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Author Topic: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 11 (30/8/2018) [COMPLETED]  (Read 17196 times)

Offline Minami-chan

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 3 (12/4/2018)
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2018, 11:32:30 PM »
What a giant step Rena has taken.


By the way, I love your avatar: D (Neru neru ~~)

Offline Haruko

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 3 (12/4/2018)
« Reply #21 on: April 13, 2018, 01:24:57 AM »
OMFG!!! THAT WAS BETTER BUT ANNIN GO AWAY FROM MY GURLS!!!

We need a jealous Rena to clarify her mind

Offline LuckyMatsui

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 3 (12/4/2018)
« Reply #22 on: April 13, 2018, 02:09:57 AM »
A desperate move from Rena. I think Rena didn't like Juu as a girlfriend. She just don't want Juu to leave and that's all. I also think, in the near future, Juu will be hurt AGAIN because of this.

PS I'm still pleased, author-san. When Annin entered the picture, I know there will be an action on the following chapters :)

Waiting for the next chapter  :cow:
Matsui Rena + Matsui Jurina =

Offline Bukiyou Taiyou

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 3 (12/4/2018)
« Reply #23 on: April 22, 2018, 10:03:24 AM »
By the way, I love your avatar: D (Neru neru ~~)

Hehe.. I like Neru in Kokkyo no Nai Jidai where she was the center for SakamichiAKB.

We need a jealous Rena to clarify her mind

A desperate move from Rena. I think Rena didn't like Juu as a girlfriend. She just don't want Juu to leave and that's all. I also think, in the near future, Juu will be hurt AGAIN because of this.

Rena really needs to be careful; she'd already made a hasty decision.

Offline Bukiyou Taiyou

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 4 (22/4/2018)
« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2018, 10:13:41 AM »
CHAPTER 4

It had been a month since Rena stayed at Jurina’s apartment that night; since she proclaimed herself as someone’s girlfriend. Jurina was a sweet girlfriend. Never once did she try to kiss her or touch her without her permission. If there was one thing that changed, it was the nature of the kisses. Jurina’s quick kisses started to be lingering. They didn’t simply target Rena’s cheeks anymore, but also her lips. Their first mutual kiss was sweet and soft. Rena had no idea how Jurina could be that good at kissing.

They still went to work together. Now that they were a couple, there were times when Jurina sometimes stayed at Rena’s place and vice versa. Jurina continued her project with Rena to build smart housing for people in Nagoya. She rejected the offering for the other project in Yokohama. Management Board carefully considered her decision and finally appointed the other person. Apparently, their first project was a big success. They knew they still needed Jurina for more projects in Nagoya.

Saturday morning. Rena was in Jurina’s apartment after spending the night there. That morning, they planned to go to Sunshine Sakae to do some shopping. She was all set while Jurina was still getting dressed. Rena was reading the latest edition of The Japan Architect when Jurina was finally ready.

“I’m sorry you had to wait.”

“It’s fine.” Rena put down her magazine.

“I think I know how to make our time more efficient.”

“How?”

“Next time you want to take a bath, ask me to join. We both will be ready at the same time, not like now,” Jurina let out a fake sigh.

“Jurina…” Rena warned her.

“I’m just kidding, okay.”

Rena came closer to her girlfriend. “I know,” she said while kissing her cheek playfully.

That was all Jurina needed to make her day brighter. She thought her day couldn’t be more perfect, but realized her mistake when they left the appartment, and she saw Annin standing in the corridor.

Again? Jurina mentally groaned.

“Hi, Jurina. What a coincidence! I was about to visit you.” Annin said while looking at Rena curiously. “I moved in today; we will be neighbours from now on. And oh, she’s...?”

“Rena,” Rena slightly nodded. She believed she had seen this girl before. Rena didn’t like the way she behaved with Jurina, but she tried to be polite.

“A new girlfriend, huh?” Annin noticed their hand holding. She turned to look at Jurina. “Now I understand.”

“I’m sorry, Annin, but we need to go.”

Jurina firmly grabbed Rena’s hand, and they left the building without a word. Rena remained quiet, until she couldn’t take it anymore when, a few minutes later, they sat in Jurina’s car. “Who is she?”

“Annin. My ex-girlfriend. The one who dumped me and broke my heart that day when you found me.”

“That day when I asked you for dinner for the first time?”

“Yes. If you hadn’t asked me, I would probably have gone to a bar and got myself drunk.”

Jurina started the car. Rena remained silent for some time.

“Why didn’t you tell me about her? I told you about Airi.”

“She didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I didn’t feel like talking about her.”

When Rena didn’t give a response, Jurina continued. “I’m sorry, okay. I should’ve told you about her. You have the right to know.”

“I feel like I saw her before…”

“Last month, she came to my place when I was sick. She wanted us to get back together, but I refused.”

“So that’s why; I did meet her before in the corridor. She was coming from your appartment.”

