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Hi everyone. I'm Louise-sama.
This is my first AKB48 fic, Home, originally posted in my blog (http://http://louise48sama.wordpress.com/).
I'd say I'm one of those who'se writer's soul was awakened by fanfictions. :yep:
I spend my free time reading fics and was inspired to come up on my own.Please take time reading and let's grow together. :bow: Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Home
by
Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Prologue
Under the bright moon was a couple lying comfortably on a grassy hill. The sky was a dark blanket glittered with stars. The cold breeze played with their hair and skin.
“Say, Mayuyu. Do you love me?”
Mayu raised her upper body up from the grass, startled at the question thrown at her. “Ofcourse! I do love you,” she said while looking at the girl beside her. “Why do you ask?” The other girl shifted her head and faced the worried girl. She smiled before pulling Mayu down on top of her.
“I just felt like asking. Caught you off guard?” she stuck her tongue out, teasing the smaller girl.
Mayu sighed and flicked the girl’s nose. “Yukirin, your randomness is creepy, you know that?”
Yuki laughed and wrapped her arms around Mayu who buried her head on her neck. They stayed there silently for a few minutes; each enjoying the scent of their respective partners. Yuki stared at the starry sky and started stroking the other girl’s soft hair.
“How do you find us three years from now?” Yuki broke their silence.
Mayu looked at her. “Another random question?”
“Does it ever cross your mind?” Yuki glanced at her face.
Mayu was about to laugh at her until saw the seriousness in her eyes. “Maybe it does,” she whispered.
Yuki searched for the other girl’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. “Do you want a family?”
“I do,” Mayu responded intently. She rested her head on Yuki’s shoulder, not averting her eyes.
“Then, how do you find living together, on the same house, with me?”
“...Yukirin?” Mayu got up, slightly taken aback from Yuki’s words. She saw a blush on the other girl’s cheeks.
Yuki got up too and held her hands on with hers. “Three years from now, will you live together with me?”
Despite the chilly breeze of the night, Mayu’s cheeks burned.
“I’d love to.”
“So she really didn’t show up, huh?” a girl wearing a uniform spoke while staring at the distant train. She stood at the middle of two other girls.
“I didn’t see her a while ago during graduation either,” another girl wearing the same uniform said as she looked at the two girls beside her. They were carrying a rolled paper on their hands. It was three hours since the graduation day of Sakae Gakuen but they are at the train station, saying their goodbye to one of their friends.
“It must be too hard for her, seeing her Rena leave for Tokyo University,” the other girl said as she observed the person boarding the train.
The girl was carrying on her shoulder a bag, and dragged a pink travel bag. She was checking both sides of the train for a vacant seat.
“I’m sure Rena wanted to see her too,” the middle girl said.
The tallest girl lifted up the end of the sleeve of her shirt and glanced at her watch. “There’s still time. I’m sure she’ll come,” she said confidently. The two other girls paused for a second then shot her a disapproving look.
“You think so?” they raised an eyebrow.
Rena, the girl on the train stopped trailing her eyes when she found a vacant seat. She smiled and clutched her bag. Just as she was about to start walking, a familiar voice stopped her on her track.
“Rena!” a girl shouted loud enough for everyone to set their eyes on her. She had her palms on her knees; shoulders rapidly rising up and down. Her hair all over the place; beads of sweat travelled down her face. She straightened herself and let a free hand cover her chest, trying to stop her heavy panting.
“I told you so,” nudged the girl wearing a watch, victoriously. “She’s her girlfriend after all.”
“Jurina?” Rena mentally asked herself. She remembered asking the girl to not go to her departure, knowing that seeing her would just make it hard for her to leave. As soon as realization hit her, she turned around searching for the owner of the voice; not minding the heart she might break later on. “Jurina!”
“Don’t turn around!” Jurina shouted, stopping her midway. Her breathing came back to normal. The passengers of the train started whispering about them.
“Eh?” Rena blinked. With her back against the open door of the train, her eyes never met the figure of the girl wearing a school uniform.
“I don’t want to see you. No, I don’t want you to see me,” she continued.
“What is she talking about?” their friends face-palmed. They suddenly felt embarrassed seeing Jurina making a scene.
“I’ll forget about you; and please forget about me too, because from now on, I’m not the same Jurina as before.” From her quivering tone, you can sense that she might cry later on. “I’ll be working hard. I’ll promise to finish art school. So I want you to do your best too. And then we can live together!” she yelled on top of her lungs, emphasizing the last part. She ignored the gasps of the crowd around them. Rena stood frozen. Her eyes widened as she heard Jurina’s confession.
“Uwaa~ Our kouhai has grown up!” a girl said while shaking her friends’ shoulders.
“Jurina…” Rena whispered. Her lips curved up involuntary and her cheeks blushed. She clutched her hand and raised her chin up. She then gathered all her guts and spoke loud enough to shut the whispering passengers up. “Then I don’t want to see you until you fulfil your promise.” She nervously walked towards the vacant seat, ignoring the eyes casted on her face, and the girl she made a promise with. Neither does she know that the girl started crying; biting her lips and hands clutched on her chest.
Jurina doubled her efforts to prevent her sobs from escaping her lips. “Un.”
By that time, the doors of the train started closing. A few seconds later, the train sped up, leaving no trace but the turgid wind hushing the lonely Jurina. She turned around and her senpais walked towards her. She gave them a wide smile and walked ahead, having a burning desire in her heart.
She’s got a promise to fulfill.
Jann~
“Wow. Look at this audience,” a boy declared as he wiped sweat away from his forehead.
“As expected of NUMB,” his company cheerfully replied; his fist thrusting the air.
“Too bad they’re going to be disbanded,” another boy responded with his eyes focused on the four figures on the stage. The other boys looked at him with sadness in their eyes. A loud cheering caught back their attention and they focused their eyes on their favourite rock band.
A girl with long hair held the microphone on the stand. She glided her eyes from left to right and smiled. “Everyone.” With that simple word everyone casted their attention to her. “Before we continue, we just want to thank all of you for supporting NUMB. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” She glanced at her bandmates behind her and smiled. The crowd were all “Aww…” at the sight of their favourite band smiling at each other.
“We’ll make sure that tonight is a night you won’t EVER forget!”
“YEAH!” the crowd jumped simultaneously, cheering them on. The drummer started creating beats then the audience swayed their hands up in the air.
“This song is called, RIVER!” the vocalist declared. She turned to the lead guitarist beside her who gave her a nod. “Hit it Sayanee!”
In an instant Sayanee made the room shake with her guitar.
...
...
At a certain café, two figures can be seen sitting across each other; not talking or looking at each other.
“You can still play with a band in Tokyo, Sayanee,” Miyuki broke their silence. She stirred the coffee in front of her.
“Likewise, you can still work as an idol here in Osaka, Milky,” Sayaka answered as she brought the cup of coffee near her lips.
Miyuki looked up to face the short-haired girl across her. “But we have more opportunities there!” She explained while gently slamming the table with her hand, earning stares from the other customers.
“But that would mean betraying our first breath as a band.” Sayaka replied.
Miyuki moved her hand across the table and found its way to Sayaka’s hand. “I’ll miss you…” she whispered.
Sayaka remained silent. Her eyes focused on the hand holding her own.
“Won’t you miss me too?”
“Who would ever?” Sayaka promptly replied and chuckled, trying to hide the emptiness building up on her bosom.
Miyuki looked away and withdrew her hand. “I guess I’m not that lovable to you, huh?”
Sayaka bit her lip and ducked her head. “…yeah,” she said coldly.
Miyuki forced a smile and stood up. “Then I guess this is goodbye for us,” she weakly said and walked away.
Sayaka raised her head and shut her eyes hard. After a few seconds of contemplating, she rushed outside she café. She looked for the not-so-distant Miyuki and raced to her. “Milky, wait!” she caught up to Miyuki and grabbed her arm.
“Huh?” they stopped. Miyuki turned around and her face morphed to a confused one. Sayaka on the other hand was trying to catch her breath. She rested her shaky hand on Miyuki’s shoulder. She stared intently into Milky’s eyes and spoke.
“Won’t you like a goodbye…kiss?”
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Three senpai and three kohai....
The senpais are going to leave the kohai....
Quite interesting.....
Pls continue :deco:
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MaYuki, WMatsui and SayaMilky!! :love:
this is interesting~
Please continue :twothumbs
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Wah! :cow: Thank you for the reviews.
@Haruto Lee: I'm glad that you found this interesting. Yes, the kohai was left behind. It was saaaad. :cry: But the story won't be dwelling in that plot so please continue supporting this fic. XD
@smarty0821: Thank you for appreciating this crap. Hahaha. :lol: I love SayaMilky, MaYuki, and WMatsui too but since this is a multiple-pairing fic, the pairings will not be defined until the end. So please do continue supporting this fic. :thumbsup
Also thanks to Wmatsui22, toeisynth, Sayuki, Lost Heaven, chichay12, shiruba_rein, Kiri-el.
By the way, my OTP is JuriMayu so expect them to show up here. Hahaha. :twothumbs
Please watch out for my update. Thank you.
You guys are awesome! :bow: :bow:
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aaaa wmatsui & sayamilky :inlove:
sayanee is tsundere :lol:
please continue :twothumbs :bow:
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Wah,I lub this oredi~ maybe some YukoRena, YukiRena or MilkyFuuchan? :wub:
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Wah,I lub this oredi~ maybe some YukoRena, YukiRena or MilkyFuuchan? :wub:
please.
of course MaYuki, I'm here! XD
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i forgot to comment XD
oh well i just cant wait to read the ur next update :whistle:
and btw welcome to jphip :welcome
update soon :on gay:
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:cow:
I'm glad that more people start to appreciate my work.
@sayanee123: It was fun writing Sayanee as a tsundere. Haha. I hope you liked it.
@sakura_drop_: I'm not sure of those pairings but I think I can do YukiRena. Hahaha.
@imtedee: I got a MaYuki reader in the house! Haha. Please look forward to my updates.
@Chichay12: Thanks! I hope I won't fail your expectations.
Thanks to smarty0821, kenjoy12, sakura_drop_, and rhin for leaving a thank you. :fap :fap :fap
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Minna! :welcome So I finally finished the pilot chapter of Home. I never thought updating could be so hard. Pardon my poor writing skills; I'm still getting used to write in prose. But I hope this gets to your liking. :panic:
A/N: Italics are Mayu's thoughts.
Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 1 (Pilot chapter)
It was a chilly night. The breeze from the hill they are in at the moment crept up under their thin clothes. But not that it matters. They don’t feel cold anyway. No; there was neither lit up fire nor a blanket covering them. Their only sources of heat were their fingers intertwined together and cheeks burning because of overflowing emotions. Their eyes were locked within each other’s as if trying to look for their souls.
“Three years from now, will you live together with me?”
For the smaller girl, it was the most melodic sound she had yet heard. Upon hearing that explicit question, she swears she saw the leaves stop from falling to the ground while the grass grazing their bodies stopped from swaying. Everything around them glistened under the moon.
She doesn’t have time to think it over. She knew deep within her, she wanted this, she needed this. She pulled their intertwined fingers closer to her lips and kissed them.
“I’d love to.”
Buzz…buzz…buzz…
Mayu opened her eyes and saw that she was not on the hill anymore. Her hand reached out for the source of the annoying sound and smacked it off. She could have thrown this alarm clock out of the window like she always does. In fact, she always hated getting interrupted in her sleep. But today she appreciated it so much.
She glanced at the framed photograph on the table beside her bed. She reached for it and slowly examined every inch of it. She let her fingers trace the image of a girl. Er, no. For Mayu, she was a goddess. Her long hair was as black as a charcoal. It looks so soft just by looking at the flowing strands of hair cradled by the wind. Her lips curved up at the perfect smile—the same smile that sends her to her knees. Her fair skin radiates a beautiful aura. She is beautiful; she’s a goddess indeed. But right now, she doesn’t really want to see that face.
She sloppily placed it back where it was, slightly annoyed for using beautiful adjectives inside her head. She kicked the sheets off her and got up from her bed. She opened the curtains while stretching her arms as the sun rays welcomed her with their warmth. The weather is nice; great. But she doesn’t like it at all. Her hands balled up and furiously closed the curtains again.
“The gods must hate me right now.”
She glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall. It’s been three years since she made a promise with her girlfrie—, er, ex-girlfriend, Kashiwagi Yuki. Mayu grumpily entered the bath and removed the clothing that kept her warm last night. Why does everything she sees in her house remind her of Yuki? She hated it. She rested her back on the cold wall of the bathroom and let the water from the shower drench her. She looked back at the clothes on the floor.
“If we hadn’t broken up, I don’t have to rely on blankets or these pieces of cloth to warm me up at night.”
After all manners of cleaning herself, she put on her usual pair of clothes and fixed her hair. She didn’t put any make-up on. Today, she decided to be at her simplest self, except for the high heels she always wears. There should be no trace of her, rejoicing, because as far as she is concerned, she’s already dead, five months ago since Yuki dumped her.
She stood up from the wooden chair and left her room. She took a look at the wide and gloomy corners of the living room. No. There were neither cobwebs nor dirty pets in the room. In fact, everything in the room is brand new. But the silence and her bitterness dulled the entire rental house. Even the yellow curtains seem dark. She can’t believe that five months ago, this house was filled with laughter of all sorts.
Suddenly, a rustling sound called her attention. It was from her house mate’s room. Mayu never really planned to co-reside with others even though it was a rental house fit for five people. She came from a wealthy family, so paying the share of five is not a problem to her. But as impossible as it seems for a cold lady like Mayu, she made her house mate an exception.
The door opened and revealed a pretty young woman wearing an elegant dress. “Oh, Mayu-chan. You’re pretty early today,” she walked towards her. “Do you have classes today?”
“No, I don’t have classes on Sundays, Milky,” Mayu answered her. She pulled up a chair next to her and sat. “I plan to save this day for myself.” She poured coffee on a mug and inhaled the calming aroma.
Miyuki hinted sadness in Mayu’s tone. She is aware of what this day means to her friend. She sat next to her and patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry Mayu-chan. Today, I’m going out with my boyfriend, so I won’t be able to stay with you,” she said, sweetly. Mayu looked at her and back to the coffee.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine,” Mayu said before taking a sip. Lie. Mayu doesn’t really want Miyuki to leave her today but she’s not that selfish to destroy her friend’s date with her middle-aged boyfriend. She is aware that Miyuki and her boyfriend have only been dating for a month, and she can tell that Miyuki’s madly in love with him. To be honest, Mayu doesn’t approve Milky’s relationship with him. When she first saw him, she felt something suspicious about him.
“The weather’s nice today. Maybe you can go out so you won’t get lonely,” Miyuki stood up and adjusted her dress.
“Every where’s lonely without her, Milky,” Mayu said flatly.
Need not explaining, Miyuki understood her and started walking away. She wants to give her privacy. “I’ll go ahead then. See you later!”
As the door clicked, Mayu sighed. Now she’s all alone; she always was. The silence got to her. She ran her fingers through her hair out of frustration. She lifted up her mug and left it at the sink. She was about to walk away when saw a mug wrapped in a box. She narrowed her eyes, trying to remember where she saw that. As realization hit her, she picked it up from the shelf.
“I’m going to end this agony.”
Mayu picked up her keys and left the house.
A few moments later, Mayu arrived at a nearby park. She spotted an empty bench and walked towards it. She carefully rested her back on the bench. She lifted her head up at the sky and back to the mug she was holding.
“This feels nostalgic. Do you still remember that time, Yukirin?” she muttered as if conversing with the vacuum.
“It was a sunny morning. I walked towards our meet-up place. It didn’t take me long to reach the park where we always meet. You are just the caring type that you always want to keep my walk short. By that time, I already found my way to a vacant bench and waited for you. I opened my bag and there I saw my carefully wrapped gift for you. It was a simple yet elegant mug.
I knew that later on, you might start teasing me about my lack of creativity. It may be true but I had a reason to do so. That was the best way to remind you about the two of us, living together. Ever since you proposed to me, I had been anticipating about it. This year, you graduated from the university and started working as a teacher. It was your dream, and now it finally came true. This made you busy, and our dates became less frequent. Perhaps that explained your sudden coldness towards me. At times, you would cancel our dates or immediately rush home after our appointments.
Without my knowing, a barrier was already built between us.”
“I waited the whole day for you, but you never came,” Mayu cried after reminiscing past events of their relationship. “This is just too painful for me to—huh?” she stopped sobbing when she felt herself get wet.
“Take that…” the kids were splashing water at her with a water gun.
“Cut it out, you brats!” she covered herself with her arms and started chasing the children.
“Nye, nye, you can’t catch us!” another kid taunted while running.
“Come back here!” Mayu ran as she completely forgot the mug left on the bench.
On the other side of the park was another girl. Her name is Jurina. She was carrying a camera in her hands. She would look sideways as if trying to find something. At a time, she would look through her camera, trying to capture beautiful scenery but she never gets satisfied. She continued walking further and stopped when she finally saw the perfect subject.
“Ah, this is a good spot.”
Jurina positioned her tripod and focused her camera. She smiled at the heaven-sent subject right in front of her. The many hours she spent finding a perfect subject finally pays off. She carefully set the camera. As she pressed the button, a glimpse of someone running blinded her sight.
“Huh?”
Jurina’s eyes followed the running girl. “What was that?” She retrieved her gaze and glanced at the glistening ceramic Mayu left on the bench. She immediately grabbed the mug and followed Mayu while running.
Mayu sped up; completely ignoring the pain brought by running with high heels, or the people she bumped with, or her flying dress revealing her panties. She also heard a faint voice calling out to her, but she shoved it off.
“Hey, miss! You forgot something!”
Jurina was running after Mayu who completely ignored her as she was preoccupied with a lot of things When Mayu was a block away, Jurina finally gave up and stopped.
“She’s fast…I can’t believe…she was…wearing heels,” Jurina choked heavy breaths. Her face was drawn with disbelief and amusement at the same time. She shook her head and threw her free hand in the air. Her attention turned to the mug she was holding.
“What should I do with this?” she examined the mug then she started walking back to the park. “Only stupid people leave their precious things,” she laughed. Something really bothered her at the moment that she can’t explain. She stopped walking and thought hard.
“Oh crap! My camera!”
Meanwhile, Mayu started to feel exhausted after a long run. Her throat got dry and her body was shaking. She suddenly felt stupid for running after the kids. “How…stupid can…I get?” she gave up and looked down on herself, then she heard her stomach crumble. “I have to eat…but first, I have to get changed.”
A few hours later…
“What a cute little boy sucking his thumb…” an old man spoke while flipping the photographs on his hands.
Jurina’s eyes grew, a little hopeful. “You mean i—“
“These are all trash!” the old man shouted, cutting her sentence, as he slammed a fist on his table.
“T-trash? Look closely. These are all genuine shots!” Jurina leaned towards the table and pointed at the pictures on the man’s hand.
“Even a grade school student can do that!” he shouted, making Jurina cover her ears with her hands. He towered himself over Jurina with his eyebrows twitching.
