Time for chapter two! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed. The support for this story overwhelmed me! I never thought my first story would get such a positive response. I've definitely taken your thoughts into consideration, and I hope I've lived up to or exceeded your expectations with this next installment. Hope you enjoy!

Minami and Yutaka finally broke away, giving the taller girl a chance to wipe her slightly swollen eyes, which had turned scarlet. Remnants of tears still clung to her eyelashes, but she didn't care. Her fingers delicately pried opened the treasured music box again, and with each note the finely tuned metal strings plinked out, the emotionally overwhelmed girl lost herself in the melody. A thought rudely intruded upon her resplendent daydreaming, however, causing the insecure young woman to delicately seal the box once again. She quickly composed herself before surveying the girl of her dreams, intent upon imparting the same euphoria she had just received.

"Yutaka...I-I sort of have a gift for you as well."

The fragile girl's eyes widened, both with surprise and excitement. Minami took immense felicity in witnessing this sudden metamorphosis of Yutaka's features. "What? But my birthday isn't until December 20th!"

Minami's normally flat mouth cracked ever so slightly into a grin; an involuntary but burdensome task given how utterly abashed she felt. "I know, but it's important that I tell you this now so you have time to...prepare."

Yutaka's eyes now resembled wall-mounted clocks; spacious and spherical, with a minuscule yellow-green dot in the center of each one. Her pupils darted here and there unwillingly as she processed this information.

Minami-chan already has my present? But it's so early! And why is her face so red? I hope she's feeling ok...

"Yutaka?"

"Oh!" Yutaka flinched as she realized she was spacing out on her green-haired friend and quickly straightened up. "Sorry, Minami-chan. I'd love to see my present now!"

"F-follow me then." Minami led the way, giving her the perfect opportunity to calm down somewhat and allow her flushed face to return to its natural light beige tone. Yutaka followed close behind, unsure of what to expect as they traipsed through the halls of the Iwasakis' capacious residence. They soon reached the dining room, where Yutaka beheld a striking model of a winter cottage. From a distance, she noticed snow covering every surface, including the walkway to the front door, lined with towering sable lamps and burgundy bricks. As she approached the piece, she could clearly distinguish tiny representations of the estate's amenities, such as a large stone fireplace in the living room and a mahogany wood deck which overlooked a forest of snow-covered cedar trees.

"This is incredible!" Yutaka circled the model, taking in every detail that came to her attention. After she came to a stand still, Minami walked over to her and began staring intently at the cottage.

"Thank you, but this isn't exactly your gift."

"Huh?" Yutaka looked up at her friend, who kept her gaze determinately on the snow-blanketed rooftop.

"Truth is, this cottage is real. The actual building lies a few hours north of here, among the trees and the mountains. That's where you'll get your birthday gift."

Minami finally turned and faced her friend. "I'd like you to come with me and my family for a week this December...Actually, I'd prefer it to be during your birthday. I know that's asking so much, taking you away from your fam-"

She was cut short as Yutaka flung herself at the bewildered speaker, nearly tackling her to the ground. If not for the height difference, they'd both be laying on the floor in a heap. Minami looked down to find the petite girl hugging her waist with as much force as she could muster. Yutaka's laconic, pale pink hair obscured her eyes, but Minami thought she felt something wet fall onto her cardigan. Minami stood unmoving for a few seconds, comprehending what had just transpired. Then she returned Yutaka's hug, trying to pour all of her unsaid feelings into it without being too obvious. Time lost its unyielding power as the two reveled in the other's embrace, albeit for somewhat different reasons. When they broke apart, Yutaka stared up at Minami with sparkling eyes.

"Yes! Of course I'll come with you! I've always wanted to go to the mountains, but no one in my family ever let me go. I hope Uncle Sojiro will allow it this time!"

"Yeah...I do too." Minami noted how Yutaka just said "with you" instead of "with you and your family" and blushed again. This was becoming quite an embarrassing habit, and she told herself she would work on it before they made the journey up to the cottage.

