Wowsers it's Chapter 2 - that's a first for me. Hey, 'New Year New Me' ahaha no.
Can I just forewarn y'all that there's no 'big payoff' to be had here.
Yui absentmindedly ran her fingers along her shirt, thinking it incredibly ironic that she was wearing flannel of all things today. It was the only flannel shirt she owned, which made it even worse - though she was certainly grateful for the warmth it provided against the occasional gust of wind that would whip her hair in all sorts of directions. She didn't really mean to wear this of all things - and she certainly hoped Ayano didn't know (or at least wouldn't point out) its potential message - it was just that, well, she'd run out of stuff to wear.
It wasn't even technically her fault. Fridays were usually her laundry day - it was just that this Friday she was a bit preoccupied with, ah, homework. Yes, schoolwork. Well, if schoolwork involved obsessively fretting over her da-hangout, Yui corrected herself, with Ayano.
Friday night was spent in thorough anticipation for the next day - and as such, her Saturday morning was spent running around the house realising she had absolutely nothing to wear. And while that might have been ideal in a future time (Goddamnit Yui, keep your mind out of the gutter!), it certainly was nothing short of obscene horror at 9 A.M. today. So, in conclusion, it was totally her fault.
She was understandably relieved when she spotted her old red-checkered flannel shirt lying in one of those boxes she'd stowed away. Sure, its age certainly showed - the cuffs of the sleeves just barely touched her wrists, and she had to leave a button unbuttoned just to be able to breathe, but overall Yui certainly considered it an accomplishment that she didn't leave the house topless (or worse, in one of her old pajama shirts) today.
Yui raised her phone to check the time - she'd previously had it in her pocket, but decided to just hold onto it after the fifteenth repeat of this. 11:43, it said, and Yui tried not to think about the fact that she'd arrived half an hour early to their meetup point. Well, at any rate, she really liked spending time with herself - so she didn't mind. Not in a lonely, brooding way (okay, maybe sometimes in a lonely, brooding way), but Yui was a natural introvert and was thus accustomed to settling for self-entertainment.
Living alone would do that to you.
She raised her phone again - 11:45. Fifteen more minutes...
"Oh, Yui! Over here!"
Yui snapped her head to see Ayano across the street, the violet-haired girl waving enthusiastically at her. Yui gave a weak wave in return, too distracted by the sight of Ayano, donned in a spotted red dress that just reached the top of her knees; the rest of her legs covered in her signature black leggings. She threw on a denim jacket above all that contrasted nicely with both her hair and her dress - and was that makeup that Yui saw on Ayano's face? Either way, the other girl had clearly put some effort into dressing up today.
Yui tugged at her shirt, her face burning in embarrassment. Why, oh why, couldn't she just have remembered to do the damn laundry yesterday? She could've been wearing that white top that she knew fit her well, or really anything that wasn't this stupid red flannel shirt that hugged her frame just slightly too much.
"I'm, um, really sorry about the shirt," Yui blurted out, thinking she should at least offer some sort of apology, "It was just I forgot to do the laundry yesterday and this was the last shirt I have so…sorry." Yui finished lamely.
"No!" Ayano denied, "I think it looks fine on you! It, really, um, complements your skin tone!"
Yui knew that it was a blatant lie, of course, but that didn't prevent a smile from working its way up to the raven-haired girl's face. "Thanks."
"So, uh, shall we go?" Ayano interjected, probably to change the subject more than anything, "The restaurant's only a few streets away."
"Sure," Yui agreed, and the pair began to walk towards their destination, "So, I guess we didn't talk all that much yesterday." No reason in particular, of course. "How was your week?"
No one ever said Yui was good at small talk.
"Chitose still won't let go of that, you know. I mean, it was just a middle school crush! Well, I guess it is pretty funny in retrospect."
"Once again, not that I'm judging or anything - but seriously, Kyouko?"
"She can be… endearing, sometimes." Ayano admitted with a blush, "And clearly something works about her, since the guys and girls in our class," Ayano rolled her eyes here, "just happen to flock to her like moths to a flame."
"Jealous?" Yui teased with a grin, to which Ayano mock-glared in reply, "Well, I suppose you can always claim to be the patient zero of Toshinou Fever."