“Please Akimoto-sensei. I beg of you. Nobody wants to buy my shots…“ Jurina bowed.
“I am very disappointed with you, Jurina,” he said exasperatedly as he lazily rested his back on the chair and put down the photographs on the table.
Jurina opened her mouth, trying to defend herself but soon gave up. “Sorry…” she stepped backward and averted her eyes to her feet.
There was a brief silence in the room. The old man stared at her sympathetically. “Do you know why I hired you?” He was expecting an answer but Jurina remained silent.
“One day, I saw a young woman—that was you—enthusiastically taking pictures of whatever she saw. I thought to myself, ‘what a kid.’ But when you showed me your pictures, I was ashamed of my judgment. They seemed to be taken by a pro. You were a genius! I adopted you and I—“
“..became a witness of your growth. I heard that a million times, already.” Jurina blurted out, trolling the man.
The man leaned forward and propped his elbow. “I know that you want to become to be a professional. But you’re losing your heart into it,” he stared at her intently that Jurina saw his eyes sparkle.
“I want to see you in your art, Jurina!” he said with conviction.
“Akimoto-sensei…” Jurina covered her mouth with her hand, as if trying to suppress her happiness.
“Jurina…”
“Just buy these photographs already!” Jurina slammed her two palms on the table between them, getting the old man in surprise. The dramatic air faded away.
“Sorry, I can’t help you. I’m broke right now. Hahaha!” he laughed while rubbing his head.
“What?! You should’ve told me earlier.” Jurina whined.
“What a stubborn kid,” he heaved a heavy breath. “Just scram already.”
“Boo…” she grabbed the pictures and left the room.
Akimoto watched her leave and sighed. “That kid. Even though I allowed her to stay at the mansion, she still insisted to live by herself.” He stood up from his chair and stared leaned on the window so he could watch Jurina leave the mansion. “She sure has grown a lot since I first saw her at the park.”
Jurina hastily left the mansion gate. “Broke? Who is he kidding? If I know better, he just wanted to punish me for leaving.” She stopped walking, feeling a little guilty. “It’s not like I’m being disgraceful. He has done so much for me, but I have things to settle on my own.”
She stared at the sky and sighed. “What should I do now?”
“Welcome to Mariko’s Café!”
Mayu entered the café and suited herself on a vacant chair. She called the attention of a beautiful waitress and ordered. “I want lemonade and a bacon and egg on toast, please.” The waitress smiled and nodded.
She turned her attention to the whining from the counter.
“Mariko-samaaaaa, what should I do?”
“Oh, Juri-tan. What’s wrong?” Standing on the counter was a beautiful woman with a bobbed hair, probably on her late twenties. She patted the head of the whining Jurina.
“I’ve been kicked out from my apartment…”
“Geez, what have you been doing?”
“Well, you see, I wasn’t able to pay the rent for four months already,” Jurina continued, oblivious that Mayu has been listening to their conversation.
“That’s what you get,” Mayu answered Jurina in her thoughts. She didn’t intend to eavesdrop but Jurina’s loud voice caught her attention.
“That’s what you get,” Mariko answered Jurina, coldly. Mayu smiled when she heard the woman from the counter spoke what she had exactly in mind.
“What a nice way to cheer me up. You know that I’ve been saving for something important,” Jurina blushed at her last statement. Mariko noticed this and decided to tease the girl.
“Then why don’t you use your savings to pay your debt?”
“I can’t do that!” Jurina shook her head violently. She sighed and took out a photograph from her pocket. She thrusted a finger on the photograph. “It’s this photo-bomber’s fault…” she gritted her teeth.
Mariko sighed. “You’re really hard to deal with, you know?” she messed the hair of Jurina who turned her attention to the incoming waitress.
“Here’s your order, Ma’am,” the waitress served Mayu’s orders. “Enjoy your order, Ma’am,” she bowed and walked away.
“Arigato,” Mayu smiled and took a sip of her lemonade. “Oishi…” She mentally thanked Miyuki for convincing her to go out from their house. It’s been a long five months since she went out like this. She suddenly regretted confining herself in solitude for five months after her break-up with Yuki.
Jurina’s eyes grew wide and stood up. “That girl…”
Mariko followed Jurina’s stare. “Girl? You mean Kojiharu? She’s our new waitress. It’s been a while since you visited my shop so…”
“Not her,” Jurina shook her head. “That girl sipping on a lemonade,” she pointed at Mayu.
Mariko followed Jurina’s pointing finger and spotted Mayu. “What? Do you like h—Hey, Jurina!”
Jurina walked towards the table where Mayu is innocently enjoying her meal. “Hey you!”
Mariko exited the counter and followed Jurina. “Don’t harass my customer, you puppy.” She pulled Jurina.
“Mariko-sama, she’s the person in this picture!” Jurina shoved the picture on her hand to Mariko’s face. “It’s because of her that I lost my house!”
“Me?” Mayu blinked fast, confused of what’s happening. She was just enjoying her meal when out of nowhere, a furious woman interrupted her. She cursed in her thoughts. The gods must have cursed her today.
“Hey, go fight somewhere else!” a voice from the other customers stopped them. The three girls turned their attention to the deadly glares sent to them.
“Sumimasen…” Mariko bowed hard, apologetically. She pulled Jurina, forcing her to bow with her.
Mayu just froze at her chair. She stared at the girl, who spoiled her appetite; who spoiled her day of starting-over. She got up from her comfortable seat and exited the café.
Jurina noticed her and followed her out. “Wait! Don’t run away.”
“Hey, wait!” Mariko noticed the two and tried to stop them but she doesn’t want to leave her shop. She sighed and stared at the table where Mayu left. She noticed that Mayu had barely touched her order. She suddenly felt sorry for the thin girl. She walked towards the counter when she suddenly gasped.
“Ah! She forgot to pay for her meal!”
“Oi, matte!”
Mayu was so pissed. She hated every detail of what’s happening to her. All she wanted was to forget about Yuki and their screwed up promise, and start new life. She wanted to turn her back from the world. But the gods won’t allow her. For a stranger was running for her, shoving to her face that the world is not ending without her.
She stopped running away and faced the girl. “What do you want from me?”
Jurina stopped too and shoved the picture to Mayu’s face. “Look at this!”
Mayu identified herself in the photograph. “Why do you have a picture of me? Are you stalking me?” She asked suspiciously.
“No, I’m not. It’s because you came running while I was taking a picture. It was a perfect subject but you blew it! Because of this, No one wants to buy my shots already. I lost my house too…” Jurina answered her.
“Don’t blame me your irresponsibility,” Mayu turned her back from Jurina. “I’m sorry but I overheard your conversation. I don’t know what really happened. I don’t care what your reasons are for doing so, but isn’t it impolite to blame your faults to others?” Mayu continued as Jurina paid careful attention to her.
“In life, there are only two choices: to do good or bad. Whatever choice we make, it depends on ourselves; others can’t judge you. But the choice we make will definitely lead us to an inevitable consequence,” she lectured.
“So if you will abandon your choice, then aren’t you just trash?” Mayu faced the confused Jurina.
Jurina rubbed the back of her head. “That’s really touching, but I don’t get your point.”
“What I mean is, ‘learn to face your own problems,’” Mayu answered.
Jurina’s face softened. She understood Mayu’s words. She was just hopeless at the moment. “What am I going to do now? I have nowhere to go to.” She rested her back on the nearby wall.
Mayu noticed the change of Jurina’s mood. She felt a little guilty. They are strangers but she said some things that might have hurt the other girl. She doesn’t really want to confront the girl about her issues but she was just carried away by the moment. Besides, she had problems of her own too. “I’m sorry,” she said, hoping to ease the girl.
“That’s it!” Jurina got up. Her index finger is in the air, showing that she thought of something.
“Huh?” Mayu asked blankly.
“Thank you for making me realize my faults.” Jurina looked at her and blushed. “This is embarrassing, but…since you’re sorry too…” she murmured.
Mayu, on the other hand was nervously guessing what the other girl was thinking. She can smell trouble. Her mind was telling her to step back but her feet were frozen to the ground.
Jurina, do you remember the first time that we met? We had broken hearts, yearning for patches. We were lost souls, searching for acceptance.
“Please, let me live at your house!"
So what do you think? I know it's crap :banghead:
but thank you for reading.
More characters to come out next chapter.
You guys are awesome! :bow: :bow: :bow:
Yoroshiku.
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waah Yuki :angry: you broke up with my Mayuyu I swear you'll come back kneeling on Mayu :banghead:
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Ehhhh...Yuki broke up with Mayuyu??
WHY???!!! WHY???!!!
And Milky is dating a middle aged guy.. :O
Waaaa....can't wait for the next chapter..
Update soon, please.. :bow:
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Eh?????? Why did Yuki break up with Mayu?
Don't make them break up pls.... They supposed to be living together not broke up...
Mayuki pls... :cry: :cry:
Sorry be emotional but I really want mayuki.....
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I thank seigus, BbSis, and -gibson-mayulover for leaving a thank you.
@imteedee: Oops, looks like I ignited a fire last chapter. Haha. :nervous
@olive29: I'm sorry for their break up. :banghead: But stay tuned as I unravel their reasons for the future chapters.
@Haruto Lee: I'm sorry. I know I left you frustrated last chapter. But I'll try hard to redeem your anguish in the future chapters. Until I do, please stay tuned.
Looks like I broke many MaYuki shippers last chapter.
But thank you for those who found it interesting.
The next chapter will be long but not much of a help for the story development. But please read. Also, more characters will be introduced.
:bow: :bow: :bow:
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Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 2
“Please, let me live at your house!” Jurina’s sentence echoed in Mayu’s ears.
It took her a couple of seconds to process the hanging sentence. “HEH?!” Mayu asked, bewildered.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said please let me live wit—“ Mayu cut her in mid-sentence.
“Are you nuts? Do you even realize that you’re asking a stranger to take you home?”
Jurina scratched her neck. “Well you don’t look like a bad person, so I guess I can trust you.”
“NO.” Mayu firmly said.
“Heh? Why not?”
“You didn’t even consider my feelings.”
“That’s why I’m asking for your permission.”
“And I’m declining your offer.”
“Besides, didn’t you say that we have to face our responsibilities? “
“How can I take responsibility of something I wasn’t even aware? It was an accident.”
“I don’t think so. You came running when I found a beautiful subject and defied the shutter speed of my camera. It wasn’t just a coincidence that your image was perfectly framed here, see?”
“What are you trying to say? I didn’t mean that.”
“It’s fate.”
“Fate your ass.” Mayu coldly said as she turned around.
“Anyway, you got yourself involved now. And you see, that subject would’ve redeemed my debts. You should at least pay for the damage.”
“If you’re really a good photographer, you wouldn’t rely on your subject but on your skill itself. A good photographer would make the best out of his subject, under all circumstances.”
Jurina remained silent.
“I can’t let you live at my house, but at least I can buy your picture.”
“Honto ni?”
Mayu laid her palm lazily. “Name your price.”
“Well, it you really insist…” Jurina wasn’t really planning to ask her to pay her; she only needed a place to stay. But she thought if she would raise her price, then the deal would rest to her favour. “200,000 yen.”
“200,000 yen…” Mayu repeated as she scanned through her wallet. As realization hit her, she protested. “Be more rational! Who would even buy that? It’s too expensive.”
“It’s worth my four months debt,” Jurina taunted. “Or you can just let me just live in your house.”
“No. I can pay you.” Mayu answered fast. Of course she can pay her. She turned around and walked away.
“Where are you going?” Jurina asked.
“Follow me. I’ll get you you’re money,” Mayu said, much to Jurina’s surprise.
After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Jurina tried to open up a topic. But Mayu’s emotionless features discourage her.
“Being a university student is tough. You have to balance your study and work.” Jurina started. She glanced at Mayu to find a reaction but she saw nothing but a void expression. She retrieved her gaze but Mayu’s words surprised her.
“Where are your parents? Why don’t you ask them to support you?” Mayu asked, suddenly trying to engage in the conversation.
Jurina didn’t expect Mayu to bring up a sensitive topic. “I don’t know where they are. It’s been two years since I came from Nagoya.”
“Why did you come to Tokyo?”
Jurina’s face lightened. “I came here to fulfil a promise I made with someone.” She said, enthusiastically, while thinking about the person.
Mayu’s face, however, doesn’t look amused. “It must feel good, huh? Being in love.” She bitterly said.
Jurina noticed her irritation. “What about you? Don’t you have someone?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Mou…you asked me a lot of things but you didn’t answer the only question I threw at you,” Jurina said, slightly frustrated. “Why do you act so mysterious?”
However, Mayu doesn’t seem to have a slightest desire to answer her question. “We’re here.” She stopped at a house. Jurina looked up and examined the house.
“Oh. Wow. It looks nice.” Mayu entered the house, leaving Jurina behind. “Hey, wait up.”
Jurina entered the house and examined the living room. “Wow. It looks better inside.”
“Stay here,” Mayu ordered her as she entered her room. After a few minutes, she came back.
“You actually have expensive things. I noticed some modern and resort themed designs. However, you’ve got your style overlapping and they’re mixed up. You have to use—“ Jurina stopped as she noticed her blabbering. “Ah, sorry. I get excited when I see works of art.”
“It’s fine. Now, take this and leave.” Jurina stared at the cheque handed to her. She can’t believe that Mayu will actually give her this amount.
“I’m sorry for the trouble. Please use that money wisely.”
Jurina bowed and walked away. “It was nice meeting you.”
After Jurina left, Mayu’s stomach crumbled again. She closed the door hard, recalling that her lunch was interrupted by Jurina. She can’t believe that she was accused of being a future-destroyer. Mayu noticed that Miyuki isn’t home yet. Normally, she would ask Miyuki to cook for her since she can’t cook for herself but now, Miyuki is having a date with her boyfriend, and she probably won’t be home until tomorrow.
It’s already 3:40 PM but her stomach is still barren. Mayu sighed at her misfortune and decided to go to her favourite restaurant downtown. Her lunch at the Mariko’s Café had only worsened her hunger. After fifteen minutes, she arrived at the restaurant. The moment she opened the door, the stomach churning aroma of spices filled her nose. She smiled and hastily hunted for vacancy, hoping to fill her stomach’s desire soon. She found a decent place near the window and sat.
Suddenly, a sweet voice called out to her and she looked up. Her eyes grew wide; not expecting to see her beautiful nightmare.
“Mayu? Is it really you, Mayu?”
Mayu’s jaw dropped as she let her senses overtake her.
“Yuki…rin.” She managed to whisper despite of her tight vocal chords.
“Mayuyu!”
Yuki went to her and leaned down to hug her. Mayu was speechless at the moment and let the warm feeling engulf her rational mind. One moment, she was bitterly trying to forget the girl who broke her heart. It’s been five months since they broke up, and ever since, Mayu has been living miserably. And now, she was being hugged as if nothing happened between them. Yuki let go of their embrace and sat on the couch across her. Mayu can’t be more hurt at the features blinding her eyes.
Yuki is as beautiful as ever. No. She’s even more beautiful than ever. And Mayu hated it. She hated that she was the only one who felt the torture of their separation. There was an awkward silence between them until Yuki decided to break it.
“It’s been a long time, huh?”
Mayu on the other hand was carefully choosing her words of reply to hide her bitterness. Despite the millions of words popping in her head, she only replied with a plain ‘yes’.
Fortunately, a waitress came to their table and took their orders.
“I’ll have Roasted Chicken and mango shake.”
“Double the Roasted Chicken and a banana cream pie, please,” Mayu spoke curtly, but still has her eyes on Yuki.
Just when the waitress left, Yuki broke into a small laughter. Even Mayu let out a sincere chuckle despite of bitterness.
“Some things just don’t change, huh?”
Mayu thought twice before responding.
“Yeah. But some people do.” Mayu said bitterly, trying to gauge Yuki’s reaction.
Yuki lowered her head and bit her lip. “Change is the only constant thing in the world, after all.”
Mayu smirked; satisfied at the stirred reaction of the lady across her. “I can’t argue with that.”
By this time, the friendly aura surrounding the two was replaced by a tense one. Despite the aircondition in the room, you can see beads of sweat forming on the two ladies’ faces. Mayu was drumming her fingers on the table and had her gaze fixed outside the window. Across her was Yuki awkwardly sneaking gazes at her cellphone inside her bag.
Anyone who comes across them might mistake them as lionesses, waiting for a piece of meat to devour. Fortunately, for the second time, the waitress broke their mental distance and handed their orders. They exchanged bows and the waitress walked away with their heavy atmosphere.
Mayu suddenly hated the silence between them. She had a lot to ask Yuki.
“How is it being a teacher?”
Yuki, on the other hand, felt her nervousness disappear at Mayu’s question. “It’s so tiring. Those middle schoolers are harder to deal with than I expected. I have a lot of paper works to do. I stay up late at night just to finish my lesson plans. You know how I hated eyebags when I wake up.”
Mayu smiled and took a sip at her water. “Yes. That’s so like you.” She was kinda happy that Yuki was answering her normally.
“But when I see my students smile, my exhaustion pays off.” Yuki spoke. Her eyes are focusing far away, as if watching the sight of her students smiling. They were glowing like a heated gold. Then there came her heart-warming smile. Mayu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat and her cheeks felt warm. Her mind tells her to divert her eyes, but Mayu can’t help but get captivated by her beauty. Without a warning, her tongue lit up a fire of her own loss.
“You know, for a beautiful woman, you don’t look like a stressed teacher at all,” Mayu can feel the blood rushing through her face. She could hear the echo of her own words, and it felt like she dug her own grave. Why did she even praise the one who broke her? Then came an unexpected reply, igniting the bit of hope she kept in her heart.
“T-thanks. You don’t look like a medical student yourself, for a beautiful woman.” Yuki admitted with a blush of her own. Their eyes met and a sparks woke up a burning desire in their hearts, making them smile in satisfaction. Yuki bit her lower lips and grabbed Mayu’s chicken and skinned it. Mayu just watched the other girl’s actions.
“There you go. You always wanted your chicken skinned, right?”
Using her chopsticks, Mayu nervously picked up carrots from Yuki’s plate and shoved it in her mouth.
“I remember how you hated carrots.”
They stared at each other for a moment then they broke out in a more genuine laughter than before.
Mayu suddenly stopped and intently watched her ex-girlfriend continue with her breath-taking laughing. Yuki noticed Mayu stop. “What?” She raised her eyebrows when Mayu’s face got serious.
“What happened to us?” Mayu asked. Her tone was rather soft despite her cold face. Yuki remained silent as she was taken aback with Mayu’s question.
“I really missed you,” Finally, Mayu’s face softened and Yuki felt a sudden urge to release the pleading sentence to escape her lips.
“I miss you too,” Yuki shyly admitted. “However, I—“ She was cut in mid-sentence by a voice coming from behind Mayu.
“Hey, honey,” greeted a tall woman in her mid-twenties. Black hair and eyes; fit police uniform than shows her defined arms; boyish smirk, and defined jaws.
Mayu’s glanced at the figure above her and eyes grew wide. This person…
“H-hey, sweetie. I thought you had a meeting with the General today?” Yuki greeted her as she sat beside her.
