"She makes my heart stop, it feels like butterflies-" no, butterflies were not strong enough to fully express the magnitude of the situation, scratching it out she continued. "like mutant elephants are raging havoc in my intestines." She smirked at the thought as she daydreamed about the sweet girl infiltrating her heart, like a thief in the night. "She's so frail, I just wanna... y'know... keep her safe, healthy. That sort of thing. I don't know what I'd do if I saw her cry." The minute the picture floated into her mind she swatted it away. It was too much for her sensitive heart.
She blushed as she thought of Yutaka and rolled over on her back, foregoing the diary as she sighed, her heart aching with poetic love. She knew she loved Yutaka, now if only she could find out how she felt. Everything Yutaka said and did could in a light be seen as fluffy shy romance, but again it could just be intense loving friendship. The thought of Yutaka not loving her back... It was awful... Her feelings were so strong... To think that maybe Yutaka felt nothing... She shook her head. Banishing the thoughts from her mind.
She decided to write a letter, slip it in Yutaka's locker, and judge her reaction as Yutaka opened it.
Writing draft after draft the love struck girl stayed up all night, thinking up the perfect words, something that would emphasise the potency of her feelings. At the end she had described her feelings perfectly.
By the time she was finished it was 4 hours until she had to go to school. But that was okay, after receiving her second wind not too long ago she had given up on sleeping. She could only get ready for school and hope her courage stayed up.
She had spent a portion of the morning creating a frilly laced and decorated letter. Pink as the day is long. She tried not to worry too much about how mushy it was as she quickly approached Yutaka's locker. Blushing, nervous, and tired, she slipped it in. Quickly exiting the scene as she waited at her usual spot for Yutaka to arrive. Yutaka was dropped off by her older sister Yui, a rambunctious cop who obeyed traffic laws like any criminally inclined street racer. It was utterly terrifying.
Yutaka stumbled out of the car, looking a tad green and shaking at the knees. She was practically falling over herself as she waved goodbye to her sister and turned towards Minami, her first step sending her tumbling forward. Luckily Minami was there to catch her. Just as she always would be. "You okay?" She whispered, almost inaudibly as she helped her to her feet, concern edged in her voice.
Anyone else may not have heard the question, or sensed the sincerity behind it, but Yutaka wasn't just anyone. She was a sweet girl who had a habit of seeing the good in people, no matter how misunderstood. Minami, was one of her favorite people to see such good in, as it was so abundant and well hidden from the public. Like her own private place only she could go to, Minami was a person only Yutaka could really see. Everyone else just saw a cold distant girl stuck in her books.
"Yeah." She squeaked. "I'm gonna be okay." She smiled up at Minami, making her blush at their close proximity before quickly taking a step back. Minami nodded, finding nothing more to say she waited for the girl to get her bearings. After a breather the two left, as always, to Yutaka's locker. However upon their entrance something unexpected happened. They had ran into one Patricia Martin and one Hiyori Tamura. Otaku friends of theirs, they had a pretty close knit group.
The cheery American ran up to both of them pulling them into a hug as she greeted them both. Hiyori however, was like a ghost. Her body looked gangly and pure white. "I've stayed up for the last 3 days trying to finish for my deadline. It was hell but I finished. So in the end I know I will be rewarded for my sacrifice." She finished coughed and fell to the floor. Patty immediately took the role of holding her up drunken buddy style as they greeted each other and gushed at how strong the unconscious artist was.
Minami however stoic on the outside was a complete mess on the inside. Patty and Hiyori were going to go with them to their lockers, they might see it. THEY MIGHT READ IT! Her heart was thundering like a train and for a moment she worried the others might hear.
They had reached the locker.
Yutaka opened it.
Patty saw.
Minami's heart dropped.
"What is THAT?!" She asked, recognising the frilly letter Yutaka held in her hand as one of amour. "Oooooh lala Yutaka Kobayakawa you have a love letter!" She spoke matter of factly, forcing Hiyori to snap her head up at the sentence, suddenly rejuvenated.
"WHO'S IT FROM?!" She nearly shouted melodramatically as she stumbled towards Yutaka, looking almost hungry for yuri knowledge. Yutaka looked the letter over, seeing no visible markings to tell her exactly who it was from she thusly informed the group. Minami watched Yutaka, waiting for her reaction, she was stiff as a board, trembling. Had she upset her?
"Yutaka..." Minami whispered. Making Yutaka jump, her face hot with a scarlet blush as she bashfully shoved the thing like fiery coal into Patty's hands.
"I'm too nervous, I can't read it. Please read it to me." She begged. Minami thusly decided god had forsaken her for being a lesbian. And begged her new lord satan to strike her down and kill her. He seemed more merciful at this point.