Ayano simply snorted, ending the conversation by stabbing a shrimp with her fork. Yui returned to her own food as well: a simple spaghetti carbonara, one of Yui's favorite meals - though more often than not, she ate it self-prepared. Fortunately, the restaurant Ayano had chosen specialised in all manners of pasta (the other girl had elected just to order a pasta salad), and the chef's talent showed in the incredible taste of Yui's dish. Amazing food aside, the cafe had a certain rustic charm to it - small tables clustered together, each with a flower pot as a centerpiece; nostalgic pop music playing in the background, which Yui found herself humming to; and their unique drinks (what even was a Mint Verbena?) served in Mason jars, complete with bendy straws and miniature umbrellas.
All of it justified the half an hour both of them had to wait outside, in the cold, to get a table.
Not that she didn't appreciate the time. It turned out she could do small talk - or rather, that her and Ayano had grown so accustomed with one another that she had no problem idly chatting with the violet-haired girl. They talked about all sorts of things: how they were adjusting to high school life (Ayano found it stressful more than anything); what Ayano was doing in the Student Council (she was currently involved in trying to increase funding to various clubs); and even what their juniors were doing back in middle school (Yui lamented the loss of the Amusement Club, as Chinatsu and Akari actually became the founding members of the newly reformed Tea Club).
For all this, however, Yui still had one topic - or rather, question in particular - that she'd been eager to bring up.
"So, uh, Ayano…" Yui gulped, "Are you, um… seeing anyone right now?"
She was pretty sure the answer would be no - in fact, she was almost certain about it - but it was always good to check. After all, she didn't want to pursue a lost cause.
"No!" Ayano squeaked, "W-Whatever gave you that idea?"
Yui was too busy trying to keep the uncharacteristic smile off of her face to try and think of an excuse. "Uh, nothing," She was grasping at straws here, "I mean, I was just wondering. You are pretty popular, you know?"
"I am?" Ayano looked genuinely surprised at this.
"Well, yeah." Yui recalled everything her classmates had said about Ayano, "People see you as someone they can depend on. I mean, you are Class President and all. And you're friendly to everyone you meet, and it doesn't hurt that you're pretty c-"
Yui cut herself off, dropping her speech as she just realised what she was about to say. Good friends or not, it would be pretty awkward to call Ayano cute. Not that she didn't deserve the title.
And in retrospect, maybe she could have gone for it, because the conversation dropped into a decidedly awkward silence - though maybe not for the reasons she thought. Looking over to the other girl, she saw Ayano sport a blush - red cheeks that were puffed up slightly as the corners of her mouth were pulled up in a small smile. The violet-haired girl looked away almost the moment Yui stared at her, and Yui was perfectly content with just, like, not maintaining eye contact.
She had no way to confirm it, but Yui had a sneaking suspicion her own face mirrored Ayano's right now.
"...as I was saying, it doesn't hurt that you're pretty cool. Trust me, you might not be directly popular, but everyone in class certainly looks up to you."
"Well, I've…" Ayano stumbled over her words - Yui was glad she wasn't the only one, "I've never really thought about it that way, I guess."
Silence, once again.
Why was it suddenly so hard to talk? Yui berated herself for her poor topic choice. Things had been going so well, too, before she just had to ask the other girl about her dating history. Yui tried to think of something - anything, really - else to talk about, but Ayano beat her to the punch.
"Well, what about you, Yui… are you dating anyone?"
"I, uh, um…" No, was the phrase - syllable, even - that Yui was trying to articulate, and utterly failed to.
"Oh, uh, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine!" Ayano added, "If you want to keep it a secret, that's fine too."
"No, no…" Yui was shaking her head. Well, she got that much out, at least. "I mean, uh, no. No, I'm not seeing anyone else right now. I'm still single and ready to mingle." Her poor attempt at a joke made the raven-haired girl want to just sink under the table for an extended period of time.
Why was she feeling so… nervous right now? Her heart was beating much faster than it had any right to have, and her palms felt so warm and shaky she laid them flat against her seat just to hold her arms steady. Why had she even brought this topic up in the first place?
They settled for eating the remainder of their food in silence, Yui having no idea what else she could bring up to revitalise their conversation - or at the very least, alleviate the awkward air between the two of them. When Yui had finally cleaned her plate (it was really good food), she asked the other girl if she was ready to leave.