The girl shrugged her shoulders. “We’ll I thought you might feel lonely, so I rushed things. But I guess this pretty lady kept your company…?” she motioned at Mayu, who was still loss of words.
Yuki snapped. “Oh, right. I haven’t introduced you yet. Mayu, this is—“
“Sae-chan?” Mayu whispered.
Sae narrowed her eyes at Mayu for a while. “Mayu? Watanabe Mayu?” They stared at each other.
Yuki glanced at Mayu and Sae and broke their gaze. “Sugoi! Judging by your reactions, I assume you still remember each other. I’m glad.”
“Ofcourse! How will I forget? We belong to the Basketball Club back in highschool, right?” Sae gestured her right hand, as-a-matter-of-factly.
Mayu’s face went stiff and her facial muscles failed her. But through Mayu’s protest, she managed to force a very weak smile. “So, are you two…?”
“Yes. We’re going out,” Yuki answered.
“How long have you been together?” Mayu continued to ask.
Mayu saw a hesitant face in Yuki who lowered her head. Sae noticed this and answered. “Five months ago.”
Mayu shot a look at Sae then to Yuki. Five months ago? As far as Mayu can remember, Yuki broke up with Mayu five months ago. How can Yuki replace her that fast? What made Mayu more furious is that of all people, she replaced her with Sae. The same Sae, who was Mayu’s first love.
“Also, we’ve started living together since last week.” Sae added trivially. She intentionally worsened the rage Mayu is keeping inside. Yuki glared at Sae but she ignored her and focused on the frustrated face Mayu is showing.
That did it. Mayu clenched her fist and got up from her seat. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.” She strode fast and exited the restaurant, not bothering to wipe her dripping tears.
“Mayu, wait!” Yuki stood up and tried to follow Mayu but a firm grasp stopped her. “Yuki.”
Yuki turned her head to look at Sae. “Sae, why did you say that?”
“What’s wrong with telling the truth?” Sae rolled her eyes. Yuki hissed and forcefully released her hand from Sae’s tight grip.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll explain things to Mayu.”
Sae stood up from her seat. “No, you’re not going anywhere. Why would you bother explaining things with her? Aren’t you over?”
Yuki halted at Sae’s words. She was right.
“We are.”
Mayu walked nonstop. She had no direction in mind but she let her feet drag her. Anywhere, she wants to be anywhere but the restaurant. Somewhere, she has to be somewhere, away from them. After a while, she arrived the park from before. It looks the same except for the black sky and absence of the children playing on the sand and couples walking hand-in-hand. The sky is already dark and there was nothing but silence. Mayu approached the vacant swing and sat on it. She stared at her feet for a moment until tears swelled up in her eyes. She buried her face on her palms and she cried. Suddenly, the sky roared and rain fell hard. Mayu faced up and she let the rain wipe away her own tears. All her plans for today were ruined; even the weather betrayed her. She again bowed down, cursing her misfortune. However, the hard drops that were hitting her skin suddenly stopped. She looked up and found that she was being covered by an umbrella. She saw a person that she never expected to see.
“I didn’t know you like this park that much.”
Mayu sobbed and hugged Jurina. Just when she thought nobody cares about her, a stranger covered her from the rain. She never said anything; just sobs that scream her pain. Jurina wrapped her arm around Mayu’s head, as if she understood what’s happening.
“I’ll take you home.”
“Mayuyu! Thank God you’re alright!” Milky ran to Mayu and hugged her tight. “Milky.” Mayu hugged back. She didn’t expect to see Miyuki so soon too. Whenever she had a date, she would always go home the next morning. “I was so worried. What happened?” Miyuki wrapped a towel around Mayu.
Jurina, sensing that the two needed a private talk, she cleared her throat. “Then, I’ll leave now.”
Jurina walked away but Mayu stopped her. “W-wait. Why are you leaving?”
Jurina’s face grew confused.
“You don’t have a place to stay, right?” Mayu asked hesitantly. She wanted to thank Jurina for helping her. But their first meeting made talking awkward to them.
“Eh?”
“That’s right. You’re staying over for tonight.” Miyuki dragged Jurina inside. “I owe you for finding my friend.”
“Don’t you want to?” Mayu asked.
Jurina shook her head. “Hai.” She made a wide smile, revealing her white teeth.
Miyuki smiled too. “Yosh! So, tonight, let’s drown ourselves with wine!” she raised her voice as she revealed a wine bottle from a cabinet.
The three stayed up late at night, drowning themselves with the sweet wine, ignoring the fact that it will betray them tomorrow. For the moment, they couldn’t care less. They let the alcohol take over their senses and talked a lot. They spilled their burdens and worries. They cried, for heart break, for solitude, for the broken promises, for the lies, for their agony, for waiting, for bitterness. They gulped the alcohol together with their suffering.
When they can’t keep up with their drowsiness, they slept on the cold living room. Not minding the chilly breeze entering their open window; not minding the flickering television; or the wine spills that stains their clothes. They felt at peace, except for Mayu who was having a nightmare about her encounter with her ex-girlfriend and her first love.
“We’ve been dating for five months now. And we’re also started living together.” Said Yuki and Sae, both looking satisfied with each other. They embraced, taunting Mayu. “And you? You are left alone in despair.” They laughed and Mayu was left frightened. “I’m not alone…”
“I’m not alone…”
Mayu opened her eyes and found her clothes wet in tears. She had been sleeping on the couch with a blanket around her. She didn’t remember wrapping herself with a blanket last night. She probably forgot why she wasn’t in her room either, but her heavy head reminded her that she got drunk. She got up from the couch and entered the kitchen which welcomed her eyes with food on the table.
She heard water splashing on the sink and she identified Jurina. She was cleaning dishes. Jurina noticed Mayu’s presence and quickly turned around.
“Oh. You’re awake,” she said nervously as she closed the faucet. Mayu smiled and sat on the nearby chair. “I’ll get you coffee,” Jurina added.
“Ah, sorry for using your kitchen. You and Milky were so drunk, so I thought I should prepare your breakfast.” Jurina said as she prepared Mayu’s coffee.
“Well, you shouldn’t have bothered.”
“Nah, this is to thank you for letting me in last night,” Jurina insisted as she placed the cup of coffee in front of Mayu.
“Thanks.”
“My head hurts…” Miyuki entered the kitchen. “Eh? Jurina? Did you prepare all of these?” She pointed at the breakfast on the table. There were breads, eggs, bacons, and sausages, and fish. Jurina nodded and joined the table. “Sorry. You were supposed to be our visitor but you ended up taking care of us.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t guarantee you the taste anyways, so let’s just dig in!” Jurina said as Miyuki joined them.
“Ittadakimasu!”
They ate together and they were full. Not just of the food that entered their stomachs but of warm laughs and remarks. After eating, Miyuki excused herself and took a bath. Mayu cleared the table while Jurina washed the dishes. When they were done, Mayu escorted Jurina outside.
Mayu suddenly recalled scenes from last night where Jurina covered her from the rain. They also talked about sensitive topics about their lives. It was a shame; sharing those memories to somebody she barely met.
She cleared her throat as they reached the gate. “So, uhm. Thank you for last night.”
Jurina shook her head and smiled. “No, no. Thank you for letting me sleep over.”
“No problem.”
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble. Actually, I came back yesterday to return your cheque. Here.” Jurina handed the cheque to Mayu but shoved her hand.
“No. Take it.”
“Are you serious?”Jurina asked Mayu who just slowly nodded for confirmation.
Jurina then grabbed something from her sling bag. “I believe this is yours.” She showed the cup. It was the cup that Mayu left at the park where they met.
Mayu stared at the cup. “That cup has a lot of memories that I don’t want to remember for now.”
Jurina examined the cup and smiled. “Then, is it alright if I take it?” she asked. “This cup could’ve witnessed bitter moments in your life that you want to forget, but I’m sure there were also sweet moments that you want to remain in your heart.”
Mayu remained silent; amazed by the mature words coming from the playful stranger she met. “Time will come that you would want to just cling to these memories, and when that time comes, come running to me. And I’ll share it with you. So let me keep this until you do.” Jurina said and smiled. Her voice was gentle and honest; different from the playful and pushy tone she had when they first talked.
“When I first saw you, I thought you were just an irresponsible, unreliable, free-loader, and proud person. But hearing you say that, I found you very mature, dependable, and level-headed.” Mayu returned the smile to Jurina. “So, please take good care of my memories.”
Jurina blushed a little at Mayu’s remarks and laughed. “You know, I don’t even know you’re name.”
Mayu was surprised and laughed. “Really? Come to think of it, I don’t even know yours, too.”
Jurina stretched out her free hand to Mayu. “I’m Matsui Jurina.”
Mayu reached for hers hand and shook it. “Mayu. Watanabe Mayu.”
“Mayu. If we could’ve met somewhere else, we could’ve been friends,” Jurina said as they let go of their handshake.
Mayu can see the blurred line of strangers between them. She looked at Jurina and smiled, trying to step out into something more comfortable.
“Aren’t we friends now?”
Jurina unconsciously grinned. Friends. She never saw that coming from someone who treated her coldly. Perhaps she’s fooling around, perhaps she’s not. But either way, she was entrusted a new relationship and she doesn’t plan to break it.
“Right. Friends,” she said. “I want to ask you one more thing, but let me do this properly.”
Mayu nodded, hinting her to continue.
“Can I live with you?” Jurina asked while Mayu raised her brows. “In this shared house, I mean.” She added defensively to which Mayu laughed.
“Of course. Anytime.”
Meanwhile, on a street in Tokyo, a 24-year old girl was dragging large garbage bags out of her apartment. She stopped on her tracks when she saw a girl about her age. She had short black hair. Her eyes shrunk as she smiled. She was carrying guitars on both her shoulders and carried a large travel bag. The girl tilted her head and spoke.
“Still being neat, huh, Yuihan?”
“You’re late, Sayanee.”
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OH never mind, I started to hate Yuki here :cry: Bakarin :banghead:
JuriMayu is the cutest thing ever in this part XD and LOL Milky has a bf :nervous
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I don't like Yuki in this fic.. :angry:
Poor Mayuyu.. :cry:
JuriMayu... :grin:
But, I want Juju together with Rena.. :panic:
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Please update more ; v ; the story line is just too good ; v ;
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my mayuki... :mon waterworks: :mon nwei:
my heart... :mon ghost:
I think there is no mayuki I need to disappear :mon POd: :mon wind:
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Minna-san! I'm afraid the next chapter will come out later than it should be. I still have to focus on my exams. :nervous
@imteedee: I'm sorry about that. :bow: But I hope you won't lose interest. This fic has still a long way to go after all. As for JuriMayu, yes. It was fun to write too. They always spice up my ideas. About Milky's boyfriend, let's wait for the story to reveal itself. :banghead:
@olive29: woah. I hope I can change your mind. But please hang on. JuriMayu ruled last chapter but let's see how WMatsui goes in the succeeding chapters. :thumbsup
@Yu_oshi: Thank you very much for appreciating this crap. Positive comments keep me motivated to write more. Haha. Please support this fic until the end. Yoroshiku! :bow:
@mo-chan: I'm sorry, but let's not lose hope, ne? :grin: that's all what I have to say for now. Let's just hope that justice prevails in the end. Haha.
I'm sorry for being cruel everyone. For those who thought this series is awesome, or last chapter was awesome, and then left a thank you, THANK YOU. You, yourselves are AWESOME! :bow: For the top commenters, THANK YOU for keeping this series alive. I got the best readers in the house. :heart:
Chapter 3 will come out very late. But please watch out. Some catches: You might find your OTHER oshis next chapter; plot development; SAYANEE! Brace yourselves... :fap
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YOU WILL REGRET YUKIRIN...MAYU IS AWESOME!!! ARE YOU BLIND??????
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Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 2
yea when I read this my saddness go away :luvluv1: :shy2:
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Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 2
yea when I read this my saddness go away :luvluv1: :shy2:
i still hope mayuki together in the future
well i'm mayuki hard shipper LOL
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Replies:
gekgeki: Yeah, Yukirin will have lots of regrets. Mayuyu is one of the best girls out there!
mo-chan: Well, I'm glad that your sadness faded.
kurogumi: A MaYuki shipper! Let's see how things go between Mayuyu and Yukirin. But I don't think this update will satisfy your MaYuki heart--for now, that is.
Sooo....(http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/044.gif)
After a month or two, I'm back with a looong chapter. Seriously. I found it tiring to read. I'm sorry for that. I had lots of things to do and my first draft for this chapter was lost. But I won't give those reasons to you. We all have lots of things to do after all, right? I know you deserve more and all I can do is apologize, dumbly. Yes. (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/yoyocici/yocifans009.gif)
Before scrolling down, here are some notice and announcements: 1) This chapter is the longest so far and it wasn't actually proofread (all of my works aren't, actually) despite the delay. So I suggest you read it when your mind is calm. 2) Action-hinted. (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_099_.gif) 3) Mystery persons and hidden plots--Oh, how I love them! (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/70bff581.gif) And most importantly;
4) It was my birthday! (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/th_091_-2.gif) ...yesterday.
Moving on!
Home
by Louise-sama
Chapter 3
Our lives are different from each other but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Jurina walked down a street towards a local junior high school. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this because she needed to prepare for her morning class at the university. But she couldn’t help it. It started out of curiosity but then it became her guilty routine. She does this every school day, without fail. This time, however, she took a different route. And from now on, she would probably take this new route every day. Today, she planned on moving in with Mayu and Milky on the share house.
She stopped on her tracks when she saw the school gate. By this hour, Jurina was sure that classes had already started and students should have been inside the school building. She leaned against the gate, scouting if there was anyone in the garden—fortunately, she found no one. She was about to enter when a girl bumped into her.
“Ouch…” groaned the school girl as she fell to the ground.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m sor—ah!” the girl gasped. Her face flustered when Jurina leaned down.
“Let me help you.”
Jurina’s hand was left hanging as the girl frantically ran past her. She heard something like ‘kakkoi’—she wasn’t sure. She found it rude, considering that the girl was the one at fault, but Jurina shoved it off. The girl must be in so much trouble now, anyway. It was forty minutes after the school bell rang after all.
That felt nostalgic to her—having to wear school uniform, beating the ring of the school bell, and bloodbath during lunch breaks. How she misses her younger years.
Her mind raced back to years from before. She never had any confidence about her intelligence and skills so when she passed Tokyo Geidai admissions, it came a little surprise for her. She applied for Intermedia Art—something that is close to her heart. But her skills were not the main reason why she chose this path.
Jurina was sitting on the bleachers under the canopy. Her tongue slightly stuck out of her mouth while drawing, however absent-mindedly as her field of vision was shared by the scene in front of the bleachers—a panoramic view of the track-and-field oval—her dream team. She shifted from her posture, trying to regain her focus on the figures she was drawing, only to leave the girl towering beside her unnoticed.
“You’re pretty good.”
A little surprised, Jurina looked up at the source of the gentle voice.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Jurina’s focus was immediately clouded by the feminine aura exuding from her. Fortunately, she managed to reply. “It’s fine.”
“Can I sit here?” Rena gestured to the bench where Jurina sits.
Jurina almost hesitantly shifted to give space for the stranger. “Go on.” She almost choked at her words. No, she wasn’t fine with this proximity. She always feared being surrounded by other people. It makes her feel uncomfortable and obligated to keep up a conversation. But she felt more tension this time because the girl sitting beside her is her senpai.
She finally returned her gaze to the sketch pad and finished the drawing. Noticing that there was something missing in the sketch, she groaned. It wasn’t like she really tried hard on the details. In fact, she was just mindlessly and carelessly stroking the lines. For a normal person, you would consider it as a lifetime achievement. But for an artist—like she claims herself to be—it wasn’t something you should feel satisfied about.
“I like your drawing.”
Rena spoke, breaking her from trance, again. Jurina glanced at the girl beside her who had just taken a picture of her drawing on her hands. Rena warmly smiled at her then focused her camera to the running members of the track team. Jurina hissed in unbelief and marveled at her own drawing.
“I think it’s plain.”
“Not to my eyes,” said Rena, enthusiastically as she spun around to take a picture of Jurina’s startled face. She dropped it to her side afterwards, facing the freshman and smiled reassuringly. “It’s perfect,” she said softly.
Her eyes were warm and beaming, making Jurina stare in awe. She felt her heart flutter. It was her first time being praised. She was in her first month of her freshman year—a high time to make a debut on her high school status. For the past few weeks, she had been joining various clubs to prove herself but none of her attempts were successful. On top of it all, not a single word of compliment reached her ears but all insults and discouragement. It had been pulling her confidence down for the past week, along with her hope for the track and field try-out. But with that outspoken compliment, it seemed her burden weighed down a little.
“Do you have any clubs?”
Jurina turned her head to the cheering runners. Their faces were plastered with victorious smiles, hands thrusted in the air, feet never touching the ground. She had dreamt of sharing those triumphant expressions with these folks but her insecurities and fears were engulfing her spirit.
“I was rejected.” It wasn’t true. In fact, it hasn’t even started yet. But to the doubtful Jurina, it was the most apparent thing that could happen.
The girl sensed the sudden change in mood of Jurina. Honestly, she just wanted to ease the worried face of the younger girl, even though she was oblivious to her problem.
“How about joining the School Newspaper Club?”
“Huh?” Jurina asked bewilderingly.
“Right now, we have vacancy for the position of cartoonist. It would be great if you join us.”
Jurina feared being around many people. She found it bothersome. But ironically, she was also the type who wanted to be adorned. Maybe this was why she decided to join the Track and Field Club. Although this would attract more people, this would make her famous the fastest. But if she joined the Newspaper Club, then fame could fall upon her with the guarantee of her privacy. Why not?
Jurina freely smiled at the girl who had just given her a brilliant idea. She doesn’t know her name and this was the first time she saw her. But there was something in her presence that attracted Jurina. She felt familiarity. And it was a sweet feeling of fulfillment.
Rena returned the smile but awkwardly averted her eyes afterwards. Jurina had been staring at her for too long. She nervously caressed her own face, wondering if there was something on her face but she felt none. Jurina giggled, for the first time, at her attempt to avoid looking at her eyes. Upon hearing this, Rena eyed her.
“Can I see your drawing?” she asked.
Jurina nodded and handed her sketch pad. Rena carefully took it away from her hands and marveled at the drawing.
“See? These racing monkeys are perfect!"
“But they aren’t monkeys!” Jurina corrected.
It was Rena’s turn to laugh. She was just fooling around but Jurina’s huge reaction fed her ego.
“But you wished they were, didn’t you?” Rena teased.
This time, Jurina joined her laugh. She was supposed to feel guilty because Rena caught her. But she had no idea what came over her.
“Well then, I’ll be heading home now.” Rena collected her things and got up. She bowed and walked away, leaving Jurina laughing by herself.
Jurina’s laughter died and her smile dropped. She came so sudden and left so soon. Fate can sometimes be an utter troll. “Wait!” She called out.
Rena stopped and spun around.
