Chapter 9: Turbulence
Yuzu widened her eyes as soon as her gaze was met by Mei's piercing lavender eyes. Her knees slightly trembled as she noted a different energy radiating from Mei, an expression that was fierce enough to kill her, if it only could.
Mei's gaze darted toward their hands. She looked at Yuzu, once more, then turned her face to focus all her attention at Toshi.
"Did you see that?" Masashi asked, smiling at Yuzu and letting her hand go.
Bewildered and slightly trembling, Yuzu simply glanced up at her partner and stared at him.
"If looks could kill, then we would have been dead by now, Okogi-san." Masashi said, letting out a triumphant chortle.
Yuzu let out an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms.
"There's no need to waste another second," he said, playfully winking at Yuzu. "Let me take care of this." He excused himself then walked slowly toward Mei, leaving Yuzu alone.
Confused and growing a little impatient, Yuzu tapped her foot and just allowed Masashi to leave.
I'm gonna kill that guy.
"Hear my soul spea..." Toshi paused.
"Yeah, I hear your soul speak but the President has an urgent matter to attend to, so dude, if you'll excuse us." Masashi glanced down and smiled at Mei. "President, please follow me," he said, opening his hand like a gentleman ready to usher Mei away from Toshi.
Pressing her lips together, Mei gave Masashi a black look of annoyance.
"Trust me, President," he whispered. He then cleared their way like a bodyguard.
"Masashi, why are you doing this?" she asked, squinting her eyes.
He paused and stood still for a while. He glanced down and gave Mei a reassuring smile. He leaned closer but kept a short distance. "She's waiting for you," he whispered.
Mei stared at him with those piercing eyes.
Masashi smiled and gestured for Mei to follow him.
The raven-haired let out another sigh of irritation but her feet moved involuntarily, following Masashi's path. There was a strong and inexplicable energy pulling her forward. Her body was gliding on its own, without her conscious control as if it was answering someone's call.
She stopped.
Masashi stood by her side as they watched Yuzu nervously wandering about the hall alone. They noticed Yuzu was murmuring something and gesturing with a sheet of paper on one hand... probably internalizing her line for the activity.
"President. You have nothing to worry about me." He glanced down and made an eye contact with Mei.
"Masashi." Mei cleared her throat and kept a steady eye contact with Masashi.
"You deserve to be happy, Mei," he said, breaking the formality between them. They had been classmates for years and his father had been working for one of their companies. Though he always kept a comfortable distance from the Mei, it didn't stop him from protecting her or from making sure that she stayed safe. It was his way of showing loyalty to her and her family. "Stay here, I'll go get her."
Mei just watched Masashi dash toward Yuzu's direction. She held one hand closer to her heart and let out a sigh of relief. Closing her eyes, she felt her chest loosen its tightness as if the bitterness she had been carrying around vanished into thin air.
"Mei." A familiar feminine voice emerged.
Mei swore she could recognize that voice even from a distance or from a crowd. It was the only voice that had the power to melt the pride in her or to tame her anger or to even dissolve traces of envy from her heart. She kept her eyes closed to hide the vulnerability in her eyes.
Masashi leaned in to whisper. "You always have my back, President." He then turned away and left Mei and Yuzu.
Right after Masashi left, for a moment, there was and intense silence between Yuzu and Mei until Yuzu lifted her arm and gave Mei a light pat on the shoulder. Before opening her eyes, Mei took a deep breath.
"Are you ready to hear my lines?" Yuzu said, glancing longingly at those lavender eyes.
Mei stood still and gazed at those green eyes in return. Her sole intent for existing which was only to be the perfect heiress was slowly being crushed by Yuzu's genuine expression. Never had she been distracted from her only goal or her calling until Yuzu managed to enter a deeper part of her thoughts.
Yuzu looked at her copy then back at Mei. "Okay." Her voice softened to a sound that only Mei could hear. "I know this is cheesy but I never expected to say these words to you. I mean, not like this, but... you know," she stammered.
Although Mei had gotten used to Yuzu's awkwardness, she had never told her it was okay or reassured her that somehow she found it a little... adorable. She stood there with the commanding presence of an Aihara heiress, making an eye contact with the blonde and keeping her calm demeanor.
