I asked permission, okay? ^^||| This just HAD to be posted in here...
So yes, I like Girl Friends. And apparently, the one who made this does too. ^^
Now, without further ado...
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Post-Volume 4 stuff. XD …my take, at least. After chapter 28, I regained better hope for SugixTamamin…I just hope it delivers. =)) What, with all that "I'll always be here!" stuff that kind of posed as something of a setup for future purposes (but I might just be reading in it too much…I'm wearing Yuri goggles after all…XD) …not to mention the joy of canon AkkoxMari. We need another couple! The manga is called Girl FriendS (get it? PLURAL! XD) for Pete's sake! …okay, not really making sense, but you know where I'm coming from…right? RIGHT? =A=
Note 1 (LONG, but very crucial…I think): Studying Milk's map, their school is near Ichigaya and Kudanshita. So, both Akko and Mari use Ichigaya (the same express transit) to get to their respective places ([Akko: Kinshicho], [Mari: Kitansenju])…Mari, having a farther place than Akko's. Now, Mari's route for Ichigaya includes a stop at Kinshicho, where they most likely meet up every morning before going to Ichigaya. As for Sugi and Tamamin, the reason I think why they're mostly together is because ( this one, I assumed…since Tamamin's from Northeast Kanoi, and Sugi's from Azabujuuban) they both use Kudanshita for express. They probably meet up on the way to school after getting down from Kudanshita. Ichigaya and Kudanshita however, are one station away from each other, so explains why both pairs don't meet each other when coming to school. Oh, Shinagawa is close to Azabujuuban. Just saying. =)) …haaaa, I hope that cleared things a bit…^^;;;
Note 2: Italicized words are usually for thoughts in my works…the ones inside quotation marks are for flashbacks of something though. XD And the ones in between normal sentences are probably just for emphasis. XD I use italic a lot, huh? =))
Disclaimer: I wouldn't want to own Girl Friends even if I was given a chance, Milk has done a masterpiece…I'll only destroy it with my crappy-corny skillz. =))
Last one…I just noticed…Sugi HATES otaku, right? AND SHE BORROWED MANGA FROM TAMAMIN?!
A big sigh escaped her lips—which was a shock, even to herself. Classes at this time of year kind of distracted her, especially when the leaves started falling down on their rather tidy school grounds. The way they swung with the wind carelessly, looking almost melancholy as they fell…it fascinated her. Moreso than her class that only consisted of talks on how to solve endless numbers and immeasurable, distorted shapes. Staring eagerly outside the window, Satoko then figured that she was utterly bored, not only now, but all this while. Really, what had she been doing?
With someone of her caliber, one would think that she would want nothing else. She already possessed the things most women would die to have; the looks, the smarts, the height, the posture, you name it. Having five boyfriends that all accepted her and still adored her was not something an everyday girl would be able to pull off normally as well. Her circle of friends was an interesting bunch too, they were nothing alike, but they stuck together like glue. One of them always had to take retests, another one had a hopeless and doubtful hobby, and another one was shy and clueless beyond reason. Despite all this, her friends seemed a lot happier than she was, and she wondered why.
It was not long until the bell rang, indicating that classes were over for the day. She leisurely tidied her things before leaving for the door. The events that occurred after were almost mechanical, it scared her. All five boyfriends would flood her messages, all proposing that they go out, or something else. They would offer even half of their monthly allowances just to give her an extra special treatment—in retaliation to competition—as one of them puts it, "that would one day win Satoko-chan's affections and pick me as the favorite". She tried her best not to burst out in giggles after that. If she were to be honest however, none of them ever really made her heart jump. Things that would mostly happen in one of Tamamin's manga wherein a girl would blush madly, would go doki-doki, for that one guy who doesn't even look too good. Come to think of it, she never even had a heart-racing confession like she did with her first love when it came to her current boyfriends.
They all just flocked to me like birds…
"Hey, Sugi-san!" A voice cheerfully called out to her.
She must have been really inattentive if she hadn't recognized that mass honey blonde immediately. "Oh, Akko, hello there." Hn? Mari-chin's not with her?
"You look kind of spaced earlier, boyfriend problems again?" The shorter lass playfully teased, accusingly pointing a finger at the other girl.
