Disclaimer: I know pretty much nothing about sewing. Also, this chapter is still filled with YouHane bonding.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The sound of the clock continues to grate on You's ears as she waits silently in the living room. On the table is a towel and a pair of clothes she thinks would fit Yoshiko. Her eyes go from the items to the front door. It had been a while since Yoshiko went to buy the materials for the costume, and You hadn't heard from her since. The rain's still coming down hard.
Fortunately, You won't have to wait much longer. Breaking through the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, she hears a knock on the door and opens it without hesitation. Standing in front of her is Yoshiko, drenched from the feet up. She's clutching her bag tightly in front of her, protecting it from getting too wet. Conveniently, it also covers the front of her uniform, which You doesn't doubt is at least semi-transparent thanks to the rain.
"I-I'm b-back." She says, visibly shivering as she steps into the house, kicking off her shoes before taking off her socks as well. "G-got the fabric..."
"That's not important right now!" When she finishes taking off her footwear and goes into the living room (You made sure to turn up the heater), she takes the towel and clothes and gives them to the soaked girl. "You'll really get a cold at this rate. Go take a shower and get changed. Use the bathroom."
Despite her stutter, Yoshiko is able to laugh at the statement. "A-a bit too late for that, I think..." Regardless, she takes the items gratefully, handing her bag to You. You makes sure to respectfully avert her gaze as she leads Yoshiko to the bathroom. She then places the bag in her bedroom before going to the kitchen, preparing a warm bowl of soup and a cup of tea for Yoshiko.
Seriously, how reckless can you be? It doesn't make sense. Chika is normally cheerful, so it doesn't take a lot to make her happy, but why does Yoshiko try so hard to please Dia? Risking sickness for someone who's not her family is something You would think twice about before doing, but Yoshiko just did it. The only time she ever did something similar was when she got sick from playing in the rain. But she was 6 at the time. She was younger and dumber. And rather than getting sick for Chika and Kanan, she got sick with them. They all got sick from playing together, which invoked feelings of friendship and unity. It's different than getting rained on alone for someone who might not even know how much effort she put in, like Yoshiko did.
As You thinks about it, she arrives at a different conclusion. Maybe this is what love does to people? If so, You thinks that she might not want to fall in love if it means getting sick and making her friends worry so much about her well-being. Maybe she just doesn't get the appeal. The way Yoshiko seems happier when she talks about her crush makes her want to know what it's like.
Once the soup and tea are ready, she puts a serving of each on a tray before returning to the bedroom, waiting again for Yoshiko to finish her bath. While she waits, she redirects her attention to Yoshiko's soaked bag. She noticed that rather than using it to cover her head like a sane person would do, Yoshiko seemed to be trying to keep it dry. Which meant that either Yoshiko isn't sane (probable), or it has something really important inside.
"Hey, You!" She hears a shout from the bathroom, pulling her attention away from the bag. "Get your sewing kit ready, I'll be out in a bit."
"Sure!" She shouts back, before opening her drawer and pulling out all of the necessities. Two pairs of scissors, a pincushion with a few dozen pins, measuring tools, a few marking pens, some needles, colored threads, seam rippers, and a sewing machine. As she looks at the items laid out in front of her, she feels a wave of uncertainty. She can't shake off the feeling that she's missing something important, but she can't put her finger on it.
"You? Are you ready?" Yoshiko walks into her bedroom with a plastic bag that she assumes contains her uniform, and now that You can hear her it's pretty obvious that she doesn't feel well. A look is all she needs to confirm her suspicion. Yoshiko's nose is bright red, and it even looks a bit runny. At least You's clothes, a blue t-shirt and a black skirt, is keeping her dry now.
"Yoshiko-chan..." Sighing, You takes an emergency influenza mask from her desk and offers it to Yoshiko. First Kanan, and now Yoshiko. Looks like everyone's getting sick today. Yoshiko, embarrassed, takes the mask and puts it on.
"Sorry. Don't want to get you sick too." She laughs before coughing, causing You to flinch. That sounds pretty bad. "So, are we going to get sewing? I don't think I even know what most of these are..."
You nods, pulling out her phone to check the designs. While she does that, Yoshiko opens her bag and pulls out a plastic bag, then pulls something else out of the plastic. The materials. "Do you think this will be enough?"
You looks at everything she bought. Yoshiko is pretty good at judging the exact amount of fabric they would need to make the costumes, but that's not a very good thing. As it stands, even though it looks like she bought extra, they won't have enough to make more than one of each design before running out.
