Hey everyone. I just recently finished the Utena manga, and I found
something sweet no one else seems to have seen. Sure, that may be because
it's one-sided, and not too obvious, but all the same, I think it's there.
You don't have to agree with me, just try to enjoy it, kay ^^ and tell me
if I can do anything better in the future than I did this time.
--Cpegasus
***
Clash! Clash! Shhing!
"Juri, are you feeling okay?" Miki blinked.
Juri flushed angrily and ran to get her fencing foil from where it lay on the floor. "Of course I am."
"Juri, I just beat you. Are you SURE nothing's wrong? I NEVER beat you."
"Nothing is wrong Miki!" Juri slammed her foil into the floor, somehow managing to make a dent in the wood. She sighed moodily. "Look, let's just end practice early today. I...I gotta go do something." She pulled out her foil and stalked out the door. Miki looked at the door after her for a minute, then sighed and returned to his training.
Walking out of the fencing hall, he saw Touga walking past.
"President Kiryuu! Wait up!"
Touga turned around. "Oh, hi Mickey."
"Mr. President, do you know if something happened to Juri? She wasn't herself at fencing today..." Touga tensed a little. Miki continued. "I mean, she seemed really upset about something. Her game was really off, too."
"It...it's Ruka. He...well, with his condition, he was moved to a hospital in America. They will be able to help him there, but it means she won't be able to go and see him, like she used to."
Miki lowered his eyes from Touga to the ground. "Oh...okay. I just wanted to know..."
Touga smiled. "Don't worry about her, Mickey. She's just fine."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Miki smiled back, and continued down the path to his dorm.
Back at his piano, Miki put together an assortment of music that he felt like playing. He was scheduled to practice seriously that day, but he'd make up for it the next. He didn't think he could be serious right then.
The songs he played were mostly showtunes, all romances. Usually, playing the lovely tunes and reading the passionate lyrics made him think of Utena. But today, Juri still occupied his thoughts. He saw her upset and struggling, the way she was that afternoon. He thought back to when he'd first seen her fence, a year before. He saw the triumph and pride in her wins that was so evident in her smirk. He remembered seeing her with Ruka, when he had come back to help her fence. He saw her face clearly; streaked with the only tears he'd ever seen fall from her eyes.
His fingers slipped, and he hit a sour chord. He shook his head to clear it, focusing on the pages in front of him again. But with the scores he had picked, it was hard to keep from thinking of her.
Miki sighed and put the music away.
"What am I doing practicing? Juri's my best friend," he told himself. "I should go see if I can help her out."
With that, he left his room, starting off down the road to hers.
Arriving at her door, Miki knocked gently. "Juri? Are you there? It's me, Miki."
He heard blankets rustling, a lock being undone, and then the door opened. Juri wore nothing more than sweatpants and a tank top, and her hair was uncurled and loose. Miki flushed a little.
"What's up Miki?"
"You...you seemed kinda down today...I was wondering if you wanted to go get an ice cream or something to cheer up," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling.
Juri returned the grin, but not as widely. "Thanks, but no thanks Miki. Maybe some other time."
"Oh, okay. See you tomorrow at fencing then."
"Right." Juri closed the door and Miki turned around, still blushing a little.
Something was different. But what? This wasn't even close to the first time he'd been to her room, not even the first time he'd seen her dressed like that. But for some reason, it was all different now. Her bare arms had looked so long and graceful. Why hadn't he ever seen that before? And what was it about her hair? It was always like that when he went to talk to her. Why was it so lovely to him this time?
He walked along the cobblestone pathways running across the school, talking a shortcut back to his room through the rose garden. He couldn't get thoughts of Juri out of his head. Maybe it was the way she looked so sad that made him think about her. Poor Juri, it was sad that she couldn't see Ruka. After all, Ruka was her teacher, her mentor. And even Touga said that she loved him. For some reason, remembering that Juri loved Ruka made him sadder. Miki snapped his head up and looked around. No one else was in the rose garden. He could stop and think here.
Miki gently picked one of the roses, studying its shape and texture. Juri loved Ruka. He had a science test the next day, he reminded himself that he should go and study. Juri loved Ruka. His sister would get worried if he were not home soon, he didn't tell her that he was leaving. Juri loved Ruka.
Juri loved Ruka. Why did that bother him so?
"Why should I care if she likes him?" he asked the air. "Juri loves Ruka. So what?"
So Miki loves Juri, answered the silence.
Miki dropped the rose.
Miki loves Juri. That was it, that had to be it. Why else would he be so upset that she loved someone else? Why else would the memory of her tears bring him so much pain?
"This is so stupid," he muttered. "She's a Junior this year. I'm still in Middle School. I'm 14. She's 17. It would never work..."
But what does that matter? His mind asked.
"We're best friends," he mumbled, picking the flower back up. "We've been fencing partners for two years. Why now?" It was useless to wonder. "We're best friends," he repeated.
Miki sighed, and walked out of the garden.
"We're best friends," he continued to remind himself. "We're just friends. And she loves Ruka, everyone knows it. It's no use..."
"Miki!" he turned around to see Juri running up to him, a gray jacket covering her tank top. His heart gave a leap to see her.
"What is it Juri? I thought you said-"
"Look, Miki I...I'm sorry I worried you, okay?" she smiled just a little. "I'm just a little down, since Ruka moved to America. It means...it means I can't see him..."
"President Kiryuu told me..." Miki said, looking away.
"Oh...but well, you're my best friend Miki. Really. I'm sorry I made you worry." She put a hand on his shoulder. "So whadda ya say we go get that ice cream? Your treat."
Miki laughed. "Okay."