Patty took the edge of the letter between her fingers, lightly lifting it, trying to keep it well kept in case Yutaka wanted to keep it as a momento.
"Please." Minami silently begged. "Kill me." She watched as Patty pulled out the piece of paper. "Make it fast please just spare me this inhumanity."
Patty read it over, a light blush on her face as the intensity of the letter hit her. Minami however was busy trying to bash her skull into the nearby wall, having believed that both heaven and hell had found this a far funnier state of being for the shy girl. Her friends thankfully enough, were too enthralled with the situation to notice.
"Dear angel, with your heart so pure. I wish to reveal to you my feelings. Every day, since the moment I first saw you, you have left my heart burning with passion, desire. For a moment I thought it nothing more than a passing fancy, a crush. But as time grew by I found my feelings growing deeper, stronger. You haunt my dreams, leaving my mornings in a darling afterglow of happiness. My life, i'd lay down for you. My home, I would leave for you. My family, I would forsake for you. You mean more to me than anything. Yutaka Kobayakawa you are my life. I've been trying to come forth and tell you my feelings, in small ways, ways that may seem simply as acts of pure friendship. But to me they meant something much more. In short I love you. Please one day, when i'm strong enough, consider me. I'd like to show you how happy I could make you. I love you."
Patty finished, her eyes tearing up at the beauty of it all as she handed the letter to Yutaka, who was, in the same state. Both babbled incoherently at the loveliness of it all. "I wish I knew who wrote it." Yutaka beamed, making her mint haired friends head snap in her direction away from the newly dented wall.
"It sounds so sweet." She gushed, her cheeks resonating a rosy hue. Minami felt her heart thump in her chest at the compliment. She stared at Yutaka, watching her take the letter back with a smile. For a moment Yutaka turned and their eyes made contact. Minami felt her face heat up, by now she must look like christmas. She couldn't break her eyes away from Yutaka's beautiful green orbs. For a moment Yutaka seemed confused, then her eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth as if to hold back a gasp. Minami knew in an instant she had been found out. She turned left, right, looking for a way out of the situation.
"Hey I'm not feeling too well." Yutaka spoke up, staring directly at Minami. "Minami could you take me to the nurses office." She finished, her face stoic and unreadable. Minami had never seen her like this.
"Do you want us to come two?" Patty asked, a little concerned for her small friend.
"No its okay, you guys might get in trouble if you're late, but Minami's the health officer so its fine." She explained as she walked, motioning for Minami to come with her.
To Minami it felt like the mutant elephants were all having seizures and tearing there many tusks into the linings of her stomach. She hoped it would kill her. But unfortunately her breath kept filling her lungs in rapid succession as she hyperventilated down the hall. Finally they were in the nurses office and out of everyone's sight. Yutaka ushered her to sit down in the waiting chair.
When Minami sat down she was eye level with Yutaka, she could see the determination in her green eyes and her heart froze, her eyes watered as she prepared for rejection. She looked down, only to see Yutaka forcefully slap her hands down on her knees. Minami flinched at the action, not because it hurt, but because it spooked the already frightened girl. "Minami look at me." Yutaka ordered, uncharacteristically demanding. Minami looked up at her, trying her best to hide, yanking up her shoulders and lowering her head as she looked at the cherry haired girl that she was sure was about to break her heart. "Minami you wrote that letter didn't you." She accused. It was really more of a statement than a question but Minami nodded anyway. Her eyes were threatening to overflow with tears as she found she couldn't look at her any longer.
"I love you two." Came a meek response from the little ball of moe in front of her. Minami looked up, her cheeks wet with tears as she saw Yutaka staring at her with compassion and love in her eyes. Yutaka could see the confusion, even disbelief in her friends eyes. But she ignored it, favoring instead to prove her love. She leaned in closer to the sweet angel and brought her lips oh so delicately to her cheek.
Minami could feel the contact, but couldn't believe it. She felt shockwaves of tingles erupt across her body, the feel of Yutaka's lips on her skin was unbelievable. They must have been the softest things she'd ever felt. Yutaka pulled away, looking at the taller girl tenderly, her hands still on Minami's knees. The blue eyed girl brought her hand to her cheek remembering the contact. She looked at Yutaka, whose cheeks were a lovely pink and whose eyes shined with love. Minami couldn't believe it, Yutaka felt the same.
Excitement and happiness flooded her veins as she pulled Yutaka into a hug, the little girl let out a small eep in response to the sudden display of emotion coming from the usually stoic girl. But quickly recuperated, nuzzling her face into the nape of her neck and wrapping her small arms around her slim waist. She was now sitting on Minami's thigh as the two enjoyed each other's company. Love filled every crevice of each girls heart as they finally held their longtime crush in their arms.
Love had never been so pure and innocent than the love created through the love letter.