Dear Friends,
Hope you enjoyed the previous chapter. I initially planned to let this chapter sit for a while until I have some time to review and possibly edit it again. But, I will be very very busy for the next month or two and it's done anyway, so I guess I should just share it with you.
@ミサキ: Are you sure they are together

? But, yeah... I agree that YuiParu's problem in this story is more complicated than the SayaMilky's one. I'm glad that you kept trying to be patient in waiting for the story to unravel itself. So, thank you
@Haruko: Well... I'm not sure one kiss was all they need. Guess, I'll let this chapter speak for itself

So here it is. The last chapter of this YuiParu story. Hope you like it

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STRANGERS (12)
Yokoyama Yui sat behind the drum set in the light music club room. She had the drum sticks in her hands, but she wasn’t playing the instrument. She was just staring at the window, watching the snow falling down, covering the school yard in white, like a giant blanket from the sky.
Yonjujo students had had their final exams for three days and the last exam had already been over a few hours earlier. It was the Christmas Eve. Christmas day would be their last day of school before the winter break started. They would have ten days vacation then. But, Yokoyama Yui knew that her uncle and all the shrine helpers—including her—would be very busy during that time, preparing and working for the New Year. Since theirs was the only Shinto shrine in town, practically everyone—except those who had planned to visit their family out of town—would come to the shrine for their first visit of the year.
“Guess it will be hard to find the right time to talk to her...,” Yokoyama Yui mumbled to herself.
Right after she said that, the door to the club room was slid open rather forcefully, startling Yui from her own musing. Then, Yamamoto Sayaka stomped into the room with some posters in her hands. The stomping and the expression she had on her face clearly showed that she felt really irritated about something. But, before Yui could ask what was wrong, the short haired girl had already walked to her, then suddenly hit the back of her head with said posters.
“Ouch!!! What the heck was that for!?” she immediately exclaimed.
“It’s for your stupidity.”
“Huh!?”
“I felt really happy when I heard that Shimazaki-san had started talking to you through emails. She was practically beaming each time I saw her after that. I was a bit worried when she suddenly turned gloomy all over again a couple weeks ago. But, I thought it was just because of you, putting your usual façade, refusing to talk to her when she went to see you in person, not wanting her to know about your true feelings. I had my suspicion when she didn’t really cheer up even a week after that. When your suspension ended and you had started coming to school again, we were too busy with the exams that I didn’t get to ask you about it. But, then, I freaking just heard about what happened, and I just couldn’t help but feeling like I want hit you before Milky beats me and do it herself!”
Yokoyama Yui cringed as Yamamoto Sayaka blurted all that out to her face. When the girl finally stopped and tried to control her breathing, Yui’s expression turned to its initial state.
“Aah... So, you’ve heard about it. Did Watanabe-san tell you?”
“What do you mean by that ‘Aah...’? Don’t you have anything to explain!? That girl had actually gathered all of her courage to come and see you! She listened to you! She realized that you had fallen in love with her! She didn’t think badly about you because of that! She even confessed to you first and kissed you! And what did you do? You ran away from her!” Sayaka started to lose her temper again, “And for the record, Milky didn’t say anything to me. I was about to meet up with Milky when they had this conversation and I accidentally overheard them.”
Yui stayed silent. Yes. It was true. That was what happened. Right after Shimazaki Haruka kissed her and confessed her feeling, Yui froze up. She couldn’t give any answer. The kiss itself had reminded her of the first kiss she had in the school infirmary years ago—the kiss that started all the nightmares which had been haunting her ever since. When she came back to her senses, Yui immediately said sorry and left the place. She hadn’t been replying any of Haruka’s LINE messages ever since—but the girl hadn’t stopped trying.
“I thought you love her?” Sayaka asked, still feeling irritated.
“...I do.”
“And she said she loves you, didn’t she?”
“She did.”
“Then, what happened?”
Yes. What happened indeed. Yui knew that she should have felt happy. She fell in love with a girl. She was afraid that everything that had happened in her past would repeat itself again. So, she kept her feelings to herself and treated the girl harshly to cover them up. But, despite all that, it turned out that the girl loved her, too. She should have felt happy... Right?
