Sorry I disappeared just like that, but I forgot that I still owe one more OS before this is done and dusted. So here you go, this is the last post of this fic. Thank you very much!
OS - Careless Tears (Mayuki)
"I'm asking you one more time, are you going to quit?" Sae looks at Yui firmly. They are in Sae's bedroom one late afternoon. The autumn leaves are rustling outside as the two remain silent in each other's stare.
"No." Yui shakes her head sadly and lowered her head.
"Fine, we break up." Sae huffs as she looks away. "I'm sure I don't need to show you the way out."
"Sae...I have no reason to quit. The play is in one week!"
"I know. I'm not forcing you to do anything, that's why I am the one who's quitting. At first, you said there's a kiss scene. That's...that's fine. Then he starts to go after you. I can still stand this...." Sae's soft voice starts to tremor. "And then you guys are suddenly a couple at school, which still, I can just dismiss as a rumor. But...how can you just play along like I don't exist?" She finally looks back at Yui and pierce her with a sharp glare.
"This is not just my play! And he's just not 'any' guy! Jun is the chairman's son! I told you already, that nothing will happen between us! So why don't you just wait for another week?" Yui's red eyes are begging for her girlfriend to listen.
"It's so easy...my Yui-chan...it's so easy....if you just decide not to sell your soul for Catteleya's survival, and if you decide that I am actually good enough for you to let everyone know about us..." Frustrating tears are rolling down the boyish girls cheeks as she said it. Then, she felt a slap of thunder on her cheek.
"Selling my soul? Is that how you see me?" Yui nods angrily as if to assure herself that what she's about to do next is right. "It's over, Sae. We're over."
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How did this all happen? It was just two months ago, when their relationship was sailing happily into their first anniversary. But then, this whole financial crisis erupted in Yui's school. At first, there's hardly anything to do with Yui and Sae. They were just discussing how activities and classes got cancelled here and there due to one of their major backer's own bankruptcy. However, it then became evident that if the students don't do something, they might not be able to finish their year at this school. The adults have also tried very hard to raise money, and one of it is a school production that will play in the city hall theatre for 10 days to raise money from alumni and sponsors from the outside. In other words, it is not just a school play. It's a very professional and serious production that everyone who participates is prepared to pour their heart and soul into it. It's their last chance.
Under this premise, one thing led to another and finally, the fight that caused Yui to storm out of the room, stomping down the stairs and hiding her tears from the concerned look in Yuki's eyes.
"Yui-chan..." Yuki move towards her daughter's girlfriend and wiped her tears gently. "What happened? Did Sae say something that hurts?"
Yui looks at the taller woman but the words that she tries to form in her mouth turn into a babble as she cries out loud.
"She's...she's so stupid!! Baka!!!" She buries her face into Yuki's chest as the mother strokes her hair to comfort her.
"Don't worry, I will take care of this." She wanted to go up and give Sae a good scolding. Even without learning about anything, she's always on Yui's side. However, the sobbing girl held her back.
"It's okay, Okachan...I want to go home and rest first." She takes off listlessly without saying another word, with Yuki sighing behind her.
At the doorstep, she found something that has slipped through the opened window in Sae's bedroom. There are two letters. They're one of those letters that Yuki and Mayu exchanged.
How careless can this idiot be! The angry Yui looked up and wanted to return the letters, but her eyes met with the panicking Sae, who accidentally let it slip through as she's rumbling through the box in frustration a while ago.
"Give it back, Yui!" Sae commanded rudely. Any one with some intelligence should know that this attitude will only backfire.
"You! I won't!! No matter what, I don't want to see you again!" Yui clutches the letter in her hand even closer and runs away.
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"Baka baka baka baka!!" Yui repeats to herself as she throw punches on the hamburger cushion on her lap, a gift from Sae a couple of months ago. She looks at the letters, both of which are addressed to Yuki, in Mayu's neat handwriting.
"She can't even inherit the handwriting from her mum...idiot..." Yui cursed under her breath and decided to read the letter to calm herself down. Sorry...she apologise to the couple in her head while she carefully examines the contents.
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"Dear Yuki,
Why haven't you replied to me yet? It's been two months since I've last written to you. Are you trying to hide anything from me? It's making me worried. I kept reading the last letter you wrote. You got a new job a video rental store, right? The night shifts...the way you described it...it's making me guess all kinds of stuff. Did you get into trouble with customers? You can quit any time! Just don't force yourself to deal with perverts hitting on you all the time. I know it pays well, but you're clearly not getting enough rest! Look, what's even more important than replying to me? Have you forgotten about me already?"