Minami spent the remainder of the day with Yutaka, watching movies, playing with Cherry and eating dinner. When it was time for Yutaka to depart, Minami walked her to the door and waved a heartfelt yet somber goodbye to her friend as she walked through the gate and out of sight. Once the door was shut, Minami pressed her back against the cool wood and lowered herself to the ground.

Today was exhausting, but it was also one of the best days of my life. I got to hug Yutaka...twice! She reeled her thoughts back in a bit, remembering her promise to make sure her friendship with Yutaka wasn't jeopardized by her true feelings. I don't know how I'm going to make it to December. With so much planned out already, I don't know how I'll ever be able to concentrate on school. At least I'll have Yutaka there, as well as Patty and Hiyori. If I spend time with them too instead of just Yutaka, then hopefully I won't be as tempted to confess my feelings for her outright.

O++O

Slowly, the fall semester unfurled before Minami and her friends. Time seemed to revel in making a single day feel like a fortnight. Her teacher failed to remedy the situation, lavishing her with a vast expanse of tedious homework assignments. Most school nights she found herself laboring away at piles of worksheets more suited for an office setting than for a freshman high school class. Her weekends and breaks, however, contained ample amounts of merriment, only barely allowing her enervated mind a brief respite before being thrown unceremoniously back into full throttle the following Monday.

For the first time in her life, Minami found herself spending more time outside with real friends than inside pursuing her favorite pastimes: practicing piano, reading books or playing the occasional video game. The presence of Yutaka acted as an endorphin, curing her of the constant pain her mind and body suffered from being at school all week. Contrary to popular belief, Minami's commendable grades didn't come to her naturally. Each night, she honed the skills she learned that day until her brain fried and simply refused to work any longer. Usually, this left her only a little time for herself, during which she would eat with her parents and read or play a game before finally acknowledging her body's need for sleep. But seeing Yutaka, Patty and Hiyori at school each day and during the weekend made time slightly relinquish its ironclad grip on Minami.

O++O

December finally appeared over the horizon, waving its goodbyes to previous months with gusts of frigid wind and plummeting temperatures. Sunshine turned to rain, rain morphed into a wintry mix, and snow appeared to be next in line. The drop in temperature seemingly had a direct correlation with the mood of the students at Ryōō High School. This weekend, Minami found herself locked in her room, pencil in hand and eyes glazing over a heavily highlighted page in a hefty brown textbook, instead of out enjoying the company of her best friend. This thought struck in Minami's head like a lightning bolt, causing her to drop her pencil and sigh in exasperation.

These past few days have really taken their toll. It's all I can do to stop my brain from dabbling into what might happen starting this weekend. How will I ever concentrate on all my exams?

Minami's mind chose that moment to replay a memory of the afternoon Yutaka told Minami she could go with the Iwasakis to their posh winter cottage.

O++O

It was October, as the brownish-yellow leaves on the slightly drooping trees outside proclaimed. Minami sat at her overused and slightly worn desk chair, attempting to knock out her homework for the weekend so she could go shopping with Yutaka, Hiyori and Patty the next day. As she concentrated on filling in one of her final questions, a soft buzzing noise disturbed her from her train of thought. Her gaze drifted idly to the caller ID on her cell phone, but as she registered who the caller was, her eyes grew wide and she nabbed her phone off the desk in record time.

"H-hello?" Minami had a slightly nervous yet excited tone to her voice.

"Hi Minami-chan! I hope I'm not calling too late..."

"No, no...I was just finishing my homework. What do you need?" Truthfully, Minami was extremely glad to have an excuse to both give her aching brain a rest and talk to Yutaka. Her sweet, innocent voice flooded her with waves of youthful joy and contentment.

"I have great news, Minami-chan! I just asked Uncle Sojiro about the cottage, and he said it was ok for me to go!"

Minami almost floated out of her chair. All the stress and pressure of school melted away, replaced by an inexorable urge to sing at the top of her lungs. Of course, this was likely never to happen, being the quiet, reserved girl she was, but she didn't care. Her lips cracked into a rare, toothy grin, and she took solace in the fact that no one could witness her elation.

"Yutaka...That's wonderful news. He really said he's ok with you going?" It was a foolish question, but she had to make sure she wasn't dreaming and that there weren't any supplemental conditions involved.

