It was growing late, well, at least it seemed late because the sun went down so early in the evenings. I was taking a short break from my studying and found myself gazing out of the window into the dark blue of the night. Even though it was lit up by the multitude of colors emanating from the city, I could still see stars glinting brightly in the distance, the occasional dark, wispy cloud making them disappear as it passed. The sudden vibration of my phone, its sound amplified by the desk which it lay on startled me slightly. It was Kotori. "I really need to come over and talk to you. Is that okay?" The phone vibrated against my palm as another message arrived. "I'm sort of already almost there. I'm sorry." Kotori, for the most part, tended to be a rather polite girl, so I knew there was an issue and of course that it had to do with Umi.
"It's fine," I replied. I was tired and still had plenty to do that night. That meant I had to assure myself that Kotori's issues came first.
"Thank you, Maki-chan," I saw with a quick glance before shutting my phone. I made my way downstairs and unlocked the gate for her as she approached. I opened the door as she arrived to see a long frown on her face. Kotori smiled plenty, but recently she hadn't been. It was the stress of course. That didn't mean it wasn't an unpleasant sight though. She'd be smiling again once she was with Umi, I thought. Sighing, I leaned against the door, supporting myself with my hand.
"I take it things didn't go so well? What happened this time?" She paused for a moment, fiddling with her thumbs, her eyes avoiding mine.
"It went fine. The thing is… actually, do you mind if we talk out here?" she asked as I motioned her in. I rolled my eyes slightly before giving her a glare. I gave in and grabbed a coat, zipping and buttoning it so that it was as snug as it could be against my body. It was cold outside, and of course I didn't want to be out there talking, but I also understood that what Kotori had to say was private. Although I'm sure my parents would be much too preoccupied to listen. I sighed again and pushed my frowning lips up into a smile as I closed the door.
"So what is it?"
"Everything was going really well. We were both enjoying ourselves. We actually even held hands, but I'm not really sure if it was friendly or romantic… Some issues came up, and I'm not sure if a relationship between us would work."
"Wait, what?" I gasped, catching myself, blushing after I'd finished. At least my cheeks became warm against the cold. "I don't understand. What makes you think it won't work? You said things went well. You held hands."
"We ended up talking about how it's our last year at Otonokizaka. Our last year together. Umi-chan… she doesn't want me to go, but we both know that our futures will separate us. That's why I came here. That's the issue I'm having. Maki-chan, I need your opinion. Since we both have our own paths to follow, paths that will take us in completely different directions, would it be a waste for us to be together? Our future will change us. We may never come back together no matter how much we promise each other that we will… I just, I don't know what to do." I bit down hard upon my lower lip, my eyes moving to the sidewalk beyond our gate, aglow from the streetlights which cast long shadows against the pavement. Kotori had brought up an issue that I hadn't planned on, even though it was an issue I considered for myself so often. Although I had plenty of reasons to stay away from a relationship, this was one of the more important ones. I didn't want to waste my time on someone I would have to leave, or someone who would leave me. She was right. Was it worth it? "… Maki-chan," she asked weakly.
I didn't look at her as I spoke. "Give me a minute. Let me think." It was worth it. It had to be. Times might be tough, but they could push through it together. It would be worth it for both of them. "Yes, it's worth it. You might be separated at times, but it's not like you'll never see each other again. Maybe you can figure something out. If not, you'll be able to in the future. If she's really the girl you want to be with, then you can get through anything together."
"I… thank you so much, Maki-chan," Kotori muttered, a soft smile on her face, her body seeming to relax, even in the brisk breeze. "I just wonder whether or not Umi-chan will feel the same way."
"I think she will, but that's something you'll have to ask her once you admit your feelings for her. Is that everything? It's cold."
"I… yes. Sorry to bother you."
I sighed. "It's fine, I guess. Don't worry about that yet, alright? Focus on spending more time with her and deciding when will be the best time to tell her your feelings. I can't really do much else for you. It's up to you. Like I said last time though, if you have questions or something else comes up, just tell me. I've already helped you get this far, so there's no point in stopping now."
"Thanks again," she said with a quick bow before turning to leave. I unlocked the gate and stood there, watching for a while as she walked away, relieved that she never glanced back. She was… unique to say the least, but still a cute, lovable girl. She deserved someone good like Umi.
Days past and turned into weeks, two or three at most. I don't want to make it more dramatic than it already sounds. The two seemed to be making little progress with one another and were spending less and less time together. I didn't intervene at first, knowing they still needed time. It was at a point when they seemed to be growing more distant that I decided it was time to step in. I hoped that whatever the issue was, it could still be fixed before the work Kotori had done was erased. There was no point in meeting her in person, even though it seemed to have a better effect. I just needed to better understand the issue. So I called her one evening as I sipped gently on a freshly brewed cup of tea, the soft but fluctuating tone of the television before providing a calming hum of background noise. "Maki-chan, what is it?" Kotori answered after a few rings.
"You tell me," I said bluntly.
"I'm not really sure what you're talking about?"
"You're not dumb, Kotori-chan. Don't act like it. I'm talking about Umi-chan."
"Oh… that." The line was silent for a moment. I had to pull the phone away from my ear to make sure it hadn't disconnected. "I really don't know. Everything was going just fine, but then Umi-chan started getting more and more distant and not wanting to spend time with me anymore. If I could tell you, I would. I just don't think she wants to be with me. It seems pretty obvious now."
"Kotori-chan, don't say that. You know it's not true… or at least I do. There's something else going on."
"If you say so."
"Don't act like it's over yet. It's getting on my nerves already! Stop thinking that way. I'll have a chat with Umi tomorrow. The issue may not even involve you." I had a feeling it did though.
"But I… are you going to tell her…"
"Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out. Bye," I announced before closing my phone. There always had to be something more, didn't there?
