Alternate Title: 反対色
~Clashing Colors~
彼女は手を振って、さよならと言った…
She waved her hand and said goodbye...
A watercolor cascade slammed against the girl's umbrella and drowned out the songs of the evening birds. She, alone, fought against the wind lashing her body like caged beasts painted free.
The girl turned her face away. Her skin defenseless to the stray droplets pelting her.
Almost there. Keep going, keep going.
She brushed her brown bangs out of her vision and looked forward. Although a car cruised by, the sound of wheels on puddles remained distant to her ears, lost somewhere in the blurring autumn scenery.
Red light.
She sneezed.
Green, go.
The girl crossed to the other side of the street and didn't look back.
Hurrying to the glass cover, she folded her umbrella and plopped down onto the bench; sighing in relief, she set her stuff to the left of her and wiped her hands on her skirt.
So much rain.
Tilting her head back, she stared at the cover dotted with rain slipping to the edge like sequin tears. She frowned. Being under here felt colorless. The air around her too white, too grey in areas that shouldn't be grey. From her detached perspective, even the vehicles seemed to bare no hue.
"Why couldn't today be as bright as Shuichi's stupidity?" she said to no one, gasping when she realized she had spoken out loud.
She draped her arms over the back rest of the bench. Her head rolled to the side, expression bored, "or this umbrella or my euphonium, or…"
"Kumiko."
"R-Reina!"
Kumiko jolted into an upright position with her voice squeaking several pitches. In front of her there was a shivering and drenched, umbrella-less girl walking to the bench. Heat warmed Kumiko's cheeks and mouth agape, her eyes were fixated upon the dripping girl sitting right next to her. Reina squeezed her hair and flicked strands behind her. Raindrops shining as if liquid stars were caught in the black.
"Where's your umbrella? Won't you get sick like that?"
Her heart descended as she surveyed how bad of a state the other girl showed—in other words, her soaked uniform was only one of many ought-to-be worries.
Reina turned, "I'm fine, Kumiko."
"You can't be! H-hold on, I think there's a handkerchief in here, somewhere."
With fumbling fingers, she pried her bag open and rummaged through her school contents.
" .Ko. It's okay, really." Her gaze softened.
"No way. You sound like you're out of breath—and speaking of that, you weren't running in this rain, were you— plus, you're soaking wet and that probably isn't good, right? What if you get sick and die, Reina?"
Reina grinned, "I'm not going to get sick and die, terrible personality-san. Stop worrying so much."
"I can't help it." Kumiko felt soft material, "Yes, found it!"
The ebony haired beauty was about to reply when she sneezed. Electric ants marched up Kumiko's shoulders to the nape of her neck, biting into her flesh.
"Oh no. It's already happening."
"Kumiko, I really don't—"
"Here. Just—"
A car passed them.
Kumiko blinked at her hand pressing the white handkerchief to Reina's cheek. Thoughts whirled into a storm inside her brain. Surely, she was imagining it. After all, isn't this too weird, when she could do it herself just fine? No high school student would want to be babied—especially by someone in their class. This is bad.
"A-Ah, sorry, Reina." she laughed awkwardly, her nose burning like a 103 degree fever.
Up close, staring into Reina's purple gaze, she found herself being pulled into the light, the mystery, of the Orion nebula. Her body, drifting. Her life, without a line. Closer. Alone in their quiet space. Up close, up close, up close…
Reina's straight, almost hard to read face wavered in expression. Tiny breath was reeled out of her parted lips.
Kumiko pried her eyes open and drew back from the red eared girl.
"If you're going to be this persistent, then, do it already, weirdo."
"Right, okay."
Reina's voice… sounds different, is it sickness? I don't think I leaned in too far for her to notice, did I? I'm being so awkward today. It's the rain's fault this time.
Taking the handkerchief and making sure to be gentle, she wiped her off. Her free hand cupped her cheek.
Reina was as still as stone. Yet, her irises seemed darkened for some unknown reason.
"There," she dropped her arm, "but, there's still the rest of you…"
"Pervert."
"N-Not like that! I just meant that, you know, you're still wet."
Reina gazed out to the rain, which was coming down a bit lighter than before. "And out in the open too. But, that's to be expected from you."
Kumiko perked to her defense, "What's that supposed to mean? And besides, aren't you the pervert, I mean, at least I don't like pain."
"Oh? "She said, nonchalant, "At least I don't have a fetish for people who do."
"I never said I have a fetish!"
"I never said I was talking about you."
Silence.
They stared into each other with the shower hitting the sidewalk.
Kumiko was the first to laugh. Reina followed suit, hers of a more subtle nature, and closed the small gap between them, their elbows touching, and sighing, smiling, she leaned her head against Kumiko's shoulder.
What, what is she doing? Deep within, a heart danced frantic.
"I'm tired." She said.
"Shouldn't we be heading home now that it isn't as bad?"
Reina closed her eyes, "I want to stay like this for a moment."
"Okay." Then…
Kumiko rested her head against Reina. Warmth flooded throughout her.
The rain fell.
…
"Well, here's your house."
Reina glanced over to the fuzzy-headed girl she was sharing the umbrella with.
"So, uh, take off your clothes immediately."
"Are you that needy?" Reina asked.
"Reina!"
She swung her arms behind her and walked up the steps before whipping around to face the red umbrella holding girl.
"It'll be fine, won't it?"
Kumiko nodded determinedly.
She bounded back to down Kumiko.
"Rei—"
Reina tugged Kumiko and pressed her lips against her.
She squeaked. It was as if the rain became a descent of color. Kumiko's eyes glimmered. A strange sensation washed over her like a lily flower blooming in her stomach.
After what felt like lasted a thousand snail races, Reina withdrew and whispered, "Thank you, Kumiko."
"Ah, y-yeah, no problem."
Reina rushed to the door and turned.
Then, in that fragile, autumn time, she waved her hand and said goodbye, but such a concept was flawed, for what she was really telling Kumiko was,
こんにいちは
Hello.
-Author's Note: As a little apology for the wait of my Star Rebellion Kumirei fanfiction. I'm actually stuck with what I want to do with the plot but don't worry I'm brainstorming!
Also, I like to think that both Kumiko and Reina are perverts, oh, those precious gay band nerds~