"How did the date go?" Sachiko enquired as she came back from the bathroom, clad in her pajamas. She'd taken a quick shower and brushed her teeth while Yumi dressed into something more comfortable. Yumi sighed as she sat next to the girl.
"Not the way it is supposed to." Yumi confessed then added, "I'll go and take a shower too and then if it's alright with you, we can talk?"
Sachiko smiled and nodded her consent. With that Yumi was off.

As Yumi was in the shower and the water was running down her body cleansing it of today's guilt she could not help but recall different moments with Touko. She'd fancied the girl before that much she knew and the two would've made a nice couple she guessed. Why had she ended something so cruelly without even giving it a chance to blossom into something else?

"Which is your favorite flower, Yumi-chan?" Touko asked as she walked by Yumi smiling at her warmly. Yumi mimicked the gesture and answered, "I don't have one. I'd go with a classic I suppose though - roses, a red one."
Touko nodded before she stopped next to a flower stand and bought a red rose. Yumi protested, but Touko dismissed her. Soon they were on their way again.
"Here." Touko said as she gave the flower to Yumi,"A beautiful rose for the most dazzling angel I've ever seen."
Yumi blushed as she took it. Touko it seemed sure knew how to sway people with words.

They'd passed by an ice-cream stand and an idea popped into Yumi's head as she halted and bought two ice-creams - one vanilla and the other chocolate. She handed the vanilla flavored one to Touko and smiled. Touko rolled her eyes but smiled as well.
"You remembered." She stated.
"That I do." Yumi replied, referring to a lunch period a couple of weeks ago the two had shared and Touko had mentioned that while she did enjoy chocolate and almost all flavors of ice-cream, her favorite one was vanilla.
"I am planning on going to America once I graduate. I would study there acting should I get accepted." Touko mentioned as she looked at Yumi, "What about you?"
Yumi had almost finished her ice-cream and just now noticed that Touko had long since discarded her own. Proof of how much she loved the flavor it seemed.
"I am not certain yet. I know I enjoy dancing, but I don't know if I would like to make a career out of it." Yumi professed as she finished her own chocolate cone and threw th napkin away.
"Hmmm interesting. You're a year older than me yet you're still not certain how you would like for your life to go." Touko replied gazing at Yumi, "It seems so typical of you though."
Yumi frowned but was surprised as Touko smiled and leaned in. Their lips almost touched when a car sped by and its tires ran right through the puddle nearby. The two separated momentarily, fast enough to avoid being drenched. Fast enough to let the romantic breeze by as well.

"It's strange. I did not feel any rush then. Nor have I felt a rush when our fingers touched whether it was by accident or a deliberate move from her." Yumi murmured as she turned off the water. She was soon dry enough to put on her pajamas. After that she brushed her teeth and smiled. She could go through all o this with Sachiko she supposed, after all, the older girl would probably be able to shed some light upon the situation.

Once Yumi opened the door she was surprised and then smiled. Sachiko had fallen alseep while she as waiting for Yumi. The younger girl sighed as she concluded they would talk another time as she turned off the lights and went to bed herself.

_

Seeing Touch again was strange since Yumi had just "friendzoned" her as people would put it after she'd perhaps led the girl on. Yumi knew she'd fancied the girl, perhaps if she'd given Touko a chance the two may have had a decent relationship or even a wonderful one as well. They did like each other, they understood one another in a strange way and Yumi felt calmer when Touko was around. Nothing reminded her of the surge Sachiko was brought within her, this need to always hold the other girl closer and feel her near you.

The feelings she had with an for Touko were like a drizzle. Those she held for Sachiko though were similar to a storm and Yumi was starting to ask herself when this storm would be unleashed and if she even had a chance with the dark-haired beauty.

"Yumi?" Sachiko asked as she waved a hand in front of the other girl's face making Yumi's widen and a blush to come onto her cheeks from the close proximity between them. Sachiko blamed it on embarrassment. Yumi blamed it on the desire to kiss those rosy lips which were inches away from her own.

"Sorry did you say something?" Yumi questioned as she smiled sheepishly and Sachiko chuckled.
"I asked whether you wanted me to bring you anything from the store."
"Nope. I'm fine. Thanks anyway." Yumi answered as she went back to her "reading". In reality she was pretending to be focused on something important so as to avoid conversations with the other girl. In reality she could not help but become distracted with thoughts of Sachiko. Her feelings were getting out of hand.

After 20 minutes Sachiko came back and sat down on her bed, typing something onto her laptop. Yumi became curious and voiced her burning desire to know what the older girl was doing. Sachiko merely sighed and answered:
"I need to answer my mother's invitation to come home for Christmas. Whatever I write though just seems inadequate."

