'Twas a peaceful, quiet summer morning. Yuri was sitting against the side of her bed, her eyes scanning the pages of the novel tucked between her hands. The calming scent of the burning candles nearby filled the room, offering a relaxing atmosphere. As she turned to the next page of her book, a small blue paw landed on her shoulder.
"Boo!" a high feminine voice screeched as a stitched up bear was thrust into Yuri's view. The young maiden nearly dropped her novel from sudden shock as her younger sister slid up next to her. "Scared you, didn't we?"
"Yes…" Yuri answered. Her eyes then trailed down to Yuki's stuffed toy and glanced at its sharp teeth. "Grimm has fangs now."
"Yeah… Grimm has been feeling pretty vampiric lately and, while I was helping with the transformation, we were wondering something."
"Wondering what?"
Yuki silently looked down at Grimm and nodded her head in agreement.
"When are you going to ask Shujinkou out for real?" she asked.
Yuri's cheeks immediately grew rosy red as she desperately looked for something else to focus her attention on.
"W-Wh-What are you talking about?" she stuttered. "Why would you ask such a random question?"
"We were just curious," Yuki casually answered.
"But why would you think that I would want to do that?"
"Well… when Grimm and I were discussing this topic, we went over and analyzed the analysis we obtained from the time he pretended to be your boyfriend and we formulated a hypothesis. For you to even pull off such a thing, you would need to either ask a complete stranger to help you so you wouldn't have any personal awkwardness to deal with or someone you trust and are comfortable around. We know that you wouldn't ask a complete stranger such thing, so it would have to be option 2.
But even then, for you to even endure the somewhat romantic atmosphere of the plan, then that person would have to be someone you're really comfortable around and wouldn't mind doing somewhat romantic things with… like when you held his hand at the amusement park."
"Y-You saw that?!"
"When we compiled all the information we gathered from our analysis, it's easy to conclude that you really, really like Shujinkou."
"Ah… That's a really good observation."
"So, when are you going to ask him?"
"That's… Ah…"Yuri started to play with her hair as she contemplated Yuki's question. "I don't think that would be a good idea…"
"Why not?" Yuki asked.
"He probably wouldn't be interested in doing such a thing. Plus, he reacted in a very negative way when I initially asked him for the favor in the first place."
"But wasn't that because you started with 'Will you be my boyfriend?' out of nowhere. Anyone would be shocked by that. You just need a moment alone to just sit down with him, look him straight in the eyes and take a chance… Or that's what Grimm says. I said you should take things more slowly, but either way you need to find a way to spend time with Shujinkou."
Yuri pondered the words of her younger sister and stuffed bear until the ringing of her phone interrupted her thought process. She picked it up and answered it without even looking at the caller.
"Hello?" Yuri said.
"Hey, Yuri," a familiar voice responded.
"Oh. Hi, Shujinkou," Yuri replied.
Hearing Shujinkou's name out loud caused Yuki to look down at Grimm and shoot the stuffed creature a surprised look.
"I thought you said wanted to be vampiric, not a magical creature," Yuki mumbled.
"Um, I'm gonna just get straight to the point," Shujinkou continued. "I kinda need your opinion on something. Do you think you can come over?"
"Eh?!" Yuri exclaimed. "Right now?"
"Well, not if you have anything else planned. Wouldn't want to bother you."
"Ah, no! I'm not too busy or anything so… I could come over right now."
"That would be great. See you then."
Yuri slowly lowered her phone as the call ended.
"That was really convenient…" Yuki muttered in disbelief. She then raised Grimm up to her left ear and listened to what the toy had to say. "Hmm…"
"What did Grimm have to say?" Yuri asked.
"Carpe diem," Yuki advised.
Later that morning, Yuri knocked on the front door of Shujinkou's house and anxiously awaited an answer. Not too long after, Shujinkou opened the door and greeted her with a wave. To her surprise, he was still wearing his pajamas and his eyelids subtly dropped down before being forced back opened.
"Thanks for coming under such short notice, Yuri," he yawned as he guided his guest inside the house.
"It was no problem…" she replied. "You said you needed my opinion on something?"
