I want to thank again everyone who has been reading and commenting my fanfic. I always appreciate every comment each of you leaves. Your comments really helped me to keep on writing when I was feeling slightly demotivated.
This is it. The second part of chapter 20. I'm glad I decided to divide this chapter in two, as it really ended up being way longer than I planned. I hope you'll enjoy it!
CHAPTER 20 PART 2
Kiss Datte Hidarikiki has always been one of the SKE's songs Rena dreads the most to perform. Of course, there are more challenging songs like the very tiring
Oki Doki, but she always feels a slight apprehension when she discovers this particular one is on the tracklist. She always wondered what crossed the director's mind when he decided to add that kiss at the end of the videoclip. It came out of nowhere and made no sense whatsoever, but no one dared to contradict him. If someone had asked for her opinion, she would immediately have disagreed. Unfortunately, no one ever bothered to ask for it, and so she had no choice but to deal with that unexpected decision.
She still remembers vividly the first time they were taught the kiss would be added to the performance's choreography. Whereas she was mentally cursing the choreographer for her terrible idea, Jurina was smiling like an idiot as if she had been promised a whole day in a candy store. Rena immediately knew this song would be a nightmare to perform.
Despite how many times they rehearsed it, they always managed to mess up the last ten seconds. Jurina's lips never ended where they were supposed to: on her cheek, a few inches from her lips, near her ear... it was all over the place. Jurina even managed to steal a kiss a few times, but Rena's immediate wrath had taught her it was definitely a bad idea, and she had cautiously decided to not retaliate. Until a month ago.
At first, Rena believed it was seeing how Jurina was truly remorseful about it that prevented her to get mad at her. Now, she was not so sure it was the only reason, especially when she couldn't stop reliving the kiss in her head days after the incident occurred, and kept staring at the younger girl's lips at the hospital. In fact, for the first time, she did not mind the kiss. Quite the contrary.
"Two minutes."
Rena comes out of her musing as a staff member warns the ten SKE members the performance on the main stage is about to end and it's going to be their turn. She lifts her gaze to watch the girls who are energetically dancing on
Teppen Tottande!, before following the staff member who's leading them to the secondary stage, built for the occasion at the end of the stadium. When it comes into view a small sigh of relief leaves her lips as she notices that it's not raining anymore.
The light is still on Sayaka and the other NMB members when Rena gets on stage with her fellow SKE members. The audience is still watching the main stage's performance as she takes position by Jurina's side and she slightly turns to look at her. Jurina is adjusting her mic, with a seriousness that never stops to amaze her. Even if Jurina loves to fool around at every given opportunity, may it be when she flirts with other girls in the dressing room or when she tells jokes during MC's and television programs, there's no one more focused than her when it comes to performances. It's as if she has a switch that enables her to change mood in an instant.
Teppen Tottande! finally comes to an end, and the light is now on them as the first notes of
Kiss Datte Hidarikiki resonate. This is it. The last SKE performance of the day has begun. Even if it has stopped raining, the floor is still awfully slippery, and Rena has to muster all her willpower to not let her worry show every time her feet miss their right spot. It's quite subtle and she knows the audience probably hasn't noticed anything - her smile is impeccable after all - but she's still eager for the performance to finish.
The song suddenly seems incredibly long as she tries to focus on the lyrics and not on her insanely slippery boots. She almost wants to sigh in relief when she hears the last notes. Finally. Her nightmare is over. Her hand catches Jurina's for the infamous last moment of the choreography and their eyes briefly meet, Rena not missing the slight apprehension in Jurina's. The spin is perfect and Rena places her hand at the back of Jurina's head, slightly turning it before approaching her lips from their target.
She knows the illusion is perfect as she immediately feels the girl's breath on her. Their lips are just few inches apart and Rena has to restrain herself from closing that small distance.
It's not like it would be the first time they kissed on stage. Despite Rena's best efforts, the mischievous young girl has - a few rare times - managed to have it her way. She even stole her precious first kiss.
However, now it's different. As much as she feels the need to prove the young ace that she is wrong, that she certainly doesn't see her as a little sister, she knows it's neither the time nor the place for such a display of affection. If they have to kiss, she doesn't want to use a choreography as an excuse. She wants it to happen because they both really want it.
