Serial Stories
By:Funakounasoul
Disclaimer: Azumanga Daioh =/= mine. Kiyohiko Azuma's the creator
CHAPTER FIVE - POCKET UNIVERSE
A strange, heavy feeling washed over the two girls once the theater emptied out and the lights were turned back on. Just a few feet away, one could still hear the sounds of disgruntled folks complaining to theater staff alongside regular moviegoers milling about. Despite that, with each passing second, the sound grew farther away, quieting down to a mere whisper as the room dimmed in focus around its two sole occupants. Time stretched as well, and what was probably only a minute or so gave way to the illusion of hours.
Tomo's focus, originally elsewhere due to the discomforting silence, gave in and shifted toward Yomi. It was a sideways glance – something was nagging at her to be cautious. It surprised her, too, to be honest. Cautious? Why? Surely, the fluttering of her heart was just a spike caused by the caffeinated soda she had been drinking prior to the interruption. The cup in her armrest, however, had barely been touched. A sigh suddenly caught her attention. It was a sigh of frustration with a hint of sadness. Tomo finally turned her head just enough to get a good look at her friend.
She was crying. Yomi was doubled over with her hands covering her face, trying hard to suppress the tears but to no avail. What Tomo had heard was not a sigh but a moment of weakness in suppression. How long had she been crying? The movie could not had broken down that long! Then again, when Tomo first found Yomi earlier, she looked quite disheveled. Well, Tomo corrected herself, disheveled for Yomi. She was always one to look orderly and fashion-conscious, but today, she was wearing just a simple shirt with a light jacket and pants. She was wound up more than usual. Tense. Tomo had been trying to get an answer out of Yomi, but the girl refused. Now here she was, literally yanking Tomo's heartstrings right out of her body from how devastatingly distressful she looked.
She wanted to do something. She wanted to cheer her up. Maybe a distraction would help. A teasing jab? No, not right now. Something in the back of Tomo's mind was telling her today was not a day to pull off the usual. It was, however, poking at her, tugging toward some sort of response that was trapped below a lot of metaphorical junk. Her mind was never satisfied with singular tasks. Yomi was always a constant spark within, though. Despite everything else that usually happened, Yomi was always a thought she could fall back on, and right now, that spark was diminishing and needed some help.
Help her.
Comfort her.
She needs you.
You need her!
Something struck within, almost like a shock to her mind. It finally made sense to her.
"I love her…"
A quiet murmur shook Yomi out of her previous state. She cursed at herself – great, she broke down in front of Tomo, and now she was going to hear nothing terrible teasing until she could break away from her. She was about to snap back with a "What the hell do you want?!" but she barely even said "What the hell" before Tomo reiterated her sudden statement…that earth-shattering statement.
"I love you."
Yomi's eyes widened, tears welling up anew. "What…?" There was just no way she heard that. Her daydreams, memories and hallucinations were finally getting to her. They just had to be.
Tomo could barely hear herself from the rush she was experiencing that very moment. Yomi's response, however, was not quite was she was expecting. It was frustrating. She was going to cry again, and it was distressing. Autopilot switched on, her mind giving up the energy to think so her heart could just get its say in the whole matter.
For a moment, time and space completely ceased to be as Tomo lips connected with Yomi's.
Neither girl remembered when they left the theater. Neither one remembered when they walked back to Yomi's place – it was closer, after all (Was that really said at one point? Neither could recall). At some point, the afternoon's sunset became the next morning's sunrise. Birds chirped melodically just outside Yomi's window, waking the girl up before Tomo even dared open her own eyes. Tomo would usually wake up first, but not today.
It was a rather pleasant sight, really. Tomo could be quite adorable when her energy was spent, awake or asleep. Sleepiness added an extra touch of tranquility that brought a smile to Yomi's face. Love was always something she felt for that damned girl. A caring love. A friendly love. Protective love would pop up there sometimes, too. This deeper, more intimate love, however, added a new "glow" to the sleepy wildcat's features that was almost euphoric.
It was still hard to believe the feelings were mutual all along.
She really had nothing to worry about after all.
The idea that from here on out, the two were actually lovers gave Yomi an amazing buzz. She giggled to herself, the first time she had been so happy in a long time. And yet…something new began to poke her mind, almost nagging at her.
Sure, this was an amazing feeling – to be in love and be loved in return – but would it always be like this from now on? Would Tomo be this kind and passionate soul as long as they were together? For some reason, the thought made Yomi feel a little confused. Could she see Tomo being like that, or would a change in behavior almost be too strange? It was a strange, sobering set of thoughts.
Yomi sighed, shoving the thoughts aside. It was too early for that. She looked out her window, glancing upward toward hazy summer sunrise. The warm tones shining down into her room set the mood for the rest of that day and for the rest of their summer break. Pleasant. Peaceful. Hopeful.
(Serial Stories – performed by Pizzicato Five [It's on YT])
When I was watching
The rain falling
Through the window
I suddenly
Realized
I love you
I love you so much
That I want to meet you
I love you so much
That I want to die
I love you so much
That I hate you
After checking
If I have
Three ten-yen coins
I called
You
I love you so much
That I want to meet you
I love you so much
That I want to die
I love you so much
That I hate you
If this
Loving you thing
Is going to last
Till I get old
Always this painful
Everyday so painful
I think I'll feel
Lonely and sad
There's nothing
One can do about it
But it's sad
In the cinema
The film gets stuck
Halfway through
And then suddenly
You too realize
That you love
Me
I love you so much
That I want to meet you
I love you so much
That I want to die
I love you so much
That I hate you
If our love
Our mutual love
Is going to last
Till we get old
Always this peaceful
Everyday so peaceful
I think I'll maybe
Be happy
But
Even so
I feel a bit
Uncertain
...This isn't the end. It may SEEM like the end, but there's just ONE more little thing to do. An epilogue, if you will. Stay tuned~