"Mei, please cover your ears. I'm about to start," Yuzu insisted as she moved her body from side to side.
Leaning a little forward, Mei whispered to Yuzu's ear causing the blonde to jolt. "You may start. Make sure to impress me." For a moment, she thought it was the best way to calm Yuzu's nerves but it went against her plan.
Yuzu took a double deep breath to calm her herself. Never had Yuzu expected to say her cliched lines to Mei in that way so she was hesitant and mentally scolding herself. "This is like a promise, Mei. I just never thought of saying it this way or in this moment."
"If you're not comfortable saying it in front of me, I can turn around," Mei said, looking all poised and calm.
"No, please, stay that way," Yuzu hissed and shook her head. "I'm comfortable this way."
But the way Yuzu was acting from moving from side to side to suddenly looking away revealed something opposite from being comfortable.
"You still have a chance to cover your ears," Yuzu spoke under her breath as she gently punched her palm.
"If you're not starting anytime soon, I'm afraid you'll incur demerit points." Mei's voice was stern yet playful.
"Demerit what?" Yuzu asked, tilting her head.
"I'm going to give you the lowest score," Mei warned, looking straight into Yuzu's eyes.
Yuzu immediately straightened herself. Then she covered her face with both hands. "Alright," she muttered, uncovering her blushing face. She then looked at Mei and took a deep breath.
Clearing her throat, she started. "I promise to accept you in all your forms, to shine light on your darkness, and to love you at your weakest." Yuzu's voice choked with emotions.
Those words spoken by Yuzu slightly caused Mei to step back.
"To laugh with you and at all your jokes and never at you, I promise that," Yuzu said, fighting against her nervousness.
Although Mei knew there wasn't any meaning to those words, she felt a little off balance.
"To everything life brings us, I will stand beside you and hold your hand," Yuzu slowly said, almost choking on the last three words.
Looking intensely at Yuzu's sparkling green eyes, Mei felt it harder to keep her neutral expression.
"I promise to support you when you're sad or when you feel weak." Yuzu looked down and closed her eyes. She could feel a lump forming on her throat.
Standing in front of Yuzu and hearing those practiced words slip out of her lips, Mei reminded herself to act unaffected, to feign obliviousness. But she was struggling a little.
Yuzu shook her head again before lifting it. "In every second of the day, I promise to love you and honor you unconditionally." Yuzu lowered her voice to a soft whisper that was full of sincerity. She bravely looked at Mei against her tension.
Mei's heart conceded a bit but her mind wasn't giving up so easily.
"Mei," Yuzu gasped, glancing at the taller girl and struggling to hold back a tear. "I promise to always be your biggest fan." She spoke ever so slowly then looked away. "I have to go, Mei," she said and and exited the hall, hurriedly.
Mei's emotions were stirred. Watching Yuzu leave the hall, her chest tightened but she had to act stern. Her intuition told her that Yuzu composed every single line by herself but she didn't want to assume. What if she was wrong? She thought.
From the hall, Yuzu ran far enough to shake off the embarrassment that was creeping in her body. Seeing a staircase, she felt relieved. "You're such a fool, Yuzu," she cursed beneath her breath, climbing the stairs. She stopped halfway and sat slowly.
"It felt like a confession," she whispered to herself. But she had little hope that Mei would look at her the way she did. Why would she be? She scolded herself.
She felt like breaking and her heart was crushing. Yuzu leaned back against the upper steps. "Crap," she muttered upon realizing that she lost the paper where she wrote the lines for their creative drama class.
For a moment, she panicked at the thought of losing the paper but her mind dwelled more on how she was feeling every word she uttered in front of Mei.
Although they had already kissed, she wanted more... a sense of happiness... or security with Mei but she thought she was crazy enough to even desire something like that.
Never had she wanted to protect anyone the way she wanted to protect Mei. Or give someone the encouragement and support the way she wanted to give her. She never wanted anything more than to see her happy.
She was shivering at the thought of having to explain herself to Mei. She couldn't lie any longer to Mei or even to herself. She was ready to give her everything but she was afraid.