“She can be very stubborn. And now she’s moving in the same building,” Jurina was frustrated. She couldn’t imagine the possibility of Annin being her neighbour. It was funny how the person you once loved the most could now be the same person you wanted to avoid at all cost.

“Jurina…” Rena’s voice trailed away hesitantly. “Stay with me. Move to my place.”

Jurina’s heart skipped a beat. Her girlfriend was so full of surprises: she had to repeat Rena’s words inside her head to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

“You want our time to be more efficient, right? That way, you won’t need to pick me up every morning. We can go home together. We don’t need to talk on the phone for hours. I prefer to talk to you directly. I love to see your expression,” Rena continued.

“Rena, are you okay?”

“Yes, absolutely. What do you think? We can try it for a few weeks at first.”

“Really?”

Rena gave her an assured look.

“So, when should I move in?”

“What about today?”

Jurina pondered over it. “Rena, do you really need to go to Sunshine Sakae right now?”

“Hmm... not really actually.”

Jurina smiled, and changed direction on the road to go back to her apartment. She was so excited to start living with her girlfriend.



Rena’s apartment was bigger than Jurina’s. It had two bedrooms. Like its owner, the apartment was tidy and neat. Jurina was almost afraid to put her belongings recklessly like she usually did at her own place. But after only a few weeks, Jurina was getting used to it; it already felt like home. Or maybe, her home was Rena.

Since last September, it had been four months since they started living together.

Rena did cook for Jurina, but only twice since the last time she prepared her chicken soup when she was sick. Now, it was mostly Jurina who did the cooking. Rena didn’t need to be an expert to realize Jurina was a better cook. Moreover, Jurina was more than happy to cook for Rena.

Despite the fact they lived together, Rena still didn’t feel comfortable enough being naked in front of Jurina, so they took their bath separately. Like now. Rena was in the bathroom, while Jurina was lazily watching a movie in bed. Jurina heard the familiar ringtone – Scandal’s Stamp! – coming from Rena’s phone. It was past 9 PM. She took a peek to see the caller.

Furukawa Airi.

Jurina’s heart skipped a beat.

She was tempted to pick up the call, but refrained from doing so. When Rena came out of the bathroom, the phone rang again. Jurina could see Rena hesitantly answering the call after checking the caller.

“Hello, Airi.”

The tone. Never once Jurina ever heard Rena speaking in such a soft tone, not even when she talked to her. It was different.

Rena seemed absorbed in her conversation with Airi. Jurina pretended to be busy watching a movie, while desperately wanting to know why Airi could be calling at such a late hour.

“I will ask Jurina about it.” Jurina caught that, but the rest was not clear until the very last sentence. “I’ll call you back, okay?”

Jurina prepared her heart for something unexpected.

“Jurina…”

“Yes?” She turned down the volume of the television.

“It was Airi. She has an exhibition this weekend, and has no place to stay. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding with the hotel she booked, and all the other hotels around the venue are already full.”

“Okay…”

“She asked if she could stay at my place; it’s only for two days. I told her I would ask you first.”

Jurina could feel her heart warm. The fact that Rena was asking for her opinion, made her feel important in Rena’s eyes.

“Does she know you’re with someone?”

“I just told her about you.”

“Yes, she can stay here. Of course.”

“Really? You don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind. After all, she’s your best friend. We should be nice hosts.”

After that, Rena called Airi back and talked to her for a little while longer. Jurina felt apprehensive; she didn’t know what might happen when Rena would meet Airi again. Deep down, she really hoped she hadn’t put her relationship with Rena in danger.

(to be continued)
« Last Edit: April 22, 2018, 12:53:49 PM by Bukiyou Taiyou »

Offline Kyuartz

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 4 (22/4/2018)
« Reply #25 on: April 23, 2018, 04:45:12 AM »
Why do I expect something like more drama after this? Haha. Don’t mind me though. Nice story and I totally can’t wait for your next update. So far I’ll enjoy them being all good and cute.  :D :D :D

Offline Minami-chan

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 4 (22/4/2018)
« Reply #26 on: April 23, 2018, 11:39:32 PM »
I suspect that suddenly, everything is going to get complicated.

Offline huffhuff

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 4 (22/4/2018)
« Reply #27 on: April 24, 2018, 04:23:11 PM »
D-R-A-M-A~
poor annin, she tought a good idea for moving near jurina's place and got left behind lol

Offline Haruko

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 4 (22/4/2018)
« Reply #28 on: April 25, 2018, 02:26:22 AM »
I'm hoping for a pro active J with their relationship like more kisses... and of course annin she need to do something.. for drama's sake

Offline Bukiyou Taiyou

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 5 (27/4/2018)
« Reply #29 on: April 27, 2018, 02:10:48 PM »
CHAPTER 5


Nagoya Station on Friday night was full of people. Most of them were in a hurry, trying to avoid the unpleasant cold breeze of January’s weather and impatient to reach their warm, cozy home.

