"Burning love…?"
The drink that I really loved today tasted bitter than ever. It's not like they made it that way or there was not enough sugar in it. It's just wouldn't feel great. Considering all that happened today, it's very likely for everything to taste that way. All day, every single thing that I did was regarded as useless. No matter how small it was, there's no exception. Why? At least tell me why, you stupid Umi!
Well, everything started last night when we're on phone call. I was talking about my colleague who wanted to invite me to a trip together next week. And then, all of a sudden, that over-serious girl got mad at me and said that I never thought about her. And here I was thinking about trying to ask her to join. But well, since she was treating me like that, Fine! I will go with my colleague alone together. It's not like I need to celebrate my birthday with that heartless girl, right?
Then, the hell unfolded. All day inside the university, every time we met and talked, she would just shouting at me and said that I was stupid. What's wrong with that girl, I wonder!? I tried to brighten the mood but it just got worse. I gave her a gift but she tossed it and said she didn't need it. What a difficult girl. If only I didn't love her, I would gladly leave this matter alone.
All day, inside this café, my mind was wandering somewhere. It's like I'm seeing a fleeting dream that would never got real. A day of happiness whereas I could celebrate my birthday with Umi together. Why the hell did she always came up inside my mind? Ah…, it's frustrating! I need to refresh my mind or I won't be able to enjoy today's gathering.
Irritating. Everything, that is. Ever since I heard about her stupid plan to celebrate her birthday with someone I don't even know, it's just turned out that way. It felt like I never mattered that much to her. Even after devising such a great plan like this, she nonchalantly told me that she planned to spend her time that day with a random girl. How dare you, stupid Maki!
I'd already booked a reservation for our favorite café. I'd already bought our tickets for the upcoming movie we swore we would watch together. I bought all necessities for the birthday party I planned to have in my house with her. But look at what she did to me? She destroyed it like it didn't matter at all. I knew I haven't told her yet, but it's just frustrating! Selfish girl!
And today, as if there's nothing wrong with her attitude yesterday, she tried to smooth her way so I could forgive her. I do love you but it doesn't mean you would got the easy way out, my princess! At least not until your birthday or until you recognize your fault. Well, let's leave that matter for a moment and focus on the whole new problematic gathering today. She must be there already. She must be thinking that it was the right time for me to forgive her. Hmph! No way, you spoiled girl!
Stupidity. Nothing's better to explain this situation right now but that. How come I need to be the mediator between these two hard-headed girls? I know I'm their senior but it's just impossible. Just look at these two faces, one who's really eager to force her way through and one who's really eager to hold her fort all day. I am just a normal girl, Maki, Umi. Why you two involved me in this matter? Well, it's true that I was the one who helped them got together…, but… It's hard, for gosh's sake! Harasho~
"Hello Umi…" Eli got no answer from the said girl, who just pouted at the right corner of the table
"Hello Maki…" no answer whatsoever from the one on the left side
"Umm… can I just go home?" Eli might be feeling hopeless, after all
"No!" together, the girls who's supposed to be 'fighting' right now
"Then, at least talk to me!" It's scary enough seeing you two pouting like that while I have no one to help me right now! Just where did all of those girls went to, leaving me alone with these two!
Then, another silence befell those three. Eli got a message from Honoka which said that they would come to the gathering place later if the problem has been solved between Umi and Maki. Eli knew that Honoka was traumatized last year when something similar happened back then and she tried to solve it. "Ah, that was really scary…" was all that Eli could utter when she heard the story from the victim. Now, to fix this problem she might need to become the next victim of this duo. "Go, Eli, you're their senior! You must show how dependable you are!" said Eli to herself as she steeled her will inside. Whether it worked or not, it's a different matter.
"So…, what is wrong with you two?" Eli started it
"Nothing." Simple answer from Maki
"Yes, nothing. Right? You stupid girl!" suddenly Umi spoke and directed her glare to the redhead
"What do you mean by that, you heartless girl!?" Maki countered
"Nothing!" now it back to square one by Umi
"Ummm…, can anyone tell me at least something that bothers either of you first? I'm beginning to see why Honoka is so afraid of you two, you know…?" it's so rare seeing Eli talked like that
At first no one answered Eli, then Maki started it "That girl over there, after I went out of the trouble of inviting her to a trip together, suddenly she got mad and hung up the phone! I asked what's wrong but she didn't even bother to answer!"
"What? Inviting me to a trip? You didn't said anything like that last night!" Umi's boiling inside
"Of course I don't! It's because you hung up the damn phone first, stupid!" pissed off Maki
"Of course I did that! Even if what you said was true, doesn't it mean that you wanted to invite me together with someone I don't even know!?" reasoning Umi
"You know her just fine! I introduced her to you last week!" Maki started to calm her anger
"Oh, that girl who loved seeing your tight. So you prefer someone like that, huh? I never thought you're such an M, Maki." purposely mocked Maki
"No, she's not! Besides, she already got a girlfriend! And of course her girlfriend is not someone who got jealous over a simple gaze like you!" it's raising again, Maki. Your anger, that is
"What the!? You said I was jealous over that pervert!? No way!" Umi's cheeks turned red
"Oh, so you're not? So it's fine if she touched my thigh in front of you, then?" Maki tried to taunt the blue-haired senior
"One little touch and I will kill her right on the spot!" Eli and Maki was surprised by Umi's sudden answer
"W-W-Well…, it's not like I will permit her to do such thing in the first place…" afraid aren't you, Maki?