"What happened? Masashi asked worriedly, keeping a distance from Mei. He rushed toward her as soon as he spotted the blonde leave the hall in a hasty manner.
Mei casually glanced up and made an eye contact with Masashi. "I don't know how to answer that question," she said.
Masashi bent down to pick the sheet of paper Yuzu had dropped.
"Prez, I'm sorry for interrupting. But what happened to Yuzu?" Harumin said, slightly panting. She dashed toward Mei upon noticing her best friend's sudden exit.
"I don't have any idea, Taniguchi-san." She darted her glance toward Harumin. "I'm not exactly sure what happened. She was saying her lines..."
"Oh," Harumin interrupted, stepping back and lightly smacking her palm against her forehead. "She worked very hard on her lines. She told me she was doing it for someone special. Maybe this activity was too much or too exhausting for her."
Mei arched her brow. "Someone special?"
"Yeah, almost all of us just got our lines from movies or songs but she wanted to write her own lines. I told her she was crazy but she was unshakable," Harumin said, creasing her brow.
"I see." Mei subtly and lightly clutched to her tie against her chest.
"I'll go look for her, Prez." Harumin politely excused herself and went to talk to their teacher.
"President," Masashi said, lowering his voice for the sake of privacy. "I think Okogi-san dropped this when she left hurriedly." He handed Mei the paper.
Mei glanced up at Masashi then lowered her gaze at the paper. Taking it slowly, she noted the letter "M" as the only part of the greeting.
It tugged at her heartstrings and she didn't know why. Never had she imagined herself to feel that way. She was incapable to... or even undeserving to. She thought. But for the first time, someone made her feel accepted for who she was without expectations. When did that happen? She pondered.
"Everyone, let's have a break," the teacher shouted, clapping her hands to get their attention.
"There's something that I have to take care of at the Student Council Office," Mei said, respectfully leaving Masashi behind.
As she was gracefully exiting the hall, Mei made sure to wear a neutral expression on her face even though her heart was uncontrollably beating. No one had ever made her heart beat so fast that it was actually starting to hurt.
Casually scanning her surroundings, she hoped to get a glimpse of the runaway blonde but she had no success.
She clutched to her chest hoping for the overwhelming feelings to die down. She had always guarded her heart from unusual emotions or from anyone trying to break in. Sure, she had been in a relationship but it was merely for convenience. For people like her, love was a luxury they could never afford.
Taking a deep breath, Mei held her hand close to her heart. Then she went in to the office. Scanning the empty room, she tried to bring herself in control of her emotions. She reminded herself, once again, that it was unfitting to show any signs of sentiment or to allow herself to feel... to be normal. She sat heavily in her chair and closed her eyes. Her mind drifted into one incident in her childhood...
After coming home from elementary school, Mei was suspicious that something was wrong.
"Koko-chan, I'm home," she shouted calling out for her dog.
An unsettling feeling started to well up in her so she searched every corner to look for her dog.
"Koko-chan." She called over and over with no result.
She sat on the kitchen floor and started to sob.
A tall and slender woman appeared in the kitchen. She was all dressed up in the afternoon. One can tell that she had always preferred looking her best even just at home. Her silky black hair reflected the light from the small chandelier.
"Stand up from the floor and stop crying," she commanded sternly, holding a half-empty bottle of champagne. From the way she spoke, it was obvious that she had been drinking heavily the whole afternoon.
Mei struggled to stand. She was worried about her dog but she was also scared of the woman in the kitchen with her.
"Stop being a crybaby. You're already seven," the woman yelled, pointing a finger at Mei while holding the bottle of champagne.
Mei stood up and leaned against the wall. Her knees were shaking. She slid down involuntarily.
Annoyed, the older woman slammed the door entrance. The bottle slipped from her hand and dropped on the marbled floor.
Mei froze and stared at the woman with wide eyes.
"You see what you did? It's all your fault!" the woman shouted angrily, visible veins throbbing in her neck.
Mei wrapped her arms around herself. She was trembling at the sight of a raging woman.
The woman walked toward Mei, squinting her eyes and ready to stab a finger at her. Clenching her fist, she bent down. "You're an Aihara. You're never allowed to cry," she said, clenching her jaw.