“I’m Matsui Jurina!”
Rena flashed a smile and continued her walk.
“I know!”
And with that, her chest began to feel alive as her insides flipped in utter bliss.
~
Rena was shuffling papers on her hands; beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She unconsciously crunched her eyebrows. It wasn’t usual for her to get so easily irritated. Maybe the heat is slowly getting to her. Today was hot though it shouldn’t be, considering that it’s autumn. She suddenly stopped her work and approached the window.
She opened the window and let the wind take her loose hair strands. She does this everyday even when the air-conditioner is turned on. Fresh air always does the trick. Her co-teachers don’t seem to mind as they faced their own discomfort. She marveled at the panoramic beauty of the school grounds. It was currently empty since everyone is inside the school building—either studying or just hiding from the sun.
Unbeknownst to her that Jurina is observantly watching her from under the bushes right beneath the faculty room.
“Stalking again, are we?”
Jurina turned around to the source of the teasing voice. “Ah! Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just—” Jurina was cut by the swift palm covering her mouth.
“Keep quiet!” the smaller woman warned her. “The students might hear you…” she added as she gestured to the approaching students. She waited for them to enter the school building before releasing Jurina.
“Aren’t you from this school?” Jurina asked. She scanned the woman from her head to toe and grinned. “Come to think of it, you look more suspicious than me.”
She was wearing an over-sized denim sweatshirt and silky black pants. She got her hair tied under her cap but Jurina could tell that her hair was dyed from her fringes. She also wore a pair of eyeglasses— ridiculously strange eyeglasses—which made her more conspicuous. Personally, Jurina thought she had no sense of fashion. It’s not like she cared. But it seemed like they shared a mutual situation. It wouldn’t be so good if they got caught.
“That’s rude. Don’t judge me by my looks. I’m a lot better than you think I am.” She answered defensively.
Jurina just smirked and rolled her eyes. She retracted her gaze to the Yamato Nadeshiko she always loved.
“Why do I see you sneaking here almost every weekdays?” asked the woman.
Jurina hid her eyes under her bangs. She had been sneaking around this school before attending her morning classes in the university. She would hide under the bushes and watch for the same person to open the window of the faculty room. It was all truth and it was proven by the blush creeping on her cheeks.
“Need my help?”
Jurina threw doubtful eyes to the other girl. “Why would I trust you?”
“Is that even a question?” the woman proudly crossed her arms, earning a raised eyebrow from Jurina. “I’m your best shot!” she drew her fringes back coolly. The younger girl retracted her gaze again to the woman at the window, completely ignoring the stranger. This time, she watched her a little expectantly.
All Jurina wanted right now is to sneak her hands around her waist and feel her warmth. But she couldn’t. Not yet. She was tied down under her own promise. And she wouldn’t dare to break it. Two more years. It wasn’t that far away, she convinced herself.
The smaller yet older woman felt dejected. She then pulled Jurina roughly by the shoulders. “Why don’t you just let her know you’re here?” She expected Jurina to throw her a questioning look but she received nothing in response. “There are hundreds of people in this school—students, teachers; males and females. I’m sure a big fraction of them keep their eyes stuck on her.”
Jurina suddenly felt her nervousness stirred. “A-Are you one of them?” she asked her, almost warningly.
“I wouldn’t help you if I was,” the woman chuckled while surrendering her hands up in the air.
“Then why would you help me?” Jurina asked.
“As long as you don’t hit on my Rapunzel up there, then we’re good,” she pointed at the topmost room of the school building. From below, Jurina could see a woman on her late twenties. Her hair was carefully fixed. She was peering on the window and Jurina could tell that she had been watching over their conversation the whole time.
Jurina swallowed hard when she realized that she was the principal of the school. The stranger beside her wrapped an arm around Jurina’s broad shoulders and made a peace sign towards the principal. Jurina saw how the composed principal unexpectedly wavered at the childish gesture and walked away from the window.
“What was that?"
“So…what do you say?” the stranger asked.
Jurina stared at her for a brief moment. “Matsui Jurina,” she extended her hand. The stranger gave her a questioning look. “You’ll know you’re trusted when I say my name to a stranger. I’m Matsui Jurina.”
“You made the right choice,” she grinned. “Call me Takamina,” she finished and shook Jurina’s hand.
“You just got yourself a deal, Takamina-san.”
Takamina reached for her vibrating phone and read a message. Her lips curved up and glanced back at the topmost room. Jurina heard her giggle like a child.
Not long after, her smile was immediately replaced by a dark expression after she received a call from someone who was rushing her to ‘return to the headquarters.’ Oblivious to the conversation, Jurina took a final glance at her beautiful woman on the window.
“See you around, kid.” Said Takamina as she patted Jurina on her back and sneaked away.
Jurina finally saw that Rena left the window. It was probably time for her to go to school now, too. She got up from the bushes and sneakily ran towards the gate. However, fate must have been playing with her as she bumped with someone again. She was certain that she would fall but a strong hand yanked her arm, preventing the fall.
She opened her previously tight eyes and was surprised that her savior was another woman. She was cladded in a police officer’s uniform.
“Careful now. A beautiful girl wouldn’t want to break her arm.” Sae smiled at her.
Jurina stared at Sae. “Thanks.” She got up and regained her composure. Realizing that she had been staring for too long, she bowed her head, trying to hide her embarrassment. “I’ll go ahead.” She started running past the gate. As she recalled her encounter with the police officer, she squealed inside her head. “That was embarrassing…”
Sae remained on her spot, trailing her eyes to the running girl suspiciously.
~
Rena who was previously enjoying the morning breeze had resumed her paperwork. The breeze had successfully helped her ease her aching temples. The faculty room was now full but it still felt lonely for her. Suddenly, a familiar voice lifted her spirits.
“Good morning Rena!”
Rena looked up at the source of the exuding royalty aura and flashed her smile of relief. “Oh, good morning, Yukirin.”
Yuki smiled back as she walked towards Rena. “You seem busy this early in the morning.”
“Yes. I’m sorting out student profiles.” Rena gestured to the papers.
Yuki hinted her tiredness and rolled her eyes. “There goes your hardworking side again.” She hated to see Rena tired or in pain. They had been comrades since they started working together as a teacher in this junior high school. And Rena never failed to get sick every month for overexerting her body. Yuki left her things on her table and scanned the inside of her bag. “You better have breakfast first. We have a long day ahead.” She pulled the sandwich from her bag and offered to Rena. “Here.”
“T-thanks…” Rena took the sandwich and stared at it in her hands. She loved how Yuki cares for her. And she hated herself for being so stubborn. She probably can’t eat the sandwich because: one, she is that busy that she doesn’t even have time for a bite; two, she doubts if the sandwich is even edible. Last time Rena ate her sandwich, she filed a leave for two days for an upset stomach. But she knew that she must accept it because she’s afraid that she might hurt her friend’s feelings.
“If you’re worried about getting food-poisoned, don’t be. I didn’t prepare that, myself. I bought it from the convenience store,” Yuki assured her with a smile. Rena looked at her and their gazes lingered. As if having a secret conversation, they laughed at the shared thought in their minds. Yuki was always good in reading her.
Suddenly, Rena had the urge to ask something that had been bugging her since Yuki moved in with Sae last week. “By the way,” she started, “how is it…living with Sae-chan?”
Yuki’s smile slowly faded, “…everything’s fine.” Her gaze fixed to nowhere in particular, as if recounting scenes from her memory. This went on until Rena cleared her throat—Yuki snapped back to reality. “Why do you ask?”
Rena smiled weakly and gently shook her head. “Living in the same apartment without you feels lonely.”
“Oh, Rena…” Yuki mumbled under her breath. They shared in an apartment before she moved in together with Sae. And it was a sad afternoon when she had to say goodbye to her friend.
Rena smiled at her nonetheless. “You can still visit anytime you want, OK?”
“Thank you, Rena-sama!”
“Stop calling me that! It’s embarrassing, you know.” Rena laughed.
Yuki started laughing too but Rena could tell that it’s not her same energetic laugh as before. As much as Rena wanted to help, she decided to wait until Yuki freely discuss this with her. When they were housemates, Rena was Yuki’s confidant. And she missed those nights when only she can hear Yuki’s innermost feelings and secrets.
“Ah, excuse me, Kashiwagi-sensei, Miyazawa-san came to see you, again.” An old co-teacher called out to them. Sae had been frequently visiting the school but she never told Yuki why. The two teachers turned around and identified Sae behind the teacher.
“Sae-chan?” asked Yuki.
“You’re really good friends, huh?” asked the old teacher as Sae waved at Yuki and Rena.
Yuki and Rena looked at each other nervously. ‘Good friends’—that’s what Yuki call Sae at their workplace even if they’re a couple. Sae understands, but she feels uneasy with that label. The last time she heard Yuki called her that, she ended up breaking a window—she is not that good at handling her temper.
“Yes we are,” Yuki nervously answered.
“Excuse us, sensei,” said Sae as she dragged Yuki outside the faculty room.
Right after the door shut behind them, Yuki turned to Sae and asked her. “Sae, what are you doing here?”
“I just want to inform you that I’ll be coming home late.”
“You could’ve just phoned me or something,” Yuki suggested.
“It’s fine. I also wanted to see you.”
“Seriously? We meet each other everyday. We’re living under the same roof, remember?” Sometimes, she hates Sae for being possessive, but there are rare times that she finds her over-possessiveness cute—today, for example.
“I can’t help it.” Sae pouted childishly. “You’re just so cute that I want to stay with you all day.” Sae pushed Yuki roughly against the wall and kissed her cheeks, gliding all the way to her sensitive earlobe.
Yuki gasped at the contact and pushed Sae away from her. “Stop it. I’m at work.”
Sae was kept silent at Yuki’s resistance. Her gaze was intently locked with Yuki’s, as if demanding an explanation. This wasn’t actually the first time that it happened. But when she heard Yuki repeat her words, she stepped back.
“Alright, alright. I get it. I’m leaving.”
Yuki smiled in relief and walked to the door but right before she could open it, a hand stopped her.
“Call me when you’re home, okay?” It was Sae. Her tone was a little softer and endearing.
Yuki smiled and nodded. “I will.”
~
“Are you kidding me? What do you mean no liquors?”
“Because this is a café and not a bar, you squirrel.”
“Café?! Why would a drunkard like you manage a café?!”
“Lower your voice or you won’t get any drinks from me at all.”
“Mariko-sama…” Yuko immediately knelt down and bowed as if praising Mariko. “Please feed me!”
“Okay, okay,” Mariko sighed. They’re about the same age but Yuko can be acting like an elementary student sometimes.
“By the way, Yuko, why did you suddenly come back?”
Yuko got up and joined Mariko on the counter. “What’s with the question? You sound like you’re not happy to see me at all,” she said. Though it was hidden under her usual toothy grin, Mariko sensed loneliness in Yuko’s tone.
“It’s been five years since you left everyone clueless about your whereabouts,” said Mariko as she set a cup of latte in front of Yuko.
“You know my job,” Yuko answered quietly. “I’ve been chasing a faint shadow under the dark night.” Her tone was more solemn, more careful, and more serene—it was unusual for her to speak in that manner. She stared at her drink and noticed the latte art. It was a rabbit. She always loved rabbits. But she stirred her drink anyway. She always believed that Mariko was an artist.
“A shadow hunter,” Mariko repeated. “That’s stupid.”
“Stupid?” Yuko laughed. “If you call ‘leaving everything you have for chasing after something that doesn’t have guarantee on achieving’ stupid, then I really am stupid.” She gulped down her drink and propped her head on the table. She caught a glimpse of Mariko’s frown. She can speak thousands of words but Mariko wouldn’t understand her. Or maybe she never really planned on answering her questions.
Her eyes wandered around the cafe. It wasn’t large but not that small either. It was perfectly tranquil. She couldn’t believe that Mariko owns this. Suddenly, she felt like she was being left out.
“By the way, how’s Takamina doing?” asked Yuko.
“Hm, she’s been pretty discreet lately,” said Mariko.
Yuko expected this but she just wanted to lean away from their previous topic.
“I bet she’s getting stronger and stronger,” said Yuko.
Takamina. She always mentions Takamina. After all, they were frenemies. They were known as rivals in various fields—in sports, in academics, in work. Everything was a competition. But they were also best friends. They were always together and did things as partners. But Mariko knows the tale so well when they fought—for love.
Recounting that mark when their friendship was creased, Mariko pulled out a joke. She can’t afford to ruin her reunion with her best friend. “I’ll bet on that if you say she’s not getting any taller.”
Both girls laughed. It was all in the past after all. And they are not ones to dwell on it.
“By the way, I’ve got a surprise for you.” said Mariko.
Yuko stopped laughing and her face showed confusion. Suddenly, she snapped back in realization as a familiar high-pitched voice called from the kitchen.
“Mariko. The coffee grinder is…Eh?”
“Nyan…Nyan…?” asked Yuko in disbelief. Air was filling her slightly parted lips as her mind was trying to process what was blinding her eyes.
Haruna stepped closer to identify the toothy-grinned girl in front of her. “…Yuko?”
Yuko’s eyes widened. She stood up and hugged Haruna. “Nyan Nyan…Wow! I didn’t expect to see you here!”
“You’re back…” Haruna dumbly stated as she let her mind absorb the hyper energetic girl’s presence.
“I missed you a lot…chu.” Yuko puckered her lips and aimed at Haruna’s.
However, Haruna’s reflexes worked on its own and used her hand to cover Yuko’s lips. “Not so fast, you squirrel!” She smacked her head.
“Ouch! What was that for? Didn’t you miss me?” asked Yuko while rubbing the aching side of her head.
“Don’t cling on me like that. You haven’t showed up for five years, and now…” mumbled Haruna.
Rather than displeasure, Yuko saw sadness in Haruna’s eyes. Yuko hated to see that. Not after their five long years of separation.
“You mean, you were waiting for me all this time?”
“Of-of course not! Who do you think you are? You’re getting too high on yourself!” yelled Haruna, a little defensively.
Yuko chuckled. “Now, now. I know you do. You love me, after all, right?”
“Geez, you kids.” Mariko sighed again. She wasn’t really irritated. She witnessed them act like this for a couple of times before and got used to this. In fact, she’s utterly happy about the meeting of the two. But as she witnessed the two’s sweet exchanges, a hidden guilt resurfaces her.
“What’s this noise?”
Mariko looked up at the girl who entered her café. “Oh, Juritan! You’re alive!” She met her halfway and examined Jurina’s body. “How did you survive last night?”
“Mariko-sama, wait. I’m fine, I’m fine. Geez,” she resisted and pushed Mariko’s roaming hands off her. “And to top it all, I found a new home already.”
“What? Are you already living with Rena-chan?” Mariko knew Rena. Jurina mentioned Rena a lot before – over a bottle of beer, when she was sleep talking, and mostly when she’s wide awake.
“No, I’m with the girl who ate here from yesterday.”
“Eh?! You’re a two-timer?!” Yuko butted in their conversation. “Ouch!” Haruna had smacked her head again. “Nyan Nyan, why did you hit me?”
“Huh?” asked Jurina. “And who are you?”
“Oh, I forgot. Jurina, this is Yuko—she’s a friend from high school.”
“What do you mean ‘friend’? We’re best friends!” Yuko rested her elbow on Mariko’s shoulder. “I’m Yuko. Hi!”
“Hello, Yuko-san. My name is Jurina.”
“Pleased to meet you, Jurina!” Yuko grinned. “Ah, come here, come here,” she dragged Jurina to a corner and snaked her arm around her neck. “You see, your Mariko-sama back then was—“
“Oi, oi. Don’t listen to her!” Mariko called out. Knowing Yuko, she might be telling her lots of made-up stories.
“Yuko. Stop causing trouble, you shameless squirrel.” Haruna grabbed Yuko by the ears.
“Hey! That hurts! And why do you keep on calling me a squirrel? I’m a human! A human! Geez.”
Mariko sighed at the two. “By the way, Jurina. What brought you here?”
“Oh. Well I’m going to transfer my things this afternoon, so I was wondering, maybe you can give me a lift?” Jurina’s eyes beamed expectantly.
“Not a chance. Mariko’s heart is like a stone.” Yuko whispered to herself.
“Sure, I’ll help you out.” Mariko said.
“Eh?!” Yuko’s eyes grew wide. “No way…”
Mariko turned to Haruna who was petting Yuko. “You’re coming too, right? Kojiharu?”
“Yes. I want to help too.”
“Great! I’ll text you the details. I’ll go to school first, then. Bye.” Jurina waved and walked towards the door. She paused for a while and turned back. “Mariko-sama, you’re the best!” she shouted and exited while running.
Mariko waved back and sighed. “That kid. I’m glad she’s okay.”
“You’re kidding, right? Since when did the righteous Mariko become soft?” asked Yuko with an amazed expression.
“I was surprised too. Everyday, since I started working here, she talks a lot about Jurina. And her mood changes quickly whenever she’s around. They really have a deep relationship.” Haruna answered.
“What are you two whispering about?”
“Nothing!”
Yuko grabbed Haruna by the waist and grinned. “Say, Nyan Nyan, where were we?”
Right before Yuko pull Haruna closer, Mariko separated them apart. “Stop right there,” she pushed Yuko’s face away. “Kojiharu still needs to work.”
Haruna’s face showed disappointment as Mariko instructed her to go inside.
“Aw, too bad.” Yuko said as she stretched her arms. “Well then, I’ve got business to handle too.” She grabbed her bag with a hand and slung it to her shoulder. The other hand searched for her hat and placed it on top of her head.
Mariko watched her walk away. “Hey, Yuko.” Mariko stopped her. “Say hi to Takamina for me.”
“Heh?” Yuko turned around. Her eyes were asking ‘how did Mariko know I will meet with Takamina?’ She didn’t mention it to her. Maybe Mariko just saw right through her.
“Aren’t we best friends?” said Mariko as she returned to the counter.
Yuko was left grounded on her spot. Best friends. Was she even worthy of that? “Well then, see you around.” Yuko waved and walked away.
~
Mayu sighed. Her time was again wasted on another boring lecture. She sat right on the Wi-Fi hotspot of the university lounge. Using her MacBook Pro, she cleared something that had been distracting her during her classes—her encounter with Sae and Yuki yesterday, that is. She entered Sae’s name on the search engine, expecting to see her profile.
Miyazawa Sae…24 years old…Assistant Police Inspector…Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force…
In a relationship.
Mayu almost choked when she read that line. Why would she reveal that she is in a relationship while she’s working in the government? Didn’t she realize that she would lose her position when the people found out that she is in a relationship with another girl? Moreover, it will affect her girlfriend—Yuki—and Mayu wouldn’t be too pleased when that happens.
Recognized as the most outstanding police entity of the year.
“Because I was entrusted with this power, I’m going to surrender my vain life to uphold my responsibility.”
“What a noble person. You never change, senpai,” Mayu commented as she scrolled down.
Suddenly, Mayu’s thoughts wondered back to a specific time frame.
“Why did you help me out, senpai?” a high schooler Mayu shyly asked. She was pressing an ice pack against Sae’s bruised eye.
