Lucky Future
Chapter 51: Snow Doves
Snowflakes gently fell from the gray sky as the two girls walked through the park. Minami felt her eyes drift over to Yutaka every few seconds, it almost began to hurt. Yutaka would do the same, sometimes catching Minami staring back at her. The awkward meeting of sight made the two turn away and blush. "Maybe…maybe we should go eat somewhere…" Yutaka nervously suggested. "Yes…I think there's a place close by," Minami replied. The two began to leave the park but Minami's mind twirled more and more, her head no longer belonged to her.
Her eyes refused to cease their blatant actions, peering towards Yutaka as they walked. Yutaka began to feel more nervous with the passing of each second, her blush burning strongly. "Mi-minami…please don't stare at me like that…it makes me nervous…" Yutaka mumbled. "I'm…I'm sorry," Minami apologized, feeling a bite of shame. The two didn't talk until they found a fast food stop, only speaking to order their food. Yutaka unwrapped her burger and Minami picked up her fries. They ate but said nothing.
Yutaka would busy herself with pictures on the bag and Minami would attempt to watch the people go by in the window but her eyes fell back to Yutaka. "I'm sorry," she said as Yutaka caught her looking oddly at her again. "It's alright…I just…" Yutaka panicked. Minami looked up and smiled. "I really want you," she suddenly said. Yutaka jumped back in her seat. "W-wha-what?" Yutaka asked.
"I'm sorry…I should leave," Minami said as she stood up. "No, don't leave…I…you didn't finish your food," Yutaka said. Minami sat back down as Yutaka tugged at her sleeve. "I'm really sorry…it just slipped out…" Minami explained. Yutaka bit her lip as Minami looked more and more ashamed of herself. "But…I mean it…what I said," Minami finished. "I think…I think…we should probably be a bit more braver."
"What do you mean?" Yutaka asked. Minami was now determined. "I mean that…I don't want to hurt your feelings but…we should actually talk to each other…now that we're dating…" she said. "I think we act too nervous and I want you…to learn about you, and listen to you, and other stuff…" Minami said, putting Yutaka into a fluster. "Minami…" she muttered in her trance.
"No, I want to learn about you!" she almost demanded, almost instructing herself. "I have to help this relationship, how was your day?!" She loudly asked. "Well…I think you're asking a little too roughly," Yutaka laughed. Minami blushed and unclenched her fist, which she had banged on to the table in her fiery spirit. "I…I agree…" Yutaka said. "It's just…you're the first person I ever dated….and a girl…it's a little hard for me."
Minami nodded. How could she not relate? "Well…maybe we should…do something…really, really fun…that you like to do," Minami said. "I really want to hear about what you like," she hinted. Yutaka smiled, feeling a little freer to speak. "Well…since it's cold….we could…..never mind," Yutaka suddenly said in a depressed tone, moving her head slightly towards the ground.
"What is it?" Minami asked. Yutaka looked her in her eyes with hers seeming begging for comfort. "It's just that…I can't stay in cold temperatures for a long time or I'll probably catch a bad cold….so I can't go ice skating anymore…." Yutaka explained. "I used to when I was a child…" Minami had to hold in her laughter. Yutaka was curious as to what could be so funny. Minami noticed the interrogative look and realized she had to explain herself. "I'm sorry…you already look so small…you must have really been small as a child," Minami stated.
"I'm actually the same size as when I was ten….it's a little weird…" Yutaka embarrassingly said. "No…I like how small you are…" Minami said. "I really like your big cheeks." Yutaka felt the red nipped at her face. "You…you do?" she asked. Minami then realized she let her mouth speak more than she wanted it to. The red swirled into her face as well. "Y-yeah….you're really….good….looking…" Minami said, feeling weird after saying such an unusual compliment.
The table became awkward again and the two sat there, their heads pointed away from each other and their blushes living strong. Minami dreaded the silence between them and began to hate their inability to even communicate correctly. Then she was surprised. Yutaka began to move her lips. "Thank you." Minami turned to look at Yutaka and was suddenly trapped in her green eyes. Her entire face glowed at that moment, her heart jumping faster at each moment. Yutaka didn't budge and continued to look back into Minami's eyes. She felt like she to shove her shyness away and embrace this date.
