Author Note: Yes, this is another Lisa chapter. I am aware of how many there have been. We'll get to Yukina's side when it's time.
The train to and from university was usually crowded. Lisa found herself traveling at the busiest times of the day, during morning and afternoon rush hour. She often stood in the crowd, with just a pole or overhead handle to hang on to.
Today she had been lucky enough to get a seat as she headed towards home, after another long day of university classes. Her school bag was heavy with textbooks, a different one for each course. She'd been busy reading them and filling them with sticky notes to mark important pages.
As her professors had reminded her, multiple times over the last week, midterms were soon. They didn't start until next week, but that didn't leave a lot of time to prepare.
Even though she'd been studying all semester, Lisa didn't feel at all prepared for midterms. They were a significant portion of her grades too, so she couldn't afford to fail them. If she wanted to pass, she needed to buckle down and study.
Lisa looked at her phone, clicking the calendar app. There were two Roselia practices between now and the start of midterms, both long rehearsals. Lisa clicked to her class schedule, with a sigh escaping from her lips.
If she wanted to get enough studying time in, she wasn't going to be able to attend those practices. She wasn't even going to have time to practice on her own, which was also quite frustrating.
Lisa had been working hard to step up her bass playing. The extra rehearsal with Yukina had been more productive than she expected, since they were able to focus on just the bass and vocals. Yukina had helped with her with tone, and providing more nuance to match each song. Lisa hoped that they would practice like that again someday.
Now though, she needed to put her music aside for a short while. Her college courses all required her undivided attention. It hurt to do so, especially since she had been putting so much effort into improving for the band.
Lisa clicked out of the calendar app and into her texts. She started typing in the Roselia group chat. "Hey, I'm not going to be able to make practice Thursday or Sunday. Sorry!" Lisa included a praying emoji at the end to express her sincerity.
Immediately, a bar popped up showing that Sayo was typing. "I wish you told us sooner." Lisa could imagine her scolding tone. "That brings us to three for Thursday." Right, Rinko had already been unable to make Thursday's practice. Like Lisa's, her schoolwork had been ramping up as the semester continued.
"Midterms snuck up on me, please forgive me Sayo!" Lisa knew that Sayo wouldn't be able to stay mad at her if she phrased it like that. At least, she hoped that she wouldn't.
"Hmm." Sayo sent that short message, then spent about thirty seconds typing the next one. "Very well, but you owe the band extra practice time." That was fair.
"Are we still gonna meet Thursday?" Ako chimed in, using a question mark face emoji.
"I will be missing that practice as well." Yukina's message popped up. Lisa could hear her voice in her ear, the way she would say those words. What she said was a bit of a surprise though.
Sayo typed quickly in response. "Minato-san, not you too…" She was likely shaking her head, wherever she was. Even if Yukina could go, it would've made sense to cancel the Thursday rehearsal. They almost never practice with just three members.
"It's fine, we'll still practice Sunday." Yukina brushed off Sayo's disappointment. They would have four members on Sunday, even with Lisa cancelling.
"I'll contact the studio to cancel." Lisa felt bad as she typed the words, since it was her fault they were cancelling. Though, maybe not. If Yukina wasn't going to attend, they might've cancelled anyway. Lisa jotted down in her notes app to call Circle when she got home.
With that done, she shut off the screen on her phone and let her hands rest in her lap.
Lisa wondered why Yukina couldn't go on Thursday. She usually had her schedule organized far in advance, including homework and individual practice time. Yukina planned ahead well, always prepared for what was ahead.
Maybe Lisa would ask next time she saw her. If she remembered, since that wouldn't be until near the end of next week.
Lisa glanced up to check which stop they were at; she would get off in three.
Her phone buzzed against her leg, which was probably a continuation in the group text. Lisa picked it up and flipped it over, surprised to see that her assumption had been incorrect.
A message from Yukina had appeared across the screen, sent only to Lisa. "Do you want to study together?" Lisa squinted at it for a moment, not sure what to make of it.
She tapped the message to open it, slowly typing a response back. "What do you mean?" Yukina was acting so strange today.
The time it took Yukina to respond felt like forever. "On Thursday, I need to study too. Perhaps we could do it together." She wanted to come study with Lisa? The sound of Lisa's stop being called snapped her attention away from her phone, and she stood to get off the train.
She exited the station and started walking towards home, which was only a few blocks away. That message from Yukina was still there, waiting for a response.