The neat handwriting turn into scribbles already at this point, which is the first time Yui could sense any frustration coming out from Mayu's letters. The lines after that were crossed out hastily and then it continues:
"Well, I know it's impossible, and I haven't forgotten about you at all, any second of the day. I...Let's talk about what I'm up to, shall we? We've been planting some new seeds in small greenhouse that I built in the flower shop. Trying to cultivate some hydrangeas. Once the shoots start to appear and spring comes, I will move it out to the garden. I hope it will grow into a shrub and I can send you pictures of those flowers soon!
Love,
Mayu"
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The second letter is dated much later, in early summer of the year 2014. Sae must be...around 3 already? Yui mused as she opened the letter.
"Dear Yuki,
Still no reply from you. I've been counting. This is the 11th time I'm writing to you. It's probably my last. I keep saying this, but I know I wanted to see you. I will find a way to fly back, so don't you think you can escape from me. And Sae...Sae is my daughter too! Lately, I've been thinking whether I'm living in a giant prison that happens to be called England. I can't leave and I can't see you. I can't demand anything! I'm worse than an inmate! Kashiwagi Yuki...did you, did you betr..."
This part is scribbled and crossed violently off again. Yui can sense the hesitation in Mayu's accusation. Of course it's impossible for Yuki to do anything behind her back. And that's not said in hindsight but rather based on the things they have been through together. But she can understand though. Six months at least, with no conversation, news, or any sort of explanation. She would've felt frustrated if it was she who experienced all this. Luckily, Mayu didn't finish the sentence in the end. But what if, they were face-to-face with each other, would she have blurted out such ridiculous things? Yui wonders how Sae had felt when she saw Jun and her kiss on stage in the rehearsal that day...
"Yuki, just tell me and let me play my part! Don't you trust me? No matter what, I won't give up. There's been some profit from the flower shop and soon enough I will be able to come back to check on you, even if it means my dad will find out. Do you remember the hydrangeas I told you about? They grew into giant shrubs and flowered in the abundant rainfall. I take walks and check on them all the time. Lately, they look like they are crying when I looked down at them in the rain. Or maybe, my umbrella is not working anymore. I was holding it up, but the rain still beat on my face...this is not fair! Even if I want to meet you like this, even if I love you so much, you still..."
The letter was sent out without any ending. The paper is a bit creased from droplets of water, which Yui can only guess is from Mayu's dried tears. It does seem like this is the last letter in her hands, Yui thought, that's unless Yuki replied. Why did Yuki choose to ignore Mayu for such a long time?
Unable to contain her frustration and curiosity, Yui twists and turns inside her bed at night, wondering if she should go to Sae's home to find out the answer. Not wanting another fight, her thoughts start to wonder off to the play, and the not so innocent advances from Jun. Sae's instincts have been right, and they both know it. It's only...that play is not just some extra-circular stuff that's for her own enjoyment only. Everybody's hopes-- Paruru, Lemon-chan, Minarun-- all her classmates are giving their best to make this fundraise happen. Is it worth it to break up with Sae over this though? Urghhh! Why is everything so frustrating?
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Meanwhile in Sae's own room, she's been regretting the hurtful words she blurted out to Yui as she tidies the letters back into the box. She knows she's wrong but the heat of the situation didn't allow her to think. She contemplates on going to Yui's to make up for the fight, but she's still adamant about her quitting the play. It is after all, Cattelaya's business, why does she have to drag both of them into it? If a fight will happen again, she might as well leave it till tomorrow before she apologises. Of course, there's NO way she will ever break up with Yui, ever.
Suddenly, she notices a blue envelop in the box, which are made up of predominantly white or pink envelops, the two colours and papers that Mayu and Yuki used in their letters with each other. Why was there a blue one that she missed?
Opening the letter that was not stamped nor addressed to anyone on the envelope, she realised it's a letter from Yuki to Mayu, dated in mid-summer of 2014. O...Sae murmurs, it happened during the 'time-skip'? She silently refers to the period when Mayu wrote excessively to Yuki without any replies from her as the 'time-skip,' because she never knew what happened in the end and that soon later, their exchanges resumed. She hadn't really put much thought to the mystery, but now, she's dying to know what happened.