"Yeah," Shujinkou said as he scratched his right cheek. "You see, back when I used to go the festival as a kid, I used to make things for Granny Hisa like drawings or cards. It's been awhile since I did that, so I kind of want to make something for her this year too."
"I see. But why did you ask for my assistance though?"
"'cause this year I want to make something she could actually use for the event and I need your help with that."
"How can I help?"
"Well, I remember how you talked about the things you do to enhance the atmosphere when you read and sometimes when you do other stuff and figured you would know what would enhance the atmosphere of the resort during the festival."
"Oh… Ah…" Yuri glanced down at her hands as she started playing with her hair.
"What's wrong?" he asked perplexed.
"Nothing!" Yuri refused to raise her head back up after unintentionally raising her voice. It was too embarrassing for her to do so. "It's just that… It's just that I'm not used to someone coming to me for help for such a thing. It… It feels really nice."
"Oh. Well, I can relate to that."
A small smile crept on Yuri's face as she raised her head.
"Did you already have anything in mind that you wanted to make for Lady Hisa?" she asked.
"Yeah," Shujinkou reached down to a nearby couch, grabbed his sketchbook and presented a drawing of a paper lantern. "I was thinking of making her a few of these."
"Paper Lanterns?"
"Yeah. What do you think?"
Yuri stared intensely at the drawing. Not a word or sound was made as she continued to analyze the drawing.
"Yuri?" Shujinkou suddenly said.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I forgot to start talking," she replied, slightly embarrassed. "I believe that with the design you made, they will really add a festive feeling to your grandmother's establishment."
"Really? Okay then, I just got to start making these right away. Thanks, Yuri."
"Ah…" a confused expression landed on Yuri's face. "Was that all you needed?"
"Mm-hmm," Shujinkou nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"It's just that… you could have sent a picture of your design over the phone," his guest pointed out.
Shujinkou's sketchbook fell out of his hand as he silently stared at Yuri. It was subtle, but she could tell his expression was one of shock.
"Uhm…" he remained silent as he scratched his right cheek, his eyes seemingly fighting the urge to find something else to look at. "Sorry. I guess the lack of sleep impaired my judgment."
"Ah…" a subtle giggle escaped through Yuri's lips. "That's okay. I didn't mind the trip over here. And ah…"
Yuri started playing with her hair again.
"I would like to help you with making your lanterns, if you don't mind…" she continued.
"Really?" Shujinkou shot a confused look that made it hard for Yuri to maintain eye contact. "Well, if it's okay with you. I don't really have a problem with that."
He then stretched his arms and walked towards the kitchen. Yuri curiously followed suit and watched as Shujinkou grabbed a box of cereal and pour some into a small green bowl. He then sat down at the dinner table and offered Yuri the seat across from his.
"Do you want some?" Shujinkou offered.
"No thank you. I already ate," Yuri declined.
"Okay. So, how's Yuki doing?"
"She's fine. She often expresses interest in playing with you again. I think she's become a bit fond of you."
"Really? I didn't think that would last."
"It's not really surprising. You seem to have a knack for leaving a positive impression on people."
"A positive impression… Even though I lied to her when I first met her… and Grimm."
"Ah…" Yuri immediately diverted her gaze. "I never got to apologizing for making you do that. I'm sorry."
"I think you already said something similar when you asked me…" Shujinkou chuckled as he scratched his right cheek. "Besides, I'm the one who said yes, so… you shouldn't really feel bad or anything. Besides, I have nothing but good memories of that day."
"I see… Hearing that makes me kind of happy."
Finishing off his meal in a surprisingly quick manner, Shujinkou led Yuri up to his room and unveiled the materials needed for this project. The young maiden sported a worried expression as she looked up and noticed the artist's blank one.
"Shujinkou… Most of the material we need isn't here," Yuri informed him.
"Ugh… I just remembered that I ordered it online and have to wait for the mail to come," his head dropped down in disbelief over the revelation. "I guess we have to kill some time before we can get started."
"Well, if we have the time, then may I see your right hand?"
"My hand?" Shujinkou briefly glanced at his right hand then presented it in front of Yuri. She gently grasped the outward hand with her left and extended her right index finger towards the fleshy region of skin between his index and thumb. The moment it made contact, she gently pressed against the section of his hand before gradually applying more pressure. Before long, Shujinkou felt a relaxing sensation surge through his entire body. "What just happened?"