Unable to look at the older woman, Mei darted her gaze toward the floor. But she could still smell the harsh scent of alcohol from the woman.
"Stop crying!" she yelled, slamming her palm on the wall.
Shocked and fearful, Mei covered herself with her little arms. Then she heard a sobbing noise coming from the woman. She looked up and noted tears streaming down the woman's face.
"Mother," Mei gasped.
"Go to your room now!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.
Mei ran as fast as she could.
Wiping a tear from her cheek as she recalled the incident, Mei stood up from her chair. Then she heard a familiar tone coming from her drawer. Kenji was calling her.
"Kenji."
"Signorina," Kenji greeted in an Italian accent.
"What do you want?" Mei replied in a stern manner.
"Aihara Mei, stop being so harsh," he playfully teased. But he noted Mei's voice was a bit shaky.
"I'm busy, Kenji. I'll be hanging up now."
"No. I can sense there's something bothering you, Aihara."
"Since when have you developed a sixth sense?" Mei rebuked.
"I'm being serious here. Did anything happen?"
Mei hesitated and stared at the round table.
"You know you can tell me anything," Kenji soothed.
Slowly, Mei moved toward the table. She pulled a chair for herself while looking at the other chair.
"So, Yuzu agreed to go on a trip to Okinawa with her friend," Kenji paused, waiting for Mei to answer. "And I happened to tell her that you would also go."
Leaning back against the chair, Mei tilted her head back and just let out a sigh.
"Why do I feel like a salesman making a pitch?" Kenji said, hoping to elicit laughter from the heiress.
Mei remained silent.
"I told Yuzu that Okinawa is your version of paradise. Also, I think you really need a break from all the school work and stress at home. What do you think, Aihara?"
Sighing deeply, Mei stood up.
"You're going to Okinawa whether you like it or not." Kenji slightly raised his voice with a tinge of annoyance.
"Why do you have to call me when you settled everything yourself?" Mei snapped.
Kenji burst out laughing. He then sighed loudly. "Forget about stress, for once, Mei."
One week later...
It was a quiet noon at the cafeteria. Yuzu and Harumin were having their usual Katsudon for lunch. They admiringly gazed at the trees that were swaying with the wind.
"I like how the trees sway with the wind," Yuzu said, remembering how Mei loved it too.
"Yeah." Harumin looked across the soccer field.
Letting out a satisfied sigh, Yuzu turned her face to finish her meal.
"Yuzu," a girl said.
Without any warning, Yuzu's heartbeat raced uncontrollably. She hesitated to look at the girl.
"Do you have a minute?" the girl said with a firm tone in her voice.
"Hi, Prez," Harumin greeted, waving a hand at Mei.
Clenching her left fist, Yuzu turned her face to look at Mei. She smiled against her anxiety. "Sure. What is it about, Mei?"
Mei nodded as if telling Yuzu to follow her. She slowly moved out of the cafeteria.
Yuzu immediately grabbed her bag and excused herself from Harumin. She then followed Mei who was heading for the Student Council Office.
Reaching her office, Mei stopped to wait for Yuzu.
"Thanks, Mei," Yuzu said, looking a bit confused.
"I want to talk to you about something," Mei said, opening the door and gesturing for Yuzu to get inside.
With a few steps, both of them were inside.
"Okay, Mei," Yuzu said, nervously making an eye contact with Mei.
Mei firmly looked straight into Yuzu's eyes. "Yuzu, why were you avoiding me after the drama class?"
Yuzu looked away. Her eyes narrowed and she could feel her chest tighten a bit.
"Yuzu," Mei sternly said, glowering and stepping closer.
Gulping, Yuzu lifted her head with all her force and looked at Mei. She narrowed her eyes upon noting Mei's angry expression. "Because..." she paused, staring fearfully at Mei. In that instant, Yuzu wanted to collapse from her fear.
Then Mei softened her expression which made Yuzu all confused. She gently touched Yuzu's face while looking at her. Everything about that moment made Yuzu's heart melt entirely.