"Uh, yeah, sure." Ayano said, albeit slightly quietly. Once again, Yui cursed herself and her amazingly adept conversation skills. She signalled a waiter for the bill, who left in a hurry to tally their order. "So, uh…" Yui's mind drew a blank. So much for 'revitalising conversation'. "What should we do after this?"
"Oh, I was wondering the same thing," Ayano replied (with mild enthusiasm, Yui noted with relief), "I was thinking we could go window shopping? We are close to a shopping district, after all."
"Sounds good to me." The waiter handed Yui the bill, and there was an unspoken agreement between the duo that they were going to split the bill. Yui rummaged through her wallet, producing a few notes which she handed to Ayano, who promptly paid for their meal. They both stood up, Yui still keeping largely silent.
"Alright, then," Ayano bent down to take one last sip of her lemon tea, "lettuce leaf this place." Yui could practically hear the grin in Ayano's voice.
Yui paused for a bit. "Well, we'd better get there pasta - it's almost two o' clock."
"I can guaran-tea we'll get there in time, Yui."
They both had the courtesy to wait until they got to the sidewalk before bursting out in laughter, Yui laughing directly into her hand, while Ayano seemed content with giggling all the while.
"Can I just say," Ayano managed to get out between laughs, "you're literally the only person under the sun who appreciates my puns, Yui."
Yui had to take a deep breath to stop herself, "Well, clearly everyone else just lacks the intrinsic appreciation we share for puns."
"Truly, the finest form of humor." Ayano said solemnly. Yui nodded in agreement.
"Oh, Yui?" Ayano said, pulling at her hair to adjust her ponytail.
"Yeah?" She replied. The girl beside her grew silent, as if in an internal debate.
"It's nice…" Yui could see Ayano desperately trying to hold back a grin, "to flannelly be able to hang out like this."
If there was one downside to this outing - if it could be even called a downside, that is - is that Yui only found more reasons to like Ayano.
Punny (Yui took a moment to laugh at herself, mainly in a self-depreciating way) jokes aside, Ayano actually displayed an amazing eye for fashion - and this showed in the way she was just able to know which colors would naturally fit together. When questioned on it, Ayano seemed pretty defensive - "Oh, no, um, I've just read books on it, is all!"
Suspicious, sure, but Yui didn't probe further. She was content with simply being dragged around by her violet-haired friend as they visited fashion stores of all kinds: modern, trendy clothing lines (Ayano tried to convince Yui to buy some shirts, and Yui had to reiterate that no, she had a collection of much more fashionable tops); they visited a shoe shop at one point (where Yui and Ayano discussed the physical possibility of some of the heels on sale); and Ayano had dragged Yui into a hat shop, throwing a fedora on the raven-haired girl, "Just to see what it looks like," Ayano assured.
Either way, true to their word, they ended up spending three hours 'shopping' - without actually spending a single cent. Some would call it a waste of time, but Yui at the very least gained a new appreciation for fashion.
For instance, matching orange with green was 'nothing short of a crime against fashion', as Ayano had scandalously pointed out to Yui as they observed passersby from a bench.
The sun was just above the horizon as they reached the last store on the shopping district (a clothing store boasting 'functional fashion' - dresses with pockets being their main attraction) and Ayano had already motioned to turn back to their starting point, before Yui saw something out of the corner of her eye.
A bright yellow sundress, currently donned by a mannequin sitting behind a glass window.
I guess we did miss a shop, Yui thought to herself, eyeing the dress all the while. It was - to be honest - entirely too girly for her. Yellow didn't really suit her; she found the color to look pretty childish on her, and its cheerful color matched someone like Kyouko a lot more than her. More pressingly, Yui Funami and dresses simply did not go together. Yui didn't own a single dress; or rather, she never found the need to. A shirt, paired with jeans or a skirt, was really her standard attire. Hell, the most dress-like article of clothing she owned was her middle school uniform.
All that said, she couldn't help but gaze longingly at the yellow dress.
"Oh, Yui, what are you…" Ayano trailed off as Yui snapped back into attention.
"Oh, sorry. I was just looking." She tore her gaze off the shopfront and onto Ayano, "C'mon, let's go."
