Harumi sat in her seat at school. She felt dazed. Yuzu was in the corner, brooding to herself as always. Harumi wouldn't have to deal with the little underclassman toddler Matsuri anymore today until lunch or the end of school. Yuzu was just staring through the window, wishing seemingly to get away from it all. For once, Harumi understood how she felt. Yuzu's curls fell off her back as if they had been murdered and bundled into a bag.
Yuzu was wearing her usual uniform but had black sox on. Harumi now wondered if there had always been something between them, something that she might have jumped on if she had had these confusing feelings earlier. Those socks were probably regulation, but nobody seemed to care. Even the teacher had noticed the change and decided to give Yuzu her space. Nobody called on her unless she seemed into it anymore, and those days were fewer and fewer. There was a general level of concern about her wellbeing, but typically Japanese, they gave her a requisite amount of space to get over it. After all, she was an Aihara and related to the student council president.
Classes were boring today. Harumi wanted to get out of this anguish she felt deep down. The feelings were whirling, so confusing and so filled with dread. She couldn't get her sister's change out of her mind. All was suspect, every student, even herself.
She sweated, getting more nervous without noticing it through the day. Her palms were unusually sweaty.
Lunch passed by without much of a word to Matsuri. She could tell something was off and the silence just built.
After the bell let out at the end of the day, Harumi walked up to Yuzu and asked her if she wanted to hang out. Luckily for her, in her mid-lesbian psychosis from her sisters' entirely crazy letter from her girlfriend, Yuzu obliged. Yuzu seemed down in the dumps as usual but was going to soldier on this time. The swollen face and basic falling apart were hard to describe, but still there. Harumi needed her more than anything today, and straight up hugged her, surprising Yuzu.
"Hey Harumi," she tried to say sweetly, "What's with the affection?"
"I'm just super happy you're coming with us today," Harumi replied. "It's been a long day."
"Yeah…" said Yuzu, not looking at all the other students as if they were ghosts, looking through them as usual. She hadn't said a word in school to anyone but her, Matsuri or Nene for so long. It was like her step-sister wasn't even there.
"Let's go get burgers today," said Harumi.
"Okay, something light," responded Yuzu.