Mei leaned in and kissed the side of Yuzu's cheek. "Yuzu, I also..." she paused, moving her face to Yuzu's other cheek. "Care about..."
Yuzu pulled away and hurriedly left the office.
After one month...
"Harumin, finally, we're going to Okinawa," Yuzu exclaimed with so much excitement in her voice.
Unable to contain her delight, Harumin grabbed Yuzu's hands and they both jumped up and down. Everyone looked at them with creased brows.
"Yuzucchi!" Harumin cried out loud. "I can't believe one of my dreams is coming true."
They were at the Haneda Airport, checking in for their flight. Yuzu had a lovely yellow hardcase luggage. It looked stylish and it complemented her outfit perfectly. She wore a pair of distressed denim shorts, a white top with a subtle print and a hat. Everything about her look screamed 'summer.'
Her best friend put on a fitted skirt and a tank top. She was also sporting a fitted faux leather jacket. Her luggage was almost similar to Yuzu's but in a different color, metal grey. Harumin wanted a pink one but it wasn't available anymore so she just settled for the classic one.
"I can hear the ocean waves calling me," Yuzu said as they were making their way to a self-serve kiosk.
"This is gonna be an amazing experience, Yuzucchi," Harumin said, scanning the place.
"Don't you think Kenji overdid it?" Yuzu asked, looking over the kiosks and baggage drop counters.
"Maybe, but it doesn't hurt, Yuzucchi," Harumin said, taking her shades off. She then turned around and looked at the entrance. "Yuzucchi! She gushed, grabbing Yuzu's shoulders from the back and instantly turned her around.
Yuzu darted her gaze toward the entrance. Her eyes settled at the girl in a gorgeous navy blue dress and fitted blazer. The girl elegantly made her way inside the North Wing, effortlessly catching the attention of the early morning crowd. Then, she paused and placed her phone in her bag. Her luggage flawlessly matched the color of her attire, Yuzu thought.
"The Prez surely does know how to dress to impress," Harumin sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat. "So she's really taking this trip with us, Yuzucchi?" she hissed, widening her eyes while looking at Yuzu.
Yuzu looked away from Harumin. Her eyes followed Mei's movements. "Harumin, Mei is using the priority check-in service," she said, keeping her gaze at the raven-haired.
"She's an Aihara and a frequent traveler, I guess. I bet she has an Elite Status with the airline," Harumin said with a bit of sour expression on her face.
Yuzu let out a loud sigh. "Hmm... using these kiosks isn't that bad, Harumin."
"Yuzucchi, the Prez is done. She checked in so fast," Harumin cried, crinkling her nose. "Now, let's figure out how to use these machines."
"This should be easy," Yuzu said, rubbing the back of her head.
"I think it's weird that you didn't say 'hi' to her, Yuzucchi," Harumin casually said.
Yuzu paused and straightened her back. "Well, she looked as if she was in a hurry."
"Yeah. There's plenty of time to exchange pleasantries," Harumin paused then excitedly raised her voice, "in Okinawa!" She reached out for Yuzu and wrapped her arms around her.
"Good morning," a flight attendant greeted Yuzu and Harumin as they entered the aircraft.
"This is business class, Yuzucchi!" Harumin whispered, carrying a small sling bag and looking around. "But we're not going to be seated together," she hissed in defeat.
Patting Harumin's shoulder, Yuzu joked, "We need to take a break from each other once in a while, Harumin." Yuzu giggled while clinging to her backpack straps.
Walking to her seat, Yuzu paused and placed her hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened.
"What's wrong, Yuzucchi?" Harumin asked, looking across the aisle to search for her seat then at Yuzu.
"I'll be sitting next to Mei," she whispered, turning slightly to glance at Harumin. Yuzu had the window seat on the second row.
Mei was peacefully napping in her seat. She rested her head on the the palm of her right hand while her left hand was holding a sheet of paper.
"Don't wake her up," Harumin whispered back. "She worked overnight or something, I think," she said brushing her chin gently with her finger.
She looks so beautiful though.
"I better head to my seat." Harumin looked across and pointed at the empty aisle seat in the last row. "Don't do anything Mama Harumin won't do, Yuzucchi," she cooed, giggling and waving her hand.