The focus switches from the SKE members to the main stage as
Bird suddenly starts, and Jurina swiftly retreats back, Rena feeling a pang in her chest as the younger girl avoids eye contact. The older Matsui silently follows the members who are swiftly descending the stairs, suddenly wondering how on earth she's going to manage to express her feelings to a girl who's been avoiding her all day long and who, apparently, has no intention on stopping.
She's in the middle of the stairs when she suddenly feels her feet losing their adherence and she misses a step. After a three-hours concert free from any incident, it seems the rain has finally decided to play tricks on her. Her hand desperately tries to grip something to stop her imminent fall, but there's unfortunately no ramp to catch. Just as she's about to plunge she feels a strong hand on her arm, effectively stabilizing her. She exhales in relief as she regains balance, knowing she just avoided an accident. Who knows how bad she could have hurt herself? Just as she's about to turn around to thank her savior, a familiar face quickly comes into view.
"Are you alright?"
Rena's eyes widen at the sight of the young ace who's still gripping her arm and looking at her intensely.
"Yes. Thank you, Jurina."
Jurina slowly retracts her hand, not before visually checking the girl for any potential injury.
"Okay."
When Jurina releases a small sigh of relief, Rena's heart immediately warms up. Jurina has been giving her the cold shoulder all day long, and the true show of concern she just witnessed in her eyes tells her it may not be too late, after all. That's it, she made her decision. After the concert, she's going to have a talk with her. A very serious one.
Churi is brushing her teethes when she hears the first knock. Halting, she stares at her reflection in the mirror in surprise, before immediately resuming, somehow believing the intruder will be patient enough to let her finish. She can't be more wrong. A second knock comes merely two seconds later, followed by another third determined one. Whoever is on the other side of the door is really desperate to come in which is a bit strange, considering she isn't expecting anyone tonight.
"I'm coming!" she grumbles, rinsing her mouth in a hurry and quickly moving to the door. Whoever it may be better have a good excuse to be disturbing her in her daily routine.
Churi's features contort in surprise as she notices the girl on the other side. Rena is the last person she expected to be knocking on her hotel room's door, especially at such a time of the day. To top it all, she's looking at her straight in the eyes, and not averting her gaze as she's been doing for months now. This evening couldn't be more strange.
"Hi Akane. Is Jurina here?"
"Jurina?" Churi says, raising an eyebrow at the curious request, "No, she already left for Nagoya."
"She left?" Rena's voice pitches up. Weren't the SKE members supposed to leave tomorrow morning?
"Yes. She has an interview tomorrow first thing in the morning, and had to leave beforehand."
"Oh," Rena murmurs, frustrated she wasn't aware of that. Now she has to wait a whole week to speak with Jurina, as she unfortunately has to stay in Tokyo for Nogizaka46 related work, "I see."
Churi immediately notices Rena's disappointment. She knows Jurina has been avoiding her all day long and even acted a bit cold towards her a few times, so it surprises her that Rena would want to speak with her. What is she suddenly so desperate to tell her?
"It may not be too late to catch her. She left a minute ago to take a taxi."
Churi almost wants to laugh as Rena's eyes light up immediately. She never saw someone's expression change so fast. Rena abruptly turns on her heels and starts moving fast towards the elevator, before she suddenly halts and makes her way back to the door.
"Thank you, Akane."
The smile she gives her is so genuine, that Akane can't help but return it. She doesn't know what suddenly got into her, but she really prefers this Rena to the one who's been avoiding her for months.
"You're welcome."
Rena tries to catch her breath as her eyes scan the dark street in front of the hotel. As she suddenly sees the row of taxis at the end of the street she moves forward, until she feels small droplets of water wetting her face. It had stopped raining an hour ago, but apparently, it was only a short respite. Rena briefly ponders going back to the hotel to fetch an umbrella, before thinking against it. She really wants to speak with Jurina before she leaves, and she's not going to let that unexpected turn of events distract her from her objective.
That's when she spots a familiar silhouette.
That's her, Rena muses, unconsciously speeding up as she sees the girl getting in a taxi. She mentally curses her non-athletic body as her feet don't seem to be moving fast enough, and realization hits her as the car starts to turn. She's never going to be able to make it in time.
"Jurina."
A faint whisper leaves her lips as she halts and watches the taxi driving away. The rain is now pouring harder than it was a few minutes before but she ignores it, staring helplessly at the car that's taking away the object of her affection.