“Is that even a question? Because you’re my kouhai—that’s why.” Despite the pain she was feeling, Sae was still smiling.
A helpless basketball loser who joined the basketball club—that’s what Mayu was in her school. Mayu bowed her head down to look away from the smile. “If something happens to you, I can never forgive myself.”
Sae frowned and caught her wrist. “Don’t say that.” As an optimistic leader, Sae had a disdain on pessimistic attitude.
Suddenly, the door cracked open, revealing Yuki who was carrying bandages and gauzes.
The two girls glanced at her with their own surprised expressions. Yuki’s face was well-collected but her wide eyes reflected her own surprise. “I’m back! Mayuyu, thank you for watching over Sae-chan while I was gone.”
“Don’t mention it, Yuki-senpai. I’m the one responsible anyway.”
“You should stop blaming yourself,” said Sae as she rolled over the infirmary bed to face the other side.
“She’s right, Mayuyu. It’s not healthy to blame yourself. And besides, our basketball club’s ace is not someone who gets beaten up so easily,” Yuki said, reassuringly.
“Senpai…I’m sorry for always relying on you.”
Yuki patted Mayu’s head. “You should rest now, too, Mayuyu. I’ll take over from here.”
Mayu pouted. “Is it okay? I can help you.”
“Leave it to me. I’m the club’s manager, anyway,” smiled Yuki. She made a peace sign and sat on the clubroom’s bunk bed to tend Sae’s wounds. “Sae-chan, you just love getting into fights, don’t you?”
ooo
Sae rested her hand on Mayu’s shoulder as she spoke. “Say, Mayu. I have something to tell you.”
Mayu lifted her face from the book and faced Sae. “What is it, Sae-chan?”
“Actually, I have someone that I like.”
Mayu’s skipped a heartbeat after hearing this and became very tensed. As much as she wanted to hear Sae’s secret, she was nervous as hell to learn who was that someone that her beloved senpai likes. “…You do?”
“Yeah.” Sae said as she looked around them. Mayu suddenly became aware of their proximity and found that the library they were in was half-empty. When she found no one near the bookshelves, Sae hovered her head closer to Mayu and spoke silently. “Can I trust you about it?” It was almost a whisper, as if their whole conversation was forbidden.
Before Mayu could fully recall the next scene, she slammed her laptop shut. She massaged her own temples and took a sip from her latte.
“Forget about it, Mayu…”
~
“Milky?”
“You seem surprised. I called you to say that I’m coming over, right?"
“Oh, yes.” Yui scratched the back of her head as she uncomfortably rolled her eyes to the corner. “You did call me, but…”
Miyuki looked at Yui with slight confusion. But she shrugged and called the attention of the other girl back. “By the way, did you notice the girl outside? She looks a mess. I wonder what happened to her.” She continued as she gestured her thumb towards the door.
“Oh. She’s Shimazaki-san from the neighbourhood. She barely goes out, really.”
“Oh.” Miyuki nodded in realization. She noticed that Yui has been awkwardly avoiding her eyes. Finally, her gaze found large bags and guitar on the corner. Her eyes narrowed at the familiar guitar case, trying to identify from the register of her mind.
“Yuihan, I know you play drums, but I didn’t know you play guitar too,” said Miyuki.
“Actually—”
“Yuihan, do we have breakfast?” a voice from the other side of the hallway called the two girls’ attention.
Miyuki’s eyes widened as a familiar girl with short raven hair appeared. “…No way.”
“Milky?” the other girl faced her with wide eyes of her own.
“Saya—” Miyuki ran past Yui and smashed her body against Sayanee, squeezing her tight.
Yui sneakily walked inside the flat, leaving the two girls alone. “Breakfast is served,” she mumbled.
“Sayanee, you idiot!” Miyuki shouted. Her embrace got tighter with every second. “What took you so long?!” Her voice cracked, hinting that she might cry.
“Milky…” Sayanee said. She mentally hit herself for muttering such dumb response. But her mind was totally clouded with anxiety at the moment. Finally, she decided to speak out one of her reasons for coming to Tokyo. “Well, I figured, maybe NUMB can rock Tokyo, too.”
Miyuki started to sob. Sayanee rubbed her back, calming the other girl. “Hey, stop crying.” This didn’t help at all, instead, it only made Miyuki to release more tears. Her sleeves were now damp but she did nothing to break away from their embrace. It had been years since they last saw each other, and her body had been craving for Miyuki’s heat.
Finally, Miyuki broke the embrace. “I’m just so happy to see you again.” She said as she wiped off her own tears. “How long have you been here?”
“Since last night.”
Miyuki dropped her smile. “Why did you come to Yui’s place before meeting me?”
“You see, I lost your phone number. We didn’t have contact other than that.”
“Sayanee, you don’t just lose someone’s number unless you delete it on purpose.” Miyuki pouted.
“Well, I was expecting a call from you…” Sayanee said.
Miyuki was taken aback. She never really called Sayanee since she moved to Tokyo because she was waiting for her to call her first. Regrets started filling her throat. She wanted to reason out but she can’t.
“But you never did, so I thought, maybe you already forgot about us—me,” Sayanee sneaked a glance at Miyuki and was surprised when she saw a blush on the girl’s cheeks.
Miyuki tried to fight the guilt building up inside her. She had a lot to ask but the atmosphere had been too awkward for both of them to speak more. “…So, where do you plan on staying?”
Sayanee pursed her lips. “I guess I’ll rent my own flat, or maybe I’ll stay here with Yu—“
“Not a chance. I don’t want to live with a drunkard like you.” Yui cut her as she joined the two girls. “Go to Milky’s place instead,” she suggested to Sayanee and winked.
“But Yuihan…!” Sayanee pleaded as she tugged Yui’s shirt.
“That’s right!” Miyuki butted in, pushing Sayanee away from Yui. “We still have two rooms available at the share house. What do you say?” Miyuki’s eyes twinkled in expectation.
Maybe it’s not too late to redeem her mistakes.
~
“Chief Takahashi,” called the two elite police officers of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force.
“Captain Akimoto, Lieutenant Miyazawa,” Takahashi Minami turned her chair around from the tall window of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Station.
“So I assume you already heard about the recent crime,” she asked as she raised the newspaper from her hand.
“Yes. About the murder of the drug lord Onizuka,” answered Sayaka.
“Correct,” Takamina dryly said. “But look at this.” She picked up papers from her table and threw them at the two.
Sae shuffled the papers on her hands. “This is?”
“For the past five years, we’ve been investigating about the sudden assassination of the most influential people in Tokyo,” answered Takamina as she pulled her large chair. “We thought these were just coincidence but take a closer look at their profile.”
The two officers scanned them once more.
“We found out that only one person is responsible for those crimes,” said Takamina as she played with a pencil on her desk.
“…Keita?” Sae read the profile on her hands.
“I have a mission for the two of you.” Minami called their attention. “Our sources said that he will attack tonight.” She gripped the opposite ends of the pencil and forced to break it in half. “Bring him to me, alive.”
“Sae.” Sayaka whispered with a concern in her tone.
“I’ll take it,” Sae answered firmly. “I’ll make sure to end this.” Her hands were balled up into fists and Sayaka could see them tremble.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll take this mission too,” said Sayaka.
“I expect nothing less from you,” Takamina grinned. She got up from her chair and looked from the window. “By the way, I have someone to help you.”
“An aide?”
The three were interrupted by the knock on the door. “Come on in,” Takamina ordered.
“Chief Takahashi. She’s here.” Minegishi Minami said.
Suddenly, a loud crash on the door was heard and Yuko roughly entered the office, much to the surprise of the young officers. “Tadaima, Takamina!” Yuko motioned her fingers in circles and flashed a toothy grin. “Oha! Oha!”
Sae and Sayaka looked at each other questioningly.
“Who’s this?”
Yuko wrapped Sae’s finger with her hand and snapped it. “Don’t point your finger.” Yuko groaned and threw Sae’s finger. Her eyes were fierce but you wouldn’t really know what’s on her mind as she was also smiling.
“Takamina, you’ve passed on your rudeness to your officers.”
“Shut up.” Takamina scoffed. “This squirrel will lead this mission.”
“Seriously? Why her?” Sae answered. “She doesn’t look much of a help.”
“Chief, I humbly refuse. I think our officers are capable enough for this mission,” Sayaka suggested.
“Wrong.” Takamina answered. “In your case, it’s the other way around.”
The two officers looked at each other with anxiety.
“That’s right. Listen to your Chief. Because I’m…” Yuko snaked her arms around Sae and Sayaka’s necks, “the mighty, cool, and super awesome, Oshima Yuko!”
“…No way.”
~
“Milky…”
“Mayuyu…please?”
Miyuki and Mayu are silently negotiating inside the house. Sayanee was left standing outside but she can still hear the two’s faint argument through the open door. She sighed when she heard Miyuki scream her plea. She said that she can just stay somewhere else but Miyuki insisted to take her home. Miyuki was always like that; keeping her as close as possible. She leaned on the door and took a peek inside.
“I’ll give you a chu if you want,” Miyuki pleaded as she leaned her head closer to Mayu’s. Sayanee gasped at the sight and rushed inside the house, pulling Miyuki away from Mayu.
“What are you doing?” Sayanee whispered.
“I’m trying to help you.”
“You’re not helping; you’re just making me angry.” Sayanee hissed.
Mayu watched them fight. Miyuki was desperately pleading while Sayanee was furiously scolding her out of jealousy. She cleared her throat, catching the attention of the arguing girls.
Sayanee pushed Miyuki’s head down, forcing her to bow.
“Please let me stay! I cannot cook but you can entrust me to clean the garden. You can even ask me to clean the roof!”
“Seriously?”
Mayu sighed. She is the type of person who values her privacy. That’s why it worries her to accept Sayanee in their house. She scanned her from head to toe. And by her rockstar looks, Mayu can clearly see in her head a preview of what had to come when she allowed the girl live with them—wild parties and vodka. But Miyuki is her friend and she doesn’t want to upset her.
“All right, all right. You can stay here.”
“Hurray!” Miyuki embraced Sayanee.
~
“Juritan. I can see you’re really excited about moving out but I think you have to think this over.” Mariko said. “Don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want you to regret your choice.”
“Don’t worry, Mariko-sama. I won’t have regrets.”
“What are you thinking of, Mariko-sama?” Jurina broke Mariko from her trance.
“Doesn’t this remind you of the same scenario last year?” Mariko answered as she drives her van.
Jurina smiled. “When you were convincing me to stay with Akimoto-sensei? I remember that.”
“No, I wasn’t! I was just reminding you about hasty decisions,” Mariko defended herself.
“I love you too, Mariko-sama.”
“Shut up.”
Haruna was sitting alone at the back seat. She had been listening to their conversation. Though it was faint, she was sure of the sincerity of their talk.
“Someone told me that those who don’t live by their decisions are trash.” Jurina said. “You don’t have to worry about me, Mariko-sama. I’ll never abandon my decisions.”
Mariko smiled. “I know you won’t.”
“We’re here.”
ooo
“Mayu, I came back.”
Mayu smiled. “Welcome back.”
“By the way, I brought my friends.”
“I’m Shinoda Mariko.”
“My name is Kojima Haruna.”
“Oh. Aren’t you from the café,” Mayu pointed as she identified them.
“Yeah. That was a crazy first meeting. Sorry for the trouble caused by our Jurina,” answered Mariko as she and Haruna bowed.
“No, not at all. She was of great help to me.” Mayu chuckled and glanced at Jurina. She recalled last night’s incident and she was sure that Jurina was doing the same.
“Seriously? This kid?” asked Mariko as she messed Jurina’s hair.
“Hey, cut it out. I’m 20 now, you know.”
“By the way, we have an additional housemate.”
“Really? That’s great. The more, the merrier, right?”
Mayu shrugged. “I doubt it.”
“Huh?”
“This one seems trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jurina! You’re back!” Miyuki welcomed Jurina with a wine bottle on her hands. “Come join the party! We’ve been waiting for you.” She pushed Jurina and the others inside the living room and onto the couch.
“By the way, this is Sayanee. She’ll live with us from now on.” She gestured at Sayanee who was talking with Yui at the corner.
“Kakkoii…” was Jurina’s initial reaction when Sayaka briefly turned her head.
She whispered to Mayu. “Mayuyu, don’t you think she’s a little flashy to be with us?”
Mayu snickered. “She’s more than flashy, I think.”
Miyuki brought out more liquors, earning cheers of the crowd. Mayu was never a fan of alcoholic beverages so she sneaked away to an empty space at the corner. Miyuki noticed this and joined her.
“Say Mayuyu. It’s been a while since this house was filled with laughter, huh?” Miyuki said.
Mayu swept her eyes around the house. Usually at this hour, she should have been sleeping along with her bitterness. Now, the house was full of laughter and satisfied remarks. It had really been a while since she witnessed the house in its full colors—that was when she still had Yuki. She suddenly regretted those nights she dwelt in solitude. Her eyes landed on Jurina, Sayanee, and Miyuki. If these new people are the ones who will bring her old self back, she wouldn’t be afraid to begin again.
“Yeah,” she replied.
Miyuki patted her back. “It’s gonna be okay,” she said and joined the crowd. Mariko had just brought out a cake from her store, to the cheers of the crowd.
“I hope so,” Mayu breathed to herself.
Jurina scattered her stare around the living room—trying to spot Mayu somewhere. Finally, her eyes landed on Mayu who was now leaning against the wall at the corner. She joined her and cleared her throat to which Mayu snapped from spacing out.
“Hey, what’s with this heavy atmosphere? Brighten up, Mayuyu.”
Mayu looked up and met Jurina’s warm smile. “It’s not that bad to forget once in a while,” said Jurina as she offered her a drink. Mayu stared at the glass but accepted it and smiled at her.
Mayu felt warm inside and she knew why. Whether or not she will embrace this—that’s probably the question.
“All right, people! Gather up! Gather up!” said Miyuki. Mayu and Jurina joined the others and noticed the dining table where Miyuki, Sayanee, and Yui were standing on. They didn’t really notice how it got there, or when they got their musical instruments, or where Miyuki got her microphone—they don’t know. What they knew was that Miyuki looked really drunk.
“Listen up. I’m really happy that you are all here. Thank you for coming!” she said as she kept on bowing and waving. She stood up and glanced at the audience. “Four as an audience? That wouldn’t be too bad, right Sayanee? Yuihan?”
Mayu, Jurina, Mariko, and Haruna looked at each other in confusion.
“We are NUMB! And welcome to our first live show in Tokyo!”
The audience stood up from the couch while cheering. Yui began with her drums and Sayanee accompanied her with her guitar. “We’ll make this night you’ll never forget!”
Miyuki, I can still vividly remember what happened that night. With a dining table for your stage, you sang a song that was alien to my ears. Right after the song was finished, people from the neighborhood came to complain. I must admit, all this time, I’ve been yearning for this kind of fun.
==================================
Louise-sama | Home | Chapter III | つづく
==================================
After writing this chapter, I realized how awful my writing style is. Ugh. I have too much to learn. I'm not even sure if anyone would like this. I'm having doubts. Nevertheless, I'd like to know what you think. Burn me with your gut reactions, people! Thank you! (http://www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/875328cc.gif)
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OH BELATED! :on BDay:
(http://i.imgur.com/ooDmQqz.jpg)
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Aww..
Friggin' love this, TD-sama!
Thank you for using my Kami oshi! :heart:
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You're back!! :cow:
And Happy Belated Birthday :on BDay:
what a long chapter! Jurina finally moved in and more characters introduced now, that was great!
i wonder what's the deal with Mayu, Yuki, Sae :dunno:
the scene at the end reminds me of NANA when Nobu came to their flat for the first time, ah, I miss reading NANA so much :cry:
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Ohh.. JurinaMayu Miyuki and Sayanne live together now
I wonder about Mayuki relationship
And Wmatsui promise
Please update soon
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jurimayu! saeyuki! and I hope there is triangle between sayanee,yui and miyuki~ nyahahaha XD
please update! thanks for the fanfics :bow: I was read this on your wordpress.. and now I reread again :cow: one cake of saeyuki please~ *eh uwuwuwuwu XD
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the scene at the end reminds me of NANA when Nobu came to their flat for the first time, ah, I miss reading NANA so much :cry:
Yes, I got that scene from Nana. I love it so much, and I really see Sayanee here as Nana. Haha.
We all wonder abt Mayu x Yuki x Sae. Let's wait for it.
And Wmatsui promise
Reading the prologue again will help us realize the promise they made. But there's also something behind it. :)
jurimayu! saeyuki! and I hope there is triangle between sayanee,yui and miyuki~ nyahahaha XD
please update! thanks for the fanfics :bow: I was read this on your wordpress.. and now I reread again :cow: one cake of saeyuki please~ *eh uwuwuwuwu XD
Thanks for reading! I'll see what I can do with your requests. But I'm warning you that you're sailing on the minority. Lol. There's nothing wrong with that, actually.
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So I was right thinking you got inspiration from Nana. XD
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Yeah~
That uber complicated and frustrating NANA. Ah~ I'm missing it.
And hey, Sherin, I finally got you to comment outside tumblr!
Ah~ This is such an achievement for me.
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HO HO HO MAYUKI MAYUKI MAYUKI!
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Ohyeah~ Comment time~! Finally~!
Uwaaaa~ Mayu still misses Yuki.. :cry:
Oooh~ Sayanee will start living with JuriMayuMilky.. Hahaha.. This is goin' to be fun~! :twothumbs
AAHHH~! I can't wait.. :banghead:
Hope you update soon.. Thanks for your hardwork.. :bow:
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Sayane jurina mayu milky
Thats gonna be great party group
I sense some drama
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Yeah~
That uber complicated and frustrating NANA. Ah~ I'm missing it.
And hey, Sherin, I finally got you to comment outside tumblr!
Ah~ This is such an achievement for me.
Hey! I do comment here! ....sometimes. :sweatdrop:
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Oh wow! I loved your fic so far. I really like how you write and the story. I'm still trying to figure our which pairings will appear here! *laughs*
Please continue!
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NEXT? WHEN?
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Sugoi!!!!
I can't wait for the nex chapter.... plis updated soon!!!!!
Who knows what happen in this!!!! :panic: :panic: :panic:
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Continue
continue
continur
im mayuki shipper and is so sad that mayu and yuki ...well you know
anyway this is so interesting please continue...
soooooooonnnnn!!!
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Warning: Curses ahead.
Happy reading!
Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 4
“Your hands are trembling," Sayaka pointed at Sae's hands which are holding a gun, “Scared?”
“I never get scared," Sae answered calmly. "I'm just feeling ecstatic is all. It's been a while since we've handled an interesting mission, you know." It was her usual reply.
"I beg to differ," Sayaka chuckled as she pulled out a knife from its sheath. She knew Sae so well. And to see her shaky hands as now, Sayaka could tell how terrified Sae is. "This Keita might be the one you've been looking for," she paused while examining the blade of her knife, "what are you gonna do, huh?"
Sae paused and stroked the mouth of the gun. "Whether it's my own hands or other's bullet gets him, he must be stopped."