Yuzu squinted her eyes. She watched as Harumin slowly moved toward her seat. She quickly glanced down and back at the aisle. Her heartbeat was racing. Slowly and cautiously, she glided in the window seat. After successfully doing the stunt without waking her seatmate up, she took a deep breath and mentally threw a fist in the air.
Mei let out a soft sound of exhaustion and moved in her seat. She unconsciously moved her hand which led her head to nod from the side. She awoke to the slight pain from her shoulder and neck. Covering her mouth, she yawned against the slight pain. Straightening her back, she gently rubbed her shoulder to soothe it. Then she noticed that someone was sitting next to her.
"Mei." Yuzu fought through her nervousness to say that name.
Sighing deeply, Mei turned to make an eye contact with Yuzu. Then it turned into a glare.
"I know, you're mad at me. I'm sorry," Yuzu pleaded, clutching the hem of her top.
"So, now we're suddenly having a conversation." Mei rebuked, turning her face forward and still glowering.
"You must hate me right now but I hope you know how sorry I am." Yuzu slumped in her chair and turned her gaze on the floor.
"It meant nothing to me. There's nothing to apologize for," she sternly said.
With all her might, Yuzu turned her body to the side to face Mei. "Mei, I really..." she said pausing and clenching a fist.
"As I mentioned, it meant nothing to me. I don't need any explanation," Mei firmly said.
Yuzu found herself shrinking back in her seat. For a moment, she thought about rebutting to Mei's stern response, but instead she swallowed a bit of her pride and accepted defeat. Her mind couldn't come up with the best reason behind the incident at the Student Council Office.
"I'm so sorry, Mei," she whispered under her breath.
Ignoring Yuzu's statement, Mei took her blazer off and hung it on the coat hook in front of her. She leaned back and slightly reclined her seat. Mei usually had a soft spot for Yuzu but in that moment, she couldn't bare the idea of casually chatting with the person sitting next to her.
Thirty minutes in, boarding was complete. Yuzu still wanted to explain herself but noticing how Mei had been acting, she conceded and fixed her gaze at the view outside the window. As the plane pushed back from the gate, Yuzu leaned in closer to the window and let out a sigh.
Bye, Tokyo. Bye, love life.
Mei closed her eyes and held tightly on the armrest as the plane was taking off. She hadn't always liked the feeling of sudden and prolonged acceleration of any mode of transportation. Breathing in deeply, she waited for the plane to lift off the ground. As soon as it rotated, she opened her eyes and turned to look at the window.
Yuzu noticed that Mei was trying to look out the window so she subtly reclined in her seat to give her seatmate a better view. As soon as the plane climbed out over the Tokyo Bay, they both sighed in delight. Yuzu glanced at Mei but quickly turned her gaze away.
Why did I do that. I know she's still mad at me.
Fifty minutes in, they were ascending to less turbulent skies. Yuzu was starting to feel a bit of neck pain from her position. For the past twenty minutes, her gaze was fixed at the scenery outside. The clouds and the skies were witnesses to her emerald gaze filled with unacknowledged feelings. Slowly, she leaned back and crossed her right arm to give her neck a light massage. Stretching her neck, she got a glimpse of her seatmate who was nodding forward.
Really? All this time, I thought about avoiding making any form of eye contact with her and she's just sleeping?
As an expert nap-taker, Mei gracefully, although unconsciously leaned back.
When the plane reached cruising altitude, a drinks service commenced. Yuzu fixed her tray table. She looked at her sleeping seatmate then fixed her tray table as well.
"Would you like coffee, tea, or juice?" the stewardess asked, smiling from ear to ear. "Miss, it would be better for her to lean on your shoulder. You have about the same height."
Yuzu paused and stared at her table. "I'd like some orange juice please."
"A friend's shoulder is better than a headrest," the stewardess cooed, pouring the juice into their cups. "I assume, she'd also prefer some orange juice," she continued, handing Yuzu both of the cups.
"Thank you." Yuzu bowed slightly at the stewardess.
"Enjoy your flight," the stewardess said, walking down the aisle and leaving Yuzu and Mei behind.