But, no. Fear gripped her heart tighter than Shimazaki Haruka’s hold on her hand that afternoon. For years, she believed that she had been wrong to fall in love with another girl. Everyone in her old school, even many others outside the school, had made that point crystal clear. She, a girl, should not be falling in love and kissing another girl. Or else, something bad would happen. Their words had not only been etched on every single page of her books, on every single inch of her desk, on every bag, on every shoe, or on every uniform they managed to ruin out of hatred... They had also been etched on Yui’s heart and mind. It was not easy to change what one had been made to believe for years. So, when Shimazaki Haruka kissed her and confessed her feeling to her, Yui was panicked. She believed something bad would happen if she accepted that feeling.
“You wouldn’t understand,” were the only words she managed to say before she put her drum sticks down and took her bag, starting to walk away.
“Yui-han,” Sayaka’s call stopped her right in front of the door.
“Yes. I may not understand. No one will understand. Unless, if you try to talk to us about it. What is it that you have in mind? What made you do what you were doing? What is it that stops you and keeps you from moving on?”
Yui didn’t give any response to those questions. She didn’t even turn around to face Sayaka. So, the girl continued.
“Did you notice that everyone had stopped gossiping about the incident and your suspension? Don’t you think it died down really quickly? Do you know why? It’s because Shimazaki Haruka had personally came to the director to clear things up and ask for a less severe punishment for you. She had also come to every single student that was talking about you and told them the truth. And you know what? They believed her. They also believe in you. Although many people still think that what you did was wrong, they all agreed that you were not a bad person, you were just trying to help. So, in case you haven’t notice, this is not the school or the hometown you’ve left. Everything is different here. Everyone is different. The fact that I can openly date Milky should have told you that. So, if anything still holds you back right now, it’s you and you only.”
Yui still gave no response. She just continued walking, leaving Sayaka behind. At least, the girl had tried—and Yui actually really appreciated that effort. She just didn’t know how to respond those words. After all, she knew that Yamamoto Sayaka would not say anything but the truth.
“You’re leaving?”
Yui walked to the front building and found Watanabe Miyuki leaning on the shoe lockers right in front of hers.
“What do you want Watanabe-san? If you want to hit me, Sayanee had beaten you to it,” she said while opening her locker and changing her shoes.
“Whoaa... Someone’s in a bad mood,” Milky smirked, “To be honest, hitting you was something I would really like to do. But, since Sayanee had taken care of that, I’m just here to deliver this.”
Yui looked at the small box that Milky held out to her. It was wrapped in Christmas pattern gift wrap with ribbons and all.
“What is this?” Yui asked as she took the box from Milky.
“It’s your Christmas present. Well, since Paruru-chan thought that you probably don’t celebrate Christmas, and she just found out that your birthday was earlier this month, she said that you can think of it as a late birthday present as well.”
Yui looked at the box in her hands, not knowing what to say
“She actually wanted to give it to you in person. But, even until today, it seems like you’re still avoiding her. She won’t be able to give it to you tomorrow either because she won’t be here. So, she asked for my help to give it to you.”
Yui looked up to Milky’s face, “She won’t be here tomorrow?”
“No,” Milky said, “You haven’t heard? She talked to the director this morning. She’s getting better so she’s going to go back to Tokyo tonight.”
Yui felt an invisible hand started to put its tight grip on her heart.
“Are you really okay with all this?”
She didn’t know how to answer that question Milky had just voiced. The only thing she knew was that her chest hurt.
“She’s going to take the 7.00 P.M. train from the main station to Tokyo. So, she should at least take the 6.30 P.M. train from the town hall station to reach the main station and then catch the train to Tokyo,” Milky looked at the time on her phone, “You know... If you hurry up now, you’ll still be able to see her before she leaves.”
Yokoyama Yui made up her mind. She couldn’t afford to lose a girl she loved—not again, not after everything Yamamoto Sayaka had just told her. So, she put her coat on and rushed to the bicycle she parked outside—saying thanks to Milky in the process. The girl just smiled and waved.