"Dear Mayu,
You must be surprised that a stranger came to your flower shop to deliver this letter to you. He's none other than the creepy man at the rental store I told you about....but he's not creepy at all! Since you're reading this, you must have finally trusted his dubious looking face, thank god!
Anyway, I'm sorry Mayu. I couldn't write to you and there's a good reason behind this. We're...you're being intercepted in all our communications. I don't know why any one..or why your dad (most probably), would care about us, but I have only received two letters from you, which must have somehow slipped through their radar. I have tried writing a letter to a random place a few months ago in order to confirm my thoughts. It seemed that even that wasn't delivered. They must have fixed up something at the mail room such that all my letters get intercepted or destroyed...I don't know. I have no friends here that I can trust in this neighbourhood. But I finally befriended Yuasa-san, who turned out to be a nice man. He said he's going to London, so...so I begged him to deliver you this. Mayu, you must find out why this is happening and help us. Right now, Sae and I are safe, but we miss you! I read your letter...your 11th letter but the second one I received. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!
I love you and I'm desperate to see you too! Sae can speak in sentences now, and I have brought her to the botanical gardens to see hydrangeas. They are in all sorts of colours, arranging neatly around the fountain. Is it like this at your place too? We loved the ones in pink. I don't see this colour a lot, but somehow, it reminds me of a beating heart. I can't imagine seeing them cry...no, the raindrops on them are tears of strength and hope. O, Mayu! Don't drop careless tears like that anymore, they are too precious for you to waste. Even if we can't meet, even if...we are not as close as strangers one day, I will always trust in you, so...so don't give up on me, okay?
Love you so much,
Yukirin"
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It was only such a small gesture from the others, but that was enough to break the line of communication between Mayu and Yuki. It was enough to drive Mayu mad in worry...and suspicion. But Mama-rin was right...she would always trust in Mayuyu. Why should it be any different for her and Yui?
"I..I must..."
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The rustling noises outside her window startled Yui, who is wide awake from various thoughts that occupy her mind. She looked out and saw a black figure climbing up to her room. She's about to shout at this blatant burglary at the middle of the night but she quickly stopped as she realised it is Sae.
Sliding open the window, she let her in but glares at her angrily.
"What, are, you, doing?!" She whispers and closes the curtains in case anyone saw.
"Yui-chan..." Sae bows down. "I'm wrong. Don't break up with me." She peeks up and find Yui biting her lip.
"Please..." She begs again and holds onto her hand. Yui didn't resist. Yessss! Sae thought.
"Yuihhhhhan! Yui---hime! I'm willing to be punished any way you like. I can dress up as a monkey for a whole week, or I can stop going to any fights... or even, watch your stage play every hour of my waking life!"
Yui puts her hand on Sae's mouth to muffle her slowly raising voice.
"Stop getting loud, you idiot..." She pulls her down to sit with her. "I know it, I know it, it's okay, I have forgiven you already."
She rests her head on Sae's arm and wraps her arms around her. "In fact, I can't stand even a day not being your girlfriend." She says sweetly. "I am glad you finally understand me."
"It was me being stupid and suspicious..." Sae said. "I won't stop you from doing anything anymore. And I understand that for sake of everyone, it's better to keep things between us a secret. However, it's 4 now and I should probably go. I need to go to school tomorrow too."
"Wait up..." Yui grabs Sae's hand and urge her to sit down again. "Don't leave tonight."
"But...but it will be impossible for me to go back on time..."
"I want to take you to school tomorrow." Yui sat up and look straight into Sae's eyes. She understood what this means and gasps.
"I want everyone to know that I am with you, Miyazawa Sae. And if they can't stand this, then there is no reason for me to fight for this school either. Sorry, I have been so insensitive this whole time. I don't want to let you go that easily...not after being reminded that it is ten times more difficult for a lot of other couples."
"Do you mean my Mama's?" Sae grins proudly and wraps her arms around her. "I love you very much too, Yui. I will grow up into a person that's worthy to be with you. I will trust in you no matter what from now on."
She leans down and kisses Yui, who smiles and responds passionately at her lover's advances.
-the END-
Topic: Majisuka Gakuran (Chapter 16/16) [Mayuki, Saeyui] - FINAL - [Complete] (Read 59164 times)