Rena looked expectantly at the neon schedule board which indicated the time arrival of the trains. The green scarf she wore made her warm despite the autumn weather. When Airi told her she would arrive by train the evening before the exhibition, Rena insisted to pick her up.

“The train will arrive in five minutes,” Rena murmured.

“I know.” Jurina held her hand. It was really cold.

In fact, these last thirty minutes, it had already been the third time Rena announced the time. They arrived to the train station after work. The traffic was surprisingly smooth. Rena was nervous to meet her old best friend; their last meeting was not a pleasant moment to remember.

Initially, Rena wanted to pick her up by herself. Even though Airi knew about Jurina, Rena understood very well that Airi didn’t feel comfortable meeting new people. But later, she changed her mind. The sooner Jurina and Airi met, the better they would get along.

“There she is!” Rena quickly approached a girl with shiny long black hair holding a purple suitcase.

Jurina immediately followed her.

“Airi!” Rena waved at her, and smiled when Airi’s eyes met hers. Airi returned the smile. It was like years ago; it was as if they were fine.

“Airi, this is Jurina. Jurina, this is Airi,” Rena introduced them to each other.

“Nice to meet you,” Jurina slightly inclined her head.

Airi replied with the same gesture. “Nice to meet you too,” she avoided Jurina’s gaze shyly.

Jurina had seen Airi on one of Rena’s pictures, but meeting her directly was a different story. It didn’t take long for Jurina to notice that Airi was a quiet and timid girl. Jurina wondered how this awkward girl standing in front of her was once the same girl who broke Rena’s heart.
They left the train station, and walked in silence towards the parking lot where Jurina had previously parked her car.

“What about barbeque for dinner tonight?” Rena broke the silence.

Contrary to Jurina, Rena didn’t like meat and they rarely went to a barbeque restaurant. Even though she found Rena’s suggestion a bit odd, Jurina nodded in agreement. Both looked at Airi in expectation, who immediately agreed.
 
They went to a barbeque restaurant in the center of the city, and chose a table in a quiet area. Rena took a seat next to Jurina, while Airi sat opposite them.

“Apparently, you’re still fond of this place,” Airi said, suddenly feeling nostalgic about the place. Rena used to bring her to this restaurant each time she visited.

“Yes, I like their soup. Jurina also says the meat is tender and juicy.”

Jurina couldn’t agree more; they had indeed eaten here a couple of times now. While she often chose grilled meat, Rena usually ordered the vegetable soup.

“You come to a barbeque restaurant only to eat soup? Rena, you never change!” Airi suppressed a laugh, before adding. “I thought you would be more tolerant to meat after all this time.”

“Not really, but both of you enjoy eating meat, so I think this place is perfect for us,” Rena smiled.

The waiter arrived with the menu: plenty choices of different meats and vegetables. He turned on the stove and put the fat on it to melt. On the same table, he also started to boil the water in a pot for the soup. With her chopsticks, Jurina began to place some meat on the grill, while Rena put some vegetables in the pot.

“Airi…” Rena started, while cautiously stirring the soup. “What kind of exhibition will you be attending tomorrow?”

Airi explained that her company was launching a game based on their anime adaptation at the Japan Anime Festival. It was an annual event, and this year Nagoya was chosen to be the host. Airi was one of the illustrators of the anime so she – along with with her small team – would be attending the event at the Nagoya Convention Center.

“I’m one of the junior illustrators in my team so initially, I was not on the list of people who was supposed to attend the exhibition. Later, my company added me to the list,” Airi said while seasoning the prawns, before placing the food on the grill.

“My company had originally booked four rooms in a hotel near the venue, then booked another room for me. Apparently, the hotel staff forgot to add that room,” she sighed. “I checked other hotels, but all are fully booked this weekend. This exhibition is pretty famous, even among international visitors.”

She turned some prawns upside down and continued. “I can go back and forth from Toyohashi to Nagoya but it’s not practical,” she referred to her hometown. “Not to mention, it will take a lot of time. Then I remembered you,” Airi said sheepishly. “So I called you to ask if I could stay at your place.”

“You are always welcomed,” Rena smiled. She turned to Jurina who – unlike her usual distracted self – was attentively listening to their conversation tonight. “Right, Jurina?”

“Yes, sure,” Jurina confirmed.

“Thanks. This exhibition is really important for me. I will meet many senior illustrators there. It’s a great opportunity to learn a lot from them,” Airi said enthusiastically.

There it is, Jurina thought. Airi transformed into a completely different person once she began talking about a subject she liked. She didn’t look anymore like that quiet and awkward girl Jurina barely met an hour ago. She changed into a girl who was proud of her passion and her dreams. Jurina couldn’t help thinking that it might be one of the qualities Rena liked the most about her friend. Not to mention, she looked really cute and sweet with her long and black perfect shiny hair.