"Yeah. He said as long as I'm with you and I'm not outside for too long each day, then it's fine. He also said that he didn't mind me being gone for my birthday, since we'll be coming back the day after anyway. We'll just celebrate as a family when I get back."

That was all Minami needed to hear. In a moment of triumph, she clenched the phone tightly in her hand and raised it into the air, lowering her head slightly to complete an epic pose. Just then, Honoka happened to walk by her room and witness her spur of the moment display. Her attempts to stifle a giggle were unsuccessful, however, causing Minami to freeze when she heard it. Slowly lowering her arm and turning to her mother at the same pace, she stared at her mother with saucer-sized eyes and burning red cheeks.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't see a thing!" Honoka commented as she walked away, fighting the urge to laugh once again. Minami still sat frozen in place, her pride demolished by her mother's sudden appearance. It wasn't until she heard the faintest of sounds coming from the receiver that she realized Yutaka was still on the line. She immediately placed the phone back to her each.

"...Minami-chan? Are you still there?"

Her cheeks flamed up once again. "S-sorry. My mother stopped by for a second." Minami purposefully left out the finer details of what just occurred, and doubted Yutaka would find anything suspicious in what she just claimed.

"Oh, ok. Well, I just wanted to call and tell you I can go. Oh, and thanks so much for taking me, Minami-chan! I must be the luckiest girl in the world!"

Minami's face was now so warm she could feel droplets of sweat accumulating on her forehead. Her attempts at composing herself over the weeks since Yutaka first came to her house had been a complete and utter failure, despite the resolve she first exhibited when tackling the problem.

Does Yutaka realize what she's saying? The way she worded that last sentence was almost...romantic. But that can't be true. Yutaka IS incredibly innocent, after all. Still...

Her mind wandered off like this until Yutaka's voice rang inside her head like a small cluster of bells once again.

"Well, I should be getting to bed. If I don't sleep now, onee-chan might keep me awake all night with that new game she's been playing. It's hard to believe she thinks it's fun when all I hear from her room is yelling and cursing! Goodnight, Minami-chan!"

Minami only barely collected herself in time to whisper a soft "Goodnight" before the call dropped. Placing the phone back onto the table, Minami walked over to her bed in a trance-like state. Her homework still lay open on her desk, but completing it was the last thought bouncing around Minami's mind at the moment. Resting her head on her pillow, she gazed up at her ceiling without actually seeing it.

I can't believe this is real. Yutaka staying with me and my family at what's sure to become my favorite place of all time, and for a whole week no less!

Despite her best intentions, Minami's mind wandered back into the now familiar territory of endless possibilities with Yutaka at the cottage. She pondered how much time they would spend together, with no schoolwork to tie them down. Learning to ski together, riding toboggans down steep hills, enjoying cup after cup of hot tea...

With that, Minami unknowingly slipped off into the land of dreams.

O++O

Minami snapped herself out of her extended flashback, eyes once again meeting the colorfully highlighted pages of an otherwise dull textbook. She would have her time with Yutaka, but for that to happen, she first needed to blaze through these exams. Using Yutaka's image as her North Star, she trudged onward through the sea of knowledge lying open in front of her.

O++O

Exam week did arrive, but only after hours of study transformed Minami's features into a gaunt, ill-fitting mask. Each exam cost her precious brain power, yet also lifted a weight off of her conscience. The long nights she toiled over memorizing different information for each class would not go to waste. Minami contemplated this as she handed in her Social Studies exam.

Another one down, which means another exam closer to a snowy cottage, winter activities, and Yutaka...

Finally, only her Grammar exam remained. Looking back, she might have accidentally written in "Yutaka" on one or two of the short answer questions. She couldn't help it. Every third question, her mind strayed back to Yutaka playing in a snow covered field, or Yutaka sledding side by side with her down a steep hill, looks of merriment permanently etched on both their faces. Her cheeks seemed to glow each time this happened, and she scanned the classroom nervously each time she caught herself daydreaming. When she was feeling daring, she would chance a peek at Yutaka, although she restrained herself from doing it too often so she wouldn't be accused of cheating. The two hour exam dragged on for what seemed like days, and multiple times Minami thought the class clock might be broken because the hands barely seemed to budge. When the bell finally rang, she handed in her exam, grabbed her bag and met Yutaka at her desk.

