Mei walked back, holding onto an expression that was somewhere between anger and determination she had subconsciously reserved for epiphanies of genuine confidence. The moment her vision caught Yuzu sitting on the edge of the bench she grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. "I met her on the way to the bathroom. She was going home, something about boredom? I got the feeling she spent the day out of school and got a call from her parents". From what Mei gathered that was roughly close enough to her personality type to be believable, although regardless of believability Yuzu was flustered by their physical contact either way. "Oh… well, I'll just text her when we get home… but maybe… since we're already here… and not in uniform…" she stammered out. Serving only to consolidate her self-assurance, Yuzu's awkward proposal went seemingly unnoticed as Mei glided her to the exit in a fashion similar to the usual interlocking of high school girls. Mei paused as they exited to the sidewalk, gently turning to face Yuzu only inches away,

"There's something we need to talk to about. Let's just go home, ok? "

"O-Oh… Ok!"

Mei, regaining her composure, promptly slid her arm from Yuzu as they walked down the street. Why did it go that far though? Of course she had wanted to return Yuzu's kindness, she didn't deserve to be the plaything of some middle schooler from her past, but… Was that entirely necessary? Being many things but foolish Mei understood the implications of their last kiss, the growing attraction she had. Sadly, she simultaneously accepted the absence of any practical future together. However, as she fought off cognitive dissonance an interesting question seemed to arise, if Yuzu happened to find another girl, or even boy, that loved her genuinely… would I give her up? Is there anyone who can take care of her… who can she trust?

Plagued with similar contemplations Yuzu glanced over to her as they walked on in silence, both of them trying to figure out Mei's feelings and neither coming close. Experience had found Yuzu naturally adept at deciphering Mei's needs, however when she placed herself into the equation it became obvious that her vision was clouded by insecurities about Mei's feelings toward her.

And so they walked on, eventually crossing the threshold of their home. Yuzu always being the first to break the silence,

"So what did you want-"

"Your friend… what was her name?" Mei said softly, placing her handbag on the counter but not turning around.

"Matsru…?"

"I understand that you two were close?"

"Yeah, like I said, we're basically sisters-"

"So you kiss all your sisters?"

Yuzu caught herself falling backward, as if struck.

"That's not… How do you know about that?… and … It's not fair, all of my sisters have kissed me" finally finding her ground Yuzu steps up, only to see Mei's expression and fall harder than before.

"… Mei…?"

Discerning the vulnerability on her face Mei quickly fixed Yuzu with a dead stare, softening only a little when the words she meant to say formed in her mouth, "She doesn't love you… She's using you. Matsru's only playing with you Yuzu. And… we both know these games hurt… just as a curtsy for what you've done for me… please don't hurt yourself…"

In this brief display of emotion Yuzu had a moment of clarity, of course Mei was concerned, but her exaggerations… Could she be jealous as well? Possibly, although Yuzu's honest nature prevented her reflexive answer from the slightest manipulation.

However "these games" may be played, Yuzu was simply a pawn.

"I don't think you can understand the way Matsur loves me, or maybe you can, when you think about Himeko? But anyway, it's not... 'romantic'… she just missed me… you might get it better if you knew her, she's always been the mischievous type, and a little possessive. She's just excited, as soon as she sees it's not going anywhere she'll stop. I mean, it's been a few months and she's only just thought of me."

Yuzu moved closer to Mei's back as she softly whispered her reassurances, an outstretched hand hesitated a moment before wrapping around Mei's shoulders. Nuzzling into Mei's neck Yuzu's eyes gently closed as she wore a gentle smile, speaking in a volume one can only hear from millimeters away,

"Thank you…for worrying about me…"

There were no ulterior motives beyond consolation, sensing this however, Mei's flush only deepened. Yuzu did not see the flush on Mei's face as she said "I'm bathing first", nor did she feel the tremble in Mei's finger tips as she undid the clasp Yuzu had formed around her shoulders. And of course, being blind to all this, or rather having it hidden away from her, Yuzu was also unaware of the hesitation in Mei's footsteps as she walked away.

Thinking only of how intimate the whole situation had felt, Yuzu walked into their shared bedroom and changed her clothes. Perhaps for the best, if she had known how close she came to finally reliving that one unforgettable kiss, only to miss it by something as simple as the turn of a head? Well, it seemed their relationship had run a full cycle, back to square one, with the feelings of one going unnoticed by the other.

It was only a matter of time before the fault in their communication become exacerbated, but timing was cruel, as it always was on them and the next morning as Mei walked a few paces ahead of Yuzu (having opted to not wait for her as she closed the door), she stepped onto the sidewalk and saw a blonde flash out of the corner of her eye.

