Disclaimer: I don't own any of copyrighted material.
A/N: The storyline picks up after the Persona 4: The Animation Series. So instead of Seta Souji, the main protagonist's name is Narukami Yu. And obviously he belongs with Yukiko. ;p
UPDATE: Huge thanks to recchinon for pointing out a big fat glaring mistake I didn't realize earlier.
It was the scarlet stork-patterned kimono that struck him first. That, and her long hair, that same cascade of black silk he once ached to fill his hand with. She was at a vendor stand talking to some friends, having that familiar infectious giggle that never failed to amuse him three years ago.
Three years.
Time is a curious thing.
Last time he saw her was on Inaba train station with the rest of the gang. Ojiisan, Nanako-chan, Naoto, Kanji, Kuma, Kujikawa, Satonaka, Yosuke, all grinning, waving, bittersweet – he had imprinted the image of each face deep inside his mind, but hers, hers was the most vivid one.
In his dreams he no longer paid visits to the Velvet Room, because it had been she who slinked in and out of his sleep oh-so-casually since then. Not saying a word, she just stood there and smiled. It was equally confusing and exasperating.
And now she was here, at the Summer Festival on his campus, a hundred miles away from where she was supposed to be. He was worried that if he blinked she might vanish from existence.
But she didn't.
"Amagi,"
The ghost of her earlier laughter still lingered as she spun around, and he watched her eyes widened.
"Narukami-kun?"
She had a half-eaten yakitori on one hand, and on the corner of her lips, a rather unfortunate smear of soy sauce. He had to resist the urge to wipe it – as it seemed, he missed the feel of electricity surging through him the last time their skin touched.
Has it really been three years?
"Um, you have a… Something on your…"
He gestured to the spot, earning a frantic reaction as she looked for something to clean it with. "Sorry," she murmured, her cheeks grew pink.
His mouth twitched into a smile. She hadn't changed after all - always apologizing for everything that wasn't even her fault.
"Here," he offered her his handkerchief. She took it with a grateful beam, long eyelashes framing her elegant eyes when she dab the light blue cloth to her skin. He'd almost forgotten how pretty she was.
He waited until she finished before asking, "Shall we?"
"I'm glad we can meet here, Narukami-kun," her soft voice glided through the myriad of sounds around them as they walked side by side along the lanes of food and toy stands. "It's such a happy coincidence that you and my cousin go to the same university. Haruka-san is really great at persuading my parents to let me visit her while they are renovating the inn."
"Yeah," he nodded, as memories of Amagi Inn started flooding back. He remembered the conversation the two of them had that day, about how it was her own choice to stay and take care of the inn because it was important to her. He remembered the color of the kimono she was wearing and then he remembered how much he wanted to say to her and how little to none he actually said it.
There were too many things left unspoken, maybe because neither of them was good with words.
Opportunity came in the form of Amagi Haruka, the energetic senior a year above Yuu, who by chance of casual conversations among mutual friends realized that this quiet sophomore was the same Narukami-kun her cousin, Yukiko, had mentioned "in passing". She then arranged Yukiko to come and stay on her place during summer holiday. "So that you two can settle whatever needs to be settled," Haruka-san nudged him that time with a wink.
What needs to be settled. Of course. Yu inadvertently cleared his throat as nerve started bubbling inside his stomach.
"Amagi, do you want some shaved ice? The fireworks will start in about fifteen minutes. We can eat it while we watch."
"That sounds good," said Yukiko.
They carried their bowls from the stand to the nearest bench and sat. He suspected correctly of what would follow right after – an uncomfortable silence.
"Amagi-"
"Narukami-kun-"
They both spoke at the same time, halted at once and swapped with an uneasy chuckle. He wrecked his brain about what to say next that wouldn't be categorized as awkward. Should he compliment how she looked today? Should he make offhand conversation about how everybody else is going, despite regularly exchanging emails with each of them? Should he just confess to her right then and there about what he should've said years ago? He was beginning to feel desperate, when she became the first one who cracked the silence.
"Um, I just want to say… Thank you for still keeping in touch with us after all these years. It really means a lot."
Yu found himself saying, "You guys will always be my friends. There is no way I will forget you."
He hated how he could so easily give out diplomatic answer. He wished he had enough guts to just cut to the chase.
"I have to admit something to you," she suddenly went on. "I was… really nervous to come here. To, um, meet you. I'm afraid I wasn't ready."
His eyebrows rose. "Ready for what?"
She had her eyes focused somewhere on the ground. "There are so many things I wish I could tell you, Narukami-kun. If only I could."
"Yuu," he said.
She lifted her gaze. "I'm sorry?"
"Call me Yuu, okay, Yukiko?"
She nooded, smile blooming. "Sure. Yuu."
Yukiko was looking at him, with that earnest yet coy stare she was born to be good at. Yu stared back at them, and then everything he had been holding back just burst out.
"I have a thousand of things I wish I could say to you too. Too much I don't even know where to start. I guess we will never be good at this, so I will just show you."
She dropped her spoon in surprise when their lips came in contact. The first fireworks exploded to engulf them in orange and magenta light, and deep in his core he could feel the warmth spreading far to his fingertips. The kind of comfort he wished would never stop.
"I've waited three years for this," he said, eventually, drawing back as their breath mingled in the inch between their lips. "Now I've decided I'm no longer a coward."
Her face was bright scarlet, comparable only to her kimono. "Yuu-"
"I'm in love with you, Yukiko. Always have been."
Yukiko turned away.
"I'm engaged to be married," she said. Barely a whisper.
His bowl of shaved ice slipped a little from his lap.
"Oh."
They let the dreaded uneasiness fell around them like a thick prickly blanket until the last artificial sparks fizzled out from the night sky.
"I'm sorry, Yuu. I truly am."
Three years of correspondence, and she conveniently left out the part about her even going out with someone. But then again, he supposed she, being so polite it's almost painful, thought it was trivial information.
"Please don't apologize. It's not anybody's fault, Yukiko."
He should've been the one who's sorry for being the late loser. He had three whole years, and he wasted it.
The festival has ended and the festive lights had begun to fade one by one. They were both standing on the campus entrance. The tipsy Haruka was waiting for them to finish talking some feet away, since her thankfully sober boyfriend was going to drive them back to her dorm. Yukiko was still refusing to meet Yu's eyes.
"But I should have told you about him. I didn't know that … this … you …"
"It's okay," he said. "Really." No, it wasn't. I finally have you, here, but you're not mine. Never was, and never will be.
"Okay," she echoed. "I should… go, then."
"Yeah. It was nice meeting you," he concluded, lamely, cursing himself. She nodded and gave him a small smile, eyes still downward. "You too, Yuu. Goodbye."
Goodbye. Not 'see you'. Goodbye. He stood there long after she and her companions left.
Later that night, Yuu didn't sleep until almost morning. He spent the allotted time wishing she didn't show up in her dreams anymore. He got his wish.
*tbc
First time writing anything Persona. Tell me what you think.
Chapter 2 will be up soon. Thanks. :)