The way back to her hotel room has never been so long. As each step Rena takes, her feet keep getting heavier and heavier, and she constantly has to fight back tears from falling at the memory of her missed encounter with Jurina. She really wanted to talk to her before she left, but she had failed miserably. Was it a sign that it wasn't supposed to happen? She really hoped not. A week can seem pretty short, but she knows a lot can happen in such an amount of time. She's also very aware that the more she delays her conversation with Jurina, the more she takes the risk of being too late.
Clumsily opening the door, she switches the light on - guessing Airi is still not here - and enters the bathroom, leaving her coat to dry on the side of the bath, before grabbing the hairdryer. A few minutes later she goes and sit on the side of her bed, her fingers absently rummaging through her bag as she grabs her IPod. Laying against the headboard she shuts her eyes, listening to her favorite band,
Dreams come True. She really wants to get her mind off the younger girl for the evening, as she knows she'll never be able to sleep otherwise. She's so focused on the music that she doesn't hear the door opening fifteen minutes later, and she jumps when a hand touches her shoulder.
"Airin!" Rena shrieks, staring in shock at the girl, and placing her palm over her beating heart.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's... okay," Rena waves a reassuring arm and attempts a smile, that unfortunately doesn't quite reach her lips.
Airi makes her way around the bed and goes to sit near her friend, a small sigh escaping her lips as her sore body comes in contact with the soft mattress.
"What are you listening to?" Airi asks.
Rena takes out her right earpiece and gives it to her, the music of
Love Love Love soon filling Airi's ear.
"This song is so depressing," Airi comments.
"Why do you think that? I think it's beautiful," Rena inquires.
"She should have the courage to tell him how she feels," Airi replies.
Rena turns to look at her, watching as Airi raises the pillow behind her head to try and get more comfortable.
"I know," Rena murmurs, now staring absently at the ceiling while sadness fills her chest as the lyrics ring so close to home, "I was going to tell her."
"Tell who what?"
Rena's breathing hitches when she realizes she unconsciously voiced that last part out loud and she nibbles on her lower lip, pondering sharing with her best friend to what realization she finally came today, when Airi interrupts her musing.
"So it's true. You have feelings for Jurina."
Rena tilts her head and stares speechless at her, noticing how calm the girl looks despite her bold statement. Taking her earpiece out she stops the music, before opening her mouth when she finally regains a bit of composure.
"How... do you know?"
"You both have been acting really strange for a while now, and I knew something was going on. I just couldn't pinpoint exactly what," Airi explains, noticing how Rena is watching her intently, "And then there was last night's incident, and Churi's desperate wish to protect Jurina's secret. I just had to connect the dots to understand Jurina had feelings for you, and that it probably wasn't one-sided."
"Okay," Rena trails off, surprised her best friend was able to come to such a realization so fast, when it took her so long to admit it.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Airi asks, her tone rising slightly in frustration, "I thought we shared everything."
"Maybe because I was not aware of it until today?" Rena chuckles bitterly, before remembering Jurina's behavior, "Jurina had feelings for me for months, and she never said anything! Can you believe it?"
"Actually I can," Airi whispers, "it's hard to confess, especially when you don't know how the other person is going to respond."
"I'm sorry," Rena answers, lifting her hand to softly caress Airi's shoulder as she suddenly remembers her best friend's bold confession, and her rejection to it. She still sometimes feels terrible about it.
"Why are you apologizing?" Airi exclaims, widening her eyes in surprise.
"I know I hurt you deeply that day," Rena murmurs, tilting her gaze to the side in shame.
"Don't think about it anymore," Airi answers, catching the hand that's leaving her shoulder, and giving it a light squeeze, before asking, "Anyway, when are you going to talk to her?"
"I was about to when she already left," Rena responds, feeling a pang in her chest at the reminder of her missed encounter with the girl.
"Okay," Airi answers, before frowning, "What do you mean 'left?' I saw her a few minutes ago."
"What! Where?"
"In the hallway. I saw Churi entering her room with a bag of food, and caught a glimpse of Jurina when she closed the door."
Rena stares at Airi in incomprehension, not believing what she's hearing. Akane said Jurina was leaving for Nagoya tonight, and she's pretty sure she saw the younger girl take that taxi. Is it possible that, in her daze, she mistook her for someone else? Rena is still processing this new piece of information when she feels a light push on her arm.
"What are you waiting for?" Airi asks, a small encouraging smile on her lips, "go and talk to her."