Juri slipped her arm into his playfully. Miki blushed again as they walked away.
We're best friends, he told himself again. And that's plenty enough for me.
--Cpegasus
***
Clash! Clash! Shhing!
"Juri, are you feeling okay?" Miki blinked.
Juri flushed angrily and ran to get her fencing foil from where it lay on the floor. "Of course I am."
"Juri, I just beat you. Are you SURE nothing's wrong? I NEVER beat you."
"Nothing is wrong Miki!" Juri slammed her foil into the floor, somehow managing to make a dent in the wood. She sighed moodily. "Look, let's just end practice early today. I...I gotta go do something." She pulled out her foil and stalked out the door. Miki looked at the door after her for a minute, then sighed and returned to his training.
Walking out of the fencing hall, he saw Touga walking past.
"President Kiryuu! Wait up!"
Touga turned around. "Oh, hi Mickey."
"Mr. President, do you know if something happened to Juri? She wasn't herself at fencing today..." Touga tensed a little. Miki continued. "I mean, she seemed really upset about something. Her game was really off, too."
"It...it's Ruka. He...well, with his condition, he was moved to a hospital in America. They will be able to help him there, but it means she won't be able to go and see him, like she used to."
Miki lowered his eyes from Touga to the ground. "Oh...okay. I just wanted to know..."
Touga smiled. "Don't worry about her, Mickey. She's just fine."
"Thank you, Mr. President." Miki smiled back, and continued down the path to his dorm.
Back at his piano, Miki put together an assortment of music that he felt like playing. He was scheduled to practice seriously that day, but he'd make up for it the next. He didn't think he could be serious right then.
The songs he played were mostly showtunes, all romances. Usually, playing the lovely tunes and reading the passionate lyrics made him think of Utena. But today, Juri still occupied his thoughts. He saw her upset and struggling, the way she was that afternoon. He thought back to when he'd first seen her fence, a year before. He saw the triumph and pride in her wins that was so evident in her smirk. He remembered seeing her with Ruka, when he had come back to help her fence. He saw her face clearly; streaked with the only tears he'd ever seen fall from her eyes.
His fingers slipped, and he hit a sour chord. He shook his head to clear it, focusing on the pages in front of him again. But with the scores he had picked, it was hard to keep from thinking of her.
Miki sighed and put the music away.
"What am I doing practicing? Juri's my best friend," he told himself. "I should go see if I can help her out."
With that, he left his room, starting off down the road to hers.
Arriving at her door, Miki knocked gently. "Juri? Are you there? It's me, Miki."
He heard blankets rustling, a lock being undone, and then the door opened. Juri wore nothing more than sweatpants and a tank top, and her hair was uncurled and loose. Miki flushed a little.
"What's up Miki?"
"You...you seemed kinda down today...I was wondering if you wanted to go get an ice cream or something to cheer up," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling.
Juri returned the grin, but not as widely. "Thanks, but no thanks Miki. Maybe some other time."
"Oh, okay. See you tomorrow at fencing then."
"Right." Juri closed the door and Miki turned around, still blushing a little.
Something was different. But what? This wasn't even close to the first time he'd been to her room, not even the first time he'd seen her dressed like that. But for some reason, it was all different now. Her bare arms had looked so long and graceful. Why hadn't he ever seen that before? And what was it about her hair? It was always like that when he went to talk to her. Why was it so lovely to him this time?
He walked along the cobblestone pathways running across the school, talking a shortcut back to his room through the rose garden. He couldn't get thoughts of Juri out of his head. Maybe it was the way she looked so sad that made him think about her. Poor Juri, it was sad that she couldn't see Ruka. After all, Ruka was her teacher, her mentor. And even Touga said that she loved him. For some reason, remembering that Juri loved Ruka made him sadder. Miki snapped his head up and looked around. No one else was in the rose garden. He could stop and think here.
Miki gently picked one of the roses, studying its shape and texture. Juri loved Ruka. He had a science test the next day, he reminded himself that he should go and study. Juri loved Ruka. His sister would get worried if he were not home soon, he didn't tell her that he was leaving. Juri loved Ruka.
Juri loved Ruka. Why did that bother him so?
"Why should I care if she likes him?" he asked the air. "Juri loves Ruka. So what?"
So Miki loves Juri, answered the silence.
Miki dropped the rose.
Miki loves Juri. That was it, that had to be it. Why else would he be so upset that she loved someone else? Why else would the memory of her tears bring him so much pain?
"This is so stupid," he muttered. "She's a Junior this year. I'm still in Middle School. I'm 14. She's 17. It would never work..."
But what does that matter? His mind asked.
"We're best friends," he mumbled, picking the flower back up. "We've been fencing partners for two years. Why now?" It was useless to wonder. "We're best friends," he repeated.
Miki sighed, and walked out of the garden.
"We're best friends," he continued to remind himself. "We're just friends. And she loves Ruka, everyone knows it. It's no use..."
"Miki!" he turned around to see Juri running up to him, a gray jacket covering her tank top. His heart gave a leap to see her.
"What is it Juri? I thought you said-"
"Look, Miki I...I'm sorry I worried you, okay?" she smiled just a little. "I'm just a little down, since Ruka moved to America. It means...it means I can't see him..."
"President Kiryuu told me..." Miki said, looking away.
"Oh...but well, you're my best friend Miki. Really. I'm sorry I made you worry." She put a hand on his shoulder. "So whadda ya say we go get that ice cream? Your treat."
Miki laughed. "Okay."
Juri slipped her arm into his playfully. Miki blushed again as they walked away.
We're best friends, he told himself again. And that's plenty enough for me.