Just when Jurina was lost in her own thoughts, she was startled when Airi suddenly put a grilled prawn on Rena’s empty plate. Rena didn’t like meat or seafood. Or at least, that’s what she always believed.

As if realising she made a mistake, Airi stopped herself. She shouldn’t be doing that kind of thing - not when Jurina was with them - even if what she did was something very ordinary. Something she casually had done pretty much before. She liked barbeque a lot, but felt terrible that Rena couldn’t enjoy the meat and only ate soup. So, one day, she had suggested Rena to try grilled prawns.

Rena had enjoyed it, but for some reason she wouldn’t take it unless Airi put it on her plate. That was something Airi did unconsciously, without thinking.

Rena could see her best friend stiffening. “Thank you, Airi,” Rena carefully peeled the prawn’s shells. “It’s sweet and fresh. I like it. You should try one, too, Jurina.”

Jurina did as she was told and tasted one: Rena was right. It was really good.

Jurina always thought she knew Rena very well but that night, Jurina learned something new about her girlfriend.




They arrived home before 9 PM. Airi still felt familiar with the ambience of Rena’s apartment; it didn’t change much. Tonight, she would be sleeping in the guest bedroom for the first time. Usually, she stayed with Rena in the main bedroom.

Since the exhibition would start early in the morning, Airi preferred to go straight to bed. She remembered all those nice moments she had spent with Rena, and felt a pang in her chest when she realised how badly she had treated her friend in the past. Deep down, she missed her so much.

What made her feel even worse, was the fact that Rena hadn’t changed at all. A few days ago, when she called Rena for the first time in years, she wasn’t sure how Rena would react to her call. But Rena was still the nice and warm person Airi remembered.

When Rena told her about Jurina, Airi wondered what kind of person was dating her dear friend. She knew Rena would pick her up at the train station, but she didn’t expect Rena to come with Jurina.

The first time she saw Jurina, she was amazed by her beauty. Fair skin, short hair, adorable small brown eyes. And what about her perfect smile? It could warm any cold heart. Airi might have avoided looking directly at Jurina, she was a good observer. Her intuition as an artist helped her capture every moment acutely. Airi believed that Jurina was that kind of magnetic person who could capture people’s attention effortlessly.

At first, Airi feared Jurina might be not be a good person; like many girls she knew with pretty faces, who were extremely presomptuous and arrogant. But Jurina was the complete opposite. She was incredibly nice, even with her, a stranger she had just met. Jurina treated her with respect, Airi could feel her sincerity in every word. When, earlier on in the restaurant, she sat opposite the two other girls, Airi didn’t miss the love shining in Jurina’s eyes each time she gazed at Rena. Yes, this girl was definitely one of a kind, and was a good match for her equally adorable Rena.

At that thought, Airi let out a small sigh, before progressively closing her eyes to sleep. Tomorrow, a long, busy day awaited her.




Airi couldn’t be happier with the outcome of her first day at the Japan Anime Festival. She got recognition for her work, not only from the medias but also from her seniors. Jurina and Rena even came to her booth, a nice surprise that made her extremely happy.

Tonight, they decided to have dinner at home. Both Matsui prepared the meal so when Airi came home, the food was ready. Airi told them about the exhibition, that a movie producer was interested in working with her team for a new anime.

It was still early when they finished dinner.
Jurina entered the main bedroom, followed by Rena.

“Are you sure you want to sleep now? You just had dinner,” Rena asked her.

“I’m not sleepy. I want to watch a movie,” Jurina turned on the TV.

Rena sat next to her and stayed quiet.

“Rena, I think you should talk to Airi. Both of you have a lot of catching up to do. Tomorrow night, she will return to Tokyo.”

“Why don’t you join us? I don’t feel at ease leaving you watching a movie alone while I’m with Airi.”

Jurina’s heart warmed up at Rena’s statement. She stroke her girlfriend’s hair gently.

“It’s okay. It’s only for tonight. I can spend the rest of the night and many other nights with you,” she said with assurance. When Rena leaned over to capture her lips in a kiss, her mouth tugged into a smile of pleasure.




“Airi, are you sleeping?” Rena knocked on the door.

“No. Come in, Rena.”

Rena slowly entered the room, seeing Airi playing with her phone.

“Where is Jurina? Is she sleeping?” Airi asked.

“She’s watching a movie,” Rena answered, moving closer and taking a seat on the bed next to Airi.

There was a lasting silence, althought it was not as awkward and uncomfortable as they anticipated.

“I forget the last time we sat like this,” Airi started.

“It feels like yesterday, right?”

More silence.

“I’m sorry, Rena, for what I’ve done to you. I didn’t deserve a good friend like you.”

“No, please don’t say that. You were my best friend, and you still are. People make mistakes; we’ve made mistakes. Let’s learn from our mistakes, okay? I’m happy we can be friends again.”

“Me too.”