The two's eyes met, both sizzling in anticipation for the upcoming encounter. The two officers of Tokyo Metropolitan Police smirked and bumped their fists as if reading each other's minds. That’s what you get from partners working together for three solid years.
Sayaka casually placed her knife in her pocket and tied her hair in a sleek ponytail. "Cover my back, will you?"
Sae smirked and clutched her gun. "Aye, Captain!"
"Shit."
Sae was known to have the strongest sense of promise among the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. But that was until an hour ago. She was separated from the pursuit squad when she chased after the serial killer Keita alone inside the estate owned by his exclusive prey for the night, deliberately disobeying Yuko's strict command to stick with the group. She could recall the way Keita raked his hair with his hand. She was taunted. And she fell for it.
It was dark in the storage room she is currently in. The surrounding area is hauntingly quiet—too quiet that she could hear drops from the distant leaking pipes, and the blood from her own wound splattering against the ground. Making unnecessary movements could bring her fatality, knowing that she is alone with a professional serial killer who had been under the close watch of the Japanese Police. It aches but she knew it was not the time to complain.
Her eyes suddenly landed on the lifeless body lying two meters beside her. It was the head cook of the estate who was shot in the head twenty minutes earlier. Sae cursed under her breath. Her clumsiness took the poor cook’s life away. The security measures of the estate had been utterly destroyed. Even the maids and gardeners were slain. The only room untouched by the killer was the main bedroom where the target and his wife sleep.
Sae slowly crept away from the storage room and went past to the kitchen. She landed the floor badly as she was tripped by something on the floor. Bending slightly, she looked down and was welcomed with an unpleasant stench of dried blood when she saw another corpse lying on the ground with a knife stabbed on its chest.
"Happy Halloween to you too," she muttered dryly under her breath.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps getting louder and louder, indicating someone's approaching. She ducked down and used the kitchen counter for cover. She clutched her gun tightly, waiting for the person to draw nearer… nearer... patiently waiting for her prey to reach a favorable distance.
Just when the sound came to a halt, she quickly pulled the trigger of her gun—"Fuck," she hissed when she missed—the gun was kicked from her hand. Fortunately for her, the target was someone she knew so well.
"What were you thinking, Sae?!" hissed a tall woman with her long, black hair held up in a ponytail.
"...Sayaka," Sae identified the person who was now grabbing her collar. "You scared the hell out of me!"
"And what—you think you didn't scare me when you rushed inside here alone?"
Sae forced herself out of Sayaka's grip and stepped a foot back. "I couldn't wait for that Oshima's damn orders! That officer doesn't even know what she's doing. This estate is near-dead! See? Just look at the corpse behind you. They talk about her like she’s a god but I can prove it all wrong. That girl's a coward, Sayaka!"
"You're not being professional here. Now don't be so stubborn and let's get back to rest of the squad!" Sayaka gritted her teeth as she yanked Sae's arm.
"No! I won't leave until I avenge my father!"
"Don't act rashly!" Sayaka growled back. "We don't know how strong Keita is but Oshima does."
"You're just saying that because you weren't the one who got her father killed!"
BANG!
The gunshot stopped their bickering. The two officers pulled away immediately. They crouched and leaned against the marble counter for cover.
"He found us," Sayaka whispered, making Sae roll her eyes. Of course. With their heated argument moments ago, even a near-deaf grandpa could have notice them.
"Oshima to Akimoto. Akimoto. Do you hear me?" a voice from Sayaka's radio roared. Sayaka picked it up and brought near her lips.
"Go ahead. This is Akimoto," she said.
"Have you found Miyazawa yet?"
Sayaka glanced at Sae and found her partner crunching her eyebrows when she heard the voice from the other line. "Yes, she's with me."
"Good. Hold your position. I'm coming in for you. We're commencing Plan B."
"He's alone. We could get him now," Sayaka retorted.
"No! stick to the plan. He's a cunning man. We cannot let him get away this time."
Sayaka paused. She didn't respond right away but then she heard Sae click her gun. Sae is being stubborn again. She knew she had to do something to stop her but their leader on the other line was demanding an answer. Confused, Sayaka decided to give in. "...Roger," she said.
She considered relaying the message to Sae, but even before she could end the call, her impatient partner had already rushed her way up the staircase.
"Shit..." Sayaka murmured and threw the radio away, missing the last words of their leader.
"Don't step out of your cover! He's right behind—!"
As she chased after Sae who was aimlessly running, she heard someone behind them and she turned around, only to see a gun pointing at Sae's direction.
"Sae, watch out!"
Without thinking twice, Sayaka got in the way and used her own body to cover her short-haired friend.
The sound of a gunshot roared throughout the estate and Sae found herself shutting her eyes in shock. When she opened her eyes, she saw Sayaka, clutching the side of her head, blood oozing out like a spilling milk.
"...Sayaka?" Sae whispered, voice shaking in mixed horror and fear.
She turned around and saw Keita pulling out a pistol aiming at her direction but as the mixed anger and adrenaline overtook her, Sae triggered her gun towards the masked man.
"GO DIE!"
Three gunshots roared as one against the estate's hall. Several footsteps grew louder as bodies collapsed on the cold, bloody floor.
"Captain! Miyazawa is down!"
...
...
"Sae... don't die!"
"NO!"
"No!"
Kashiwagi Yuki woke up and found herself screaming her heart out. Her body was bathed with her own sweat, and her hands clutched tightly onto the sheets of the mattress. She turned around and found that she was alone in the room she shares with her girlfriend.
"Sae..." she mouthed breathless. "Oh, God," she cried and buried her face on her hands, "please don't let her die..."
The picture of Sae getting hit in her nightmare entered her mind.
"Sae, please be alright..."
...
...
"Actually, I have someone that I like."
"...You do?"
"Can I trust you about it?"
"Who is she, senpai?"
"I like Yukirin, Mayu."
...
...
Mayu opened her eyes as the sun crept up to her face from the window. She just had another dream that she had been dreading to recall. Surprisingly, there was something today that she didn't feel angered about it for the first time. She rolled over the bed and got up to find her slippers with her cold feet. In an instant, her nose was filled with a pleasant smell of toasts and butter coming from the kitchen. She wore her slippers and walked to her door. Just when she was about to turn the knob, she went back to check herself in the mirror, brushing her slightly messed up hair quickly. It’s been a while since she felt this fresh and satisfied. She stepped outside her bedroom and walked to the kitchen.
There she saw a taller woman wearing a blue shirt with its sleeves rolled up perfectly to reveal her toned arms under her apron. Mayu watched her taste the broth and smile in satisfaction. She wondered why she had trusted someone so easily to allow her inside their sharehouse. Indeed, it was a sharehouse—welcome for anyone who is willing to share the rent and bills—but Mayu still gets to decide whom she can co-reside. And today, she finds it amusing that the new housemate is already being comfortable with using their kitchen for the second time.
"Good morning," Mayu greeted from her spot as she leaned her slender back against the wall.
Jurina turned around and smiled to acknowledge the smaller girl's presence. "You're early."
Mayu nodded slowly. "Nightmare."
"Doesn't seem to me," Jurina replied as she motioned her duck lips to Mayu's face, "you're smiling, in case you didn't know."
Mayu touched the sides of her lips and found that she was, indeed, smiling. She chuckled lightly and joined Jurina in the kitchen. "What are you cooking, dear chef?"
"I was thinking of making an omelette," Jurina replied.
"Oh," Mayu nodded. "Need help with that?" she motioned to the potatoes.
"Yeah, I could sure use some help, but..." Jurina paused and gave her a doubtful smile. "...You...uh...can you...cook?"
"Nope!" Mayu replied quickly in a precise proclamation, "it doesn't interest me at all!"
Jurina laughed and lowered the heat of the stove. "You made it sound like you're proud of it."
"Not really. But at least I can help you chop the potatoes," Mayu proposed.
Jurina stared at her for a moment, deliberating in her mind what to answer. While a company seems tempting, the idea of entrusting the chopping of potatoes to a rich woman with no interest in cooking definitely presents trouble. Mayu brushed her hand against Jurina ever so slightly. Yep. She smells trouble.
"Well...?" Mayu asked as she wiggled her eyebrow playfully.
Jurina was too hesitant to give her a chance but she did it anyway. She carefully handed the knife to the petite beauty. "Okay, ojou-sama. Try to impress me."
Mayu rolled her eyes with Jurina's remark and snatched the knife from Jurina's hand. "Brace yourself 'cause you're about to witness the smartest way to chop these potatoes," she said, making Jurina stifle her laugh.
Jurina checked her broth for a moment and went back to attentively watch Mayu slice the peeled potatoes. "Ooh...not bad," she noted. Mayu does know how to slice the potatoes, with incomparable...style, for a lack of word.
"I told you, I can do it," Mayu proudly said while turning her gaze away from the potatoes she was chopping.
"Fine. Just be careful not to cut y—"
"Ouch!" Mayu suddenly cried, taking Jurina by surprise.
"As I was saying..." Jurina murmured before walking to her side.
"B-blood...blood...I'm draining...oh, my..." Mayu was mumbling in panic. She was holding up her cut finger away from her while shaking furiously.
"Hey, hey, calm down first, will ya," said Jurina while rubbing Mayu's shoulders to ease her down.
"Wipe it off...wipe it off... Please, I don't want to die just yet!" she started crying and Jurina couldn't help but laugh at her. She's so cute, she mentally noted.
When she first met Mayu, she noted her to be a cold, emotionless girl who thought she held all the bitterness of the world. But now, she looks like a kid who is afraid of her own blood. Mayu sobbed and Jurina thinks her heart just melted.
As much as she wanted to see the girl at her current state more, she didn't want to be a bully and let her whine all day. She reached for Mayu's hand and brought it closer to her face.
"H-Hey, what are you doing?" Mayu shouted as Jurina dipped her head lower until Mayu couldn't see her own finger anymore. She felt an unfamiliar soft pair of muscles suck the wounded part gently. Mayu started to feel hot on her cheeks as Jurina closed her eyes, as if enjoying the least of their situation, which was—for Mayu—the most uncomfortable situation she could never have imagined she would take part of at the moment.
Sensing Mayu's shaking finger inside her mouth, Jurina glanced up to Mayu and saw her furiously reddened face. Smiling, she gave the smaller girl's cut one last kiss and pulled away. Making sure Mayu saw her lick the smudged blood on her own lips to further tease her. "There, all clean."
Mayu's reddened face burned even more as Jurina grinned sheepishly. "What have you done just now?!" she growled.
Jurina scratched her head as she tried to contain her laugh. "You were begging for me to wipe it off but I had no napkin so I used my mouth instead."
Mayu eyed her scornfully. What kind of sane person would use her mouth to wipe of blood in place of a napkin or cloth?
"H-hey, don't give me that face. It's not that big deal," Jurina stuttered while waving her hands in retreat. Mayu pounced her but Jurina blocked her assault. Mayu continued assaulting her and Jurina was protecting herself while giggling.
"What's wrong with the two of you? Shouting at each other this early," Milky called from the other side of the kitchen while yawning.
Mayu quickly pulled away from Jurina when she realized their close proximity and turned around to greet Milky. "G-good morning!"
"My, my, are you two cooking?" Milky asked as she approached the two.
Milky's door opened and Sayanee stepped outside. "Sweet! I smell breakfast!" Sayanee yelled as she entered the kitchen gleefully.
Mayu and Jurina greeted her and Sayanee leaned over the counter allowing Mayu to notice her outfit.
"That smells really tasty, Jurina. Are you done yet?" Sayanee asked as she grabbed a slice of toast.
"Almost. Do you girls want coffee? You drank too much last night, I bet your heads still hurt," Jurina said.
"Don't worry. Sayanee and I are used to drinking alcohol," Milky said as shep playfully clung to Sayanee's arm.
"Wait a second," Mayu raised her voice to get the attention of everyone. She had a knack of calling everyone’s attention. Suffice to say, everybody kept silent and turned their eyes to her. "Was it just me... or did I see Sayanee exit your room?" she asked Milky.
Silence befell the kitchen as eyes swept from Mayu, to Sayanee, and Milky.
"...Yeah, so…?" Milky answered slowly while scratching her elbow, which Mayu noted as a sign of her discomfort. Years of co-residing together, Mayu wouldn’t be wrong on this one.
"And why is Sayanee wearing your shorts?" Mayu further asked while pointing at Sayanee's legwear. She was absolutely sure that it was Milky's. In fact, it was her present for Milky's admission to a lingerie brand. Milky never really allowed anyone borrow or even touch her clothes before especially if they're from Mayu. So why is Sayanee wearing her shorts? Was Mayu missing something?
"E-Eh?!" Jurina shrieked. "Did you two happen to...?" she couldn't finish her own words because ...the idea was choking her. If her suspicion was right then she’s definitely not cool with that. Because she’s jealous.
"Um...we..." Sayanee and Milky exhanged looks at each other.
"Well?" Mayu and Jurina asked in unison with impatience and cruriosity.
Awkward.
The sound of the boiling dish, however, brought contrast to the stiff atmosphere. It was until then that Yui stepped into the kitchen and broke the silence.
"...Jurina, your dish is boiling over."
Everyone turned their gazes to Yui—who seemed clueless about their topic by the way she walked in between Sayanee and Miyuki and casually rubbed their backs—then all eyes turned to Jurina.
"Oh," Jurina snapped from her confusion and turned to her cooking. "I'll be done in a minute. Someone, please set the table."
...
...
After Jurina left for her ...daily business, the four remaining girls in the table were still silently eating as if talking will take away their lives. But Milky doesn't seem to be so entertained by the way everyone's eyes would occassionally steal glances at her and Sayanee between their eating. She then turned to the person beside her who shares the same discomfort as her.
"Does it still hurt?" Milky asked Sayanee in the most silent whisper possible. Little did she know that the straight-faced Mayu could still read from her lips what she was saying.
"What hurts?" Sayanee whispered back.
"Your foot. I think I stepped on it last night while..."
"Oh," Sayanee said in realization, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Mayu cleared her throat, earning the attention of the whispering girls.
"So… tell us, why did you two come out from the same room again?" she asked. It seems like she had no intention of dropping the topic right away. On the other hand, Yui, who was sitting beside her grinned all knowingly.
The two girls subject to the question looked at each other, communicating in their minds how to answer. "We don't quite remember."
"Oh, please. Don't try to cover up now," Yui interjected. "I saw what happened, you know," she said and winked at the two.
"Y-You did?!" Milky and Sayanee shouted in unison.
Yui smirked and nodded. "Yep."
"What part¬ did you actually see?" Milky nervously asked.
"Hmm... Try guessing then," Yui taunted. "It's somewhere in between... Mariko and Haruna had gone home a little tipsy. Mayu and Jurina had gone to their own rooms after talking about some things we didn't know and you two were the only ones left in the living room. I understand you hadn't seen each other for how many years—let alone you never mailed or called each other. You missed each other, I know that too well. It was dark and quiet except for the sound of the chimes. A very romantic atmosphere, definitely. You were both so intoxicated and I can say that you were just caught up in the moment," she narrated, drawing random figures with her chopsticks in the air in the process. "So basically, I saw everything. I know everything. I couldn't possibly blame you though," she finished, sounding all compassionate.
Sayanee and Miyuki stared at her with their mouths agape. On the other side of the table, Mayu had dropped her carrot sticks on her plate while gravely staring at the two.
Miyuki stole a quick glance at Sayanee and bored her eyes down at her plate in embarrassment. "I can't believe you actually saw us having sex..."
"Wait a minute. Sex?" Yui bobbed her head and everyone's surprised stares landed on her. "Apparently, I didn't see that. I just knew that you two kissed but, I
didn't know that you got that far! My, my, what an interesting way to reunite," she said while smirking all the way. The two girls knew that smirk so well—the Yokoyama smirk of victory.
"EH?!" Sayanee and Milky exclaimed in unison. They couldn't believe that Yui had just made them spill what they were hiding under.
"So you two really..?" Mayu eyed them with a scandalous look on her face.
Then, the air was once again, stiff.
Jurina's cooking was good. That was what the girls' taste buds noted. But the spilled revelation suddenly became jucier than the sausages. Then Yui spurted a laugh, indicating that she had been holding it in for the past five minutes when the dining room fell silent.
"I'm sorry about that," she said, resisting her laugh all the way. "The food is nice, you know, but I better get going. I still have work," she said and stood up. "Sayanee, don't forget your work shift, alright? You'll start tomorrow."
"Ah, t-thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Sayanee said and waved at Yui.
As soon as Yui left the house, Mayu cleared her throat.
"That was really...disturbing. I didn't know you had that kind of relationship," Mayu remarked. She took her glass and drank the water wishing it was alcohol instead.
"We're just friends!" Milky quickly reacted. Sayanee glanced at her with hurt eyes.
"Friends...with benefits?" Mayu questioned almost innocently. She had a sweet, melodious voice, but at the moment, it was irritating to Sayanee's ears. That was very judgmental of her.
"We were just drunk. We don’t have that kind of relationship," Sayanee defensively raised her voice but still managed to keep her cool.
"Not because this is a sharehouse, it doesn't mean that you can do everything you wanted. We're adults, and we have to bear responsibility of our actions," Mayu continued, silencing the two girls. She turned to Milky. "Milky, you do know exactly what I mean," she sternly said.
Sayanee turned to look at Milky who had flinched upon Mayu's words. What is she talking about, she wondered.
"Hai...I'm sorry," Milky replied softly and submissively. She must admit, she felt guilty. She has a boyfriend and she cheated on him with a friend.
Mayu sighed heavily, still unconvinced with Milky's answer. "Nevermind that. We'll figure this out some other time," she said. "I'm going to school."
...
...
Yui released a heavy sigh. Her head still hurts from drinking last night. If it wasn't for her good control in drinking, she would definitely end up like Sayanee and Milky. She can't afford to let that happen. There were just so much at stake if she had given herself in to Sayanee's nagging to drink all the glasses alcohol she offered her. She stopped in front of her flat's entrance, suddenly recalling what happened last night.
They were laughing. She couldn't honestly recall what they were laughing about but she could remember the smiles on their faces. Then all of a sudden, Sayanee turned serious and stared at Yui intently.
"Yuihan..." Sayanee called her and touched her hands. Her tone was soft, in contrast to her cool and uptight facade. "...I missed you so much."
Yui stopped laughing and stared at her. Their eyes met, talking to each other in a language that only their hearts knew. "...But -- Milky missed you so much too,"
she replied while withdrawing her hands from Sayanee's touch.
Sayanee paused for a while. Her mind was still processing what she had just heard. Then after a few seconds, she laughed weakly. "I know..." she reached out for the wine bottle and poured herself another glass. "Of course, I missed her too. For three years, we hadn't seen or even talked to each other, afterall."
Yui listened to her carefully and poured herself a glass of wine. "You should really let her know," she said while shaking the glass on her own hands, "or at least make her feel that."
Sayanee swept her glance across the room and spotted Milky who was having a conversation with Mayu in the corner. "...Do you think she can still forgive me?" Sayanee asked her friend. Her friend. Her everything kind of friend.