On the other hand, they have an abundance of accessories. Gloves, ribbons, hairpins. Anything they'd need to improve the outfits, it's there. They have room for creativity, which You is grateful for.
"Alright, so obviously we need to know what we're going to make." She places her phone on the floor in front of them, showing a zoomed-in picture of the design. "We also need measurements. Do you have them?"
"Y-yeah, I do. Hold on." Fumbling with her phone, she opens a note and hands it to You. "They made a few requests."
"Thanks." You reads the note, making sure she remembers each specific request. Dia wants her skirt a few inches longer, which is understandable, while Chika wants mikans incorporated into the outfit. Yoshiko herself asked for nothing. "Alright then. Which outfit should we start with first?"
"I want to make my own outfit, so let's start with the others."
"Chika's," You says. It'll be easier for her, considering she's made outfits for her before. "Alright. Chika's is...orange."
"Mikan-colored." Yoshiko corrects, "She said she didn't want it to be orange, but mikan-colored. So I had to compare it with an actual mikan."
"Well, at least that matches her request." You sighs softly. "Then, I suggest washing it first. While you're at it, you should wash your uniform."
"Got it, got it. I'll be right back." The girl picks up the fabrics and her uniform before going out of the room.
"Do you even know where the washing machine is?" You shouts but doesn't follow her. Yoshiko might've seen it when she went out of the bathroom. Now alone, You opens her closet for a change of clothes. With how concerned she was, she forgot to change out of her uniform. She decides on a green shirt and a pair of white shorts, setting them aside before taking off her uniform. It was fine until she heard a creak coming from the door, just as she's about to put on her shorts.
"I just put the clothes-", which is followed by a slam from the door being closed. You finishes putting on her clothes before opening the door, letting Yoshiko in who seems completely nonchalant about what happened.
"You could've knocked." You mumbles flatly. Yoshiko shrugs.
"You could've locked the door."
"You're saying that like it's my fault!"
"Well, I didn't mind," Yoshiko says before stopping, realizing what she said. "U-unless you're uncomfortable with that. In that case, I'm sorry."
"...it's fine." She answers upon noticing Yoshiko's dejected expression. "I guess I'm just not ready? For someone else to see me in just my underwear."
"You went to the middle school in Numazu, didn't you?" You nods, and Yoshiko hums thoughtfully. "Right. It's co-ed, so I guess you changed in a bathroom stall. Hate to break it to you, but even if you do that in Uranohoshi, you'll still be getting an eyeful of everyone else."
"And everyone's okay with that?"
"Kinda. Most of us are gay, but it's not like we're ogling each other. It gets boring seeing the same people changing every week for a year, so it's kind of like...what's the visual version of 'white noise'? Whatever that is."
She sits on the bed, getting comfortable before continuing. "So, the clothes are being washed. I think we have some time to burn, so let's do something."
You motions towards the tray on the table. "You should eat. It'll help with your cold."
Yoshiko eagerly takes the cup of tea, taking a sip of it while You watches. "...thanks." She says, placing the cup down before moving towards the bowl of soup, beginning to eat. "While I'm eating, why don't we talk?"
"Didn't your parents tell you that it's not polite to talk while eating?" Yoshiko shrugs as she continues eating, not seeming to care. "...I guess it can't hurt."
"Awesome!" Yoshiko seems pumped up, already thinking of what to talk about. "Oh, I'm curious. Dia mentioned that you're in the swimming club."
"Well, technically I haven't done any practices, but Kanan signed me up, so yeah."
"Cool. Are you good at it?"
You blushes, not wanting to sound like she's bragging. "Kinda. I was a pretty good diver in middle school, but the competition evolves quickly."
"That's so cool!" Yoshiko says, impressed. "So you like swimming. What else do you do for fun?"
You thinks of what else she likes spending her time on, but doesn't find anything interesting. "Not a lot. Oh, I like taking pictures. Nothing professional, but they can be pretty good inspiration when I'm thinking of an idea."
"Huh. Not exactly the same, but I know a little bit about photography. Lighting, angle, things like that."
"You like photography?"
"No, I stream online." Her interest piqued, You asks her to explain. "Nothing impressive. I just sometimes...you know, as Yohane. People like that, and I like it too. It's fun."
"Do you mind sharing your stream?" You opens the browser app on her phone
"It's so embarrassing though," she says, but ends up telling You her username anyway. "It's 'Datenshi Yohane'. Katakana for 'Yohane' and kanji for the rest."