"H-hey, Yutaka." Her voice almost caught in her throat. Why was she always like this when she tried to have a conversation with Yutaka?

"Hi Minami-chan! Did your exams go well? I bet you did really well. You're usually one of the top students in the class!" Though this was true, Minami always felt embarrassed when one of her friends brought this up. She did work hard for her grades, but Minami wasn't interested in making herself feel better than everyone else. In fact, it made her feel more cut off and isolated than she normally did.

Minami craftily steered the conversation away from her grades and the exams they just completed. "I hope so. Anyway, are you all packed for our trip?"

"You bet! Tomorrow morning can't come soon enough!" Yutaka picked up her bag and walked toward the door, closely followed by Minami. The plan was for them to meet at Minami's house a little after 9 a.m. the following day. Konata would walk her younger cousin there to protect her and so she could say goodbye. Then, the four of them (Yutaka, Minami and her parents) would take a car three hours into the mountain range, where the cottage stood waiting for them.

Minami and Yutaka walked to the train station with Hiyori and Patty, whom they wouldn't see for at least a week. The former two told Patty some of what they planned to do, and when Minami and Yutaka exchanged cheerful looks every so often, Hiyori would look away, red-faced and cursing her perverted nature. Patty seemed jealous of their vacation, but said that since she was working longer shifts at the cosplay café during the break, she would be kept plenty busy while they were away. Still discussing their plans for the break, they boarded the train and, one by one, departed at their respective stops. Minami and Yutaka stayed on longer than the other two girls, and when the train reached Yutaka's destination, the two exchanged meaningful and excited glances before the shorter girl headed home.

I can't be sure of what tomorrow will hold, not to mention the entire week, but what I can be sure of is that Yutaka and I will grow closer, be that as friends or as something more. More...

Minami lost herself in the finer details of that four-letter word, and almost missed her stop because of it. Inwardly berating herself for not paying better attention, she hurried home to finish packing and eat a light supper before going to bed early. At first she wasn't sure how she would ever fall asleep. The wait was more excruciating than the nights before Christmas and her birthday combined. Somehow, she found herself counting sheep that weren't really sheep at all. Instead, she looked onward at a hundred Yutakas dressed in form-fitting sheep costumes and jumping gracefully over a rosewood fence. Her face flushed involuntarily. Maybe she wasn't so different from Hiyori after all...

O++O

The next day, Minami awoke a few minutes before eight. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she rushed to grab a towel, remove her pajamas and head straight for the warm respite of the shower. Today was an important day after all, and she yearned to look her best for her secret fantasy girl. Washing herself thoroughly and taking care to employ plenty of scented body soap, Minami finished her shower and returned to her room to decide what to don for her first day at the cottage.

I want to impress Yutaka, but I also don't want to freeze my butt off...

Her eyes alighted on a ruby overcoat she didn't recall ever seeing in her closet before. Deciding to overlook this detail for the time being, she dressed herself in warm silver ski pants and a long sleeve flanel shirt before slipping her arms through her new jacket. Checking her mirror to make sure she looked satisfactory, Minami headed downstairs to find a breakfast of grilled salmon, rice and miso soup awaiting her. Scarfing down the meal as fast as possible without choking, she put her dishes away and dashed back to her room to grab her suitcases. After bringing them downstairs and resting them by the door, all she could do was wait rather impatiently for her friend and her older cousin to arrive.

9:00 came. Nothing.

9:05...Nothing.

9:10...Still nothing. Minami thought about calling her best friend, but thought better of it. She had said a little after 9 a.m., right?

Finally, at 9:15, she could hear two voices bantering back and forth outside. As their proximity increased, Minami could make out what the two people were saying.

"Onee-chan, look at the time! We should've been here 15 minutes ago! Why couldn't we just take the train like I wanted?"