Yui nodded stiffly in response. "She loves you. There's no way she can't forgive you."
"Sorry, Sayanee...it was partly my fault too."
"GO DIE, YOU CRIMINAL!" A raging shout snapped Yui back to her senses. She turned to her side and found an old man holding a knife in front of a girl—the thin girl who was her neighbor.
"Excuse me," Yui interjected, "Ojii-san, what's the problem?" The old man glanced at her and Yui saw his unusual eyes.
"This girl over here is a daughter of a criminal!" he yelled.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"Her father killed my son!"
"Calm down, mister. How did you know it was her father?"
"Everyone from this neighborhood knows about him,” the old man said as a matter-of-factly. “He hardly goes home because he's hiding from the authority. He is a murderer!"
Yui sighed. "So?"
She doesn’t know if it’s because of the recent happenings or because she couldn’t bring herself to believe in the man’s argument.
"What kind of reaction is that?" the old man scoffed.
"Rumors aren't evidences. Unless you have a proof that this girl's father committed those atrocities you mentioned, then I can sympathize with you. But since your reasons are all hear-says, you have no rights to hurt this girl,” Yui argued and glanced at the thin girl. She doesn’t meet her eyes. “Besides, if it was really her father, then it's still not her fault, is it?"
"It's all the same! A murderer's blood runs through her veins. I should stop her before she turns like her father."
"Do you really think this girl would do something like that?” Yui glanced at the girl again. She isn’t even reacting. “You said it yourself. Her father barely goes home. This girl's living all alone."
"Just why are you siding her? And why are you talking to your elderly like that?" the furious man must have given up and turned his anger to Yui instead.
Yui raised her phone to the man’s face. "If you still won't stop hurting her, I wouldn't hesitate to send this picture to the police. Sir." And there, she emphasized the ‘Sir’ to the man’s frustration.
The old man hissed. "I'll let it slide this time but I'll get back to avenge my son. Mark my word, kid!" he shouted before storming off.
"Nuts," Yui mused. She turned around and looked at the girl. "Hey, are you okay kid?" she asked.
She didn’t get a reply but at least the girl is now staring at her.
"Don't mind the old man. He was probably drunk. Or who knows, maybe he's facing alzheimers's. You know," she chuckled to herself since the girl was still silent. It felt awkward waiting for the girl's response so she proceeded to observe the girl's clothing. She mentally took note how baggy the girl's uniform was for her. She looked so thin and unhealthy. Her eyes looked so dark and hopeless. Maybe it's better to leave her now, she thought. She doesn’t look grateful anyway.
Before she could take a step, the girl's broken voice stopped her.
"Thank you..."
Yui's heart skipped a beat with the fragility of her voice. She turned around again and found the girl's eyes, staring directly at hers.
"You're welcome," Yui immediately responded. "You're welcome," she repeated as she recalled the voice of the girl.
The girl tried to stand up but fell down again.
"Are you okay?" Yui asked as she offered the girl a hand. The girl just nodded and stood up, this time, successfully. Yui's extended hand was left hanging and she pulled it back to her side.
The girl gave her a look of ‘you-can-leave-me-alone-now’ but Yui still wanted to look after her.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. The girl turned around and approached the entrance of her house. Yui remained grounded on her spot, still unyielding to get a response. Fortunately, the girl made a quick glance at her and spoke before walking inside the house.
"Very."
...
...
Rena was shuffling uncontrollably in her seat. Her eyes were on the paperwork but on frequent times, she would sneak curious gazes on the thing that was on her table—an eye-catching, mouth-watering melon pan! She gulped hard while scratching her neck. What in the world is a melon pan doing in there? It was just two feet away from her, but she couldn't bring herself to grab it especially when she noticed a letter beside it. Maybe it was just a prank; maybe it wasn't really for her; maybe...there was a bomb inside it! She coudn't possibly tell without peeking at it. Finally, she decided to pause from her work and checked out the heaven-sent bread. Heaven-sent. That's probably the best way to describe it.
"You can't see me but I can. I'm your star in broad daylight," she read the note.
Weird.
Cheesy.
No.
Creepy.
Nobody knows she likes melon pan! Even if it gets obvious, she never told or admitted it to anyone—not even Yuki. Except for a person she knows.
"...Jurina?" she whispered, but as soon as her own voice reached her ears, she shook her head. "No, it can't be," she chuckled.
"I haven't seen her for three years...I wonder how she's doing?" she whispered to the wind while reminscing the promise they made on the day of her departure.
…
…
Meanwhile, Jurina was still hiding among the bushes. She had been waiting for Rena to show up from the window. I wonder if she noticed the melon pan, she thought. There is no way for her to enter the school. She looked too mature to be a student. Good thing a kind girl agreed to help her.
"Hm. Takamina-san is a little late today,” she mused. “Where could she be?"
“A-Ano…” a gentle voice stopped Jurina from her reverie. It was from the girl who helped her.
"Oi! Riku, isn't it?" Jurina asked while pulling her inside the bushes. The girl found her new position awkward as Juria tried to squeeze her in.
"Uh, no, it's.. Riho. Abiru Riho," she corrected the taller girl.
"Oh, Riho. Thank you for helping me out."
"It's nothing. Sory for bumping with you last time. I wasn't careful."
"Don't worry about it! And you can just call me Jurina," she winked.
"Ju-Juri-Juri-kun..." Riho muttered shyly.
"Juri-kun?” Jurina repeated and laughed. It sounded funny to her ears. She tried echoing it in her head and laughed again. “If you feel comfortable calling me that, then call me Juri-kun."
"O-Okay, Juri-kun..." Riho smiled. A very small smile. But in her head, she was squealing so hard.
Jurina drew her face closer to the girl when she noticed that the girl was staring blankly. "You're a little weird, you know. Why are you getting all red?"
And Jurina swore she saw steams escaped Riho’s ears.
...
...
"That's strange...Why isn't she there yet?" Maeda Atsuko asked herself with worry. It’s about time her midget of a lover shows up from her favorite view. It was a game they both agreed in. Staying from a distance. Smile and wave at each other. They’re not allowed to phone each other. Just do the same routine every day. Minami got the shorter end of the stick with the condition but she accepted it anyway. By this, Atsuko gave her promise that if she could pull it through for three years, Atsuko would give her a yes. Today was supposed to mark her last week of waiting. But today was her first absence. And she lost her streak.
"Acchan," Rena and Yuki called. In this school, only Rena and Yuki ever call her by her nickname.
"Oh, gracious!” Atsuko jumped from the window, very much surprised from the presence of her two faculties. “You surprised me there! Why didn't you knock on the door first?"
"We did thrice but it seems...you didn't hear us, did you?" Yuki asked.
"Oh..." Atsuko realized. Rena and Yuki sighed.
"...What are you peering at, Acchan?" Rena asked a little curious.
"T-That's none of your business!" the Principal answered defensively. It made the two girls taken aback and slightly confused. Rena was just asking.
"I mean.. that's nothing,” Atsuko forced a laugh, “don't mind it."
"You're acting a little weird today, Acchan."
"That's not true!" Acchan shouted defensively.
"Anyway, why did you call us for?"
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot," Atsuko snapped and she shuffled the folders on her desk. She handed the folders to the teachers. "As faculties of Akibahara Middle School, I'm appointing the both of you for a special task."
"Task? What is it about?" Yuki asked.
Atsuko gestured them to flip the folder. Rena read the profile aloud.
"Shimazaki Haruka."
…
…
"Takahashi-san? Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. You were hit during the mission, remember?"
The scenes from last night flashed back to Sae's mind. From the time she rushed towards Keita to the moment she fell to the ground.
"Where's Sayaka?"
The question thrown at the short General was like a rope, choking her. And as she stole a glance at the wounded police officer lying on the hospital bed, Takamina knew the pain she will inflict the moment she answers.
"She's still alive," she started and as she glanced at Sae again, she saw how her lips curved up to a small smile, "but there's no saying for how long she will stay alive."
This time, she didn't have to glance at the expression thrown at her.
"What do you mean?" Sae nervously asked.
"She was almost brain dead. Good thing her first aid was done by a pro," Takamina replied carefully. She doesn’t want to mention Yuko knowing that it will make her uncomfortable again.
"What about Keita?"
"He got away."
The revelation stomped at Sae’s heart. She can’t think of anything but regret.
"... I'm sorry. It was all my fault."
"Yes. It's a good thing that you know that. You basically blew out this mission,” Takamina replied trivially, hoping lighten the mood. As the head of the police, it’s her duty to moralize her allies. “But don't blame yourself. Anyway, he's badly wounded too with his hit."
"He was hit? I remember missing my bullet," Takamina saw the hope in Sae’s eyes.
"It was Yuko who did," Takamina replied.
"...Oshima-san?" Sae asked in disbelief. Takamina glanced at Sae. She thought it would make her mad. Sae was a little unsatisfied but she was calm.
"She may not look like it but she's really good. I've told you about this before, Sae. You need to learn to trust your leader."
…
…
"Oi, squirrel. What are you staring at?" Mariko scolded Yuko as she followed her stare.
"Nyan Nyan's oppai had gotten bigger again, don't you think?" Yuko spoke gently. Her eyes were locked to her heart’s desire.
"What a pervert," Mariko sighed. She feels like giving up on her perverted squirrel of a friend. But she didn’t remove her stare. She knew Yuko was right anyway.
"Aw c'mon. Don't tell me that you didn't notice! With a size like hers, there's no way you cannot mind to stare!" And that was Yuko’s bluntness that gets Mariko every time. A perverted. Squirrel. Of a friend.
Mariko turned her slightly flushed face away from Yuko. "Of course, I know that! But stop comparing me with the likes of you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Yuko protested.
"Tokyo Metropolitan Police failed the latest mission last night, failed to stop the mysterious killer Keita. Five officers were injured including the station's elite officers, Miyazawa Sae and Akimoto Sayaka," the news reporter announced from the TV.
"Were you there last night too?" Mariko asked Yuko.
"...Yeah."
There was a pause before Mariko could get a reply. Yuko sounded serious. She wasn’t even looking at the TV screen. Mariko wants to cheer her up but she knows Yuko is very hard to please.
"What the heck,” Mariko started. “Failing your first mission after so long. Isn't this a sign that you should quit your job?"
Yuko remained quiet. "No," she firmly replied, "maybe it's telling me to keep going. After all, that bastard shot my new grunts."
"What's the deal with earning an army of grunts? You're definitely earning them as pawns in your and Takamina's stupid game. Let me remind you that all of your comrades before died because of your bad leadership. This might not be any different from your—"
There was something in the way Mariko worded her joke that Yuko found it offensive. "Will you stop talking like you know everything? You know nothing about the things Takamina and I do as peace keepers so better stay here and brew your suckish coffee in this suckish place!"
Yuko stood up and slammed her coins against the counter. "I'm outta here!"
Everyone inside the cafe remained silent as they watched Yuko kick the door before exitting.
"Yuko!" Haruna called and removed her apron to follow her.
"Haruna!" Mariko shouted firmly to stop her and she succeeded.
"Mariko, we should stop her!" Haruna said worriedly. The customers of the cafe were too stunned with Yuko's actions and suddenly, they feel like they're witnessing a television drama.
"No, let her go. She probably needs time to cool down," Mariko answered a little softer and leaned forward against the counter.
Haruna stared at her for a moment and witnessed how Mariko pulled her hair using both of her hands. The murmurings of the customers grew louder, making Haruna snap to reality. She apologized to the customers and assured them that everything's fine. The customers agreed and went back to their own business. Afterwhich, she returned to the counter and comforted Mariko.
"What happened?" she asked softly.
Mariko paused and rested her forehead against her hands. "...I think I said too much."
Haruna approached her back and massaged Mariko's shoulders. "Don't go blaming yourself," she whispered to her ears.
"I'm such an idiot, Haruna. I shouldn't have brought that thing up!"
Haruna hugged her from behind and rested her forehead against Mariko's nape. "Hey. It's gonna be fine, okay?"
Mariko nodded and reached for her hand.
...
...
Mayu has listed in her mind all of the things she has to and wanted to do. Not a bucket list. More like a happiness list. She won’t be dead anytime soon afterall. She can’t be. Her life is just starting to make sense. She listed things like going to parties, getting a portrait, singing in karaoke, dress up like an idol, going to anime conventions, and… falling in love among other things.
She was beaming. Until her eyes met their horror.
On the other side of the street, Yuki stood.
"Mayu..." she breathed, unsure of the sight blinding her eyes. As soon as the street lights shifted to walking signal, Yuki immediately stepped ahead of the pedestrians and welcomed Mayu with an earnest pace. Mayu on the other hand held the stare deeply while walking straight. The crowd began bumping their shoulders but the two girls didn't mind. Yuki had lots of things in her mind that Mayu cannot decipher. Her stare was a lot different from when they last met each other in the restaurant. Meeting half-way, they stopped walking.
"Mayuyu, I have something to tell you. About the other day—"
"Please look ahead. You might trip on your own feet if you keep staring at me like that. Kashiwagi-san," Mayu said. Cold and composed. She doesn’t seem bitter about their break up anymore. But Yuki noticed the icy gate she built up between them.
Yuki watched her walk away across the other side of the street.
"Ka-Kashiwagi-san…?" Yuki repeated to herself her ex-girlfriend’s remark. It stings.
Looks like she needs some explaining to do.
Just a little more, Yuki. I can finally move on. I hope you've found your happiness. I'm still trying.
==================================
Louise-sama | Home | Chapter IV | つづく
==================================
Thank you for reading.
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*spazz* *spazz* *spazz* OG MY GOD THIS CHAPTER SO AWESOME!!!!! Mariko, how can you say that to Yuuko-sama... >___> and u should tell her about u and Haruna going out/having an affair... *sigh*
That stupid Sae ruined the mission... Good thing Yuuko-sama is awesome and was there to give an amazing first aid to Sayaka...
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:nya:
Mayu ..decided to move on :cool2: :frustrated: :pleeease:
I don't get it :grr: why yuki broke up with mayu :scolding:
At least I'm happy cz mayu was surrounded by good friends :mon exhaust:
Thx for your update :on cny1:
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You're back......
Thanks.......
/sobs/
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@sakura_drop_!! Good to see you dropping by! :D Wow you're spazzing!! That's like an overwhelming compliment from you T^T Also, Mariko isn't bad so don't chastise her lol xD
@Yhuiii: Mayu decided to move on, yes. But I guess she's just trying to steel herself. It's only been months since their breakup so. Yuki has reasons too. Let's just hope it's not something stupid xD
@hakase309: I'm glad you found this update a hope for my return, lol. I'm actually glad I finished this. I wrote this like last November 2013. Was just too busy in the university. I'll try to update more for you. If you have requests... PM me *wink* LOL.
I dunno which pairing in this fic strikes the readers most. I'd like to hear from you if I have time. That will help me improve my writing of the character developments.
Thank you, guys. More powers to the fandom :)
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Hi im a silent reader and its my first ever reply :)) MariHaru's my otp so i really liked that things between them are being revealed in the last chapter. I really like the story, every pairing was interesting and it had me read it all from the beginning up to now. Keep it up! Looking forward for your next update! :)
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! UPDATE SOON!!!! :mon tantrum2: :mon tantrum: :mon headbang:
I really love this story...and chapter 3 left me hanging... :mon dunno: :mon duh:
I can't figure what it is that Yuki wanted to tell Mayu...and what Mayu will do to move on...
So PLEASE!! I want- no scratch that- I NEED to read the next chapter!!!! :mon ghost: :mon yell:
...Soooo yeah...please update soon!! X( :mon whimper: :mon squee:
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Ummm...Louise-sama...I'm kind of slowly losing hope here....
Are you going to update the fanfic??
I mean...this fanfic did a really great start and it would be such a pity to not see how it progresses...
I hate to sound so desperate but....I kind of am....
So please just give us a sign!!! Please update Louise-sama!!!
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Ahhhhh~~~ I love this fic :heart:
I hope you update it :nervous
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UPDATE HURRAH.
But first, replies.
Hi im a silent reader and its my first ever reply :)) MariHaru's my otp so i really liked that things between them are being revealed in the last chapter. I really like the story, every pairing was interesting and it had me read it all from the beginning up to now. Keep it up! Looking forward for your next update! :)
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment :) but our MariHaru would have to wait, mmkay? Okay.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! UPDATE SOON!!!! :mon tantrum2: :mon tantrum: :mon headbang:
HAHAHA. I tried but I kept losing momentum so I'm sorry for that. Please forgive meeeee.
Ahhhhh~~~ I love this fic :heart:
I hope you update it :nervous
It flatters me that you always read my updates. This is for you :)
Home
by Louise-sama
Our lives are different from each other, but the red strings of fate weaved our paths together.
Chapter 5
“I’m still amazed how you could prepare all of these,” Sayanee said as she had just finished a bowl.
“Really now, what kind of girls are you? I’ve known how to cook since I was in grade school,” Jurina kids while chewing the meat in her mouth.
“No way,” Miyuki exclaimed in both disbelief and amusement.
“This is good…” Mayu admitted absentmindedly. This response earned her a glance from Jurina.
“Oh, thanks,” Jurina shyly replied. “Good to know our Ojou-sama is enjoying my cooking, eh?”
Mayu rolled her eyes. She couldn’t tell if Jurina is just being sarcastic or not.
“Really though,” Milky interrupted. “I think you’d make a good wife.”
The way she said it made Jurina choke a little. She nervously turned to Mayu—who had her eyes on her carrots—for any response.
Carrots remind Mayu of a certain someone she met days ago in Mariko’s restaurant. Yuki is practically everywhere, she thought. She swallowed the orange vegetable and smiled at Milky.
“I guess so.”
And although Mayu answered absentmindedly yet again, Jurina’s face heated up at what she heard. She didn’t expect to receive a compliment from the smaller woman.
After the bountiful dinner, the four girls gathered in the living room to watch television. Mayu sits beside Jurina on the couch. The Watanabe-property could only fit three people simultaneously. Sayanee—who took the seat first—offers the seat to Milky but she said that unless she sits with Sayanee, she will not sit on the couch.
“Well, sit on the floor,” Mayu says, coldly. Thinking that the two are just delaying everyone from watching her favorite lesbian prisoners.
Sayanee is upset about what she heard. This is when Jurina stood up to give space for both girls. Mayu puffed her cheeks in dismay—partly because she’s jealous of Milky’s and Sayaka’s flirting and partly because of the absence of Jurina’s heat. When nobody seemed to object, Jurina sat on the floor right beside the couch.
Mayu shifted uncomfortably on her seat, seeing Jurina on the cold floor. She leaned forward and whispered to Jurina’s ear.
“Are you okay?” Mayu asked softly.
“Yeah, sure,” Jurina assured her. Seeing the slight wrinkle in Mayu’s eyebrows was oddly satisfying so she decided to tease the usually stoic-faced gril. “Aren’t you being clingy?”
Mayu paused for a bit. She stared at Jurina who had a smug look on her face. ‘Did she just tease me?’, she thought.
