A Friendly Jolt

It was a cold winter's day of second year. The heating in the school was on, but the level of relief it provided was as extensive as the school's current financial budget.

In other words bring a warm coat to hide in and about 3 extra vests, thought Hiyori as she sat shivering in her chair.

To her left sat the petite, slim armed and small chested figure of Yutaka, taking small bites out of a cucumber sandwich. Opposite her was the tall, quiet figure of Minami chewing on an oblong sushi from her bento, a pair of chopsticks in her hand.

Minami looked up, caught Hiyori's glance and gave her a soft smile. Hiyori instinctively smiled back and reached for her carton of juice.

She looks so much softer these days, at least when Yutaka's around. As much as such a relationship is 'rotten' the more they keep dancing round each other like they do the more it irritates me.

Feeling the need to say something she said the first thing that came to mind.

"It's too cold. We should at least be allowed to wear jumpers in class or something."

Minami's gaze had been dropping to her bento box but now lifted up and took in the fact Hiyori was shivering.

"Ah."

"You don't mind the cold?" Hiyori asked Minami.

Minami shook her head and Yutaka chipped in,

"No, Minami's warm blooded. She doesn't feel the cold much."

"Lucky for some," Hiyori added with another shiver. Then her mind began working on the ways that Yutaka could have found out that Minami was warm blooded; perhaps a gentle brush of her hair, or…

Arrgh! No! I always do this.

The others missed her grimace though, because Yutaka was concentrating on her sandwich and Minami was concentrating on Yutaka, wondering if she'd just seen her shiver. Yutaka trembled again as the classroom door opened and closed behind her right shoulder.

"Are you cold Yutaka?" Minami asked in concern. Yutaka gave her a happy smile.

"A little. They don't have much heating here."

Hiyori stared intently at her lunchbox; this conversation had wayyy too much potential.

"Is there anything I can do to warm you up?" Minami responded, oblivious to Hiyori's sudden discomfort.

Hiyori concentrated even harder on clearing her mind and preventing small red spots from appearing in her rice.

Yutaka blinked and nodded, blushing slightly.

"If you don't mind I could do with a warm drink, but I should..."

Minami shook her head and rose,

"It's fine I'll get it. Do you want one Hiyori?"

Hiyori returned herself to reality and fished in her skirt for change. Settling on a clutch of circular yen she withdrew her left hand, counted out the three coins needed and handed them across to Minami.

She's slowly changing all the time, thanks to Yutaka. Minami would never have offered to help anyone else before, even if she wanted to. They would be such a good couple. What I can't stand though is how they keep acting like one without being one, it's slowly driving me mad!

Yutaka had also begun reaching into her skirt but Minami simply said,

"Don't worry Yutaka, I'll get yours,"

"But…"

"Let me." Minami said in a tone which brooked no compromise and took off and out of the door.

Hiyori scratched her forehead in irritation.

"Seriously, why don't you just ask her out?" She said echoing her inner frustration. Then she realised she had spoken out loud, and that Yutaka was staring at her.

"Ask her out?" Yutaka's face started going very red. "You mean on a date?"

Hiyori sighed, tossing up whether to backtrack or not. What the heck. She lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Yes, don't you love her?"

Yutaka was definitely blushing now. Well this is one way to keep her warm I suppose.

"Yes, but, we're girls."

"So? Could you stand it if Minami was asked out by a guy first?"

This was the first thing that really seemed to register with Yutaka. She frowned, half of her sandwich frozen between the crumb-strewn desk and her open mouth.

"Do you not find Minami attractive?" Hiyori pushed.

Oh God what have I started. All those months of playing it safe. Well now that I've started I can't stop.

Yutaka blinked and nodded.

"She's like a handsome knight," she replied dreamily.

"Then why not ask her out? If its Minami there's no way she'd hate you for asking right? You're practically a couple already."

"Eh? We are?" Yutaka glanced at her questioningly. Hiyori sighed at her cluelessness.

"Yeah. You haven't noticed?"

Yutaka started shaking her head but as her mind clicked into gear she tilted it left thoughtfully.

"Well I guess, a bit."

"So why not see if Minami feels the same way?"

Yutaka gazed back at her lunchbox and after a few seconds consideration suddenly, in her rather air-headed way, made a surprising connection.

"Oh! So those doujins you drew were based on us."

Hiyori choked on her taco and rice and flapped her right hand in panic.

"Don't get me wrong. I mean, I want you two to be happy and I wouldn't suggest it unless I thought that. Those were only bases anyway." Another thought occurred to her. "Don't tell Minami please? She'll kill me. Probably." Even the rather soft and gentle Minami had to have a dark side waiting to rise up and behead her with the stroke of a steel blade.

Yutaka chuckled and she turned her green eyes to Hiyori's.

"I know, thanks Hiyori," she said, still a little red, "and I won't," she added with a small smile which suddenly turned into a determined one, "providing you let me handle this on my own". Then she lifted her sandwich up and took another bite, signalling the discussion was at an end.

Actually I shouldn't underestimate how dangerous Yutaka is, she might be air headed but I think she'd be more scary than Minami when it came to protecting something.

Hiyori returned to her bento as well and both ate in silence until Minami returned with two hot coffee cans.

She slid one in front of Yutaka and another in front of Hiyori. Yutaka put down her quarter of a sandwich and grasped the can with both of her small slender hands. "So warm," she sighed happily and glanced at Minami who's own face reflected her happiness. "Thanks Minami!"

Clearly she'd had enough time to compose herself and it wasn't obvious anything had changed. Only Hiyori noticed her right leg twitching as she spoke, or the gentle drumming of two her right fingers against the warm can.

Well I've set something in motion...I can only hope it leads to a happy ending.

This was intended to just be a one shot but I think I may add a second/third Chapter to tie it off at some point so will leave it as incomplete for now.