“Rena, I missed you.”

“You have no idea how much I missed you too.” Tears began rolling down Rena’s cheeks.  She didn’t want to remember those painful times when Airi avoided her, but those unpleasant memories resurfaced without her consent.

As an introvert, Airi was not the type of person to naturally initiate a hug, but she felt she had to make the first step. She leaned forward and hugged Rena tightly, apologizing once more. Against Airi’s shoulder, Rena couldn’t stop crying. It was almost as if a heavy burden had  suddenly been lifted. She had really missed Airi. She had truly missed her best friend.

For the rest of the evening, they talked and talked, going through what had happened in their life during those last years. Without even realising it, it was already past midnight.

When Rena left Airi’s side and joined her bedroom, Jurina was sleeping with the TV on. It was not the first time such a thing occurred, and Rena always wondered how Jurina was capable of sleeping with so much noise. Rena turned the TV off, listening to Jurina’s soft and quiet breathing. Before turning the light off, Rena paused to admire the beautiful, peaceful expression of her girlfriend. Day after day, her affection for Jurina was growing stronger and stronger.

At first, she was afraid Jurina wouldn’t get along with Airi. She feared feelings of jealousy towards Airi might emerge, but none of it happened. During Airi’s stay at her place, Jurina had acted as the mature person she had always known.

Rena turned the lights off and kissed Jurina’s temple, carefully enough to not wake her up. “I love you, Jurina,” she whispered.

Words of love she hadn’t had the courage to utter out loud until now.


(to be continued)

Offline Kyuartz

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 5 (27/4/2018)
« Reply #30 on: April 27, 2018, 07:18:47 PM »
Yayyyyy.... an update~~~
So happy to see all the interaction
I thought there would be drama but it seems that I am wrong
Still, this update is perfect as it really brings smile to my face
I’ll patiently wait for your next update
Great job for this one 👍👍👍

Offline Rhythm

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 5 (27/4/2018)
« Reply #31 on: April 27, 2018, 07:28:25 PM »
That heart of yours jurina, is something :ptam-aww:
i missed 4 chap!? :shock:
Anyway I'm so happy you updated! Keep fighting author San! Goodluck!  :mon beam:

Rhythm rolls out

Offline Haruko

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 5 (27/4/2018)
« Reply #32 on: April 28, 2018, 01:29:06 AM »
God lord! I though cute puppy J is amazing, but mature J was better!

Offline Bukiyou Taiyou

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 6 (16/5/2018)
« Reply #33 on: May 16, 2018, 11:21:17 PM »
CHAPTER 6


The last day of the Asia Anime Festival was packed with people. The Nagoya Convention Center was so crowded, that it was hard to make your way around the boothes. Airi was busy explaining her drawing technique to some visitors when she suddenly saw Rena approaching her booth. The day before, Rena and Jurina had already visited her, so Airi wasn’t expecting to see them again today.

“Where’s Jurina?” Airi looked behind Rena’s shoulder in curiosity.

“She needed to make final preparations for her business trip tomorrow. She will come by later in the afternoon.”

The visitors’ attention was suddenly caught by what was happening on the main stage. Several international cosplayers had just arrived on stage, looking dashing with their beautiful, elaborated costumes and confidently filling the shoes of their characters. Considering the loud screamings and cheers in the venue – mostly from young girls – it was easy to guess that those cosplayers were very famous.

Rena shook her head unconfortably; the noise was starting to make her feel a little dizzy.

“You don’t want to watch them? I know you’re a big fan of cosplayers,” Rena teased.

“I was, but I’m not really into it anymore,” Airi casually replied. “Do you want to go out to get some fresh air?”

Rena nodded in approval, more than welcoming the suggestion. Airi checked first with her colleagues if she could leave for lunch. They always took their lunch breaks at different times, to make sure there was always at least two or three people on the booth.

They went to a small café outside the Nagoya Convention Center, only a few minutes away by foot. Rena felt relieved to discover there were only a few people there; she was afraid it would be crowded like the other cafés inside the venue.

They didn’t have to wait long for their order. Both were enjoying their meals when Airi – out of nowhere – suddenly said, “Sometimes, I wished I hadn’t been so childish when you confessed to me.”

Rena – who didn’t know where this conversation was heading – instantly looked back at Airi in surprise. The night before, they had apologized to each other and admitted deeply missing one another. Rena believed it meant that they were fine now; that they were still friends.

“I think you deserve an explanation, Rena.”

“What? Airi, I’m okay now. You don’t have to–,” Rena looked around nervously, but no one was paying attention to their conversation.

“I was shocked by your confession,” Airi continued. “I was partly blaming myself that I was not as brave as you. That I wasn’t honest with my feelings.”

“Airi…”

“I really enjoyed our friendship. You were my only best friend, Rena,” Airi confessed. “I was afraid that if we moved to the next level and something bad happened, I would lose you completely. I hear it from many people. I saw it myself… how a nice friendship can turn badly once romantic feelings are involved.”

