a/n: did you guys really think i was done with the coffeeshop au
but yeah the ova was great (despite the lack of kumirei) and i knew as soon as that hug happened that it needed to be brought to this au
happy new yuri, let's make 2016 even more kumirei-filled than 2015
Yuuko: Hey!
Yuuko: I thought we were going out today
Yuuko: What happened to that idea?
Yuuko: B(
Natsuki: okay first what the hell even is that emoticon
Natsuki: sorry
Natsuki: what the /heck/ is that emoticon
Yuuko: It's an annoyed sunglasses man
Natsuki: ok
Yuuko: And I'm not a kid, you don't need to pardon yourself
Natsuki: says the grown woman who's still pining after a girl who doesn't seem to even notice her back like a secondary character in the b-plot of an anime
Natsuki: and i'm at work, in any case
Natsuki: it's not easy, ya know
Yuuko: I know that!
Yuuko: I just wanna have someone to wait for kaori with until she's done with her midterms and all that since they're coming up soon apparently
Natsuki: midterms
Natsuki: right
Natsuki: i remember when midterms caused a bunch of trouble for one of my friends
Natsuki: two of them, really
Natsuki: heh
Natsuki: god, that feels like it was so long ago
Yuuko: Quit overreacting!
Natsuki: crap i have to go
Yuuko: Why?
Natsuki: uh
Natsuki: the manager is calling me
Natsuki: everyone's kinda scared of them so i wouldn't wanna get on their bad side
Natsuki shoved her phone back into her pocket with a sigh. The manager had not, in fact, called her, but she wasn't willing to explain past events to anyone - much less Yuuko. In any case, the winter crowd was just starting to return to Euphonium's as the November air began to creep into the corners of the coffeeshop. She had been working there for several months, now, and she would have been lying if she said that it was anything but grueling work, but the manager had accepted her without even taking a glance at her resume as soon as she mentioned knowing a "former employee." It would be stupid to turn down a job like that, with no questions asked, and the company wasn't half bad - Hazuki and Midori seemed to know every secret the customers hid, and they sometimes made for decent conversation. Sometimes. This didn't seem to be one of those times, as Midori was currently rambling about her cat while Hazuki nodded solemnly.
"It's been almost a year since I found Tuba-kun, hasn't it?" she squeaked. "I remember looking for her at that festival, and I'm pretty sure that was just a year ago to this date!" Hazuki flinched at the mention of the festival.
"Y-yeah, I remember the festival," she murmured, stumbling on her words. "It was . . ." A pause. She tugged on her apron. Natsuki could tell that she was bothered, twirling a lose thread around her pointer finger. "It was fun," Hazuki finished. Natsuki tried to remember what had happened with her, but nothing came to mind.
Kumiko and umbrella girl made out while Gay Detergent played in the background. That's the only important thing that happened there. Hazuki went back to counting the money in the cash register as a group of teenagers approached the counter with grins on their faces as they took turns ordering. Natsuki turned her attention away from her coworker to jot down their orders on plastic cups, wondering how long their happiness would last. One of them looked like Kumiko, she noticed with a pang. Almost ten months without her in the apartment, and it still felt just as lonely as the day she had left. Saturday movie nights with Luce the kitten could only go for so long before they began to feel rather pathetic, and she only had awkward "dates" with Yuuko and the occasional phone call from Kumiko and umbrella girl - Reina, she reminded herself, she was important enough to have a name now - to occupy herself when she wasn't working. Aside from that, she was left to blare old mixtapes on her cassette player until Luce started to act bothered, and it didn't do her much good in any case - all Natsuki could think about when those tapes started playing was her.
It wouldn't do me any good to think about that now.
The customers continued streaming in, and Natsuki felt like she was being worked to the point of exhaustion.
"I wish Kumiko was here," Midori sighed, leaning against the counter.
"Yeah, kid, we all wish that she was here, but wishing isn't gonna do a thing about it, so why don't ya just-"
"I'm not a kid!" Midori squeaked indignantly.