Minami wanted to break the awkwardness and talk a lot more with Yutaka but she couldn't move, this was the first time either of them stared so long into each other. Minami began to feel like she was being sucked into a sea. "You…remind me of….someone," Yutaka quietly said. "Who?" Minami asked, snapping out of the spell. "The way you look at me….it just seems so…." Yutaka muttered. "I know…it's a little weird…I'm sorry…" Minami apologized.
"No…it's…hard to describe…it just seems so…don't laugh at me…" Yutaka warned. Minami just smiled. "When you look at me, it feels beautiful…" Yutaka said. "I know it doesn't sound right…but I feel really warm….and lifted…it's different from everyone else," she explained.
"Warm?" Minami said to herself. "Yutaka….after we eat, I think I should take you ice skating," she said. "But…I can't," Yutaka weakly opposed. "But I'll make sure you're okay," Minami softly said.
"Well…I could…think of a way…to keep you warm…" Minami shyly proposed. Yutaka blushed, thinking of exactly what she meant. Yutaka instantly changed her mind and agreed. "Okay!" she cheered. "I'll do it, as long as you keep me warm," she said. Minami nodded.
The two began to eat again but Yutaka sped her eating pace quickly, making sure to leave as much time open for ice skating as possible. Minami ate regularly until she noticed Yutaka eating faster. She began to match her speed but nearly choked on a piece of hamburger, drinking soda to force down her throat.
Misao walked by the eatery with Ayano and Patricia behind her. They turned to notice Minami and Yutaka eating quickly. "I wonder what they're doing?" Ayano said. "Maybe they're racing each other," Misao suggested. I just hope they don't choke…" Patricia said. The group decided to walk off but Misao chose to stay and bang on the window. Minami and Yutaka jumped in their seats and turned to see Misao laughing at them as their face was stuffed with food.
The two felt the heat of embarrassment crawled down their faces and into their stomachs, distorting their insides. They slowly placed the food down as Ayano and Patricia were forced to turn back and drag Misao back with them as she laughed. "Maybe…we should go skate now…" Minami said. Yutaka nodded, feeling her excitement flow back in her. The two rose from their seats and left the building.
A small frozen lake isolated itself from the surrounding environment with its frozen, cruel image that somehow attracted people to it. Minami and Yutaka found a nearby booth that rented skates. Minami quickly took her wallet out and paid for them, handing Yutaka the smaller, red pair. Minami easily placed hers on but Yutaka's hand continuously slipped off hers. Minami grabbed the skates on the ground and kneeled down before Yutaka, taking hold of her leg and gently putting the shoes on for her.
Yutaka blushed and so did Minami, but Minami did a better job if hiding it. "Thank you," Yutaka said. Minami nodded. "I guess I was a little too cold and they slipped out of my fingers…" Yutaka said. Minami stuck her hand out and awaited Yutaka to place hers in it. Yutaka stood up with Minami's grasp on her and smiled. "So…are we going to skate?" Yutaka asked. Minami smiled and took her jacket off. She wrapped it around Yutaka and placed her scarf around Yutaka's neck.
"Minami…I can't you'll be cold too," she said. Minami ignored the statement and took her to the ice. "It's all right," Minami said, pushing Yutaka on to the frozen surface. Yutaka glided across the lake, wobbling at first but Minami was behind her, her arms surrounding her to catch her if she fell. Yutaka, after noticing this, felt safer and felt confident enough to move her legs. She slid the skates across the ground and felt herself propel into the distance. With such a rush she couldn't help but laugh.
"It's been so long!" she cheered. She then felt her older skills return. She picked up the speed and curved at the edge. Minami watched and applauded. Yutaka laughed again, embracing the entire moment but the clapping her reminded her that Minami was the only one on the lake not wearing a coat. She felt the jacket around her and was little guilty for being given it. "Are you sure you don't need your jacket?" Yutaka asked. Minami nodded and started skated with her now, showing equal talent as the two decided to remain close to each other.
"It's been a while since I've done this…" Yutaka said. "I use to enter a few competitions when I was a kid but I started getting sicker…"
"Are you warm?" Minami asked. Yutaka happily nodded. "Yes, thank you. Are you sure you don't need your coat? I don't want to trouble you," Yutaka said. Minami smiled. "You can keep it," she said. Yutaka smiled. "I guess she's really strong," she thought. The two skated, sometimes apart from each other but most of the time was spent with Minami in the distance, watching Yutaka laugh and smile as she skated.