As if ignoring her, she asked her earlier thought. "Where's Mari-chin? You're not together today?"
It never got old, Akko's reaction. They've been going out for a while, but she still manages to blush like a tomato over things that involved her 'girlfriend'. To this, Satoko never failed to let out a smirk of amusement. She watched the girl fidget shyly, eyes darted all over the place as she tried to speak. It was really adorable, in her opinion.
"Um…you see…it's almost our second month together…and…I just…wanted to buy her a present..." She played with her dainty fingers in a way to rid her of the embarrassment of revealing her plans to the mischievous Sugi-san.
Satoko had a face that clearly said; "Awww! That's so sweet!" and she did not give effort to hide it. The things they did never ceased amaze her. It never went short of passion, innocence, trust…and if she might add, cuteness. It was so endearing, that she sometimes can't help but feel envious. As a matter of fact, this was not the first time she felt that way. Even with the harm and consequences of their unwelcomed relationship, it looked so perfect.
"…wh-what? It's not that weird…is it?"
She must have appeared to be staring if Akko reacted like that. "No. I think it's very thoughtful and charming of you." She gave a smile of encouragement. "Maybe something more than kissing will result from this?"
"Wh-wh-wh-wha…" Satoko could've sworn on her perfectly manicured fingers that she saw steam coming out of Akko's head while she stammered helplessly.
"My, you haven't? That's surprisingly timid of you."
"S-Sugi-san!"
Fits of lighthearted chuckling escaped her; it was so fun to tease Akko.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was just teasing you…"
"Mou…"
They started walking in cheerful chatter, discussing things left and right before they reached their parting junction. Akko would talk about buying clothes one moment, and then would mouth things about Mari and how adorable she is the next second. The way she would number the memorable events they shared, while putting both her hands against her cheeks as she blushed, Satoko felt like a proud mother to her successful daughter. The girl was so in love, nothing else mattered. Not even her in this case. This was a normal thing, and not at all bad with the right approaches—which Mari and Akko were naturally good at. Something like this, was what she often fancied experiencing, for there was not a time she found herself looking like the fool of love. Sure, she had relationships, had kisses, even had sex—but there was never an ephemeral feeling remotely akin to affection. At this revelation, she audibly sighed. She really won't be finding her fated person, huh?
"Don't worry! No matter how hard things get, I'll always be here!"
She stopped in her tracks as those words randomly popped in her head. What the heck?
"What's the matter, Sugi-san?" Akko asked, a tone of concern in her voice.
"Oh…um…yes. I mean, nothing. It's nothing." Lame as it sounded, it was the best she could think of answering at the moment.
A skeptic look was shown to replace the worry from the chestnut haired girl's face. "…I'd ask more, but I guess I'll leave it for now. See you, Sugi-san." She ended up saying after the junction was in sight.
"Good luck, Akko. Bye." She waved gracefully as the other girl nodded before taking off.
When. The development of the earlier events came as a shock to her. Akko wouldn't pick up anything unless it was blatantly pointed out to her. Was she that obvious? Was her sigh that loud? Does love make one's senses sharper or something? And what was Tamamin's voice doing in her head? It couldn't have been some kind of foreboding sign to the cure for her constant sighs, could it?
"Ugh, forget it…" Satoko finally murmured, looking a bit frustrated.
I did not just think of that otaku as my potential lover…NO WAY.
Convinced that she was just being rubbed off too much by Akko and Mari's romance, she continued her stroll to the station. Since today was a not necessarily a rush hour, she wouldn't have to worry about perverts or people pushing and squeezing themselves into the train JUST for a seat or two. The noticeable amount of couples that were increasing by the minute on her route to the train was something she could not ignore, try as she may. Perhaps it was also of the fact that she was the only obvious single entity out of those lovey-dovey pairs. Where were her boyfriends when she needed them?
Grunting inaudibly, she was reminded of the messages from earlier, she hasn't decided who to go out with that day. She pulled out her phone in effort to reply, but was suddenly leaning to the idea of ignoring each one of them, as they never did anything new anyway. Coming to a decision, she started pressing a few keys, forming a short message that said; "Sorry, I'm busy today." and then setting them to be sent to all five familiar recipients. Once done, she pressed the 'send' button, feeling strangely proud of herself for some reason.