She placed one cup on Mei's table but then quickly took it back as soon as she realized that Mei wasn't going to wake up any time soon. Thinking of giving Mei more space to move, Yuzu folded her tray table and pushed it back on the side. Almost instinctively, she grabbed a blanket and tucked it around her so that no cold air would seep in while she was sleeping.
"Mei, I ran away like a crazy person and I avoided seeing you because," she whispered, pausing and glancing at her sleeping seatmate. Then a little turbulence occurred and Mei shifted her head on Yuzu's side. The blonde leaned back and prodded Mei's head gently with her shoulder. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yuzu closed her eyes and cleared her throat.
After a few minutes, the plane was flying smoothly. But Yuzu's heart remained a bit turbulent. As Mei's head settled on her shoulder, she found it harder to sit still. Slowly, she looked to her left.
"I was afraid to be rejected by you." She spoke under her breath. "I care about you so much that it hurts to keep these feelings to myself. I had to avoid you because I didn't want you to feel pressured, Mei." She kept her voice to a soft whisper.
Yuzu jolted as soon as she felt Mei move her head closer and let out a soft sound. She clutched her chest.
That was close. Thank goodness, she's still sleeping.
To ease her nerves, Yuzu drank her orange juice. But it wasn't enough so she consumed her seatmate's beverage, too. As soon as she felt her heart rate normalize, she closed the window and turned on the overhead light. She noted Mei was looking a bit uncomfortable with her leg position so Yuzu cautiously and carefully extended her legrest to give Mei a better support. Then she adjusted her blanket.
A fashion magazine from the seat pocket caught Yuzu's attention so she carefully grabbed it and browsed through the pages.
More than two hours in, they soon began their descent to Naha Airport. Yuzu opened her eyes to the sound of the Pilot's announcement. Stretching her right arm, she moved her head and inhaled a familiar scent. Mei was still resting peacefully on her shoulder. Yuzu smiled against her nervousness.
Mei turned to the opposite side. She gently stretched her body and sat up. She noticed that not only was her legrest extended but she had a blanket on. Softly and gently rubbing her left eye, she turned to her right and noted Yuzu's tranquil state. The blonde rested her head on her right palm while her other hand was on top of a magazine.
Déja vu. Why does she always do that?
Looking at Yuzu who was sleeping in her seat, Mei squinted her eyes. She was torn between acting unaffected or angry. Why would she act angrily? She asked herself. It would only give Yuzu the impression that she cared about her too much.
"Yuzu, wake up. The plane is about to land." She controlled her voice to conceal any undertone of care, anger or whatnot.
Slowly lifting her head, Yuzu opened her eyes and let out a sound. She stretched her arms along with the length of her body. Crossing her arms, she massaged some tension on her back. She smiled and looked at Mei but then her fear got the best of her and so she looked away quickly. "Thanks," she muttered, looking out the window.
Taking a quick glance at Yuzu, the raven-haired grabbed her blazer. She gently brushed her hair with her hands and straightened her dress. Instantly, she looked as if she was ready for a photo shoot.
For a moment, there was a comforting silence between them. Although Yuzu wanted to talk to Mei, she knew it wasn't the right time.
Mei stretched her back and took a deep breath. She remained silent. She understood that it was better for her not to utter how she felt because she knew how tactless she could be.
The business class passengers were the first ones to exit the aircraft.
As Mei was about to leave, Yuzu grabbed her arm. With a glower, she turned and looked at Yuzu.
Yuzu looked down and curled her toes in her shoes. Lifting her head, she cleared her throat. "There's something that I want to tell you." Her voice was slightly shaky.
The raven-haired let out a sigh of frustration.
"I'm so sorry for avoiding you, Mei and for what happened at the office," she said, pausing, giving Mei a pleading look. "Please, don't be mad at me."
Mei felt her heart ache a bit seeing Yuzu act that way. She wanted to be mad and to give Yuzu the cold shoulder. She leaned in closer and gave Yuzu a quick air kiss on the cheek, instead.
Thank you so much for your comments and reviews. I hope you know how heartwarming it is to read them all. I really can't thank you enough for reading and liking this story. You're the best and I hope you have wonderful week.