"Were… were you looking at that dress?" Ayano asked, motioning towards the yellow sundress. Damnit, Ayano, why do you know me so well? How'd the other girl know, out of all the dresses on display, which one she was fixated on? Either way, Yui supposed it wouldn't exactly hurt to tell her.
"Uh, yeah…" Yui's voice took on a guilty tone, "I thought it would be cute. Not on me, of course!"
"What're you talking about? I think it'd look amazing on you!" Ayano grabbed Yui's hand (Wow, her hands are so soft) and she led both of them into the shop, the violet-haired girl seeking out the clothes rack with the yellow dress. It was, of course, located right at the front, and she got right to searching for Yui's size.
Yui, meanwhile, was still dazed as Ayano suddenly shoved the dress into her hands, motioning her towards the store's fitting room, encouraging her to "Go try it on!"
"Uh, wait, what?" Yui sputtered, "There's no way I'd get this! I don't even own any dresses!"
"Then this can be your first one," Ayano firmly retorted, "You won't know until you try it, right? Don't worry, it'll take like, five minutes at most."
Conceding defeat, Yui walked into the cramped stall, sliding the curtain closed behind her.
She didn't even dare take a good look at her reflection before she stepped out. "Well?" She called out to Ayano, already dreading the answer. The violet-haired girl was silent for a while, and Yui groaned. She knew she just wasn't suited for dresses.
"Um…" Ayano seemed to be at a loss for words, "It looks… reallyreallycuteonyou!" She hurriedly finished, looking away suddenly.
"You…" She's still trying to be nice about it? "...you don't have to lie, you know. I know I'm just not suited to wear dresses."
"No, no, it's not that!" She rushed forward and grabbed Yui's (now bare) shoulders, "You look super duper cute! I'm being serious!" She added the last part upon seeing Yui's doubtful look, "It'd be such a waste not to get this! I mean, I guess you can't really wear it now, but you can still get it for summer!"
Ayano's face was so close to hers right now, and her soft hands lay on her shoulders - Yui was sorely tempted to return the favor and pull the other girl close for a kiss, just to see what it'd feel like.
...Hey, she was already in a dress. My inhibitions are just gone today.
Electing to preserve her common sense instead, Yui simply broke away from the other girl's grasp and took a good look at herself via a nearby full-length mirror. She didn't really see any of the 'super duper cute' Ayano claimed existed - or really, any of the 'cute' at all. If anything, she really just felt self-conscious at the amount of skin she was baring right now. Yet, despite all of that…
"...You really think I look cute?" Yui twirled her body awkwardly, watching herself in the mirror.
Ayano nodded, "I've never actually seen you in a dress before."
"That's probably because I don't own any." Yui admitted with a rueful chuckle, only to hear her friend gasp in surprise.
"In that case," Once again, Ayano grabbed Yui's shoulders (this time from the back) and stepped forward, placing herself right behind Yui's reflection, "I must insist you buy this, Yui."
It did take a fair amount more to convince Yui, but in the end the duo left the shop one yellow sundress richer.
"I guess we should head back now." Yui commented - the sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon, and she'd really like to be able to get home before it got too dark out.
"Yeah." Ayano agreed as they backtracked, passing all the places they'd visited this afternoon for a second time. "I'd better get going before it gets too dark."
Yui needed to enact her master plan now.
"Um," Yui started, and she felt like slapping herself for it. Seriously, what was with her and getting tongue-tied around Ayano? "I-I could walk you home, if you like."
"Oh! You really don't have to, you know." Ayano's initial (what Yui hoped was) eagerness was encouraging, at least. "If anything, I should be the one walking you home, since you live alone."
"I-It's fine," Yui responded, shaking her head, "I'd really much rather make sure you get home safely."
"Well, i-if you insist, then…" Ayano toyed with the hem of her jacket, "I certainly don't mind."
The two of them spent the rest of the walk idly chatting - something reminiscent of earlier that afternoon, when they were waiting outside the restaurant. To be frank, Yui was just surprised at how easy it could be to talk to Ayano - even if both of them were known for being socially awkward. Birds of a feather, she reasoned. They passed the bench Yui was originally sitting on this morning, before Yui noticed some people hurriedly walking around them. Wait, what...
"Yui," Ayano suddenly stopped moving, looking up at the sky, "is it just me, or is it raining?"