"Don't worry, that's a classic mistake," Hazuki called from the other end of the counter, greeting an elderly man with a wide, flashy grin. She still seemed distracted after Midori's mention of the festival, and Natsuki briefly wondered about what had happened to still bother her after an entire year. Yeah, and you're one to talk, she thought. It's not like you've been missing the same girl who stomped your heart into the dirt after half a frickin' decade.
"We've known each other for a while, now, Natsuki, but you don't even know how old I am," Midori sighed. "Kumiko knew about our lives, our aspirations, so why don't you? Didn't she tell you anything about us?"
"Nah, not really," Natsuki admitted. "Work was never a topic between us. Why would it be? This place is kinda boring. She preferred to talk about the cute girls she'd see hanging around her. That was more up to my speed, y'know?"
"Right, I forgot that you two are . . . uh . . . darn, what's that word?" Hazuki, still standing several feet away, rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
"Lesbians? Homosexuals? Or did ya learn a worse word, like-" Hazuki clamped a hand over Natsuki's mouth. Midori instantly looked to the door to see a young man walk in, look around, and walk out. Hazuki looked down and pushed Natsuki away, still weakly maintaining that smile.
"I think I need to get some fresh air," she muttered as she untied her apron, dropping it onto the floor before she ran outside.
"What was that about?" Natsuki wondered.
"Shuichi Tsukamoto," Midori murmured. "He rejected her last year. I don't know how well she's taken it, since she hasn't said anything about him in a while." Natsuki stiffened.
"Y-ya know what? I think I have to go and get some fresh air too." With that, Natsuki flung off her apron and ran out the door, leaving Midori to handle the oncoming flood of customers.
Natsuki found herself expertly weaving through the afternoon crowd of businesspeople as the clouds drifted overhead, looking for Hazuki through the bustle. After what seemed to be hours of searching - a quick check of her watch proved that it had only been fifteen minutes - she saw the girl overlooking the water as she leaned against a bridge.
"Hey, small heterosexual!" she yelled. Hazuki turned. "What're ya doing here?" Hazuki didn't respond, and Natsuki settled next to her, looking down at the rippling waves. "Listen, I'm not gonna pretend that I give a damn about your problems, but-"
"Why're you here?" Hazuki interrupted.
"I asked you the same question."
"Does it matter?" The younger barista pulled off her barrette and fiddled with it, refusing to make eye contact.
"H-hey, kid, I don't wanna get into an argument here, but Midori's probably dying back out there without us, so-"
"You say that a lot."
"What?"
"'Hey.'" Natsuki raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
"Don't we all? Are ya trying to distract me here? I'm not the enemy, y'know." Hazuki chuckled.
"Is Kumiko happy?"
"Hmm?"
"Is she?" Natsuki gritted her teeth, clutching the rusted metal railing of the bridge.
"I don't know," she muttered. "She's out there with umbrella girl, probably kissing her in old taxis and sleeping on her shoulder on trains and sleeping in the same bed as her in dingy motels, so . . ."
"I'm glad." Hazuki smiled at the ground, snapping her barrette back and forth. Natsuki could see that her eyes were glistening. "Have you ever dated any guys, Natsuki?" The older girl had to hold back a snort.
"Not telling," she grunted.
"I knew it."
"Ya did?"
"You've only ever talked about girls. I don't really see how important some gal pals can be to you, but we're all pretty different, I guess."
"I've been in your boat before," Natsuki murmured.
"You have? With one of your . . . girl-friends?"
"Yep. It sucks, lemme tell ya that much."
"It does." Hazuki looked out over the bridge again, still snapping her barrette with the waning sun casting a strange glow over her features.
There's something familiar about her, isn't there? Another time, another place. Dammit. Can't think of that now, can't- aw, screw it. Natsuki tapped Hazuki on the shoulder.
"Hmm?"
This is what they call going on autopilot, huh?
