She leaned back against the brick fence, her eyes shaded from the sunlight by a wide brimmed hat. Perhaps some may have wondered why she was standing there, but most would assume she was the older sister or similar relative of one of the students. Besides, she was hardly the only person waiting outside the gate. While most students would walk home with their friends, there were always a few who would be met by someone. Friends from another school, parents picking them up for an immediate errand. An older sibling or graduated upperclassman.
Her brown hair hung down her back, gathered loosely at the neck. The spring breeze fluttered her calf-length white skirt. The matching top was attractive, but not flashy. She was pretty, but not memorably so. Most people when asked would remember she was there, but probably would not be able to say much more. She held a handbag behind her back, thumping it lightly against the back of her legs. If someone came close, they might here her lightly humming a tune. They may have found it familiar, being a moderately popular song by a moderately popular idol duo.
A bell rang. The girl turned her head towards the gate, as did the others nearby. The iron gates closing off the school swung inwards, followed moments later by the first few students. These students rushed off down the sidewalk, eager to be home, or rushing to make it to some sort of after school obligation. That first trickle was followed by a torrent, as all the students without after school club activities made it to the gate. Here and there one would separate and head towards one of the people who'd be waiting. Some got in cars, others walked away together. Soon the girl was the only one left, as the flood of students slowed back into a trickle. She moved away from the wall and closer to the gate, tucking a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear. Only a few students were exiting now. Pairs or trios mostly, chatting with each other as they slowly walked out, in no rush to get to where they'd inevitably part.
Finally she appeared. She was with another girl. The other girl had jaw length brown hair, but she barely got a glance. The other girl, the one she'd been waiting for, seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. Her hair was so blonde it looked silver, her skin a pale white. Her ice blue eyes swung and met the brown eyes of the waiting girl. She turned to her companion and spoke briefly. The other girl smiled and ran off, waving as she went. The waiting girl walked up to the silver-haired girl. They both reached out, their hands meeting, fingers intertwined.
"Minami." The silver haired girl spoke, the name pronounced not quite right, as if Japanese weren't her native language. Which of course it wasn't.
"Anya." The waiting girl, Minami, in response. For a moment. Two moments they stood, staring into each other's eyes. Finally Minami let go with one hand, the other falling to her side, still intertwined with Anya's. They walked in silence, enjoying the spring air, and if they seemed rather close together, well, sometimes girls were like that with their friends.
They rounded a few corners, then headed down a small alley. Halfway down, Minami stopped. She let go of Anya's hand, turned, and folder her arms around the younger girl. "Oh Anya." She had buried her face in the short silvery hair.
"Minami". Anya returned the embrace, pulling their bodies together even tighter. They stayed that way, bodies pressed together, holding each other as if it were the last time they'd ever see each other. It wasn't, of course. Finally they relaxed, though even as they separated, their hands remained touching the other. Anya leaned in, and on cue, Minami did the same. Their lips met. They pulled together once more.
Fifteen minutes later they walked out the other end of the alley, their hands once more gripped together. The world knew them as Love Laika. But to each other, they were simply in love.