you like you were earlier scared me,” Taking a deep breath Mariko continued, “You’re not a kid anymore. I respect that. But you’re still my younger sister.”
“I know, Onee-san,” Eyes still avoiding her sister’s face, Jurina took a small breath. “I know that more than anyone. And I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I think I’m just a bit tired.”
“Jurina, look at me,” Mariko’s voice was soft. Slowly, she got off the couch and walked next to the younger girl. With a gentle pat on the head, Jurina complied with the request, and was relieved to find her sister giving her a small smile.
“As far as I know, you do great at school, and I know how much you love your job,” Mariko said. “So whatever it is that’s making you tired… it has nothing to do with work or uni, ne?”
Jurina almost chuckled at the question. “Well, it does… somewhat,” Voice serious, she frowned slightly, “I mean, I’m not blaming it on anyone, but things are a bit… screwed up between me and a friend of mine,” She paused, thinking of the right way to explain something that even she didn’t understand, “We’re partners in a project, see. And with how she’s been acting, we’re not getting enough work done.”
Mariko cocked a brow at that, “Hm? That’s the issue?”
This time, Jurina smiled at the “what-a-letdown” tone that Mariko had. Her frown returned, however, when she tried to recount her frustrations, “It’s not only that, Onee-san,” She began with a sigh, “Mayu’s… she’s been my friend since classes started. She’s been acting so weird lately that I don’t know if I did something wrong or she’s going through a phase or something. I don’t know if it’s my fault or not and it’s really…” She paused, thinking of a right word, “… annoying me, I think.”
“You think?”
“Well, I don’t really know how I feel about this whole thing,” Jurina grumbled in response to Mariko’s somewhat playful prompt. “I just know that it’s tiring me out.”
“Sounds heavy,” Haruna was standing right next to her, offering her a reassuring smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“We’ll listen, no matter how stupid it is,” Mariko agreed, her impish grin returning.
_________________________________________________
“Well, what do you think?” Jurina quietly asked, finishing her story. Looking in front of her, she was a bit taken aback by the somewhat downcast expressions of Mariko and Haruna. Just a few minutes ago, they seemed so absorbed in her story and were even fervently asking her questions. Now, the couple looked like Jurina had delivered a eulogy instead of a frustrating tale about confusion and supposed misunderstandings.
“Onee-san?” Jurina timidly prompted, and her sister looked up at her with a small—and somewhat forced—smile.
“I think…” Mariko started, taking a quick glance at silent a Haruna, “That you should listen carefully. To me. Listen carefully, Jurina.”
The older woman slowly lifted herself off the couch and kneeled in front of Jurina’s seat, taking the younger girl’s hands in hers. Puzzled by the action, Jurina could only raise her eyebrows and keep silent as her sister started to speak.
“You don’t have to worry. It’s not your fault, Jurina,” Mariko began with a serious but gentle tone, “I think Mayu… Mayu is…”
“She’s having complicated feelings, Jurina-chan,” Haruna quietly supplied. Eyes still downcast, the longer-haired woman refused to meet the gazes of the two siblings. Intertwining her fingers together, her voice could be barely heard as she added, “And I think it’s best if you leave her alone.”
Perking up, Mariko’s eyes widened, “Nyaro—”
“It’s what’s best, Mariko,” Haruna quickly said. She shot her girlfriend a glare that Jurina couldn’t recognize, and Mariko visibly winced. “Do you understand, Jurina-chan?” Haruna’s voice was sickly sweet, but the glint in her eyes was anything but.
“I… I don’t… I don’t think I do,” Jurina blinked back, confused at Haruna’s sudden change of demeanor. Truthfully, she didn’t expect Haruna to be the one to give advice. It’s not that her sister’s girlfriend was dumb or anything, but Haruna could be a bit... slow sometimes. In fact, Jurina had this suspicion that the long-haired woman was deliberately acting like an airhead. With how Haruna was glaring at Mariko now, her suspicion was growing—and she didn’t like it.