"I just stimulated one of your body's pressure points," Yuri answered.
"My pressure points? Isn't that an acupressure term?"
"Yes. The point I just stimulated is referred to Pressure Point LI-4 otherwise known Hegu."
"Wow. You must really know your pressure points."
"Ah… Not really… It's just something that I tried after looking it up online."
Shujinkou glanced down at his hand again then back at Yuri.
"Do you do that to enhance your reading experience too?" he asked.
"Sometimes…" Yuri answered. Sometimes I use it as a natural healing method for different kinds of pain."
"Huh," Shujinkou raised his right hand to scratch his right cheek, only to realize that it was still in his guest's grasp.
"Sorry," Yuri apologized, her hands instantly returning to her side.
"By the way, Yuri, have you ever heard of Yoki?"
"Ah… Yes. She's a very popular singer shrouded in mystery."
"Uh…" Shujinkou's head dropped again in disbelief.
"Did I say something wrong?" Yuri worriedly asked.
"No… It's just official. I really don't pay attention to anything at school. Maybe I should finally give her a listen."
"You should! Her music's really great."
Shujinkou reached for his laptop and sat against the side of his bed as searched for any of Yoki's music. The moment a large list of results showed up on the screen, Yuri sat down next to him and inched herself closer until their shoulders touched.
"You should listen to that one," Yuri suggested.
"Which one?" he asked.
"The one titled Avian Heart.'"
Shujinkou clicked on the suggested video and listened to the song. It was a catchy song that included Yoki singing with birds.
"This must be the song Kiyoko was referring to," he thought. The moment the video finished, he asked aloud, "I wonder how they got the birds to perform on their command."
"They probably had professionals train them," Yuri answered. "Remaining in the shadows probably allows them to save a lot of money."
"That's true," Shujinkou scratched his right cheek as he thought about the song in more depth. "…Must have been a lot of work though."
Shujinkou scrolled through the video's suggestions, wondering which song he should listen to next until he heard the front doorbell ring. Yuri followed him downstairs and curiously watched him open the front door.
"It's here!" Shujinkou announced as he turned around holding a box, his voice layered with anticipation.
"You seem to be really excited for this," Yuri noted.
"Well, I do get excited when I can finally do the thing I envisioned."
"Ah… I can understand that."
She followed Shujinkou back to his room and silently watched him open the box that contained the materials they needed.
"Have you ever made paper lanterns before, Yuri?" he asked.
"Years ago, but I'm still familiar with the process of making them," she assured him.
"Okay. Now I know that I don't have to bore you with the instructions I found on the internet," he slightly chuckled as he scratched his right cheek.
They each grabbed a cardstock and started to fold it on the score lines between each pane.
"Ah… I think that you're doing a nice thing for your grandmother," Yuri said.
"Hm? Oh, it's not really a big deal," Shujinkou replied. "It's just something I wanted to do for her."
"Mm… Your fondness towards your grandmother is really heartwarming."
"Well… she is family and kinda like my other parental figure. She taught me a lot of things that a mother shouldn't have to. She was also the one who got me into drawing."
Shujinkou reached for the glue and used it to trace a thin layer around the cardstock.
"Could I use that when you are done?" Yuri requested.
"Mm-hmm," Shujinkou finished applying the glue to his cardstock and presented it to his guest. She reached out and gripped the glue bottle enough to cause it to spray some all over his face.
"Ah! I'm sorry!" Yuri apologized. "I shouldn't have grabbed it so tightly."
"It's no big deal," Shujinkou assured her.
Yuri quickly glanced around the room and noticed a cleaning rag in the box of materials. She reached for the rag and started cleaning the glue off of his face. Even though she was using a cleaning rag to wipe away the mess, Shujinkou could feel Yuri's soft, gentle fingers skate and circle across his skin. His heart started to beat faster and faster as he tried to endure what was currently happening to him.
"Ah… Are you okay?" Yuri asked.
"Y-Yeah…" he stammered.
"I'm really sorry…"
"It's really not a big issue."
"Ah…" Yuri looked up at Shujinkou with confused eyes. "Shujinkou… How come you never get mad at me whenever I inconvenience you?"