"You'd better do not or you'll see something you'd wish you've never seen all your life, Maki. You know that I'm not the one who hold my back when I'm really angry at someone, right?" the aura around Umi started to feel scary, even to Eli
"Yes, ma'am…" instant answer from redhead
"Ummm… so, what now?" Eli tried to decrease the scary mood around them
"What do you mean by that, Eli?" you're still scary, Umi-sama!
"I-I-I-I-I just wanted to make sure that this problem is over with Maki's earlier acceptance, is it?" Eli, fight-ou!
"What's over? Of course it's not over! This little over-spoiled girl didn't know just how much time and money I've spent on preparing her birthday party next week while she nonchalantly entrancing girls one after another and inviting them over to her villa like it's nothing!" Umi started complaining before Maki cut her out
"Wait, birthday party?! You never said anything about that!" surprised Maki
"Of course I didn't said it! If I said it, it wouldn't be a surprise, stupid Maki!" Umi scolding her junior
At that point, Maki's eyes seemed a little bit teary. Eli who noticed it tried to point it out to Umi who seemed like a demon in front of her. When she did managed to do so, Umi suddenly snapped off from her demon mode and flustered as to how to deal with the sad-looking face of her beloved junior. If someone thought that Umi didn't have a weakness, then it's a big no. Yes, she does have a weakness. She's really weak when she made Maki cried, just like now.
"M-Maki…, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to shout at you…" Umi tried to comfort her junior
"…" Maki in silence
"Maki, I'm sorry okay? I'll stop being mean at you so please stop crying, okay?" will it work, Umi?
"… I was really looking forward to spend my time with you at the villa. I asked Papa about it and she'll only let me if there's more than the two of us going there. I complied, so I invited Rena and Shiki as a thanks for helping me in our previous assignment. When I was trying to invite you, you suddenly got mad at me… I just wanted to spend my time together with you, Umi…" now Maki started crying again
Umi finally got why Maki was eager to invite her for the trip. Similar to Umi, Maki was planning her birthday party to be enjoyable for both of them, and thus she even bothered to invite her colleagues so she could got the permission from her father, while Umi on the other hand, didn't even tried to listen and instead got mad at her. Seeing that it was really her fault in the first place, she stopped her anger and went to Maki's side.
"I'm sorry for not listening to you until the end. I'm sorry I never considered you to be planning something that far for us. I'm sorry, Maki… Please, I will do anything to make it up for you…!" Umi apologized
Maki nodded and tightened her arms around Umi's body. Her eyes looked so cute that Umi couldn't help but feel so hopelessly stupid for making this cute little creature cry and sad. As Umi smiled at Maki, the redhead said "So, Umi… did you mean what you said earlier…?" and it got Umi curious
"Of course, Maki" but Umi answered it just fine
"Then…, kiss me." Blunt as Eli said in her head
"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!? M-M-M-M-M-M-Maki y-y-y-y-you're kidding, right?" flustered Umi
"Liar." There she goes, pouting again, releasing her hug from the senior
"Okay, okay, okay then! Fine. You spoiled girl!" and there she goes, kissed the redhead while their surroundings saw them in awe
The kiss continued for at least five minutes until Umi couldn't help but feeling embarrassed after doing indecent thing (she thought) like that in front of all those people and Eli. The blonde senior, who saw the duo patching things up, took her phone and snapped a picture of the act and send it to the other members. And Maki, who's supposed to be crying just before the kiss, was laughing like mad which in turn earned her a pinch on the cheek by Umi.
"I know you're just messing with me, Maki!"
"Well, it's your fault for believing my tears… We've been together for so long but you're still easy to trick, huh, Umi?" Maki grinned mischievously
"Just you wait, Maki! I will get my revenge someday!" said Umi as she took the redhead outside "We're leaving, Eli. I have to do something about this girlfriend of mine first. Say hello to them for me and this little trickster!" Maki just waved the blonde senior goodbye as she laughed while being dragged by the flustered Umi
On the 18th of April, turned out that Umi managed to convince Maki's father to let her daughter and herself enjoy their time at the villa alone without inviting Maki's colleagues. Umi reasoned that she didn't want to risk her girlfriend being glared at by some random perverted woman. The father complied after laughing for about thirty seconds. Well, with how usually Umi acted around him, it's just rare and unusual for the straight-laced girl to be acting based on her affection like that.
Then comes the 19th. After their usual yearly fight around their birthdays, it's time for them to enjoy their time together to the fullest. "Be happy, you two. Fighting is okay, as long as you two make up in the end" was the message Eli send to the duo that day before she send the picture she snapped last week which surprised the duo greatly.
"Looks like there's someone who wanted to be punished, right Maki?"
"Of course, Umi…"
"Just you wait, Eli…"
The voices of those two cool princesses echoed as they looked outside to the direction of Akihabara from the terrace of the villa. Well, Eli, you'd better prepare yourself for what's about to come.