Pulling absentmindedly at the edge of her skirt, trying to get it to lay right, Azusa scanned the park for Yui's head of fluffy hair. With the abundance of dogs around, Azusa knew the girl would have trouble focusing for long enough to find the bench they had decided to meet at. The wind pulled at her twintails, hair rippling in waves over the front of her shoulders. Giving into the gusts, autumn leaves fell from their branches and swirled around in the air. Still, Azusa didn't see Yui anywhere. Pulling out her phone, Azusa typed out a quick text, asking where Yui was.
Somehow, being late to their first date seemed perfectly fitting for Yui. Of course, Azusa had arrived nearly fifteen minutes early, just to be sure that she would make it on time. She had spent hours trying to decide on an outfit and straighten out her bed head, wanting to make a good impression. Though, she knew her efforts likely wouldn't matter much to her ditzy senpai. Yui liked her whether she looked like a princess or a complete mess.
"Azunyan!" A cheery voice called from behind her. In a moment, warm hands were on her shoulders, somehow keeping their heat in the chilly air.
Laying her head back, Azusa was met with Yui's smiling face hovering just inches above her own. Eyes bright with excitement, Yui giggled happily.
"I found the cutest puppy on the way here," Yui said, walking around the bench to sit with Azusa. Skipping any form of greeting, Yui continued to talk excitedly, bright and animated. "The little girl walking with it even let me pet it. It was so fluffy!" Yui beamed, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Azusa.
"So that's why your late," Azusa mused, not surprised in the least. Still, it set her nerves at ease some to see that Yui was acting just like her usual self. After she had asked Yui on a date, her worries had gotten the best of her. She hoped nothing would really change between them, besides being a bit closer, and was glad to see that was the case.
Giving a sheepish giggle, Yui tucked a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. A small smile curving up on the corners of her lips, Azusa took the quiet laugh as an apology and silently forgave her.
"What did you want to do today?" Yui asked curiously, letting her hands fall to her lap.
Thinking on the question, Azusa watched the leaves raining down around them. They drifted on the breeze in shades of red and gold, filling the sky with warm hues that didn't quite match the chilly weather. "Do you want to go to a cafe?" Azusa asked, the heel of her boot clicking on the sidewalk as she uncrossed her legs. Reflexively, she scooted closer to Yui, appreciating the warmth that radiated from her.
"That sounds nice," Yui agreed, getting to her feet. Extending a hand, she offered to Azusa, who shyly accepted it. The younger girl's cold fingers twined with her's, Yui helped her up from the bench. "I know a really cute place near here," Yui suggested, taking the lead and heading off in the direction of her chosen destination.
"Alright," Azusa replied.
As Yui walked happily on, edging in front of Azusa with enthusiastic steps, Azusa snuck a quick glance at their hands. Having helped her up, Yui never let go of her hand. While a bit of pink dusted her cheeks, Azusa let a sweet grin tug at her lips until they curved up at the ends. Even though Yui could be a bit clueless at times, she really was a nice girl. Azusa appreciated her simple happiness, not bothering to worry about the small stuff. It was easy for the younger girl to stress over every little thing, but Yui reminder her to let go and have some fun.
At the little shop Yui led them to, Azusa sat down with her jasmine tea. Yui trailed behind with a steamed strawberry milk in hand, taking a seat by the window, across from her date. Blowing against the surface of the hot drink, ripples dancing out from the center, Azusa took a sip. She looked up at Yui, who was busy wiping pink foam from her mouth.
A laugh bubbling up in her throat, Azusa held a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the giggles. Yui gave her a curious glance, tilting her head the the side.
"There's a leaf in your hair," Azusa giggled, reaching across the table to pull it out of her fluffy locks.
Laying the maple leaf on the table between them, Azusa playfully rolled her eyes as Yui curiously eyed the leaf. After a moment, she picked it up, setting it gently in the pocket of her jacket. Without a second thought, she went back to her drink, taking a sip, completely oblivious to Azusa's confused gaze.
"Why did you put it in your pocket?" Azusa asked, seeing she wasn't going to get an explanation without some prompting.
"I'm going to keep it," Yui replied, happy grin on her face. "It'll be like a souvenir from our first date," she added cheerily.
At first, Azusa thought it was a bit strange, not that Yui was keeping the leaf, but that she was actually being thoughtful. Though, it somehow made so much sense. It was just like Yui to be that sweet, even in a sort of ditzy way. There really wouldn't be many people who would think to keep something like a leaf as a memento, but it was sweet nonetheless.
"I don't want to forget this day," Yui declared, eyes sparkling with determination.
"Me either," Azusa replied lightly. Though, she doubted she ever would. Now, she'd think of their first date every autumn when the maple leaves started to fall.