A/N:

Here it is: the very first Natsuiro Kiseki fanfiction! Yay!

Disclaimer: on my profile page in bold letters.

If Only You Knew

The mid-summer sun shone brightly as two girls, best friends, sat next to each other on a bench near the local Lawson store, enjoying some ice cream to try to cool off from the seemingly never-ending heat. The distant chirping of the cicadas gave a bit of a nostalgic feel to the scene.

Rin, the quiet one of the pair, concentrated on eating her cold treat while Yuka talked. Or more accurately, complained.

"Ahh, where are Saki and Natsumi? They've been at that tennis match for hours! Why is it taking them so long?"

The green-haired girl let out a sigh of frustration before angrily scooping up some ice-cream and stuffing it into her mouth.

"They'll be here, don't worry."

Rin's gentle, whispery voice was barely audible, nearly carried off by the soft breeze that did little to dull the edge of the heat and humidity.

I can't tell her what they're really up to…

"Gahh, but you've been saying that for the last half hour!"

Yuka's pout was adorable to Rin. The quiet girl smiled, pausing to speak before putting a spoonful of ice-cream in her mouth.

"Be patient, Yuka. You know this match is important to them. They'll be here."

For over an hour, they had been waiting for Natsumi and Saki. The four were supposed to go downtown for a little shopping, but the duo was nowhere in sight.

I wonder how Yuka feels about Saki moving away. I know Natsumi feels horrible about it and I can empathize. I would be devastated if it was Yuka who was leaving…

Rin decided to give in to her curiosity.

"Say, Yuka…" Rin ventured, "what do you think about Saki leaving at the end of summer?"

"I…don't know, Rin. I… It will be different without her, for sure. I feel bad for Natsumi – she's really going to miss her. Man, this stinks. We were supposed to be idols together. Why does Saki have to go at a time like this?"

Yuka's brow furrowed in thought. Then, suddenly, her face lit up.

"I know! We…we can like, wish on the rock for her to stay! Or, or convince her mom and dad to let her live with Natsumi! Or…"

Yuka's normally energetic tone of voice wavered as Rin looked at her doubtfully.

"We could wish on the big rock, but Natsumi would never agree to it," the violet-haired girl reminded Yuka.

"Huh, that Natsumi…"

Yuka let out a frustrated groan .

"But Saki and Natsumi are really close," Rin continued. "Saki isn't even gone yet, and Natsumi's already having a hard time. It'll be a lot worse when Saki actually leaves. I don't blame her. I…would feel the same way if Yuka moved away."

Rin blushed as she said these words, smiling faintly with embarrassment as she realized what she was implying.

Oh, no…me and my big mouth! Well, it is the truth after all. I wonder how she'll react…

Yuka looked at Rin, her eyes shining with gratitude.

"Rinko is so sweet!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Rin and hugging her tightly.

Of all the things you could have said to me…I suppose you just see me as a friend, huh…

Rin ate another spoonful of ice-cream. She stole a glance at her friend, who was now complaining of possible heatstroke.

I wonder…do you really think of me as a friend? Or do you share the same feelings as me? I want to know, but I don't want to know. Wait, that doesn't make sense. I should ask her. Should I ask her? Maybe I-

"Hey, Rin…"

Yuka's voice, now calm, brought Rin out of her musings. The violet-haired girl glanced at her longtime friend questioningly.

"About Natsumi…it's like she can't seem to let Saki go, and…um…"

Yuka's voice sank to a whisper.

"…I'm a little worried about her."

A small smile crept across Rin's lips.

Yuka always worries about us, even if she won't always admit it. But in the end, she always shows us she cares, in her own special way…

"I don't know, Yuka. Natsumi and Saki have been neighbors and best friends ever since they were really small. They practically grew up together…"

Rin looked at Yuka thoughtfully. Maybe this was finally the right opportunity to ask Yuka…

"Say…Yuka…do you think…what would you say if I told you Natsumi was in lo-"

"S-sorry we're so late, guys!"

Rin's question was interrupted by Natsumi's unmistakably energetic voice as she Saki came running up to the bench where their friends were sitting. Their hair was a mess, their clothes disheveled, and their faces a bright red. They were running hand in hand, fingers intertwined, although when they saw Yuka and Rin were looking they immediately pulled their hands apart.

"Natsumi and I, um…" Saki began. "The match went super long…"

"We were, uh, at match point, like, a bunch of times," Natsumi added. "We, er, couldn't seem to finish it…"

The two blushed and stuttered as they began telling Yuka and Rin their clearly made-up story about why they were late. Rin glanced at Yuka and smiled wistfully.

Oh, well… I guess I wasn't meant to tell you after all.

A/N:

Ah, well here we have it. My first fiction outside my usual fandom! This, although short, was a challenge to write, because I don't know the characters that well and because of my small phobia of getting out of my comfort zone (that being my usual fandom). Nonetheless, it was a fun challenge and I enjoyed writing it (once I got back into the groove of writing, which took me long enough).

And a huge thank you goes to my awesome Beta-chan, Genki Collective, who not only helped me out with this story, but also gave me that extra push to make me finish it. Thanks, Beta-chan, you're one of a kind and I couldn't have done it without you!

Thanks for reading and I hope you review!

~Musician74