Rena, I can’t believe you ruined our friendship!
Rena could still vividly remember what Airi had said to her before she left her apartment that day. It still hurt to think about it.

“Then I avoided you. I thought I needed time. Gosh, I can’t believe I was so immature back then. So selfish. Later, I realised that it was because I was unsure of my feelings…” Airi drank her cold beer. “When I moved to Tokyo, I wanted to tell you about the good news. But my pride overshadowed my logic.”

“I texted you to congratulate you. But you never replied,” Rena murmured back.

“Believe me, I wanted to,” Airi assured. “But I kept delaying my reply again and again, until my new work at the studio began to completely consume me. I know I was a coward back then and I’m not proud of it.”

Rena could sense the uneasiness in her best friend.

“Sometimes, I ask myself if things could have been different between us if I had told you yes.”

“Airi…”

“A few days ago, when I called you, I mustered all my courage to dial your number. I almost cried in happiness when I heard your voice again. But then you told me about Jurina and, for a moment, I almost thought of cancelling my plan to visit.”

Rena unconfortably sipped her iced Asian Dolce latte; she didn’t know what to respond.

“But I was curious to meet her, and now I can see that she is a really nice girl. I guess it’s too late for me, right?”

“Too late for wh-”

“I love you, Rena,” Airi interrupted her. “There, I said it. It’s useless now, I already know it.”

Rena was left completely stunned; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Airi, it’s not fair. And not fair towards Jurina either…” Emotion took hold of her; tears slowly began rolling down her pale cheeks. Why is it happening now? Sometimes, life really liked playing with people’s feelings.

“I know,” Airi smiled sadly. “But at least I said it to you. You see, I didn’t want to live with regrets.”

Airi gently wiped the tears away from Rena’s cheeks. “Rena, I’m happy that you are with her. Jurina is a nice person.”

“She is…” Rena felt her chest warm up when she uttered her next words. “I love her.”

All of a sudden, a small beep from Rena’s phone grabbed her attention.

“It’s from Jurina.” Rena’s face lit up at once, until disappointement clouded her features. “She says she can’t come this afternoon.”

“Ah, too bad. I wish she was here, too.”

After that, they decided not to talk about the particular subject anymore. Somehow, they both didn’t want to end the day on a sad, melancholic note.

“Rena…” Airi hesitantly spoke up when they left the café and made their way back to the venue. “Are we… okay?”

“Yes.” Rena smiled confidently. “We are okay, Airi.”





Later that evening, Airi took the train back to Tokyo. Rena couldn’t help but give her friend a long, warm hug before she passed the ticket gates.

“Thank you. Both of you,” Airi kindly addressed Rena, then Jurina who was standing by her friend’s side. “Take care of yourselves!”

“You too, take care of yourself!”

For years, Rena felt terrible for losing her best friend. But now, she was happy to have her back, and she put at the back of her mind Airi’s recent, unexpected confession.

“Let’s go home,” Jurina suggested.

Rena looked back at her lovingly.

“What?” Jurina grinned.
 
“Nothing. Let’s go home,” Rena smiled and took Jurina’s hand.

Not only was she happy to be friends with Airi again, Rena also realised that she was sure of her feelings for Jurina now. At first, she was only a colleague with whom she shared her work vision. Then, she became a friend she spent a lot of time with, and who drove her home and work 5 days a week. Without realizing it, Jurina had become her best friend, a person with whom she shared her stories and secrets. And now, Rena was more than proud to call Jurina her girlfriend.


(to be continued)

« Last Edit: May 17, 2018, 03:15:48 PM by Bukiyou Taiyou »

Offline Minami-chan

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 6 (16/5/2018)
« Reply #34 on: May 16, 2018, 11:32:26 PM »
 :onioncheer: :onioncheer:

 :on gay: :on gay:

Beautiful!
A beautiful chapter!

Offline Haruko

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 6 (16/5/2018)
« Reply #35 on: May 17, 2018, 02:42:02 AM »
Go away Airi! HAhaha BUT Rena said the important three words~

Offline Kyuartz

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 6 (16/5/2018)
« Reply #36 on: May 17, 2018, 03:49:25 PM »
Niceeee
Luckily Rena finally fell for Jurina after all this time being unsure
And for a second, when Airi confesses to Rena how she felt, I thought there would be drama and heartbreak
Haha
Lucky enough things going on smoothly, no drama and all
This is a great chapter
Will wait for next update patiently
👍👍👍👍👍

Offline Rhythm

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 6 (16/5/2018)
« Reply #37 on: May 17, 2018, 07:33:56 PM »
Aww Rena you fall in love! :hehehe:

Offline Bukiyou Taiyou

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 7 (25/5/2018)
« Reply #38 on: May 25, 2018, 05:07:44 PM »
Hi, thank you for the comments. I appreciate it ^^ Before I update chapter 7, let me tell you something. It's gonna be quick, I promise.