Yumi frowned.
"Shouldn't a yes or a no be enough?"
Sachiko shook her head and sighed once more, "Let's just say there is a manner of expression I would need to use. Plus I am still not certain whether I should decline or accept it."
"Why can't you answer an affirmative?"
"Because, Yumi, going home would mean needing to listen to how being a lesbian would ruin my life and I would need to marry Kashiwagi - someone my family has betrothed me to ever since I was a baby."
"Oh…"Yumi said before she placed a hand on Sachiko's shoulder and added, "That sounds fairly pleasant."
"Hardly." Sachiko responded as she looked at Yumi and smiled as she squeezed the other girl's hand. Sachiko ran her thumb atop Yumi's hand and soon interlaced their fingers.
"Come home with me." Yumi bluntly stated before she blushed. Sachiko stopped tracing little patterns on Yumi's hand.
'God, these little gestures of affection are driving me mad.' Yumi thought as she was met with blue jewels she would drown in. Gratitude shined as Sachiko asked:
"You wouldn't mind? And you're certain I would not intrude?"
"Not at all. My mother would be delighted actually. She still wants to thank you for "saving my life". Plus they will finally put a face to the name."
"Hmm," Sachiko hummed as she smiled, "If that is how you put it, then I will come. Thank you, Yumi. Truly I am grateful."
"I am glad you won't have to endure that ill-judgement."
Sachiko rolled her eyes as she scoffed, "They met Youko and approver of her as my friend. They were elated that I'd met someone so refined and polite and ambitious. When I came out to my mother a year later and addressed the matter of having Youko as a girlfriend and not just as a friend they were furious."
Yumi listened intently this time holding Sachiko's hand and drawing hopefully calming circles onto it.
"I received mixed reactions when I'd told them I'd broken it off with her. There were questions but most of them were addressing the marriage of Kashiwagi and I. They asked if I was ready to pursue the path I'd been born and destined to walk upon. I scoffed and threw them out of my life. My mother was the only one who said that she was relieved I was not dating a woman anymore. But she was sad and angry that someone had broken her daughter's heart. My father was more carefree and was convinced I would marry Kashiwagi yet he still comforted me when I started crying and pretended as though Youko was not the reason for it."
"That sounds bittersweet, awful even. I don't think I'd be able to go through that."
"Is your family accepting of you?" Sachiko asked before Yumi shook her head. Sachiko frowned.
"There is nothing to accept." Yumi said before Sachiko withdrew her hands from hers and looked her seriously in the eyes.
"Yumi, for God's sake, have you yet to come out to your family?"
Yumi smiled before she said, "There is nothing to tell them since they always knew. I've never liked boys, Sachiko and one time my mother caught me kissing my best friend who was a girl mind you. It was obvious from there." Yumi stated as she laughed and added, "I guess my mother was relieved I knew who I was and told me that it did not matter whom I dated so long as I was happy. Love is love. I don't think I've loved her as much as I loved her then."
Sachiko nodded and interlaced their fingers once more. Yumi's cheeks blossomed.
"I never knew you were so bold Yumi." Sachiko said as she threw a strangely polite smirk Yumi's way, leaving the girl flabbergasted. "How old were you and why did you not lock the door to your room?"
"It was in the living room, it was a game of truth or dare and I …it was only a peck. My friend did not think anything of it. I was..I was fourteen."
"I see." Sachiko said as she started gliding her thumb over Yumi's wrist inching a little further with every stroke and uncovering more and more of the creamy skin. Yumi's breath hitched. If this small gesture had such an effect on her she wondered what would happen if Sachiko kissed her.
"Youko was my first everything." Sachiko confessed vaguely, making Yumi blush furiously and feel a tint of jealousy that someone had seen Sachiko in her most vulnerable phases and wondered if she would ever receive the chance to have half of the moments with Sachiko that she and Youko had shared.
"Why are you telling me this?" Yumi asked before she thought better of it. Sachiko stilled. She answered with her eyes facing the wall, making Yumi's heart twinge.
"I don't know." She then turned her head towards Yumi and smiled through her silent tears, "I guess I just wish to get to know everything about you and believe it is only fair for you to know everything about me or as much as you are willing to have me share with you."
Yumi was frozen at Sachiko's answer before she went in and embraced the girl. Sachiko reciprocated. The two stayed like that for a lot longer than either would like to admit.

_

"Yoshino?" Shimako asked as she knocked on the door of the Shimazu household and the door was opened abruptly and out came a terrified Yoshino.
"Thank you for coming so quickly." Yoshino choked out as she fell into the other girl's arms.
"Anytime." Shimako whispered with a sorrowful look on her face as she held her girlfriend and allowed her to cry on her shoulder.