The first few drops hit Yui's shoulders - and she groaned. Sure, it had been overcast the whole day (the whole week, really), but why did it have to rain right now of all times? Why not, say, five minutes earlier, when the two were still blissfully under the cover of concrete? As it was…
"How far away is your house from here?" Yui asked, quickly pulling both of them under a nearby tree, bringing their bodies together to maximise their cover. It's not the only thing you're maximising, eheh.
"Uh…" Ayano's face was red - Yui hoped she wasn't about to catch a cold - but she managed to stammer out, "a-about twenty minutes' walk, I'd say?"
"There's no way you'll be able to walk in the rain for that long…" The rain was only getting heavier - the two of them would have to figure out a plan soon. "Hm… what about taking the train?"
"Oh, that could be a good idea!" Ayano exclaimed, "The station's only three minutes away from my house, if that. But are there any train stations near here?"
"Yeah, there's one, I took the train to get here…" Yui gulped as she realised the flaw in her plan, "But it's, uh, a five minutes' walk away."
"Well, then, what do we do?" Ayano whispered in a panicked tone. Yui saw her point - the rain was coming down even faster now, and droplets of rainwater had begun to trickle around them, having pierced the thin canopy of leaves. In five minutes, there'd be no doubt - the two of them would be soaked.
There's no way we could get there without getting soaking wet…
Yui had an idea.
It was not a good idea, not at all - she knew that much. But she also knew that it was an idea, and time was running short. Ayano and her needed to get to the train station, after all.
She grabbed Ayano's hand with her right, and used her left to hold the paper bag against her chest. Maybe the flannel shirt was a good idea after all.
"Yui, what're you-"
The raven-haired girl ignored Ayano's question in favor of taking off straight into the rain.
Ayano, surprisingly enough, seemed to understand immediately, and together the two of them raced down the sidewalk, Yui leading Ayano as she felt the first of many raindrops hit her shoulders and back.
It's a left in two blocks… I think. Yui was trying to remember, she really was, but half of her attention was focused on pointing out to herself just how soft - and warm, now that they were in the rain - Ayano's hand was. Their fingers were interlocked, and as many cliches as Yui had found herself indulging in recently, she had one more:
In this moment - with the rain now relentlessly beating down upon them, as they were making a mad dash through the streets in town - Ayano's fingers seemed to fit perfectly in hers.
She made a left, and Ayano followed suit. "Okay, it's just down this road!" Yui called out to the other girl, who nodded and picked up the pace, eventually coming up to Yui's right side.
"You know," the violet-haired girl half-shouted across the rain, "this is pretty fun!"
And for a split second, Yui witnessed it - the silliest grin on Ayano's face, her mouth stretched as wide as possible and her eyes sparkling with mirth. Yui couldn't help but feel her heart jump; her body feeling light and warm despite the heavy, cold rain around them. But most of all, she couldn't help but return the grin in equal measure, gripping Ayano's hand even tighter as she closed the distance between them.
Maybe this was what she was missing in life - the exhilaration of something new, something fresh in her life, to break away from the routine she'd held onto for so long. This was exactly what she needed - no, craved - some grand adventure to take her away; someone to push her to try new things, like buying a dress. Ayano. Someone to run in the rain with. Ayano. It occurred to Yui, more so in this moment than any other, that Ayano might've been what she'd been looking for in life.
They ran in this way, shoulders inches apart from each others', all the way until Yui stopped right outside a blue-roofed building. She pulled the other girl under the blue roof, and together they leant against the nearest wall, Yui taking a moment to regain her senses (and her breath). She moved the paper bag off her chest, peering inside.
"Is it alright?" Ayano asked.
"It looks alright," Yui said, inspecting the bag's contents dubiously, "I think."
Ayano closed her eyes, and Yui followed suit, taking deep breaths to try and regulate her heartbeat. Her hands unconsciously clenched up, and it was then that she realised: her right hand was still very firmly grasping Ayano's left. It seemed the sudden movement alerted Ayano too, because the violet-haired girl snapped her eyes open.
For one precious second, both their gazes were fixed upon their conjoined hands.
The magic moment shattered - Yui realised she really had no reason to still be holding onto the other girl's hand - and their fingers slipped away from each other, Yui awkwardly sliding her right hand into her jean pocket, almost trying to substitute its warmth for Ayano's.