I started writing this fic almost two years ago. I have finished it last year so you don't need to worry that I might abandon it, because I won't. It's already had an ending. Initially I wrote this for one or two friends, but then I thought it would be fun to share it here on JPHiP as well.

I rarely read fics (my ultimate pair is [obviously] WMatsui), though I'm very loyal once I found fics that I love. But recently, I've explored more fics and I was amazed by how diverse the themes are and how wild the imagination could be. Then I take a look at my own fic and I couldn't help but cringe for its cheesiness/cliché, especially for this chapter >,< Please bear with me ^^"



CHAPTER 7

Jurina groaned when she heard the sound of the alarm ringing; Monday morning had unfortunately arrived. She didn’t despise Mondays in particular, she just didn’t like waking up earlier than usual. This morning, she had to catch an early Shinkansen to go to Tokyo for her business trip. Still half-asleep, Jurina reached across the bed to turn the unpleasant sound off, before realising that Rena’s right hand was lying on her chest. Jurina paused, a smile unconsciously falling on her lips at the sight. Rena was not the kind of person to be big on demonstrations of affection, contrary to Jurina who adored cuddling and kissing. Jurina couldn’t remember how they ended up in such a position in the first place, not that she really minded. 

Despite trying to stay quiet and still, the annoying sound coming from the alarm finally got on her nerves as it kept getting louder and louder. Jurina reached out for the alarm, careful not to wake up her girlfriend in the process. At once, the bedroom plunged into a peaceful silence again. It was such a perfect morning; Jurina didn’t feel like leaving Rena’s side yet. Five more minutes in bed wouldn’t hurt, she thought. Jurina had always been a responsible person but for a moment, she wished she didn’t need to go to Tokyo today.

By her side, Jurina could feel Rena progressively stirring up.

“Good morning,” Rena squinted her eyes to take a look at the clock on the wall. “Wait, today you have a trip to Tokyo, right? Why are you still here? You haven’t even taken a bath yet?”

“How could I wake you up? You were sleeping so peacefully,” Jurina pouted.

“I was sleeping so deeply that I didn’t hear the alarm,” Rena admitted sheepishly, “I don’t remember the last time I slept so well.”

Jurina had something else on her mind, “You could actually come with me to Tokyo, you know,” she gently caressed Rena’s cheek.

“Jurina, you need to take a shower now.”

“Take a shower with me?” Jurina teased, “I promise it will be quick.”

“Nope,” Rena couldn’t help but laugh. Sometimes, Jurina’s determination was really admirable.

“I don’t feel like going. Can we stay here longer?” Jurina sighed, “At least give me a kiss? I will miss you.”

“It’s only for three days, Jurina. But okay…”

Rena leaned forward and closed the distance between them. Jurina expected to receive a simple kiss on the cheek, yet was startled when Rena claimed her lips instead. Jurina blinked a few times in surprise when their lips parted, before smiling when she noticed the adorable small blush on Rena’s pale cheeks.





Jurina had left for the train station only a few minutes ago, yet Rena could already feel the emptiness of the apartment without her presence. Rena was not the kind of person to easily get attached. She always believed to be a very independent person, capable of doing most of things by herself. Before Jurina came to stay at her apartment, Rena was used to the quietness. In fact, she relished it. Rena once thought that if she ever had a partner, she wouldn’t mind sleeping in separate rooms. She couldn’t stand the idea of being with the same person all the time. She would need her own space.

But Jurina was different. In fact, Rena loved spending time with her and she was now completely used to her presence around. She knew that she was going to deeply miss her during those three days, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Rena could almost predict how Jurina would react if she told her that she already missed her.

Later on, Rena hailed a taxi to go to work.

For the next three days, she would need to return to her old daily life without Jurina by her side.





Tokyo’s nightlife was enchanting, always lively and crowded. Jurina had missed this kind of atmosphere; it gave her so much energy while Nagoya was more laid back. After a long, tiring meeting today, she had planned to catch up with an old friend in their favourite café. Since Jurina had left Tokyo for Nagoya, they had only been able to meet on a few, rare occasions. Jurina briefly checked the time on her watch: her friend should already have arrived by now.

Her phone’s ringtone distracted her. For a minute, Jurina believed it was her friend Watanabe Mayu calling her – probably to warn her that she would be a little late – but, to her surprise, it was a completely different name flashing on the screen.

Matsui Hideki.

Jurina frowned in perplexity when she saw the name of the caller. Why on earth was Rena’s father calling her?

The news she received from Rena’s father left her stunned and speechless. Jurina was trying desperately to comprehend what he was saying, but it hardly made any sense to her. It was only a five-minute call, yet it was enough to turn her world completely upside down.