Before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped around Hazuki in a tight embrace, resting on her shoulder.
"H-hey, what's with you, all of a sudden?!" Hazuki yelped.
"I don't really know how, but you've suddenly become really lovable, ya know that?" Hazuki relaxed against Natsuki's chest - Natsuki hadn't realized just how small the other girl was - and didn't say anything as she stroked her hair in a rhythmic motion. The world felt quieter, slower, almost as if it was about to come to a standstill but wasn't quite ready yet. If she closed her eyes and let herself go just enough, Natsuki could imagine that she was in another place, another time, something left far behind in the past. "H-hey, why don't ya . . . why don't you just pretend you're her for a little while, alright?" Hazuki held her tighter.
"M'kay." She didn't ask questions, didn't ask who she was. Natsuki sent her a mental thanks for that. After what could've been an eternity, she pulled away and flashed a lopsided grin.
"Just don't do anything you might regret, okay?" Hazuki nodded.
"I won't." Natsuki started to walk back to the coffeeshop when Hazuki put a hand on her shoulder. "And, uh, thanks, by the way," she added.
"No problem."
The atmosphere of the day-to-day workings behind the counter of Euphonium's was shifted after that. Hazuki took the time to drop her false grin occasionally, and Natsuki would always make sure to give her a thumbs-up when she did. Shuichi still came to the coffeeshop sometimes, but he would usually get shooed away before Hazuki could turn to see him. Natsuki was just about to go on break when her phone beeped, vibrating in her pocket.
Yuuko: Didn't you say that we were going on a date today?
Yuuko: I mean
Yuuko: Not a date
Yuuko: A hangout
Yuuko: Definitely not a date
Yuuko: I'm waiting outside that coffeeshop right now!
Natsuki looked up, and sure enough, Yuuko's comically large ribbon, flapping in the wind, could be seen from the window.
Natsuki: yeah
Natsuki: and i was about to go on break to go with you, ya dork
Yuuko: I'm not a dork!
Natsuki: yes you are
Natsuki: anyway i'm gonna clock out in a second just hang on
"Hey, would it be okay to go on break now?" she asked. Midori nodded.
"Are you going on another date?" she inquired.
"Depends on who ya ask." Natsuki hung up her apron and grabbed her bag, ready to walk out the door.
"Good luck," Hazuki whispered, pressing something into Natsuki's palm. She knew what it was as soon as she could feel it. The barrette? Crap, that's the most cliche rom-com thing I've ever seen. Hazuki gave her a smile, a genuine one, before she ran out the door to join Yuuko.
"Who was that?" the girl demanded. Natsuki shrugged, securely tucking the barrette into her pocket.
"Just one of my coworkers. She's pretty cool, though. Where're we going?"
"There's a diner nearby. I've heard it's great for da- uh, studying! It's great for studying! That's what I meant!" Yuuko's cheeks flushed a deep red. Natsuki's phone beeped again, and she pulled it out curiously. Who would even- oh.
Kumiko: hey
Kumiko: natsuki
Kumiko: sorry for not texting you that much
Kumiko: my phone kept on dying
Kumiko: it's pretty much almost dead right now actually
Kumiko: it only works for a few minutes when it's not plugged in at this point
Kumiko: it's kind of a problem since we're on the road all the time
Kumiko: we're doing pretty well
Kumiko: it's been fun
Kumiko: reina's incredible
Kumiko: i think i want to spend the rest of my life with her, honestly
Kumiko: i think i'm going to come home soon though
Kumiko: i miss you guys
Kumiko: crap
Kumiko: i started talking about myself again
Kumiko: sorry
Natsuki: it's fine
Kumiko: but have you been doing okay?
Natsuki looked back at Hazuki, still enthusiastically waving to her from the coffeeshop, then turned to Yuuko, trying to hide her pink cheeks with her ribbon, then finally looked up at the clouds lazily drifting overhead.
Natsuki: yeah
Natsuki: i think i'm doing fine