"Um." Yui tried to say words - she really did - but they just wouldn't leave her mouth. Not when she'd just held onto her crush's hand like it was her lifeline. Not when her heartbeat soared around the other girl; now, standing under the wonderful shelter of a plastic roof, she could no longer chalk it up to sprinting. And most certainly not when she had absolutely no idea what Ayano was thinking right now.
"I guess… I guess we should go now?" Ayano meekly asked, breaking up the silence.
"Y-Yeah." Damnit, what was wrong with her today?
Silence elapsed once more - the two of them wordlessly moving into the train station, passing the entrance gates. Yui led the way - left, right, left - until Ayano spoke up.
"Oh, Yui, my train line's this way." She pointed to the right path.
"Oh, uh…" She hadn't expected it to end this abruptly; really, she'd initially planned - at least in some shape or form - to be able to bid the other girl goodnight as she dropped her off at her house. This wasn't really what she anticipated - that they'd split ways in a train station corridor.
Then again, maybe life shouldn't always go according to plan.
At any rate, she had to say something.
"T-Thanks, Ayano." She looked into Ayano's eyes, "I had a lot of fun today."
"No, no, it should be me who's thanking you!" Ayano responded, "It was you that arranged this whole thing, after all."
That's right, it was. In the whole scheme of things - awkward lunches and chic boutiques - she'd really forgotten it was her who'd asked the other girl to hang out. Well, it was really Chitose, to be precise. But she neglected to mention that.
"I'd, um…" Yui wondered if she was being too forward here, "I'd love it if we could do this, you know, again. Some other time."
"Yeah, me too." Ayano gave her a smile - one that simply made Yui's heart melt.
Almost unconsciously, she moved in for a hug - and Ayano reciprocated, stepping forward to wrap her own arms around the ravenette as well. It wasn't uncommon for them; Kyouko, as Chitose had reminded her about earlier, was prone to giving hugs, and Yui certainly had her fair share every time the blonde came over to her apartment. They were all used to it - this wasn't even the first time Yui had hugged Ayano.
But there was no doubt that this hug was just different. Maybe it was in the way Ayano pressed her body against hers, flannel rubbing against cotton; maybe it was in the way that Yui's own arms clung tightly around Ayano's back, despite the cold rainwater seeping from her denim jacket onto her palms; or, really, maybe it was just in the way that she'd never before felt the temptation to break away from the hug to kiss the other girl before.
They stayed that way for a long, long time - of that much Yui was certain - holding each other, Yui catching the faint scent of Ayano's vanilla shampoo amidst hearing - no, feeling - Ayano's heartbeat alongside hers. All those romance stories she read were very clearly exaggerated, for their heartbeats were completely out of sync - Ayano's heart pumping much faster than her own.
Then, a crackle of static.
The train is now approaching the station. All passengers wishing to board the Naoetsu Line, please...
Ayano pulled away, and Yui quickly followed suit, her arms already missing the violet-haired girl's warmth. Dimly, in the back of her mind, Yui wondered how the other girl would react if she just stepped forward to embrace her again. It'd probably be worth it.
"W-Well," Ayano waved shakily, breaking Yui's train of thought, "I guess that's my cue." She smiled at Yui again.
"Alright." Yui smiled back.
"See you on Monday." Ayano's train pulled up right behind her, and the violet-haired girl moved to get on it.
"You too." Yui called out to her retreating back, giving the girl a small wave with her right hand - the hand that, just moments ago, had been interlocked with Ayano's own.
Ayano boarded the train, and Yui watched as the train left the station, before turning and walking off in the direction of her own. Four more minutes, she noted to herself, idly sitting herself down on a nearby bench. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the rain as she gave herself a moment - for the first time today - to just relax.
The rain was coming down much, much heavier now - she was extremely glad she'd made the decision to sprint to the train station - but the cold autumn air, icy on her skin as it was, only made Yui long for Ayano's warmth all that much more.
And that's it. No, I'm serious.
I was trying to go for a theme/mood of awkward first love here - not that I was necessarily basing it off anything personal, of course. In any case, I felt like this was an appropriate way to end this whole story; if anyone feels like they can continue on from this, by all means, please do. For now, though, I think I'm going to leave it as is.