“I think what Haruna is trying to say, Jurina,” Mariko quietly began, looking over her girlfriend to see if Haruna would react. When the long-haired woman continued to give her unrecognizable glare, Mariko continued hesitantly, almost whispering, “Is that you should give Mayu some space.”
“That’s not it and you know it!” Haruna snapped, and the two siblings could only gape at the normally cheerful woman. With one final glare, Haruna stormed out the room, leaving the two to hear the slam of the apartment door closing.
A still-shocked Jurina could only stare at Haruna’s abandoned seat, “That was…” She looked over to Mariko, and was surprised to see her older sister biting back tears.
“Are you okay, Onee-san?” She timidly asked, her confusion at the whole situation only growing.
“Jurina,” The older woman’s gaze locked on to hers and, voice laced with regret that the younger girl didn’t know what was the cause of, she quietly spoke, “You should follow what your heart tells you. That’s it. Nothing more nothing less.”
Jurina blinked, “I… I don’t know how that relates to this. Why did Haru-nee—”
“Don’t worry about Haruna,” Mariko sighed, “She’s just a bit… upset. But listen, Jurina,” The older sibling squeezed her hands, “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Mariko paused, taking a deep breath, “But if it is what I think it is, I only have one piece of advice: you need to make your own decisions. Choose what’s best. And if your heart tells you to take a chance, take it. Remember what dad said before he died—A Matsui either does or doesn’t.”
“I know what dad said,” Jurina frowned, “But I still don’t think I understand. What does that have to do with all of this? And why is Haru-nee upset?”
For a brief moment, Mariko stared at her, lips pursed and face blank. The younger girl gazed at her sister’s expressionless eyes, trying to understand just what Mariko was trying to tell her. Really, everything was too confusing for her to comprehend. She was asked to tell her story in the hopes of getting answers, but there she was, having more questions than she originally had and even more puzzled than she was to begin with. When the older woman suddenly giggled, Jurina could only give a defeated sigh.
Uekara Mariko, ne?
Way, waaaay above.
And you’re even taking Haru-nee with you. “I think we’ve overreacting a bit,” Mariko smiled. Standing up, Mariko walked over to her and Haruna’s luggage and, turning to Jurina, she gave her an impish grin. “I’m sorry for confusing you more, Imouto-sama,” She winked, heading towards the front door, “But, really, I’m not called sadistic for nothing.”
Jurina frowned at the comment before noticing where Mariko was slowly opening the door, “Wait—you’re going?”
“I’ll be leaving the luggage here. I’ll—we’ll—be back. I promise,” Mariko waved a dismissive hand, still grinning from ear to ear, “I need to catch my cat before she freezes. You should get a rest, Jurina; I don’t think we’ll come back before morning.”
With that, the older sibling left her apartment, gently closing the door and locking it from the outside. The exhausted Jurina could only really think of one thing to describe her day as she once again plopped on her couch, ignored her surroundings, and stared at her spotlessly-white ceiling.
“The
heck was that all about?”
_________________________________________________
“Haruna.”
“What?!”
Mariko winced at the hostility of Haruna’s voice. Even though she had been the cause as well as the receiving end of it from time to time, she never really could get used to her girlfriend’s anger. It was the usually cheery ones that were the scariest when angry after all, and Haruna was known as the cheery one in their relationship. When the long-haired woman stood up from her sitting position on the sidewalk and started to walk away, Mariko immediately grabbed her arm, forcing Haruna to look at her, and with a quiet voice said, “Back there, I know you’re—”
“You know what’s going to happen, Mariko!” Haruna snapped, and Mariko once again unconsciously flinched at the harsh tone. Though her girlfriend was glaring murder at her, however, she took a bit of comfort in that Haruna didn’t shrug her hand away.
Voice as even as possible, Mariko tried to explain, “We can’t say that for sure—”
“But it’s all there! What that Mayu feels… everything is just like back then!”
“Like I said, we can’t say that for su—”
“I don’t want that Kashiwagi girl becoming like Yu—!”