Jurina exhales deeply for the third time, really annoyed by the change of plans. She was half through her way to the station when she received the notice that her train got cancelled. She would have taken the next one if it was possible but unfortunately, it was the last one for the day. Now, she has to leave for Nagoya tomorrow morning with the other SKE members and delay her interview. On one hand, she's a bit relieved to spend the night in the comfy bed of her hotel room. If there's one thing she hates, it's sleeping on the train. On the other hand, this unexpected turn of events really bothers her. She takes pride in being a very professional person, and she knows her absence is going to cause many problems.
Jurina lifts her gaze from her suitcase as she hears a knock on the door. She slowly gets up, thinking it's probably Churi who's coming back with the drinks she forgot, then it hits her the other girl has a key, and therefore would never knock.
Saying that she's surprised to see the older Matsui on the other side would be an understatement. The girl is slightly breathless, as if she's been running, and she's staring at her intensely.
"Jurina, can I come in?"
The young ace raises an eyebrow at the odd request, wondering why on earth the girl would want to talk to her at such a time. What is so important that it can't wait tomorrow morning?
"Sure."
Jurina knows by the tone of her voice that her lack of enthusiasm is probably showing, but she immediately disregards this small fact, stepping aside to let the girl pass, before closing the door.
"I'm sorry to be intruding at such a time, but I know you're leaving tomorrow morning, and I have to stay in Tokyo for a week."
"Okay."
Jurina turns around to the girl and expectantly waits for her to talk, before frowning when no words come out of her mouth. Wasn't she eager to speak with her just a minute ago? Why is she staring at her without saying anything?
"Can't it wait next week?"
"No."
Jurina's eyes widen at the abrupt answer. Rena's awkward behavior is starting to unsettle her, and she doesn't like the sudden tension between them as silence progressively fills the room.
"I'm going to unpack my suitcase."
Jurina moves towards the blue item that's laying at the foot of her bed and she kneels on the floor, pulling the zipper to open it. As she starts to take some clothes out she takes a peek behind her back to watch what the other girl is doing, before noticing that she's flipping through the pages of the BUBKA magazine that was laying on the table near the television.
"It's Churi's copy," Jurina comments, her attention back on her suitcase as she takes her pajamas out, "My manager sent me the magazine at home, but I haven't opened it."
Rena lifts her gaze in surprise at the girl's statement. Usually, Jurina would immediately take a look at her photoshoot as soon as she received the magazine from her manager. The younger girl always took great pride in her work, and she liked to check the pictures for any potential mistake on her behalf, in order to correct them next time. Something is telling her Jurina's reluctance to take a look at this particular one has something to do with her presence on the pictures.
"You should. It's a beautiful photoshoot. I particularly like the third picture," Rena murmurs, staring again at the picture of the two of them clad in newlyweds clothes.
"I think Churi is my n°1 fan. She buys everything I'm in," Jurina answers, ignoring the older girl's suggestion. She's not really sure she's ever going to take a look at it anyway. This photoshoot brings back memories she would prefer to stay buried.
At the mention of Jurina's roommate, Rena closes the magazine and puts it aside, disturbed by the sudden knot in her stomach. Even if Airi told her Jurina and Akane aren't a couple, she still keeps wondering if that's really the truth.
"Are Akane and you just... friends?"
Jurina stills at the awkward question. She didn't know what to expect when Rena asked to speak with her a few minutes ago, but certainly not to be questioned about the nature of her relationship with Churi. It also bothers her a bit what she's implying. Why would she believe that there's more to it? And why would she ask her such a thing? Rena never meddles in people's relationships. Never.
"We're friends. Really good friends."
Jurina resumes emptying her suitcase, before stopping when she hears a small sigh of relief behind her back. The conversation is making no sense whatsoever and Rena is behaving more and more awkwardly. Jurina has to restrain herself from asking the girl to get straight to the point to finally get out of this strange situation.
"Okay. You're sure there's nothing you want to tell me?"
Rena notices that she now has Jurina's full attention as the younger girl gets up and turns to look at her, her toilet bag in hand. She can see confusion written all over her face, but a part of her really hopes Jurina will manage to understand where she's getting at on her own. Unfortunately, it's not the case, and Rena releases a small sigh when Jurina chooses to stay quiet.
"Jurina, I heard what you said to Mariko in the dressing room."
Jurina frowns at Rena's words. She spoke twice to Mariko today: before, and after the concert. In both cases, it was in the dressing room. What moment is she referring to? Moreover, she doesn't remember seeing Rena in the room at any of those two occurrences.
