Implied pairings, but I like Sayu more so she gets the lead here
The turtle to the hare.“How’s this?”
“Mmm, pink doesn’t fit you that well.”
Her honesty made the girl before her frown in disappointment. After watching the other spin round after rounds in hopes of convincing herself into liking the dress, it just wasn’t possible. Pink wasn’t the girl’s color, or perhaps the girl just wasn’t meant for pink. Either way, Kamei Eri needed a different outfit, and Sayumi wasn’t too ready to help.
“Just wear something normal, like what you always wear during outings.”
“But that’s normal! I want to impress. Today’s important!”
“Of course it is.” Sayumi’s voice was dipped in enough sarcasm to drown the world. She rolled her eyes and returned to her opened wardrobe in search of something fitting, and at the same time taking her own sweet time to do it.
Eri had been invited to lunch, hence the clothes fitting that had started since an unholy hour of the morning. Normally the girl wouldn’t spend this much time on clothes, but naturally, it made sense. After all, she was invited by none other than the other half of GAKIKAME, the <i>‘Gaki’</i>. Sayumi scoffed at the thought.
“Have you caught a cold, Sayu?”
“What? Oh, no. It was just dusty in here.”
She should’ve scoffed with more discreet. Whatever. Sayumi always knew there was something between those two. The closeness irked her no less. Risa has her Ai-chan, Sayumi thought. So why take Eri away from her? Of course, there was always Reina to pester if she needed friendship, but that wasn’t the case. Eri was the turtle to the bunny (Hares weren’t as cute), and brats wouldn’t treat a poor gullible turtle well! Sayumi felt sorry for her best friend, believing that Risa would break her heart someday. But really, it was just jealousy eating into her. Or is it? Images of Risa and Ai started popping into her head.
“Sayu, have you found anything yet? Were you even doing anything?!”
Eri had been towering over Sayumi for some time, watching the girl below stare into the darkness of her closet while resting her arms on a pile of t-shirts. Having enough of waiting, she proceeded to interrupt the younger girl.
“I was looking for your outfit, what does it look like I’m doing?”
“Uhm, falling asleep on your clothes?”
“Argh! You’re so picky! Here!”
Pretending to be irritated, Sayumi picked something out of random and flung it at her friend. She had hoped it was something ugly that would waste more of Eri's time, but man, was she horribly wrong. It was a white one piece with floral patterned embroidery by its’ hem.
“Sayu! This is great! Thank you!”
Eri caught the dress and had already started holding the one piece up to her chest while spinning around before the full-sized mirror, waving the outfit about as if she was dancing with it. The jealous girl had to admit, even if she just held it before her, the dress did suit the other quite well. It was suitable for the weather and made her best friend look completely innocent, beautiful even.
‘Well, shit’, she thought in the end of it all. So much for wanting to delay Eri’s ‘date’.
“Why didn't you show me this early?” Eri spun around and looked at Sayumi with mock anger. A shrug of the shoulder was all that the narcissistic idol could do. She never knew the dress existed in the first place, and she’s beginning to hate its existent now.
“Guess I for-…” Everything prompted to shut down immediately when Eri started to strip herself of the undesired pink dress in front of her best friend. As shy as the girl was, changing in front of her friends was an exception. What was there to hide anyway? Sayumi on the other hand was seated on the carpeted floor watching with her mouth hanging open.
She wanted to go up to Eri and touch her, hold her, and keep her from leaving the room. She wanted to push her down against something, anything, and ravage her. And when they would next open their eyes, Sayumi hoped that Eri would’ve come to her senses and cancels that date she had which was already over by then anyway. And finally, Sayumi wished she could do these.
But she was Michishige Sayumi. She wasn’t weak, or blatantly desperate. She was cunning, smart, pure evil behind the shamelessly cute mask. She can’t possibly admit that she wants to beg for her best friend to be hers alone. No, of course not! In fact, she wanted Eri to come to her instead, willingly too.
When she next blinked, Eri was already dressed.
“Hey, how is this? I think it’s lovely.”
The girl was delighted as she observed her entire self through the mirror. Blushing at how pretty she felt in the dress as well as at the body contact she felt suddenly. Sayumi had appeared from behind without a word and had her arms wrapped around her best friend. One arm snaking down from Eri’s shoulders and the other came from under the arms and around the other’s waist. Full of pretense, Sayumi touched the strap of the one piece delicately and hummed with empty thoughts. Her other hand started to fiddle at the small folds around the waistline.
“It looks good, feels comfy too!” <i>Ah, you feel nice...</i>
“I’m sure Gaki-san would like it.” <i>I hope she doesn’t.</i>
“Yup. It’s lovely.”
Sayumi stopped with her light frisking and backed away, reluctantly letting go of her best fiend. Behind her cuteness, and behind the shrewdness, was a new part of her that truly wishes for Eri’s happiness, and nothing satisfies her more than that. Knowing Eri, the girl would smile the brightest if she were punctual for her date.
“You’ll be late if you keep ogling at yourself in the mirror, you know that?”
“I’m not ogling at myself!”
“Whatever. Now get going before Gaki-san thinks you stood her up.”
“She wouldn’t do that!”
Sayumi gave a face and shrugged, forcing a laugh when she saw Eri stumble over the clothes strewn over the floor in an attempt to rush to the door. The poor girl fell for the threat.
“Guess it’s time to say bye…” The younger idol mumbled, when a thought hit her. “Oh, wait! Eririn!”
Grabbing something from the closet, Sayumi rushed after the girl and managed to catch her in time.
”It’ll be cold if you’re going to stay out for too long. Here, wear this.”
“Ooh, you’re so thoughtful. Thanks!”
Helping Eri put in the denim jacket, Sayumi finally waved goodbye to her friend and locked the door behind her after entering her house again. The jacket was a good idea, she mused to herself. She wouldn’t want Risa to stare at Eri’s bare arms like what she herself did earlier after all. It’ll be her loss to benefit her sub-leader. Smiling with a moment’s worth of satisfaction, Sayumi returned back to her room to clean the mess that she did not make.