Stunned, Mei stared at Matsur, curled up in the fetal position with her face buried in her knees. Yuzu catched up to her, breathing deeply and placing her hands on her own knees, trying to catch her breath,

"You know-… what's the-… point of walking-…" Yuzu paused her drying throat to swallow, Mei looked at her with a calm mask then looked back, following her gaze Yuzu's eyes landed on Matsru as she finished her sentence, "together if you… don't... wait… up…"

Yuzu knelt down at a speed which mirrored falling, startling Mei, but not Matsru…

"Oh my God! What're you doing here? What's wrong? Do you have any idea what time it is? How early did you leave- Wait, did you even come from your house?!"

Matsru looked up at Yuzu, just enough that she saw her eyes, brimming with tears.

"I can't… I can't talk about it… unless we're alone…" Matsru mumbled out, glancing at Mei for a moment before reburying her face.

Yuzu glanced over at Mei "Can you walk ahead? I'll catch up to you, or maybe I'll just see you after school"

There was no room to object, they barely looked at her, Mei wasn't a part of this, at least not until she left. Unprepared, and uncertain of the realism of the scene, Mei complied with a nod and walked past them.

As the footsteps became fainter Matsru raise her head, wiping her eyes with her forearm. Yuzu leaned forward to sit on the concrete beside her, pulling her in with an arm around the shoulder,

"Ok, we're alone. What's the matter? You're scaring me"

Resting her head on Yuzu's shoulder Matsru stuttered,

"It's your girl-girlfriend Onee-chan"

Unconsciously, a blush rose to her cheeks at the mention of the 'girlfriend' word.

"She's not my girlfriend… you know that" Yuzu mumbled modestly.

"It's just… she's not good for you… she's not nice Onee-chan!"

"What're you-?"

"After I left yesterday I ran into her… and I told her that I love you, and that if she didn't love you the same way… that she should just say so! So you wouldn't get hurt"

A faint remembrance of last night's conversation came back to her as Matsru muttered out her story,

"And she… she laughed in my face! It was so cruel!" Matsru began to sob, only quieting down when Yuzu rubbed her shoulder and nuzzled her mouth into Matsru's hair in a haphazard, sisterly kiss. All the while listening intently.

"I got so mad I just… I just told her we kissed!"

Yuzu froze in her spot, holding her breath.

"Then she… she pulled me up by my shirt, until we were face to face, and… she kissed me" Matsru squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her head into Yuzu's shoulder, as if trying to hide her embarrassment. But she continued none the less.

"I was so shocked. She threw me back, so hard I almost fell down and had this look on her face… I can't describe it, but she said 'That's what a kiss is… it's nothing' like she did it all the time! She told me I can have you if I wanted…"

Yuzu was slowly pulling away from Matsru, gathering her thoughts, and with them her skepticism.

"Onee-chan, please don't be mad but… a friend from my old school saw the whole thing. She thought I was being bullied, so when Mei started to get rough she snapped this picture and sent it to me…"

Yuzu turned to see Matsru holding her phone directly in front her face, on it was a picture of Mei kissing Matsru, with a fist balled up on the collar of her shirt.

On the courtyard of the school the President was doing her usual duties, gauging the uniforms of each student that passed by. Noticeably more sever this morning, she held a fixed look few understood, the President whom everyone knew to be strict but fair had on a look of anger. A look that told anyone unlucky enough to be caught in her gaze that she hated them. What fueled this anger? Fear. Anxiety. Although all these emotions lurked just below the surface, no one could understand anything past her cold expression, but there was no mistaking the anger in the depths of her eyes.

Mei had expected to see many things; cell phones, colored hair bands, jewelry, dyed hair… and she did of course she had not expected however, to see all these things unhidden on her sister. And as Yuzu approached further, Mei saw her third surprise for the morning… her anger dissipated only to be reflected in the eyes that stared back at her now, fearlessly inches away.

Yuzu recognized the stunned expression Mei now wore, but confused the meaning behind it.

"You never… You…" Yuzu stumbled over her thoughts to find the right words.

"Were you… always this cruel? This… manipulative?" as she picked up momentum it became harder to stop,

"You just, you hurt everyone around you because if you're miserable everyone has to be, right? You're a spoiled child. You're spoiled, and insensitive, and selfish, and you know what? Just because nothing has any value to you, don't think it doesn't to anyone else" Yuzu was crying now, covering her mouth with both hands, Tears of anger? Of jealousy? Of embarrassment?

Mei didn't understand, she only knew that Yuzu was trying to hurt her, but why… the only thing she was sure of was that Matsru wasn't to be trusted. Attempting to hold Yuzu Mei opened her hands but before she could react Yuzu ran. Ran back onto the street, crossed the road and down the allies, as far as she could make it without Mei by her side.