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
She's about to question Rena further when she suddenly remembers the conversation she had with the short-haired girl before the concert. Her features start to compose as she really hopes the older Matsui did not eavesdrop that particular moment.
"What... did you hear exactly?"
She can't help her voice from shaking as she locks eyes with Rena. The air has suddenly become way more heavier, and she can hear her heart beating faster in apprehension.
"I know you have feelings for me."
Jurina's breathing hitches at Rena's affirmation and steady gaze. She can feel her toilet bag slipping through her fingers, but she is too late to react as it hits the ground with a thump. She diverts her attention to the floor at the noise, her head starting to spin as silence engulfs them anew. This is not happening. Rena did not utter those words right now.
Think fast, Jurina. She wants to come up with a clever retort, stating that she heard wrong, but as she looks up at the girl, she knows she'll immediately see through her lies. It's not like she can say anything convincing in her current distraught state, anyway.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
This time, Jurina manages to regain a bit of composure. As much as she can't deny anything anymore - it's obviously too late for that - she can still answer Rena's question. It's actually a pretty easy one.
"Why would I? I'm just a little sister to you."
Jurina knows her voice sounds a bit harsh, but she can't help it as Rena's words flow her mind again. She cried so much at the hospital. She didn't believe it was humanly possible to shed so many tears.
She notices Rena's surprise but chooses to ignore it, bending down to catch the fallen object instead, before moving to the bathroom. As she settles it near the sink she leans her back to the wall, shutting her eyes in frustration at the unexpected turn their conversation took.
"I can't stand hearing that anymore."
Jurina opens her eyes at Rena's declaration, not missing the way her voice suddenly broke. She waits a few seconds, expecting the girl to elaborate, before hearing a soft muffled sound. Leaning over and tilting her head in curiosity, she widens her eyes as she sees Rena covering her mouth with her palm, tears flowing her cheeks. Putting aside her own discomfort, Jurina gets out of the bathroom and approaches the girl whose eyes are now closed, before gently wiping off her tears with her thumb.
"Why... are you crying?"
The sight before her takes her by complete surprise, and she really wonders what prompted the older girl to start to cry. Shouldn't it be the other way round? Shouldn't she be the one crying over her discovered secret? Just as she's about to question her, Rena suddenly opens her watering eyes and moves forward, immediately wrapping her arms around Jurina's neck.
"I have feelings for you too."
For the second time that evening, Jurina's breathing hitches in shock. Did she hear correctly? Did Rena really just say that? No, her hearing must be playing tricks on her. Since she was a kid, Rena always saw her as a little sister. She repeated it enough times to let the whole country know about it. Maybe things have changed a bit lately and she now considers her as a friend, but that's all. Just as she's about to ask Rena to repeat what she said, in order to confirm she didn't really utter those things, Rena's muffled words put an halt to any conviction she had.
"Did you hear me, Jurina? I don't think of you as a little sister, nor a friend. I have feelings for you."
Jurina freezes as Rena's statement sinks in her mind, and she stares speechless at the girl who's disentangling herself and looking back at her in apprehension. Rena's crying has now entirely stopped, her puffy eyes and moistened cheeks the only sign of her previous distraught state.
"Please say something."
Jurina really wants to give a reply to Rena's bold confession, but she's still too stunned to say anything and the words just refuse to leave her lips. She doesn't know how long they stayed like that just staring at each other but Rena suddenly averts her eyes and nods, a small defeated sigh escaping her mouth.
"Okay."
Jurina watches in confusion the girl who's now turning on her heels and moving towards the door. As Rena grabs the handle to leave Jurina finally understands what's going on and she swiftly reduces the distance, immediately embracing the girl's waist from behind.
"Wait. Don't leave..."
Jurina feels the body against her tensing up and she wonders for a second if a request will be denied, before Rena's hands come to join hers at the front. As she hears the girl sobbing starting again Jurina shuts her eyes in frustration, hating to be the reason of the girl's tears. She strengthens her grip around Rena's waist, trying to convey as much comfort as possible, mentally making herself the promise to never let the girl she loves so much cry because of her anymore.
Jurina opens her eyes and tilts her head to the side, only to meet an empty space where there should be a sleeping form. Her eyes widen as she tries to understand what it means. Didn't Rena stay with her yesterday? Didn't they fall asleep together? She blinks a few times in confusion, until the reality progressively hits her. She imagined the whole thing. Rena's confession never occurred. It's just another dream.
"Why!"