Typing in the name in the search bar, You asks another question as the results load. "You write Yohane with katakana?"
"W-well, I like it! It's cooler like that. A softer writing simply wouldn't fit a fallen angel of my caliber."
"Yohane is a big softie inside, though!" You smirks as Yoshiko's face gets progressively redder. "Right? Yohane is a 'good girl'."
"Shut up! Yohane is not soft." The girl grumbles as You goes back to her phone, checking out the search results. She finds out that Yoshiko has a surprisingly large fan base in the community.
"Maybe I'll check it out the next time you stream." She says, causing Yoshiko to perk up.
"Really? Then, I'll send you a text when I'm about to start the next one." She seems enthusiastic to share her interests, which You admits is kinda cute. If only her interests weren't so hard to explain in public.
"Well, I think that's enough." You bookmarks the page before closing the browser. "Finish your food, then we'll check if the fabric's done." Yoshiko immediately starts whining.
"We barely even talked! Come on, You, there's no harm in getting to know each other."
You frowns. "It's not that. You're still sick, you know. I'm worried about you. If you stay up too late, you'll be in even worse shape tomorrow."
"Right, right. I get it." Yoshiko continues eating, alternating spoonfuls of soup with tea until she's finally done.
"See? You look better already!" You is pleased when she sees some color returning to Yoshiko's features. Then she sneezes. "Well, still not good. But better. You'll be good to go by tomorrow. Either way, let's check the fabric."
Yoshiko sighs, reluctantly standing up. "It hasn't really been that long. Are you sure they're done?"
"It doesn't take long. Usually." Walking out of the room with Yoshiko, she feels a sense of doubt when Yoshiko sneezes loudly. "Are you sure you'll be alright staying up sewing?"
"Of course I will. It's like the title of that song...'if you love it, it's alright'." She sounds serious in spite of You's confusion, like she's supposed to get that reference.
"I don't think I get what you're saying."
"Come on, take a guess." Yoshiko beams at You.
"Is it a new song I haven't heard yet?"
"It's the title of our new song!" She exclaims proudly. "I've read the lyrics, and they're really good. It's gonna be a knockout, I guarantee more people will join the club after we sing."
"At least one person will, if the song is as good as you say. I did promise, didn't I?"
"And that means a lot to us," Yoshiko says as they walk in front of the washing machine, turning it off. "Even now, I bet we wouldn't be able to do it without you."
"That's sweet, but I'm not doing much. You can just pay someone else to do the job if you really have to."
"We don't have a budget though. I'm serious, having you help is massive." Yoshiko waits for it to stop completely before opening it and grabbing the materials and her uniform. "We should dry them first, right?"
"That's right." You answers, helping Yoshiko with the newly-cleaned clothes. "I think they end up better if you dry them naturally, but since we're in a hurry, just put them in the dryer."
"Dryer. Got it." Yoshiko moves towards the machine beside the previous one, shoving the clothes into it before turning it on. "This is so boring...I wish we can do something else."
"Once we start sewing, we won't be resting anytime soon, so do that now." With the machine working and nothing else for them to do, You decides for small-talk. "...I noticed that you weren't with Chika or Dia this afternoon. Did something happen?" She doesn't think that they wouldn't fight only a few days before the live, but she wouldn't have put it past them. Luckily, Yoshiko denies it.
"It's nothing like that. Chika's sisters needed some help, so she went home early. And when I talked to Dia, she said that she had to go home too. So we're okay, I think."
"Oh, thank god." You laughs, relieved. Since it's just after the holiday rush, there has to be a lot of chores that needs to be done, so maybe Chika was asked to help. That makes sense. As for Dia, she's probably helping Ruby with her homework. Ruby gets startled easily, so having someone else around would help her focus. With both Dia and Hanamaru accompanying her, she shouldn't get scared.
Wait. Something's not right.
"I don't think Dia's at her house," You says, "Ruby went home early today with Hanamaru because no one else is at the house. I don't think Ruby would lie about that."
"Oh." Yoshiko seems depressed at the answer. "Then, I guess Dia's avoiding me now. Maybe we're not okay after all."
"I don't think that's true." You says, even if it's just to stop Yoshiko's mood from dropping any further. "Maybe Dia's busy, but she can't tell you what's going on."
"That means she doesn't trust me. Doesn't make me feel much better, You."