When she hang up, a familiar voice brought her back to reality. Jurina looked up, only to see Mayu standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry I’m late… My boss is being a real jerk lately, she just gave me-”

“Mayu, I need to go back to Nagoya now,” Jurina said urgently.

“What? I know I’m late, I said I’m sorry,” Mayu wanted to add more but Jurina’s troubled expression told her something terrible must have happened.

“Jurina, are you okay? Who just called you?”

“Rena had an accident. I was on the phone with her dad.”

“H-How?”

“I don’t know the details. I’m sorry Mayu, I need to go now.”

“Let me drive you to the train station.”





Jurina held Rena’s fingers for a while before carefully placing them back on her chest. She didn’t have the strength to look at Rena’s current condition. When she arrived at the hospital around midnight, Rena’s dad was already here. He looked so exhausted, that she told him to take a rest while she would stay with Rena. Rena’s father told her everything about how Rena had ended up at the hospital. Apparently, a car had hit Rena while she was hailing a taxi after work.

From the police investigation, it was discovered that the driver was under drugs and had lost control of his vehicle. Several pedestrians got injured in the process, Rena being one of the most seriously injured ones. It was the worst car accident that had ever happened in Nagoya in the last ten years. Jurina didn’t really care about the details; what she was worried the most about was Rena’s current condition. She still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“Rena, please wake up…” Jurina whispered.

She couldn’t help but blame herself for leaving Rena alone. This morning, she had felt that something was not right, and she now wished she had followed her intuitions and not left Nagoya.





Rena slowly opened her eyes, groaning in displeasure when she felt a sharp pain in her head. As she progressively assessed her surroundings and noticed that she was at the hospital, she tried to remember what had brought her here. The last thing she remembered, was waiting for a taxi when a car suddenly came out of nowhere, followed by the sound of screeching tires and people screaming.

The rest was a complete blur.

As she tried to move in bed, the first thing she noticed was that someone was holding her hand. She couldn’t see properly the person’s face and those shoulder-length black hair didn’t remind her of anyone. Maybe it was someone who had helped her and had brought her to the hospital? Maybe it was a nurse? But why was that girl holding her hand?

The room was quiet, and Rena was hesitant to wake up her unknown visitor. Suddenly, Rena wondered if her dad knew about the accident and that she was at the hospital. As she looked around for her phone to call him, she realized that her handbag was nowhere to be found. 

Rena didn’t know how long she stayed quietly immobile in bed, yet eventually she saw the stranger finally waking up.

“Rena, you woke up! Oh, thank God!”

Rena was completely caught off guard when the girl hugged her without warning.

Who is she?

When the girl tried next to kiss her temple, Rena retreated.

WHO IS SHE?!


Out of instinct, she pushed the girl away. Rena didn’t believe to have pushed her that hard, yet the gesture immediately made the other girl stop.

“Why? Did I do something wrong?”

The girl’s voice was soft, yet sounded also slightly hurt.

“I-I don’t know why you suddenly hugged me, and tried to… kiss me?”

“I can’t?” Now the girl looked truly hurt. “I’m so glad that you finally woke up. I was so worried about you. I’m sorry if you think it’s not appropriate.”

“Does my dad knows I’m here?”

“Yes, he arrived last night. He looked so exhausted, I advised him to take some rest. He’s staying at a hotel not far from here.”

“Why… are you here?”

The girl looked back at her in frustration.

“I knew you would ask about office matters. Don’t worry, I asked someone else to replace me for my meeting in Tokyo. You don’t need to worry about work, it’s all settled-”

“W-What?” Rena asked, completely confused. Not only was her headache getting worse, none of what the girl was saying was making any sense. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Did my dad tell you to stay with me?”

“Not really. I wanted to be here with you.”

“Who are you?” Rena asked seriously.

The girl was taken aback by the question. “Rena, you don’t remember me?”

“I don’t…” Rena answered truthfully. The girl was attractive and she would never forget such a pretty face, yet she really couldn’t register that face staring back at her.
 
Now, the girl looked deeply worried.

“Do you remember what year is it?” the girl hesitantly asked.

Rena sighed. She might not be sure of the date or how long she had been staying at the hospital, of course she knew what year it was. That girl was really asking silly questions.

“It’s 2013,” Rena answered confidently.

The girl immediately stepped back. “I’ll call a doctor.”

As the girl reached the door and was about to leave, she turned around in Rena’s direction. “By the way, my name is Jurina. I hope it rings a bell.”


(to be continued)

« Last Edit: May 25, 2018, 11:03:33 PM by Bukiyou Taiyou »

Offline Rhythm

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Re: [WMATSUI] A Journey to Her Memory - Chapter 7 (25/5/2018)
« Reply #39 on: May 25, 2018, 05:17:03 PM »
I'm happy you had an ending already!  That's mean I can read this until the end!
Anyway
R-Rena!?  :mon scare:
What going to happen with Rena now?
I can't wait to see the next chapter bukiyou San!

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