Jurina screams and shuts her eyes, hitting her left fist against the mattress in frustration. Hasn't she suffered enough? Why did Rena have to haunt her nights again? When is she finally going to be able to get over her? She knows tears are threatening to fall as her dream is starting to turn into a nightmare. She really believed to be a strong person, that she could stick to her renewed resolution. Apparently, she was wrong.
Quick footsteps suddenly catch her attention and she tilts her head to her left in surprise, watching as the bathroom's door opens and a worried Rena approaches.
"Jurina?"
Jurina blinks twice at the girl with wet hair that's moving forward and sitting by her side on the edge of her bed. She surely looks and talks like Rena, but it can't be her. Somehow, it seems her torment has not ended as she knows she's still dreaming. Jurina slowly sits up, looking at the girl in curiosity. Her dream has taken quite an unusual turn, and the setting is definitely not the same. Where's the beach? Why can't she feel the soft wind against her skin?
What a strange dream, Jurina muses.
In her dreams, it's always Rena who kisses her. Somehow, it still hasn't happened, and this Rena is looking at her as if she's expecting something from her. Maybe she's supposed to kiss her this time for the dream to end? Jurina leans over, staring at the girl who's not making a single move. She notices a slight surprise in her eyes as their lips are just inches apart, but decides to still go for it. It's just a dream anyway. There will be not consequences whatsoever if she decides to succumb to her desires.
Jurina closes her eyes and presses her lips against Rena's, her heart skipping a beat at the soft sensation. As she relishes it, she really expects the dream to end anytime soon. It usually does just after the kiss. When it still hasn't happened, Jurina ponders retreating back, before deciding against it. She doesn't know when such an opportunity will present itself again, and she may as well make good use of it. As she continues kissing the girl of her dreams she suddenly feels a hand at the back of her head, and the lips responding to her kiss. Now, that's really awkward. Usually, she would wake up just after the kiss and even then, it never went so far. When the object of her affection makes a small moan Jurina raises an eyebrow, finding this dream suddenly really strange. And a bit too real.
Pulling away, she frowns when she notices the girl has not disappeared. She's still very present, and even looking back at her with a shy smile.
Okay, that's enough. Wake up, Jurina. She can hear the seconds ticking in her head as she expectantly waits for the dream to end and the beautiful face in front of her to fade. It doesn't happen. Jurina's eyes widen as she gazes at the other girl, before backing away in realization.
"What is it?" Rena asks, surprised and a bit disturbed by the girl's sudden odd behavior.
"I thought... ", Jurina starts, trying to process what just happened. Wait. She's not dreaming. This is real. Which means... Rena did indeed return her feelings after the concert, and that kiss a few seconds ago.
"What?" Rena pushes, watching in confusion Jurina who's looking away guiltily. It's clearly not the same girl who boldly kissed her just now.
"...I imagined everything," Jurina finishes lamely, this time turning to gaze at her in slight apprehension, "I thought it was just another dream."
Rena stares at the younger girl in bewilderment. Another? How many times Jurina has envisioned this moment? How many mornings did she wake up only to realize it was just a flicker of her imagination?
"No, I'm here," Rena murmurs, hugging the girl in front of her, "This is real."
Jurina immediately returns the embrace, exhaling deeply in relief as she feels the soft fingers caressing her hair in a comforting gesture. Time slowly goes by as none of them tries to move away, until Rena gently disentangles herself to look at the younger girl.
"It's still a bit early. Why don't you get back to sleep?"
As she receives a small nod in reply Rena gets up and starts moving to the bathroom, before feeling a hand gripping hers tightly. She turns around in surprise, immediately noticing the slight apprehension in Jurina's eyes.
"I'm just going to dry my hair."
Jurina's hold on her hand diminishes and Rena shoots her small smile, before entering the bathroom. Rena's fingers grasp the hairdryer with one hand and her comb in the other, looking at her reflection in the mirror while her hair progressively starts to dry. She sometimes wishes she could have shorter hair, as the drying process always seems to drag on for hours. However, the idea always fades when it's finally over. She never believed to be a very good looking-girl, but she's somewhat proud of her long dark hair.
Stepping out of the bathroom, her eyes fall on the sleeping form and she approaches, carefully joining the girl under the sheet to not wake her up. As she lays on her side to face the sleeping girl, two eyes suddenly look back at her, and she yelps in surprise.
"You startled me! I thought you were sleeping!"
"I don't think I can fall asleep after that dream anyway."