"Then just ask her." At Yoshiko's curious stare, she elaborates. "Just say that you're worried about her and ask her what's wrong. The worst that can happen is that she'll say that she's fine. If you're lucky, you might find out what's bothering her."
"W-what? But I'm not that worried about her..." She mutters before averting her gaze.
"Yoshiko-chan,"
"Yohane!" Yoshiko interrupts.
"Yohane-chan," You says softly, like an older sister giving advice, "You're sad that Dia-chan lied to you, right?" Yoshiko nods quickly. "Then don't you think it's only fair that you should be honest? There's nothing wrong with saying you're worried."
She concedes, "I guess I am worried about her. Just a bit." Well, it's progress. As they wait for the clothes to finish drying, You feels a vibration coming from her phone. Checking it, she sees a text from her mom.
'your father and I will be home late. have dinner without us.'
"Yo...hane-chan, do you want anything to eat?"
Yoshiko seems surprised that You called her Yohane, silent for a long moment before asking, "Do you have any leftovers from yesterday?"
"Yeah, I think we do. Just let me heat it up." Standing up, You goes to the kitchen, taking the steak from the fridge to heat up. She pours some sauce onto it before tossing it in the oven, preparing some rice while it's heating. As she waits, she takes her phone and sends a message to Ruby, asking her whether or not Dia is with her. She replies ten minutes later, a 'no' confirming her thoughts. Somewhere in her mind, she hoped that it was just miscommunication, but now there's confirmation that Dia had lied to Yoshiko.
Why would Dia do that? You ponders the question for a few minutes, until the food is finished and she has to think about something else. Without knowing much, she can't really think of a good reason. But she doesn't think Dia would lie for no reason, either. She'll just have to wait for tomorrow, and that's only if Yoshiko can find out.
Plating a portion of rice and steak on two plates, she places both on a tray along with a bottle of chili sauce for balancing, she goes back to where Yoshiko is waiting, handing one of the plates to her.
"Thanks." She smiles as she takes the food along with the sauce, and it takes You everything she has to not judge her friend for the copious amounts of chili sauce she's using. "This is some good stuff. Can you give me the recipe some time? I want to eat this at home, too."
"Yohane-chan, you can cook?" You asks, wondering if she also enjoys cooking.
"No. I was going to give it to my mom." Oh. You's expression must've reflected her thoughts, as Yoshiko continues. "Don't look so disappointed at me. More importantly, you can cook?"
"Yeah. Kinda." You replies, "I make my own breakfast. Sometimes my own dinner, too. I like cooking."
"Woah, that's amazing. You'd make a great housewife," Yoshiko says offhandedly.
"Is that a-"
"A compliment."
You nods, taking a bite of food as she mulls over her response. She really doesn't think so. Her competitive spirit runs in her blood, and tossing that away for a more mundane life doesn't sound very appealing.
"...like Chika."
"Huh?" You asks, causing Yoshiko to shove spoonfuls of food into her mouth to stop her from talking. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing." She says between spoonfuls.
"No, I heard you say 'like Chika'. What do you mean?"
Embarrassed, Yoshiko swallows the food in her mouth before saying anything. "I-it's nothing. I just thought that Chika would make a great housewife too. Since she works at the inn and everything."
You grins at her friend's shy expression. "Yohane-chan, you really are super gay for her."
"Don't just say it like that!"
Amused, You takes another bite as she asks, "Why the change? You weren't this...extreme yesterday."
Yoshiko shrugs. "I guess it's just a bit nerve-wracking. I keep thinking about these outfits, so I keep thinking about them. What if they don't like it, stuff like that. I'll probably be a nervous wreck tomorrow." She sighs quietly. "I've never really made anything for them, not even for their birthdays. So it's like, if you buy someone something and they don't like it, it's a bit sad but whatever. But if you make them something and they don't like it, it feels a lot more personal. That's what I think."
"I totally get what you mean." You gives an encouraging smile. "I always make scarves and mittens and things like that for my family, Chika, and Kanan. So I'm always nervous when I give it to them. But trust me, if you put your heart into making something, they'll love it even if it's not the best."
"Right, but you can actually sew." She laughs. "But I guess you have to start from somewhere."
"That's the spirit!" Checking the dryer, You guesses that the fabric must be done drying by now. "Let's finish eating, then we can start working."
"Aye aye." Yoshiko gives a mock salute, and You bursts out laughing at how ridiculous it is. Yoshiko pouts dramatically, taking offense before returning to shoveling food into her mouth. You follows suit, and it isn't long until their plates are empty. You offers to take the dirty plates while Yoshiko readies the fabric for sewing, going into You's room with them in hand. Once they're all laid out in front of her, You runs back into the room and smiles.