There it is. “Haruna, look at me,” Mariko’s voice was gentle but firm. As the short-haired woman dealt with the inevitable conflicting emotions that came whenever Haruna mentioned even a little of their past, she tried to calm the erratic beating of her heart and prayed that her eyes weren’t going to betray her.
“Only at me, Haruna.”
Her girlfriend could only stare back at her, and Mariko was sure that Haruna was going through the same emotions that she was. Biting her lower lip, Mariko continued.
“Do you still trust me?”
Because I do. “Ne, do you still remember?”
Please remember. “Can you still remember?”
Back then. “… Remember what?” Haruna finally asked, and Mariko didn’t miss the slight glint of curiosity that the long-haired woman had in her eyes.
“How much you cried,” Mariko softly prompted, “At that time, you cried so hard. And I didn’t even know what to do.”
“I… I remember.”
“And I cried too, remember that?”
“I remember.”
Haruna’s response was more a whisper than anything else, but Mariko was quick to note the hint of defiance in her tone. As her girlfriend’s eyes slowly reflected their usual gentleness, the short-haired woman sighed in relief.
Please… don’t leave me. “Good. Because I don’t want you to forget that.”
“I won’t forget that even if I wanted to,” Haruna finally gave a small smile, and Mariko grinned as well. As the cold wind pricked their exposed arms, the couple moved closer, sharing as much of their body heat with each other as they can. Fingers intertwined, they sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, not minding the frigidness of the stone.
“… Jurina is a smart kid,” Mariko started, squeezing Haruna’s hand reassuringly. “She’ll know what to do.”
Worry flashed in Haruna’s eyes as she squeezed Mariko’s hand as well, “But—”
“Jurina needs to think for herself,” Mariko immediately supplied, voice firm. “If I’m always there to guide her, she would still be that little naïve kid she was back in Nagoya. I don’t want that. This is her fight.”
“But what if—”
“Like I said, we don’t know for sure if that’s what’s going to happen. We can’t just jump to conclusions,” Mariko brushed a strand of hair off of Haruna’s face before continuing with a sad but no less stern tone. “Jurina likes to think logically. If we present her with that kind of half-assed explanation, that kid wouldn’t believe us. Heck, we aren’t even sure if that Watanabe girl is just going through a phase or something.”
“I know it’s there, Mariko. And if Jurina would feel the same way—”
“Jurina knows what she should do when the time comes. She needs to make her own decisions. She doesn’t know much about these kinds of things—cursed sheltered life—but I’m sure she’ll pull through.”
Eyes downcast, it took a while for Haruna to reply, “And if she makes the wrong choice?”
… Wrong? “… Are you saying that I made the wrong choice?” Though Mariko’s tone was playful, the question she presented to her girlfriend was so loaded that as soon as she uttered it, she internally slapped herself for asking it. It was as if she doubted her relationship with Haruna—which was something she never wanted her girlfriend to feel. She was grateful then, when Haruna’s eyes immediately widened at her inquiry.
“No! Don’t say that!” The long-haired woman chided, smacking Mariko’s arm.
“I know. I’m sorry,” Mariko’s relieved voice was anything but sorry, however, as her usual impish grin slowly formed on her face.
The conversation died down and the cold night waned on. A comfortable silence passed between the two with Mariko occasionally stealing a glance at her companion’s profile. As she admired the way Haruna’s hair seemed to reflect the moonlight rather than absorb it, Mariko remembered how hard it was to convince Haruna all those years ago on how much she had loved her. Their circumstances back then were so messed up that she wondered how they managed to pull through. During that time, Mariko didn’t know what else to do but keep hanging on to her selfish desires in hopes that the woman beside her right now would inevitably feel as selfish as she did. All those years ago, she kept hanging in hopes that despite her wants benefitting only a select few and hurting so many, it would turn out alright. With one final loving glance at her girlfriend, she thanked the heavens that she ended up holding the hand of the one person that had captured her heart.
I was right… wasn’t I? “… We can’t do anything about it, can we?” Haruna half-asked, half-said with a wistful tone, breaking the silence. The long-haired woman’s eyes were still glued on the road in front of them, watching cars passing by with mild curiosity.