"But it wasn't," Rena replies, grasping Jurina's hand that's laying between them and squeezing it, "everything happened. Even that kiss," Rena continues, raising an amused eyebrow at Jurina's sudden shy expression. "It's funny how you can so easily kiss me in your dreams, but are afraid of touching me when I'm just in front of you in flesh and bone."
Rena starts to chuckle as Jurina sheepishly avoids eye contact, not believing the sight in front of her. It's really unusual to see the always confident SKE member acting all flustered. Rena's laughter progressively diminishes and she leans over, Jurina's eyes immediately back on her.
"I don't mind a shy Jurina."
Jurina's mouth tugs into a small smile at Rena's words, before closing her eyes as she relishes the feeling of Rena's lips on hers.
Rena who's been watching the younger girl frenetically adding clothes to her suitcase for a few minutes now, tilts her head in curiosity at the sudden knock on the door. Getting up from the bed she goes to open, discovering a smiling Akane behind the door.
"Hi Rena."
"Good morning, Akane."
Jurina's head lifts up at the familiar voice, waving a hand in recognition.
"Hi Churi! I'll be there in a minute!"
"Need help?" Churi asks, watching the younger girl who's sitting on her suitcase and desperately trying to pull the zipper.
"I know how to close a suitcase," Jurina groans, sounding a bit annoyed by what the girl is implying.
"If you say so," Churi answers, sharing a knowing look with Rena, and trying hard not to laugh at the sight of the girl who's struggling to close the blue rectangular item.
"See!" Jurina exclaims, getting up from the floor and motioning to the now closed suitcase, "it was a piece of cake."
"That's great," Churi rolls her eyes at Jurina's smug expression, "now hurry up, we're going to be late."
Jurina briefly glances at her watch, indeed noticing that her older friend is right. Gripping her suitcase handle she swiftly moves to the door, turning to the dresser on her way out.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Jurina apologizes, putting her coat on in a hurry.
"Yes, yes," Churi answers, stealing a glance at Rena who's standing by Jurina's side before looking back at her friend, "I don't want to know why."
"It's not what you think," Jurina stresses, knowing perfectly well what she's implying.
"Please spare me the details," Churi waves her hand at her, before opening the door and stepping outside.
Rena's mouth tugs into an amused smile as she follows the two friend's banter, not missing Jurina's cute flustered expression.
Jurina watches in frustration Churi who's ignoring her and moving to the elevator, before she turns to the older Matsui who's standing at the doorstep. As she locks eyes with her she suddenly realizes she's not going to be able to see her for a whole week, and she now wishes she didn't have to leave so fast. They just found each other. Why do they already have to part?
"It will pass quickly," Rena says, guessing by Jurina's sudden frightened expression that she's dreading their time apart.
"Yes," Jurina answers, trying to sound convincing, even though she knows by the tone of her voice that she's not fooling her one bit.
Rena moves forward and embraces the younger girl, trying to comfort her as much as she can despite her own uneasiness. Between them, she doesn't know who's going to dread the separation the most. She may sound very calm on the exterior, her heart hasn't stop beating fast in apprehension since Jurina started packing her suitcase.
Jurina pulls away from the hug as she hears Churi calling her name from the elevator, and she contemplates Rena's beautiful smiling face a few more seconds, before taking a step back.
"I'm leaving."
Rena watches the younger girl who's about to depart, before swiftly catching her hand and leaning over, leaving a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Just to make sure you don't forget about me."
Jurina shakes her head in amusement at Rena's words, before squeezing the hand that's still holding hers tightly.
"You're all I'm going to think about."
Rena's heart flutters at the girl's words and she follows her retreating form, responding to her gesture when she steps in the elevator and turns to wave at her. The doors progressively close on the girl she's come to adore so much and a smile grazes her lips as she listens to the sound of her racing heartbeat.
THE END
Author's note: Yes, the end. Or not. I may have a few ideas for a second narrative arc (actually I have plenty), but I'm going to take some time off to truly think about it, as I want to make sure I have enough writing material before doing anything more. I think this chapter works well as a proper ending, so I don't think you'll feel disappointed if I decide to stop here. Anyway, I won't keep you in the dark forever, and you'll know soon enough if I decide to write more about these characters. In any case, thank you for reading!
Topic: Heartbeat (20/20) + Partners (23/23) + Destiny (41/41 END) [WMatsui] - REPLIES (Read 319810 times)