"Well, let's get sewing!"
After half an hour of sewing, Yoshiko really wishes she can go to sleep. In her hands is Dia's barely-finished outfit, with Chika's completed one to her side as an example. Since tomorrow is a school day, You decided to get some rest, but not before telling Yoshiko to wake her up if she needs help. Yoshiko, on the other hand, chose to push through her weariness. With more caution than she would exhibit any other day, Yoshiko pushes the thin needle through the fabric, connecting another part of the outfit.
As Yoshiko thinks about it, sewing is kind of like a puzzle. She had to put together smaller parts into a bigger part until she ends up with something beautiful. But rather than just putting them together, she has to use a terrifyingly sharp needle to do it, and precision is required. Maybe people wouldn't care much if the ribbon on the back of the outfit was slightly off-center, but some screw-ups can jeopardize the entire show. Messing up while sewing on the buttons might cause them to come off during the live, which would surely ruin the show and get Yoshiko murdered by Dia. The outfit is also kept in place by the shoulder straps and collar, which makes errors around those areas fatal. Luckily, everyone can try the outfits tomorrow and make sure no malfunctions will occur.
Yoshiko puts down the sewing tools before sneezing, then picks them back up and continues like nothing happened. Her coughs and sneezes are becoming more frequent as it becomes later in the night, like her body is telling her to cut it out and go to sleep. She ignores it, only stopping briefly to sneeze or get some water before going back to sewing. Her eyelids become progressively heavier, but it's nothing a splash of cold water can't fix.
As Yoshiko begins sewing on the collar, she struggles to push the needle through the thicker fabric. Maybe the needle isn't as sharp after repeated use. "Come on...get through." She mutters, using her thumb to push hard on the needle, helping it go through the fabric. It eventually goes through, but hits something else along the way.
You is awakened by a loud scream. Sitting up on her bed, she faces Yoshiko to find the cause. "What was that?"
"It's nothing." She mutters, staring at the outfit in front of her so she doesn't have to face You.
"Yohane-chan, what is it?" You gets up from the bed, moving closer to Yoshiko. "Why did you scream?"
"I just...messed up a bit. Pushed a bit hard, no problem." As You stands over Yoshiko, the other girl finally relents, showing her hand. You gasps.
"You're bleeding."
"Y-yeah, I guess." You takes the sewing kit away from her, with Yoshiko showing only mild reluctance. "I'm fine, I can keep going."
"No, you can't." You answers as she examines the injury. It doesn't seem very deep, thankfully. "I think you can get away with just washing it. Maybe a band-aid if you're really concerned, but it should be fine."
"But...the outfit." You follows Yoshiko's gaze towards the red stain on the front of Dia's outfit. "I ruined it."
"Outfits don't get hurt." You states simply. "You're sick and I bet you're tired, too. If you keep sewing, you'll be sick and won't even be able to come in tomorrow, which means you'll be skipping practice. Think about it. Which is better? The outfits being a day late but still there for the performance, or you not knowing what you're doing?"
Yoshiko seems quiet, staring at the outfit in her hands. "I guess...the first one."
"Exactly." Smiling, You takes the unfinished outfit and places it to the side with Chika's. "You don't even have to do much. Just add a few finishing touches to this one and then we can do yours, and they'll be ready to go! We might need to cover up the stain though...or don't. Dia's color is red after all."
Yoshiko laughs, putting the rest of the unused materials into her bag. "No way, do you want it to look like she just killed someone?"
"I'm just joking!" The two finish tidying up, You putting the sewing kit back into her drawer while Yoshiko takes both the finished outfit and unfinished outfit with her. "It's getting pretty late, though. I can walk with you if you'd like."
"That will not be necessary. A fallen angel thrives in darkness." Yoshiko answers, pocketing her phone before standing up. "After all, you're tired as well. It would be unfit to ask my little demon for assistance."
"Little demon or not, it's not safe walking alone." You follows her towards the front door. "My dad's gonna be home soon. He can give you a ride."
"I'll be fine, You." She assures one last time as she puts on her shoes. Opening the door, she gives another salute, which You returns this time, before walking out. Looking through the peephole, she waits until Yoshiko is out of sight before locking the door and going back to her room.
Might as well sleep now, You thinks as she lays down on her bed, hoping to discard the feelings of worry blooming in her mind.