Though they had just spent time practicing together, this felt like a completely different kind of request. It almost felt like, no, that couldn't be. This couldn't be an invitation for a date, could it? The last time they studied together, it was because they were taking the same classes. Now though, Yukina was studying vocal performance. She wasn't learning about any of the same topics as Lisa.
No, Lisa shook her head, there was no way this was a date. Studying was something friends did together, not romantic at all. Regardless, the offer filled Lisa with warmth. She typed back. "Was getting off the train, I'd love to study with you!" A couple heart emojis followed.
"I'll bring cookies." It was a short reply, but it still sent a jolt through Lisa's heart.
She stopped at the store on the way home to get some snacks, so she would have something to serve on Thursday.
Lisa hadn't been excited about her midterms earlier, but now she was looking forward to studying.
When Lisa got home from school on Thursday, right at 4:00 pm, she immediately started preparing for Yukina's visit. She had made flashcards for her hardest class, science, which would be a good tool to study while Yukina was there. Lisa set them out on the table in her room, to make sure they were ready.
She also made sure to bring up all the snacks she had bought, just in case Yukina was hungry. Lisa hadn't had time to bake her own snacks, so store bought would have to do. Whatever kinds of cookies Yukina brought could be added to the plate.
Lisa got some studying done after that, tackling her literature course. It was best to study that one alone, since it mostly involved reading. She was able to put Yukina out of her mind, at least for a while, and read a decent chunk of the assigned reading.
She stopped studying to join her family for dinner, before heading back to her room.
Then, Lisa had to wait. She knew Yukina had class late on Thursdays, with studio time at her school going past 5:00. She would eat dinner before coming over, which meant she likely wouldn't arrive until at least 6:30, or not until 7:00. It was only 6:15.
The best thing Lisa could do while she waited was keep studying. Now though, it was a lot harder to focus than it had been earlier. Yukina could arrive at any minute, could come into Lisa's room.
Lisa told herself that she was being silly, that Yukina had just been here last week to rehearse together, that Yukina used to come over and study all the time.
There was a tension in the air today, it felt different. Lisa knew it was probably her own overactive imagination causing it, but she couldn't help it.
As the clock ticked slowly forward, she had trouble staying focused on her book. Lisa nibbled on one of the snacks, a small cracker, to ease her nerves. She went to the bathroom to reapply some light makeup, then returned to her studies.
At 6:40, the doorbell rang. Lisa called to her parents that she would get it, dropping her book and quickly heading down the stairs.
A familiar silhouette could be seen through the front door. Lisa pulled it open, beaming at her guest. "Thanks for coming!"
Yukina stepped through the open door, the small smile on her face equivalent to Lisa's. She had her school bag, as well as a grocery bag. She nodded, then walked past Lisa into the house.
Yukina left her shoes by the door and the pair went upstairs to Lisa's room. As Lisa shut her bedroom door, those nerves from earlier returned.
They didn't make sense, but she couldn't shake them. Even as she watched Yukina sit down on the ground next to the table, the same way she had a thousand times before, Lisa felt nervous. This wasn't a date, she reminded herself. She was just studying with her best friend.
She joined Yukina at the table, opening the plastic bag that she'd placed on it. Inside was a small plasticware container, which was full of cookies.
"These look great." Lisa commented as she popped open the lid. A wave of freshly baked scents spread through the room. Lisa placed a few onto the place with the other snacks, keeping one to eat right now. It was soft in the middle and firm around the edges, cooked for perhaps slightly too long. The flavor was good though, chocolate and peanut butter.
"What do you think?" Yukina asked, her expression far too serious for the question. Did she make these? That was so sweet of her; Lisa wanted to lean over and engulf her in a hug.
This was another strange behavior though. Lisa could count on her fingers the number of times Yukina had baked for her.
It only set Lisa's nerves further on edge.
Lisa took another bite, swallowing before replying. "It's delicious." Yukina's face relaxed at the assertion, and she reached for a cookie as well.
Yukina started eating it and seemed satisfied enough to continue.
"What do you need to study for?" Lisa asked as she finished hers, transitioning to the reason they were there.
Yukina flipped open her school bag, lifting out a large textbook. "Music theory." She said simply, setting the book at an open space on the table. "You have your midterms soon, right?"
"Yeah~" Lisa reached for her stack of flashcards, which were still on the table from earlier. "Science is on Monday." She had so many things to memorize, and very little time to get it done in.
The two settled into silence as they began studying, not as comfortable as Lisa was used to it being. She flipped through her flashcards, aware of the small sound they made as they were flipped over.
Yukina didn't seem to notice. She had her eyes locked onto her textbook, and was reading through it. Lisa couldn't help but glance at her once, then twice, couldn't help wondering what she was thinking when she asked to do this.