Reaching Kudanshita station, a weak buzz of people welcomed her. It was a good sign, until somebody called out to her…the voice too—unique to be anyone else's.
"Yahho~ Sugi-saaan!" The girl called out in a sing-song tone.
"Oh…Tamamin…you're here too." Satoko managed to blurt out.
"Umu. What's this? You forgot that I take the same station or something?" Tamami asked, feigning a look of insult.
"No…" She trailed off, looking elsewhere. "Heading home?"
"Nope. I have a shift today." The change of mood was evident as she explained.
"Oh…what time will you be off?"
"Hnn? Nine, probably?"
Heading towards the platform, they walked in silence. The only sound that remained was their heavy footsteps and the voice from the speaker warning passengers to not step on the yellow line. It was then when the pigtail-haired girl started to speak again; "Why'd you ask? It's not like you need it." She did not wait for an answer anyway as she began to run to the car bound for Shinagawa that magically appeared all of a sudden.
"Um, then…see ya, Sugi-san!" Tamami turned her back one last time and waved at the taller girl before sprinting off.
The long haired girl angled her head sideways, an attempt to rid herself of her habitual sighing. Really, what was she thinking? Seeing the otaku now made her more confused as to why she ever thought the girl was a prospective—dare she say it—lover. Actually…didn't she just convince herself that it was just a Mari-Akko-like influence? They were, after all, a big example of lesbians. She was merely being swayed by their strong, amorous air, which resulted to this one-time mind-boggling disaster of a thought. There was this nagging feeling however, and she couldn't leave it…although this was not the right time to be going over morals, or gender orientation, it kept circling around her unexpectedly baffled mind. She was already decided, wasn't she? She was straight, and—it's not like her friends were doing something immoral…if anything, their bond is a lot more pure than any of the couples she knew. Except…there will always be society to go against it. She knew she won't, but she can't assure of the former.
The number 3 train bound Azabujuuban will depart at 4:05…
"Don't worry! No matter how hard things get, I'll always be here!"
There it was again. Playing in her head again and again like a broken record. It never seemed to leave her thoughts after the otaku said it—the words would either pop out at the most random of times or in moments wherein she laments over her boring love life… What was she to make of this? Was her sub consciousness really suggesting that she should go and take that vague offer of hers? And what are the odds of rejection? It's not like Tamami was interested in her, she said those things out of friendship—which was really heart-warming if she might add…
Anyway…
She could take this as some kind of experiment, a challenge. She was at an age where things like these most likely occur too, so it wouldn't be too sudden. There was also the excuse of attending an all-girls school to make it look like a common thing for her. And they won't essentially be indiscreet about it either. Once she is satisfied, or become enlightened, they could both pretend it never happened, no? They would call it a phase and forget about it in no time. She was sure she will, so in the case where the other party didn't, a thick manga would always be the ultimate answer. Otakus are simple. Thinking on it, where in the world did the entire plan—detailed too—come from? The plan was sound, and very well thought-of. Truth be told, it was a bit alarming as to how she came up with it. But no matter, the biggest question now, is how does she partake this to Tamami?
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"Curry at table 4, Tamamin!"
"Yes!"
It was definitely busy that day, so she was relieved to have her rollerblades with her. Two of their waitresses turned up sick, so she had to work for two people all this time. Why she was tasked to do it, she didn't know. While she did not actually mind working loads, she was already feeling the tiredness…and there were still two hours left until her shift was over. There was no stopping the orders, so she just trudged on, doing what she can.
For Fuyu-Comi! Fight, Tamamin!
Passing through one table, she felt someone grab her behind. It was a shady-looking guy who winked at her when she turned to glare. It was growing pretty frequent lately, and it bothered her so much. For it was not only her, her fellow workers were having the same problems too. Bad thing was, they can't really complain about it without proof or witnesses. Just then, the same guy startled whistling while staring rudely at her.
"Nice rack." He whispered coolly.