It was already 5.30 P.M. Normally, Yui would only need less than 30 minutes to reach the station on her bicycle. But, it was snowing and most of the roads she needed to take had been covered a few inches deep under the white blanket. Yokoyama Yui tried really hard not to curse as she almost fell off her bike a few times—not to mention the times she was almost hit by other vehicles along the way. But, just like those dramas her uncle liked to watch at night, she miraculously arrived just in time and—thanks to Kami-sama—still in one piece.
She parked her bike and entered the station in a hurry. Her hands were shaking from the cold as she tried to take her train pass out. They were still shaking as she put the pass on the automatic gate, but somehow she made it through. She immediately looked to her left and right and front and back afterward—trying to find Shimazaki Haruka among all the other people who wanted to board the train that night. When she finally saw the girl in the distance, she immediately ran to where she was.
“Shimazaki-san!”
She stopped running when Haruka turned her way. There were only a few steps of gap between them.
“Yui? What are you—“
Shimazaki Haruka couldn’t finish her question because Yui had closed in the gap and hugged her tightly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Eh?”
“I’m sorry for ignoring your messages. I’m sorry for avoiding you in school. I’m sorry for being a coward. I’m sorry for being stupid. I’m sorry—“
“Wait... Calm down. What are you saying, Yui? Why are you saying this?” Haruka hugged her back, confused.
“I’m sorry for everything. I love you...”
“It’s all right. I understand. I’ve told you that I love you, too, haven’t I?” Haruka stroked her back to calm her down.
“Please... Please don’t go...,” Yui hugged her even tighter.
“Huh? But, I have to go—“
“No! Don’t go! Don’t move back to Tokyo! I’ll try to change... Please...”
“Huh? Wait... Yui...”
Yui could feel that Haruka’s trying to break their hug. She then touched Yui’s face with her hands, asking Yui to look at her properly. She wiped some tears that managed to stain Yui’s cheeks with her thumbs.
“I’m not moving back to Tokyo,” she finally said.
“Huh?” Yui was dumbfounded.
“I need to go back to Tokyo to celebrate Christmas and New Year with my mother and my baby brother.”
“Huh? But, Watanabe said that you’re getting better and—“
“I am getting better,” Haruka interrupted, “Didn’t you get my note?”
“What note?”
“The note I asked Milky to give to you along with the present.”
Yui was confused. She didn’t get any note from Milky. She could only stare as Haruka sighed and smiled at her.
“I am getting better. But, I am not completely healed yet. I got a call from my manager yesterday. He said that I got an offer to be in one of the New Year’s programs in a local TV station in Tokyo. There was also a small modeling job offer for me right after the New Year’s break ended. I talked to my father about those offers and he said that it’s all right since I’m getting better. I can also spend more time with my mother and my baby brother if I stay there until the end of the winter break. But, I know that it won’t be good to leave things as they are... I mean, what I did might have startled you and that’s what made you avoid me all over again. So, I left you a note, saying that I need to leave for the winter break. But, I’ll be back here right after that and we’ll need to talk then.”
Everything started to click in Yui’s mind.
“So... You’re not moving back to Tokyo?”
“No,” Haruka smiled.
“And... You’re not leaving because you’re mad at me?”
“Well... I felt a bit hurt and disappointed before, but I understand. So,... No. We just need to talk to clear things up when I get back later.”
Yokoyama Yui felt like the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders. A big wave of relief washed over her. So, she did the only thing she could do—she pulled Shimazaki Haruka into another hug.
“Thank you...,” she whispered right next to the girl’s ear.
Haruka giggled, “I don’t know why you’re saying thanks. But, you’re welcome.”
“And please remind me to shoot Watanabe Miyuki down later for making me think that you’re moving back to Tokyo.”
Haruka burst in laughter, “No. I think we should thank her instead. If she didn’t do whatever she was doing, you wouldn’t be rushing her to see me off.”
Right after she said that, the train that would take her to the main station arrived.
“I need to go now,” Haruka broke their hug and smiled, “Wait for me, okay?”
“I will,” Yui replied it with a smile of her own.
Then, they sealed the promise with a kiss.
END.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End Note:
I'm thinking about writing an omake or a transition chapter to bridge this story and the next. But, well... we may need to wait until I'm not so busy anymore...