“I was legit concerned about you and you’re… flirting with me?” she made sure to his a little louder so the other girls could hear her.
“I-I wasn’t—” Jurina stuttered which made the other girls around them snicker.
“Are you two going to flirt all night or are we going to watch TV?” Sayanee teased.
“Just turn it on,” Mayu yelled, feeling a little victorious that Jurina was taken aback by what she said. Her attention comes back to a red-faced girl. “Two could play that game.”
Jurina grunts and Mayu smirked. The younger girl couldn’t believe that Mayu took that seriously. ‘Whatever,’ she thought. Maybe it’s a sign that they’re really friends now.
She took a quick glance at Mayu.
‘Actually,’ she thinks, ‘I like this side of her.’
Miyuki switched on the television and browser through the channels. Everyone focused on the large screen. She stopped abruptly when the news flashed before them.
The news report covered the Tokyo recent Metropolitan Police encounter with a criminal with an alias of Keita. Officer Ooshima reported the critical condition of the two elite officers named Miyazawa Sae and Akimoto Sayaka. The estate, which is shown, is practically a haunted house now since the massacre of a prominent businessman in their city, his family, and his employees. It was messy and dreary.
Mayu shuddered at the mention of Sae’s name.
Jurina noticed the sudden shift in Mayu’s posture.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she gently touched Mayu’s knee, “You look pale.”
Mayu looked at her and nodded hesitantly before eyeing back at the television.
“That’s one badass killer,” Sayanee commended and chuckled. This earned her a deadly glare from Mayu which Sayanee took as a signal to stop.
In the middle of Mayu and Sayanee’s sticky staring contest, Milky frantically dialed her boyfriend’s phone number. Her fingers trembled against the screen of her phone.
“Hello? Haruto-kun? Are you alright?” she asked.
Sayanee averted her eyes to Milky who waxed pale while talking to the guy who stole her from Sayanee. Jurina did not miss the way the punk girl clenched her fists when she heard Milky say she missed him.
“I’ve heard the news. Yeah, that place. That’s where you went, right?” Milky whispered, concern is evident in her tone.
Sayanee retracted her stare in defeat. She still couldn’t believe that Milky actually got herself a boyfriend while they were apart.
‘I mean,’ she thinks, ‘I know we broke up after parting but I never stopped loving her.
Sayanee sneaked another glance at Milky.
“Why was it so easy for you to forget me,” Sayanee whispered a little louder than intended but Milky was too occupied to hear it. Mayu did, however—and noticed how the situation is hurting the Osaka-local.
The call continued for a few minutes as the atmosphere turned dark and sour. After the call ended, nobody spoke a word except for Jurina who suggested that they watch a film instead but the other girls seemed uninterested. Although dejected, Jurina doesn’t want to see her friends getting drowned by unfortunate news.
“Why don’t we just get to know each other?” Jurina suggested eagerly, “You know, like, secret-sharing. We do that a lot in high school.”
“Ever heard of ‘#adulting’? That idea sounds lame,” Sayanee outright rejected the idea, clearly still moping from earlier.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Mayu butted in. Sayanee glared at her. She knows what she’s doing. Mayu isn’t really in favor of Jurina’s idea—she’s just countering Sayanee. “I mean, we live together now. Better dig some criminal records from your closets.”
Mayu doesn’t plan to irritate Sayanee. She just wants them to patch their relationship. Maybe Jurina’s idea would be a good start.
“And why are you staring at me like I’m an ex-convict?” Sayanee chided Mayu.
“Now, now, Sayanee. Mayu got a point. I’m down for it,” Milky patted her friend’s back, oblivious from Sayanee’s brewing annoyance towards her. When Milky felt that Sayanee shied away from her touch, she hugged the girl from behind.
Mayu could tell that someone’s really upset.
After a few petting and convincing from Milky, Sayanee finally folded.
“Only if there’s alcohol,” she said.
“I’ve prepared some,” Jurina interjected heartily.
The other girls sat amused at the youngest girl. Tonight, she’s proven herself to be the peacekeeper of the group. They sat in a circle and began pouring down alcohol on their own glasses.
“I’ll go first,” Jurina declared after chugging down a glass. Everyone else listened carefully to the youngest girl.
“So I came to Tokyo to fulfill a promise.”
“With a boyfriend?” Milky half-guessed. She turned to Sayanee who nodded in agreement.
However, the question made Mayu’s heart skip a beat. She never really considered Jurina to be straight. But as the question rang in her head once more, she slowly caught Jurina’s feminine features. Jurina’s cheeks turned red, and although she doesn’t want to admit, maybe Mayu is blushing too.
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Jurina admitted as she nervously glanced at Mayu. Her eyes grew a little wider when she noticed that Mayu had been staring straight at her.
“With a friend then?” Sayanee asked.
“I wouldn’t say friend, exactly…”
The way that Jurina stuttered caught Sayanee’s and Mayu’s attentions. Jurina is now looking at everywhere but her friends’ eyes. Sayanee also noticed the little curve on Jurina’s lips behind her hand.
“Bestfriend?” Milky asked innocently.
“Milky, no. Can’t you tell? Our Jurina here made a promise with her girlfriend,” Sayanee corrected Milky who squealed in surprise as realization washed over her.
“Jurina, you’re gay?” she asked dumbly and Sayanee sighed.
Mayu felt relieved. Jurina is gay. She likes girls.
Then it finally hit her. She can’t be happy about it. Jurina has a girlfriend. Hard to admit but she found it a little disappointing.
“I dunno… I mean, I love her,” Jurina admitted shyly.
Correction, she loves a girl.
Mayu suddenly feels sick.
“Now, that’s a confession,” Sayanee remarked.
“But we’re going through a rough patch in our relationship lately,” Jurina felt the need to correct herself when she noticed that Mayu had bitterness painted all over her face.
“Before I came to Tokyo, we wouldn’t talk. She didn’t want me to contact her.”
“Did you ask her why?” Mayu asked, honestly concerned.
“It’s her job. Said she’s busy. But it makes me doubt a little. What if she found somebody else? Why don’t I get a single text from her until now, right? So I visit her in the school where she teaches to confirm my suspicion.”
“And?” Milky asked impatiently.
“And I catch her a few times with her co-teacher.”
“Having sex in the school?!” Sayanee joked as she ground her hips in the air. The three girls laughed at her except for Mayu who looked very disturbed.
“No, silly,” Jurina giggled, “but they do hangout a lot.”
“And it bothers you?” Milky inquired.
“Hell, yeah. They always go together. Not to mention, the other girl is really pretty.”
Sayanee nodded her approval and whispered, “I feel you.” Milky patted her shoulder and offered another glass which Jurina took.
“Well, you’re pretty too.” Mayu interjected.
Everyone shot a stare at her. She raised a brow at the sudden attention given to her and realization washed over her. The petite girl is suddenly worried that she’s giving away her newfound attraction to her roommate. Luckily, Milky isn’t smart enough to pick up what Mayu meant.
“I think it’s no secret that Mayu is gay too,” Milky snickered.
Jurina forced a laugh to conceal the confusion inside her head. Although disappointed, Mayu laughed along when she noticed that what she said made Jurina a little uncomfortable. Milky finds delight in the sight and propped herself between her friends and hugged them both.
However, Sayanee is much sharper than Milky when it comes to picking up flirting signals but plans to let this one pass.
“What about you, Mayu?” Sayanee asked.
“What about me?” Mayu asked nervously.
“What’s something that you’re keeping from us?”
Mayu paused and squeezed her brain for anything but her growing fondness of Jurina. Milky, who is supposed to know everything about Mayu by now, waited patiently for an answer too as she knows that it’s possible that Mayu is still hiding something from her. Finally, Mayu remembers that time with Sae and Yuki back in high school.
“I had a crush on this senpai back in high school,” Mayu started, “who had a crush on my bestfriend.”
Everyone chugged down a glass of alcohol as they listened carefully to the petite woman. Sayanee poured herself another glass and finished it up in an instant.
“That sounds complicated,” she slurred.
Mayu took another glass for recalling how stupid she was before. She started speaking again to further complicate the scenario.
“My bestfriend, whom I had a crush going on for years.”
The four girls took another swig and began snickering at the situation.
“And here I thought I’m the unluckiest girl when it comes to love,” Sayanee jokes.
“Like you know anything about love,” Mayu retorted.
“I recall Sayanee saying how much she loves me,” Milky interjected teasingly and nudged Sayanee in the ribs.
Sayanee had an I-still-love-you-baka-look all over her face and took another swig. Jurina and Mayu noticed this and looked at Sayanee sympathetically and then each other. Milky continued to be clueless about Sayanee’s frustration so Mayu continued talking to save the girl.
“If you guys want to know, we’re all a part of the basketball club,” she continues.
“You play?” Jurina asks as she pours herself another glass.
“Back then? No. But I learned how to,” Mayu replied.
“Maybe we can play sometimes?”
Mayu took the glass from Jurina’s hand and chugged down on it, thinking Jurina is asking her out.
“You stole my drink,” Jurina snickers while pretending to be upset.
“You stole my heart,” Mayu casually replied and both of them froze immediately. Mayu’s mind blacked out totally at this point and mentally cursed herself. She’s been acting really strange tonight. Good thing Sayanee was quick to pick up the situation.
“Woah there, lesbos. Enough flirting, I need to hear the rest of the story,” Sayanee broke the ice.
“Forget it. Just a pickup line,” Mayu forced a laugh and Jurina laughed too.
“That’s what I thought. It was so OOC for you to say,” Jurina said and took her glass from Mayu’s hand. Mayu watched her fingers gingerly as she did.
“Anyway,” Mayu started, “Senpai was the star player of the team. Her name, Sae.”
The three other girls took a few seconds to register the name in their heads and recall the name of the police officer who was shot in the news report earlier.
“And your bestfriend was Yuki,” Milky guessed.
And there was another pause.
“As a daughter of an influential man, I didn’t have any genuine friends except for Yuki. The three of us were actually childhood friends. Yuki’s mom worked for our house so she would always visit there and play with me. Meanwhile, Sae’s father was a business associate of my dad. Sae would always join us when she was around. She was really cool back then. Always looking after us. I used to call her onii-chan because she looked like a guy. We all got along, until… Sae’s father was assassinated. We never got to see her again. I was really depressed but Yuki had always been there to comfort me. It went on for years until I realized that I got so dependent on her. When other girls bully me, she would stand up for me. I thought I didn’t need anybody else in my life.”
Everyone paid careful attention to Mayu’s story-telling, especially Jurina who looks really engrossed by the way Mayu delivers her story… and the soft bangs that hang gingerly above her long lashes…
“When I would still get bullied a lot, and saw that Yuki would constantly get hurt for defending me, I asked to be transferred with Yuki to another school. We didn’t know Sae was there. We didn’t even know she was famous because we were never into sports, you know. And when she talked to me, my longingness for her just came back instantly. She invited us to the club and I gladly obliged. I worked as a manager together with Yuki and I’d get special attention from both of them.”
“I can’t believe you’re a player,” Sayanee blurted out.
“Shut up, you idiot. Let me finish,” Mayu replied.
Meanwhile, Jurina couldn’t focus anymore so she just continues to drink on her own.
“But just when I thought that Sae liked me too, she told me she likes Yuki.”
This is where Sayanee laughed so hard and jumped at Mayu.
“Get off me!” Mayu scoffs but felt that Sayanee is already sobbing above her.
“Sayanee,” Milky tries to pull her up but Sayanee won’t let go of Mayu.
“Fuck love, right?” Sayanee cries to Mayu.
“Oh my God, Sayanee, you’re drunk,” Mayu scolds at her. But deep inside she knows exactly how Sayanee is feeling.
“I’ll take her to bed,” Milky says as she tries to carry Sayanee with all her might.
“Milky,” Mayu calls her friend as she looks at Sayanee, “you really need to talk to her.”
Milky looks into Mayu’s eyes intently and nodded.
“I plan to,” she said and dragged Sayanee into her room.
Jurina watched them and continued drinking. She was interrupted when Mayu cleared her throat.
“I think you had too much drink too,” she said.
“It would be a waste not to finish this up,” Jurina jokes.
“Wanna hear the rest of the story?”
“I kinda know what happened next,” she said as a matter of fact.
Mayu unconsciously swallowed her spit. She wonders what Jurina is thinks about her now.
“And you think I’m disgusting for hitting on Yuki as a revenge?” the smaller woman asked, nervously.
“Mayu, trust me—no judgments,” Jurina tries to convince her.
Mayu smiled a little at how considerate Jurina is.
“From what I’ve heard, Sae was just leading you on in order to have you help her court Yuki. You didn’t pursue Yuki just because you were heartbroken. You did because you didn’t want Sae to hurt Yuki’s feelings too. And in the process, you fell in love with Yuki instead,” Jurina further explained.
“That’s absolutely right,” Mayu answers.
“But Yuki left you for Sae so does that tell us Yuki loved Sae from the start?”
“I really couldn’t tell—she never told me.”
“I’m pretty sure Yuki loved you.”
Mayu paused for a a while. Of course, she did. Yuki’s smiling face showed up in her head. She could almost hear her say three sweet words… but she’s left her.
“It doesn’t matter now, anyway.”
Mayu felt confident saying that. It’s a shame they turned out to be this way. She still loves Yuki—just not the same love she had for her before. For now, Mayu is happy focusing on her studies. But once Yuki shows up in front of her door, begging for her to bring her back… Mayu will cross the bridge when she gets there.
The silence in the room finally got to Mayu. Sayanee and Milky is gone now. She glances at Jurina who’s staring at her own glass. Her cheeks are flushed red and Mayu is amused.
“She still loves me, right?”
Mayu could sense the uncertainty in Jurina’s voice. The taller girl really wanted to know. Mayu wishes she knows the answer.
“Do you still love her?”
“I still love her so much,” Jurina started, “it hurts that she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore.”
Mayu reached for her soft hand, gently caressing with the tip of her fingers. Jurina’s eyes found her and Mayu realizes she likes this.
“You’ll be okay.”
The corner of Jurina’s lips slowly tugged to a smile. Mayu thinks she looks like a puppy with the smile of a cat.
…
…
Yui is pacing down the street with sore muscles. She wants to get a car but her life isn’t very stable at the moment. Her salary is pretty decent but still not enough to buy herself things that she would normally get if she were still famous. Fame. The same reason why their band disbanded. She sighs.
She’s near her house now and very excited to rest her feet and—she sniffs inside the paper bag on her hand—fill her stomach.
When she arrived at the gate, she noticed the same girl from last time. Ah, she looks pathetic sitting there, waiting for nothing. Yui decides to talk to her.
“Why are you always outside your house?”
Paru looked up to her but didn’t say anything. Realizing she wouldn’t get a response, Yui walked to her.
“Hungry?” she asked.
No response.
“Are you fond of waffles?”
Yui swears Paru’s eyes glimmered for a moment.
Cute.
Yui handed her the paper bag and the girl reached out hesistantly.
“Can I sit beside you?”
Paru nods.
Yui didn’t expect it but is overjoyed. She sat beside her as Paru munched on the waffles with a slight blush on her pale cheeks. Yui could almost squeal if she keeps staring so she decided to leave the little girl now.
“I’ll go ahead.”
Yui walked away without looking back.
She didn’t hear Paru mutter a shy ‘thank you’.
…
…
"Sae, you're back."
Yuki said as her girlfriend emerged from the shadows. She opened the shabby door wider.
"Yuki," the beat up officer called her girlfriend.
"What's wrong?"
As Sae heard the concern in Yuki’s voice, she voluntarily collapsed to her girlfriend’s arms. Yuki was caught outbalanced by the impact but used the door for support.
"Sayaka...she's..."
Sae’s voice cracked and Yuki feels bad for what happened. She heard the news.
"Sae..."
Yuki embraced Sae a little tighter. Although she isn’t so fond of how Sae is treating her lately, Yuki folds when Sae is vulnerable like this. She pulled the muscular girl’s head down to her shoulder which Sae sniffed dearly. Yuki just took a shower after a stressful day from work and the pleasant scent of her hair is filling Sae’s lungs. Sae took pride of this and started kissing her girlfriend’s shoulder blade gently up her neck.
"Sae. Wait."
Realizing that they are still standing at the doorway, Yuki felt the need to push her wounded girlfriend away. Sae, however, found Yuki’s resistance more arousing and started to feel her up in private places.
"What are you doing?"
Yuki removed her girlfriend’s hands from her breasts and stepped back to a safer distance. However, Sae doesn’t want to stop where she left off. Although wounded, she grabbed Yuki’s hands and pinned her against the wall.
"Sae. It hurts!"
From there, she began to snake her hand up inside Yuki’s nightgown and began to caress areas that she thought Yuki would like. Yuki struggles to break free but Sae isn’t letting her. When Yuki thought she’s hopeless, tears started flowing down her flushed cheeks—not from pleasure but disgust.
She hates the way Sae is feeling her roughly now. She hates the way Sae is being overprotective. Obsessive, even. She hates the way she hates Sae who is her fiancée but still loves Mayu even though they’re not together anymore. She hates to admit but she regrets choosing Sae. And Mayu is now moving on from her. With these thoughts, she started to sob and Sae stopped her actions.
Sae removed her hand between Yuki’s legs and stared deeply into her eyes. Yuki couldn’t see through her. Sae’s eyes are dark as her intentions. But when Yuki embraced her, she stopped thinking about anything and allowed Yuki to stroke her hair.
She still feels the jerk when Yuki sobs. Suddenly, came back to her senses and felt fear for hurting her lover. She’s scared that Yuki might leave her too. And so, she hugged Yuki tighter than usual.
"Yuki, please be mine only."
Yuki was taken aback and couldn’t speak.
"Don't leave me," Sae said a little demandingly. Yuki doesn’t like it but Sae’s mind is too clouded to realize this.
"It's alright, Sae," Yuki assured her and Sae finally relaxed. Yuki felt relieved and started to walk Sae to their bedroom. She laid her down and tugged her under the blanket. However, she noticed that Sae is still gripping her arm.
"I'm here. I'm right here."
Sae seemed to be content with this and drifted to sleep instantly.
Yuki sighed in relief and traced the red mark on her arm where Sae had been gripping her. She left the bedroom and grabbed her phone. There, she locked herself up and dialed her friend’s number. She doesn’t want Sae to know she’s been calling other people even if it’s work-related.
“Hello?” the voice croaks from the other line.
“Hey, Rena-chan.”
“Yuki? Are you crying?”
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Louise-sama | Home | Chapter V | つづく
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Welcome back Louise-sama~
Woah.... that last chapter really make my Jurimayu delusion go to the Max point. :inlove:
Its been a really long wait but its worth it, I re-read everything in case that I forgot the important part.. hehe.. :grin:
And I really found how you describe jurina that "she looks like a puppy with a cat smile" really fit her.
Its been troubling me since ages ago how to describe Jurina as an animal, cz she fit with both a puppy and a cat~
And why I didn't just mix them together, how stupid am I? :banghead:
Thank u for the chapter, hope u won't suddenly dissapear from me~ :lol: