Only the Beginning
"Oh it's you guys." Rena looked at the two kids in front of her with an apparent dislike. These little runts took their alone time she would think. Yet she always changed their diapers, fed them, and took them to school without complaints. She internally berated herself for being so soft during those times.
She felt around her clothes. Usually, 'winter' Rena leaves her a note stored secretly away on her person. She wondered with an amazing curiosity what Gekikara did this time. Almost always, there would be a long rant about what Gekikara did, and she liked reading the note, feeling the distress of the girl. She usually never had to fix Gekikara's mess. That was 'winter' Rena's job.
"Ah here it is." Rena took the note from her pocket and it was all crumpled up, as if she was in a hurry. She felt cautious opening it. Normally, it was a neat, folded up, and formal note, almost a letter. What happened?
She undid the piece of paper with great care and when she saw it, her face went snow white pale, as if it wasn't already pale enough. She gulped and almost bolted out of her seat, but she didn't want to scare the kids. She was being soft again.
"Mama? Are you going to continue?" Haruka was tilting her head adorably, a quizzical look on her face, as she looked at the visible shaken Rena on the couch.
Rena went back to Earth and nodded. "Yeah just taking a break. So where were we again?"
"You told us about the banana suit!" Sakura happily replied. She looked at Haruka who's had the same amount of enthusiasm, both were grinning ear to ear.
"Oh that. I forgot about that." Oh why did she have to tell that anecdote? "Are you ready for more?"
"Yeah!" They both cried out, fists in the air in delight.
____
Summer. Three months. Three months that may be long for some people but for the two lovebirds who always laid down on their polka dotted cloth in the park, it was too short. They played with each other's hair for a good hour while talking about school and their part time jobs that they applied to together.
When summer first came around, Amakuchi was confused, very confused when she opened up the note that was in her jean pocket. But apparently, during high school, she held an internal crush towards Jurina, and she couldn't be any happier at the current situation. She thanked Chukara for making this happen, considering the girl was so stubborn at times, never admitting her feelings.
"I have to go. I have to meet up with someone for a project," Rena said as she played with Jurina's hair.
Jurina pouted,"Really? That's a bummer. Who is it?" Jurina was cautious, extra cautious. She wasn't the first one to hit on Rena. The sexy, cute, and talented Rena. Her Rena.
Rena smiled at Jurina's obvious jealously, although she tried to so hard to mask it. "Kashiwagi Yuki. You know her. She always hangs around with that Mayu girl."
Jurina cutely pouted, knowing full well who this Kashiwagi was,"I don't like it. Stay with me. I know how that girl acts. She flirts too much."
Rena patted Jurina's shoulder before she sat up on the cloth,"No can do. I've procrastinated way too long. It's due tomorrow."
Jurina sighed and sat up also,"Finish soon then okay?"
Rena nodded, a grin on her face. "I'll finish it but I'll take my time. It wouldn't be right if I rushed it and left it half perfect right?"
Jurina shook her head,"But I wanna see you soon!" She pulled on Rena's shirt, not wanting to let go.
Rena ruffled Jurina's hair,"I'll try my best okay? It wouldn't be right when we get married to have a low paying job. Our kids would be sad!" Rena said while getting up."
Jurina's eyes widened. Marriage? Kids? Jobs? "Wait wait wait. Marriage?" She looked up at the standing girl.
Rena scratched the back of her neck. She blamed herself for her lack of awareness but if it needed to be said, now it would be the perfect time, "I want to marry you one day."
Jurina held her breath. Is this really happening? Rena's heart beat uncontrollably fast as nervousness threatened to make her explode in anxiety.
They looked at each other, waiting for each other to speak, but Rena ,again, was the first to break the deadlock. "I'm sorry! If you don't want to then we don't have to! We could see how it works out! You take your time or maybe you don't even want to be with me at all. So—"
"Shut up."
"B-But—"
"Shut up."
Rena looked at the girl below her, whose head was down. She felt apprehension when she couldn't see the other girl's face, who casted a dark shadow on the polka dotted cloth. It was unlike Jurina to say those words, especially in that tone.
"Don't you dare say those words."
Rena gulped—the tone in Jurina's voice was far from amicable. Rena kneeled to be face to face with Jurina, who was still sitting up on the cloth. "I'm sorry. I wasn't myself for a second there," Rena said, her voice sincere and apologetic.
"Don't say I don't want to be with you. I don't like it."
Rena smiled,"Then is that a yes?"
"Yes to what?"
"Marry me."
Jurina had already heard it yet she was still surprised. Her mouth was open in shock, her heart was beating uncontrollably, but one thing was for certain, there was a strange amount of anxiety welling up in stomach, almost causing her to double over.
"You okay?" Rena said, her hand rubbing Jurina's back, soothing and relaxing her. Jurina nodded as she held her stomach that was filled with nervousness.
"I'm fine. I'm fine. It just surprised me that's all,"Jurina said, holding a hand up that signaled she was okay.
"So your answer?" Rena probed as she too was very nervous. She just popped the question, what do you expect?
Jurina pondered for a while as Rena waited an excruciating amount of time. In truth, it was only ten seconds, but to her, it felt like ten minutes. Jurina cleared her throat and Rena readied herself.
Jurina's face was dim. Rena gulped and closed her eyes, preparing for the unbearable truth. She waited and waited and waited but nothing came. Nothing at all. Although she felt it soon right after.
A pair of lips had met hers. Her eyes abruptly opened and saw closed ones in front of hers, clearly enjoying the moment. Soon after, they separated and Rena was visibly shocked.
Jurina smiled and giggled at Rena.
"That's a yes."
____
Summer. If anything was annoying her right now, it would be that Kashiwagi girl clinging on to her fiancé. But she couldn't say anything because she too was being groped.
"Mayu can you let me go?" Jurina said, trying to get the girl off her as she wanted to have leverage against Rena later, since she couldn't accuse her of doing bad if she did it also. Rena was not struggling to get Kashiwagi off her at all. In fact, to Jurina's eyes, she was enjoying it, and oh did it make her angry.
"No! Yuki and I had a fight. I'm making her jealous so that she can value our friendship. So for now I'm staying here",Mayu stubbornly said, her grip in Jurina's arm becoming tighter.
Jurina internally face palmed. Mayu was doing exactly the opposite of what she was trying to do.
Mayu was best friends with Yuki, but when Jurina looks closely, there is something more going on than just friends, yet she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Which was ironic, considering she used to be in that same relationship just a few months ago.
Jurina looked at Mayu's face, which twitched from seeing the pair in front of them being friendly. Too friendly. Jurina lightly smiled at it, finding it cute, and found Yuki's lucky stars impressive, happy that she found such a friend that cared for her so much. But Jurina shook her head, snapping out of her impertinent thoughts, and walked on forward.
"You look different," Mayu said, noticing something different when she glanced over. "Something more..."
"Nicer? Happy? Cool?"
"Darker. I can't explain it but you look...darker."
Jurina stared quizzically at the shorter girl,"What are you on about?" Mayu's words were too cryptic and in truth, it made her feel nervous.
"As I said, I can't explain it," Mayu stated. "But we're here now," she said, while pointing at the rusty looking sign above the store. "Let's talk about it later okay?"
____
They stared at each other, silently, with hatred and a sense of betrayal. They were sitting at a café, theirs arms and legs crossed. Jurina stuck her tongue from inside her mouth, making her cheek protrude.
"She cheated right?" Jurina asked the girl in front of her. "With Rena." But the girl beside Jurina didn't let her answer.
The voice from beside her confirmed it,"Yeah..."
Jurina nodded her head slowly, making sense of the situation. The girl wearing the 'Death to the Establishment' shirt besides her ducked her head, feeling ashamed and embarrassment at her actions.
"Rena was different that day. I saw her at our house. Her eyes were dark."
"Someone said something about me being dark before." Jurina said, her voice dead flat. "She was wise. Now I know what it means."
The girl in front of her nodded slowly,"She must be smart...very smart." The girl wore a frilly skirt and a white blouse. Her heels were on the ground under the table as she took them off at the start of their conversation. Her feet started to sweat and she crumpled her hands into fists as rage slowly took over her body just looking at the girl beside Jurina.
"She betrayed me. My family.
They," she said as to put emphasis on the word."They betrayed our families."
"I'm not putting any blame on Rena you know that."
"Why?"
"You know exactly why."
The girl with the frilly skirt pursed her lips, silenced by Jurina.
Jurina bit her lip and looked over to the girl beside her, who engulfed her face into her hands in shame. She then slammed her hands on the table as she stood up abruptly, startling the two girl with their heads down. They were looking at her when she spoke.
"I think we're done here. I'm not going make you guys forgive each other. Do it on your own time. I have my own relationship to mend."
____
"I don't really have much else to tell you guys. That's all I have left that was interesting," Rena said, looking apologetically at the pouting kids before her. She glanced at the clock, noticing it was a bit late, and said,"It's bed time. Go to bed okay?"
"What about the wedding?" Sakura said, trying to squeeze more anecdotes out of Rena. "And your honeymoon! And and—"
"It was quick, boring, and normal. Nothing special happened,"Rena interrupted,"If I remember more, I'll tell you okay?" She smiled and Sakura and Haruka stopped their heckling, relenting that Rena wasn't going to tell more.
"Okay..." The kids said sadly and scurried up the stairs soon after.
Rena smiled and stood up from the couch.
There was so much more. The doorbell suddenly rang and her head cocked right to the door,"Now who can that be?"
She shuffled towards the door and opened it, revealing two people standing there looking at her.
"Mayu and Yuki what are you doing here?"
"We wanted to talk to you," Mayu said before realizing her poor choice of words,"Let me correct myself. We want you to tell us what happened."
"When? Where?"
"Guam. A few years ago."
"Guam?"
"Your honeymoon."