Tamamin just rolled her eyes as she skated her way back to the counter for the new orders. She'll just have to be patient for two hours and this'll be over—she chanted herself that as she went around the designated tables to serve them their orders. If she could, she could've just blasted that guy with some Tatsumaki-Senpū kyaku or Master Spark. Boy, was she tempted. Back to reality, a slap or two was something that ought to send him to proper senses.
"Katsudon in table 10!"
"Got it!"
…
"Otsukaresama!" A bespectacled man in his mid-thirties told his surprising low number of employees, while wiping the counter clean.
"Thank you very much." The girls chorused, as they wiped the tables at moderate speed.
One girl did not answer, as she was sweeping the floor eagerly, seemingly in a hurry.
"Good job, Sekine-kun. You worked the hardest today. Keep it up."
There's an anime at 9:30! I better pick up the pace if I want to see it! Words from her manager did not seem to reach her as the pigtailed girl swept with unbelievable vigor, making sure she wasn't missing a spot as she swept the mop around. The poor, ignored man just sweatdropped and shrugged in humor at his young worker, it was at least a treat that she worked so diligently.
Straightening up, Tamami inspected her work. Satisfied, she ran to her quarters and immediately changed. Her speed rivaled someone who was being chased to her deathbed by a sword and a gun. Once she was done, she bid her thank yous and goodbyes to both co-workers and boss, and soon ran out of the door hastily.
Twenty minutes left!
"Good evening, Tamamin."
She looked for the source of voice only to find her friend leaning on a nearby wall. "S-Sugi-san? What brings you here?"
"I was waiting for you. Your shift is over, I take it?" She asked casually.
"Why? …but yeah. Just now."
Knowing she'd ask, Satoko purposely dodged the question and asked one of her own. "I'm heading home as well, let's go together?"
"Do you take same route as me?" The auburn haired girl queried.
"Yup. I get down at Akabanebashi."
"Oh. Okay…"
Recently, the nights were becoming colder. But that was to be expected, as winter season was nearing. The streets of Shinagawa still bustled with life even at that time of night. Tamami was used to it, as she always went home this time or later. She tends to walk on her own, so this was the first time she had someone walking with her. "So Sugi-san—
"Hey, hey…isn't it about time you called me by name?" The other girl reasoned.
"Eh? Well sure but…I got so accustomed to calling you Sugi-san, so I can't immediately…you know, call you differently. Ehehe." Placing a hand behind her head, she smiled sheepishly.
"Fine, I'll accept that."
"I wonder what suits you…Satoko-chan? Satoko-chin? Sacchin?"
Something must have sounded wrong once Tamami started roll-calling the possible names for her, she can felt some kind of weird pull from somewhere at the moment her name was uttered from the other's mouth. It was a mix of confusion, flattery and…peculiarity.
"C'mon, make it sound normal…"
"I will try my best, your Excellency." She dubbed in mock attempt at royalty.
Fallen autumn leaves flew freely as the wind picked up. Both girls laughed and started kidding with each other, not really minding nature's play before their eyes. The way the leaves mindlessly followed whatever pattern the breeze made them appear almost magical through the night sky. It was a sight to behold, Satoko even felt like dancing once she saw this. It was then when she decided that the moment was right— or at least, that's what it felt to her. She decided to cut to the chase, the whole reason of her being there in the first place.
"Hey, Tamamin…"
"Hnn?"
"Let's go out." She hoped that didn't sound too weird.
"Where?"
Twitching, she rephrased. "I meant—go out with me. Let's become a couple."
………
DUN DUN DUN~!!!
To be continued…
Awright, here are notes for terms you might want to understand. XD Since…yeah, I keep referencing and all that jazz. XD Or I plainly want to use the Japanese words since I find it appropriate for the mood…or something.
Doki-doki – SFX for thump-thump…you know, the heart pound thing…
Fuyu-Comi – Winter Comiket.
Tatsumaki-Senpū kyaku – Tornado whirlwind kick (Street Fighter, 'nuff said).
Master Spark – Marisa Kirisame's signature move (Another game, Touhou. 'Nuff said).
Otsukaresama – Loosely translated as; "Good job!"
So…uh…yeah. XD Happy New Year, you guys!
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Would you look at that, this person likes Touhou too...8DDD