Minami had to sit down at the benches to rest, hoping she would get warmer but when Yutaka came to ask how she was doing she would lie. "I'm okay, just a little tired," Minami said. "Oh, well I'm going to stay with you until you're ready to go again," Yutaka grinned, sitting next to Minami. Minami smiled and moved closer to Yutaka. Yutaka noticed but didn't mind. "I wonder why…I feel more nervous when we're dating…than when we used to be just friends…" Yutaka wondered. "I just hope she likes me…I don't want to trouble her…I hope she really likes me…"
"I'm ready," Minami said. Yutaka snapped back to reality and rose from the bench. She placed a hand on Minami's but felt a sudden chill. "Minami…your arm…it's so cold…and I'm wearing gloves…" Yutaka said. Minami turned around. "It's okay, that's how they usually are in this weather…"Minami said. "Are you sure?" Yutaka asked. Minami nodded and skated off into the ice, leaving Yutaka worried. "She must really like me if she freezes herself just so I can skate…."
Yutaka continued skating but did so at a slower pace, keeping an eye on Minami. Suddenly she noticed her coming closer to her. Yutaka stopped in her place as Minami came to a stop. Minami looked down at Yutaka with a blush. Yutaka wondered what was on her mind. "Minami?" she asked. Minami looked away but wrapped her arms around Yutaka. "I'm a little cold…so…I'll just hold onto you for a while," Minami said, hiding her blush but this time, Yutaka could see it.
"Okay," Yutaka smiled, tightening her grip on Minami.
Misao and the group walked by minutes later to see the two wrapped inside the same large jacket. "Look! They're at it again!" Misao loudly exclaimed. "Shh…be quiet!" Patricia fussed. "It's really romantic…they seem to truly enjoy each other," Ayano stated. "Yeah…I'm really jealous…." Misao said.
The strangest part of the situation was not the mere coincidence of Misao seeing them twice in the same day but how the two girls skated with each other. The evening sun was lowering and the two had their eyes shut, skating in large circles, holding each other. The coat was buttoned around them both but deeper warmth came from their bodies being so close to each other, to the point where their heartbeats began to synchronize.
Misao, Ayano, and Patricia watched as the two skated. Eventually Yutaka opened her eyes. "Oh no!" she said. Minami awoke in a daze to Yutaka's outburst. "We've been sleeping and skating in circles," Yutaka informed. Minami turned to the sun. "It's evening," she said. Then the two began to notice how close they were. They tried to separate but remembered that they were in the same coat together. Their bodies were pushed back together and both girls were flustered. "I'm sorry…" Minami apologized. "It's okay…it's really warm," Yutaka smiled. Minami tried to smile but felt an overwhelming sensation of joy that a smile couldn't describe.
"Maybe we should get something to eat," Minami suggested. Minami began to unbutton the jacket and remove it from Yutaka but felt a tug on her sleeve. "Um…can we both wear it….I want us both to be warm," Yutaka said. Minami paused but agree with the suggestion. The two skated slowly back to the booth where other booths provided food. Minami felt Yutaka moving closer to her until her soft pink head was on Minami's side. When she looked down she could see Yutaka closing her eyes and smiling. Minami was red.
The two ordered their food and brought it to the table, sitting down and eating it slowly as the stars began to pop into the sky as darkness approached. Yutaka looked at Minami and curled up next to her. Minami placed an arm around Yutaka and smiled. The relationship was now becoming more intimate and open…they both could feel it. They could be themselves in front of each other, their fears now swept away. "Yutaka…" Minami said. "What is it?" Yutaka asked.
"That was the best sleep I ever had," Minami said. Yutaka simply rested her head on Minami's arm and smiled. "I think so too."
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OOC Theater:
A small sketch where the characters act out of character for your amusement. Enjoy!
Konata: Where did she take my sister?!
Kagami: Konata, calm down. Put that stick down.
Konata: She told me they were going out for a walk…that was nine hours ago! If she's raping my sister she is going to get it.
Kagami: Aren't you taking this the wrong way?
Konata: I knew that Minami was sick. She's fallen in love with Yutaka!
Kagami: So?
Konata: Yutaka hasn't grown since she was ten. Basically, Minami is attracted to a little ten year old girl! She's a pedophile!
Kagami: Umm…..
Konata: What is it?
Kagami: Nothing…it's just that…you haven't grown since you were eleven….that makes me a pedophile too…
Konata: Nope. It's different for us.
Kagami: How?
Konata: It just is….wait, no it isn't! Pedophile!
Konata: Suddenly…I'm not so mad at Minami anymore…