A sharper, yet slightly amused voice met her ears next. "I told ya, I found a shortcut! We made it here alright, didn't we?"

The higher pitched voice retorted. "But we're still late, onee-chan! I hope Minami-chan isn't too worried about us..."

Minami jumped at those words, and as she heard multiple knocks on the front door, she attempted to shift her expression from one of distress to one of tranquility. She opened the door, hoping evidence of her rapid transformation wasn't still etched upon her features.

"Hiya, Minami! Great to see ya again!" Yutaka's cousin Konata was the first to speak. Her glaucous hair shot down past her waist, which granted wasn't the longest of distances. Her playful, slightly mischievous smile might've worried Minami had they not met before. Having been over to the Izumi's place a number of times, she no longer registered Konata as suspicious or intimidating. In fact, her comical banter with her father Sojiro and sometimes even Yutaka made her laugh every time she visited Yutaka at her home.

"It's nice to see you too, Konata. T-thank you for escorting Yutaka here."

"Ah, no problem! I would've been out anyway heading for the comic shop, so I was happy to guide Yutaka here!" She winked at Minami and gave a sly smile, causing her to shift her gaze downward out of habit.

"Hi Minami-chan!" A dulcet tone brought Minami's eyes upward again to face Yutaka as Konata shuffled past them, placing Yutaka's bags by the door near Minami's.

"Morning, Yutaka. You look..." A million different words could've completed this sentence, and yet wouldn't have been enough to aptly describe her feelings. Yutaka was sporting a sleeveless, electric blue fleece jacket, unzipped to reveal a long sleeve wool shirt of a duller, darker shade of blue. A crisp white scarf with sky blue spots randomly assorted along it covered her neck, and a pair of flanel ski pants which matched Minami's shirt almost perfectly protected her legs.

"...radient." Minami finally decided. Yutaka's face lit up when she spoke that word, sending intense waves of pleasure through Minami as she deemed her word choice to be a success.

"You really think so?" Yutaka checked over her outfit, then appeared to confirm her appearance with a nod.

"Well, you look positively stunning, Minami-chan! I wish I could pull off incredible looks like you can." Now it was Minami's turn to look abashed. She knew Yutaka well, and the petite girl never gave out compliments to her friends unless she absolutely meant them. Otherwise, she would cleverly avoid the matter by commenting on some other aspect of the person or change the subject entirely. Minami was often jealous of her friend's ability to avoid hurting people's feelings so effortlessly. When she was in a similar situation, she would normally just stutter and look uncomfortably at anything but the person addressing her.

"T-thanks, Yutaka. You're too kind." Minami forced her downcast eyes back upward to gaze back into Yutaka's, and the sensation made adrenaline coarse through her body.

"Interesting, interesting...I must be sure to tell Hiyori all about this!" Minami and Yutaka both flinched and turned to face Konata. Minami had forgotten the long-haired spitfire was still there, having been caught up in the moment with her dream girl.

"Onee-chan!" Yutaka tossed an annoyed and exasperated look at her cousin as her cheeks flushed out of embarrassment.

"Well, I'd best be going! If I don't get to the store soon, they might sell out of all the first edition copies! Bring her back in one piece, ok Minami?"

"S-sure." Minami wasn't entirely sure whether she was kidding, but she decided to put the thought to rest. She knew deep in her heart that she would protect Yutaka from anything and everything out there, no matter what she went through to do it.

"Well, have a good week, Yutaka! Oh, and happy early birthday!"

"Bye, onee-chan!" Yutaka called out her goodbye as Konata exited the gate and rounded the street corner. As she disappeared, a black town car came into view from the opposite direction and parked in front of the Iwasakis' grand home.

Minami grabbed her bags. "Ready to go?"

Yutaka smiled in response to the taller girl's question. "I've been waiting for that question since September. Let's do it!"

Minami's face turned vermillion as she led the way out the door and past the front gate.

Another chapter done! Please leave a review so I know what you think of the story so far. If you feel inclined, a favorite and/or a follow would be absolutely amazing as well. Chapter 3 probably won't be up as quickly as this one was, but I'll do my best to give this another update ASAP. Until then!