"What do you mean?" he wondered.
"It's just that I would do things that would normally make others mad like constantly intruding or asking you pose as my boyfriend, but you never get annoyed by anything that I do or ask."
"Oh..." Shujinkou scratched his just cleaned right cheek. "Well, I think you're thinking about it all wrong."
"I am?" Yuri asked.
"I don't really think you're constantly intruding. In fact, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about when you say that. Plus, I don't find it annoying when you ask me for help or anything. It kind of makes me happy to know that I'm reliable enough for you to ask in the first place."
"You do?"
"Yeah. It makes me feel like a good friend."
"Ah…" a crestfallen look planted itself on Yuri's face. "Well… I wouldn't really know what that's like. I haven't really been that much of a help to you."
"That's not true," Shujinkou replied.
"Eh?"
"You helped me during my first days in the club."
"I did? When did I do that?"
"Remember when Monika had us bring in our favorite books after I first joined? I was a nervous wreck since I was kinda afraid that you guys wouldn't like what I could bring in. I really appreciated how you offered to help me find a book even though you were really uncomfortable with that."
"Ah… It wasn't really much. I just didn't want to see you more upset than you already seemed before."
"Still, it really helped me. After that, I started to feel a little more comfortable being in the club. So, you shouldn't think that you're not a good friend or anything."
"Ah… That's…" Yuri placed her face in her hands. It was only for a moment, but Shujinkou was sure he could see a slight smile through her fingers. "We should probably get back to work or else we'll never get the lanterns finished."
"Okay," Shujinkou nodded his head in agreement and went back to work.
By the time they were finished, they had made 16 paper lanterns adorned with cherry blossom ornaments.
"All done," Shujinkou proudly declared. "Thanks for your help, Yuri. You really saved me some time."
"It's not really a big deal," Yuri started to play with her hair. "After all, 'If a friend needs me to be there, I'll be there to help.'"
Yuri silently giggled with red cheeks as Shujinkou scratched his right cheek. He grinned as he nodded his head in agreement.
"Right," he replied.
Yuri slowly diverted her gaze.
"Ah… You know… When you first called me a friend during the Cultural Festival, I was really happy, but I also felt like you said that just because you felt sorry for me," she admitted.
"Huh? I wouldn't do that," he insisted.
"I knew that deep down, but that doubt still remained though. I guess it's because I tend to over think things a lot and see them in the wrong way like you said earlier. So when I thought that I've done nothing but inconvenience you with a lot of things, I was always surprised how instead of rightfully hating me for that, you always instead worry about me and always try to help however you can. Eventually, that doubt went away and all I felt whenever I was around you was happiness."
Shujinkou felt a something brush against his chest and was surprised that it was his index finger.
"Ah… I guess what I'm trying to say is…" Yuri looked back up at Shujinkou with a bright smile. "I really like being friends with you, Shujinkou."
Shujinkou scratched his right cheek and smiled back.
"I like being friends with you too, Yuri," he replied.
Without saying another word, Yuri moved closer to Shujinkou and stared deeper into his eyes. The intense gaze she directed towards him was strong enough that he felt paralyzed by it.
"Uhm…" confusion soon took hold as he realized that his frozen state even denied him the ability to scratch his right cheek.
"Shujinkou…" Yuri's face slowly moved closer to his until it was only inches away. "I… Ah… I also…"
Suddenly, the two heard a loud sound outside of the house and rushed to the front door to figure out what it was. Opening the front door, Shujinkou was shocked to find his mother sitting on the ground.
"Mom?!" he said perplexed.
"H-Hey, Shujinkou…" Hiro dusted herself off as she stood up and noticed Yuri standing behind her son. "Oh, hello, Yuri."
"Ah… Hello…" Yuri replied. She then turned her attention to Shujinkou. "You don't require my assistance anymore, correct?"
"Huh? Oh… Well… I guess not…" Shujinkou answered.
"I see… Well, then I guess I'll excuse myself then."
Before another word could be said, Yuri rushed out of the house. Shujinkou could do nothing but continue to stare out the doorway, bewildered by the events that just raced by. As his mother turned and walked into the house, he couldn't help but noticed that her face was flushed.
"What's going on?" This thought would remain with him for the rest of the day.