As Lisa returned to her flashcards, she tried to stay focused on them. It was always tempting to flip the card over early, even if she really needed to take time to think about the answer. As she flipped more cards, she discovered that she didn't know a lot of these terms.
"Would you like me to hold those for you?" Yukina's voice interrupted Lisa mid card, drawing her gaze.
"That's ok Yukina, I've got it!" Lisa gave her best cat smile.
Yukina didn't seem impressed. "Can you remember the ones you've done so far?" Her hand moved to the small pile of completed cards, snatching them up before Lisa could protest.
"Ummm…" Lisa tried to think back on them, she really did. One had been about carbon, or something. Other than that she was drawing blanks.
Her silence answered the question. "Let me help." Yukina reached forward with one open palm, the implication clear.
"Don't you need to study too?" Lisa protested. It would be silly for Yukina to help her with a class she wasn't taking.
Yukina's hand didn't budge. "My tests are a week after yours."
Lisa sighed, Yukina was just too stubborn for her own good. It was one of the things Lisa admired about her, her persistence towards her goals.
Lisa reluctantly handed over the rest of the cards.
Yukina practically had a cat smile of her own as she mixed the old cards with the larger stack. Then she drew one off the top, showing one side to Lisa.
They continued this activity for a while, with Lisa giving the definitions and answers for each card. She didn't want to admit it, but this was more productive than studying the cards alone.
Yukina seemed to be enjoying reading the back of the flashcards. She commented sometimes on their contents, about how this science class seemed interesting. Lisa felt more at ease as they worked, settling into the familiarity between her and Yukina.
They worked through the stack of cards, pausing for a break after about an hour.
Lisa went downstairs to make some tea, bringing it back up to her room. She prepared Yukina's exactly how she liked it.
When she came back into the room, Yukina was flipping through the flashcards. She looked up as Lisa approached.
"Thank you." Yukina took her teacup from Lisa, cradling it in her hands. Lisa sat back down next to her and sipped her drink.
For a moment, they drank their tea in silence.
Lisa broke it, as she often did. "How've your classes been going?" It felt like an appropriate topic, since they were there to study.
"Good, for the most part. I've learned a lot from my vocals professor." Yukina said with a small nod.
"That's great." Lisa took another sip of her tea. A thought crossed her mind. Yukina hadn't ever mentioned anything about her new peers. "Have you been making friends with your classmates?" Lisa thought she might as well ask, even if Yukina wasn't offering up the information.
Yukina's eyes narrowed slightly. "No, not at all." That didn't really surprise Lisa. "They're not interested in Roselia." That was a funny way to put it, like she had tried to tell them all about the band.
Another thought came, triggered by the word interested. This one was unwelcome. What if Yukina had met someone she liked? That seemed unlikely too, but the notion triggered a point of pain in Lisa's stomach, where she carried stress and anxiety. All the emotions she felt earlier, all of her uncertainty, swept back in. "Did you, umm." Lisa covered her nervousness with a giggle. "Meet anyone you're interested in?"
Now Yukina raised an eyebrow. "Interested in?"
Lisa regretted asking, but it was too late to back down now. "Romantically interested." She clarified, rushing through the words.
Yukina's expression settled into a frown. "I'm not looking for a relationship there. My focus is on my voice and Roselia." Her tone was low, carrying a hint of irritation at the question.
Of course, why would Lisa ever expect anything different. Just as today's study session was definitely not a date, Yukina would not be interested in any of her classmates. She was focused on her music, not anyone else, and certainly not Lisa.
Yukina wasn't interested in a relationship.
Lisa never should have gotten her hopes up. She knew better, after all this time.
She hadn't said anything for Yukina to reject, and yet it felt like one.
"That's very you." Lisa replied, her smile now strained.
Yukina changed the subject, asking about Lisa's classes. She happily transitioned to the topic, talking about what she was reading for her literature class.
They studied for a couple more hours, making their way through the rest of the flashcards and a dramatic reading of part of Yukina's textbook.
When Yukina left, Lisa watched out her window until the light came on across the way.
Maybe it was time to give up on changing their relationship. Lisa was too afraid to try, too afraid to mess things up. Perhaps today was a sign that she should just leave it the same.
As long as things could stay like this, and the two of them could stay together, she would be fine. Yukina wasn't interested in her, she was okay with it. That was what she told herself, looking out at that shining light in the distance.
She needed to be.
As long as she got to stay by Yukina's side, Lisa could handle it. She always had.