“I think we just made it more complicated for her, actually,” Mariko chuckled in response. She remembered how Jurina could only gape at her when she went out of the apartment earlier.
“Some Onee-san you are.”
“You started it with your dramatic worst-case scenario deductions—ACK!”
“I can’t help it, you know,” Haruna pouted, gently massaging the spot where she conked Mariko’s head. “I… I don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”
“Me either,” Mariko nodded. “But at this rate, I doubt we’re going to get what we want.”
It was at the end of her somewhat sad statement did Mariko notice that Haruna’s frown started to turn into a small, knowing smile. “What are you grinning for?” The short-haired woman asked. It wasn’t that Haruna smiling was a rare thing, but it didn’t quite match the mood that the present conversation had.
“See?” Haruna explained, turning to her, “Even you jumped to that conclusion.”
Ah, you caught me there. “Your fault, you airhead,” Came the short-haired woman’s grumbled but light-hearted reply.
Chuckling at her girlfriend’s pout, Haruna gently squeezed Mariko’s hand. As another gust of wind tussled her already unkempt hair, the long-haired woman scooted closer to her companion, and Mariko allowed Haruna to gently lay her head on her shoulder. “So?” Haruna whispered, almost breathing out the word. She gently squeezed Mariko’s hand again, unsure if her girlfriend heard what she said despite her lips inches from the short-haired woman’s ear.
Unconsciously shivering at her girlfriend’s warm breath tickling her neck, it took a few seconds before Mariko could respond, “What?”
“What are we going to do when your sister cries like you did back then?”
Ahhh. “I thought that much was obvious, Nyaro,” Mariko replied in the same all-knowing tone she used on Jurina earlier. She gently motioned for Haruna to lift her head up, and when her girlfriend complied and looked at her, she gave a small, sad smile.
Brows furrowing, Haruna asked, “Enlighten me, then. What are we going to do?”
The familiar but almost forgotten tinge of guilt and regret flashed in her girlfriend’s eyes, and Mariko knew that despite the question concerned Jurina, Haruna needed her answer more than her younger sister did. The question was, after all, what started their relationship and what also ultimately ended another one. Taking a deep breath, Mariko uttered the reply that she had prepared. It was similar to the reply she had said to the sobbing Haruna back then, as both of their bodies trembled in the frigid wind comparable to the one they were experiencing now.
“We help her pick up the pieces."
TBC_________________________________________________
Notes desu~~Ni-Chōme:
Ni-Chōme is an area in Shinjuku. The place is considered a hub for LGBT activity in Tokyo… meaning it has a lot of gay bars. Why Jurina is excited at going here well, your guess is as good as mine.
… And no. I’ve never been there, if you’re wondering ^^’
Spare change:
The scene where Jurina was trying to find smaller bill to pay the driver was actually based on a similar situation I had when I visited Japan. My dad was all worried that he didn’t have coins or smaller bills on him, and the driver was gracious enough to say that he didn’t mind since his shift was ending. From what I know, it’s considered polite in Japan if you give the exact payment or as close to it. I’ve only ever been to Osaka though, so I guess it’s a regional thing? Eh.
Station closing:
Generally, Japanese train stations close at around 12 MN or until the last train arrives at its “home station”. In fact in Kyobashi, where I stayed, the stations close at 10:30 PM if the last train of the Osaka Loop Line passes through Kyobashi station a bit early to dock at the Osaka station at the end of the loop… and I just didn’t make sense there.
Tobacco smoke and Taxi expense:
Most taxis in Japan (NOT just in Osaka… I think) allow their customers (and even the driver) to smoke inside the cab. A running joke is that you know someone used a taxi if they smell like tobacco afterwards. Really, it smells like a smoking zone in there.
Taxis are expensive, yo. Horrrry crap. Use the trains instead. Taxis are a last-resort thing… unless you’re a rich prep student… with blond hair… named Yamaken…
*Tetsukazu no Kanjou plays* Inb4, I miss Japan now.
Topic: Game - Chapter 2 (6/1/2014) [JuriMayu] (Read 3979 times)