It's Not My Fault We're Together!
Chapter 10: I Wish I Were Certain (So I Could Touch You)
"Y-Yuri-chan?"
The girl in question jerked in surprise, letting go of the windowsill she was leaning on and looked to her left to see Kuroki approaching her. After taking a moment to relax, the reserved girl said, "Yes?"
For a moment Kuroki rocked back and forth with a sheepish smile, until eventually she said, "Uh, well, you just looked kinda distracted, all staring out the window like that..." The shy girl paused for a chuckle, adding almost subconsciously, "I bet Nemo'd be impressed by a chuuni-esque pose."
Another shocked jerk from Yuri prompted Kuroki to fix her with a half-confused, half-concerned glance, but she quickly broke eye contact. If her taller friend noticed anything, she didn't show it.
I probably should have messaged Hina on Line last night, but... Yuri shifted in place with a sigh, musing, When I got home and... whatever that was at the train station wore off, there was just no way I could do it. I mean, things were awkward before, and things were much worse when she was mad at me, but now I don't even know who we are to each other. Are we... friends? More? Less? Blushing slightly at the final thought, she shook her head before fuming, More? What would 'more' even mean? And even if we've gotten closer and made up, I still don't know her very well...
She slumped slightly, tightening her grip on the windowsill. For some reason, this line of thought was starting to make her uncomfortable, and more than a little distressed.
"L-looks like they're at it again, huh?"
Looking up from her knuckles-which were now turning a rather alarming shade of white-she found Kuroki pointing outside with an awkward smile. Yuri glanced out the window to see a crowd of students gathered around the Tanabata bamboo. An excited commotion issued forth as wishes were hung, all while the pair looked on with a vague disinterest. They shy girl could tell she was holding something back, and Yuri knew she had noticed. Though both sensed this conflict, neither made any move to address it.
Finally, perhaps to make conversation or perhaps due to an actual interest in the proceedings, Kuroki said, "They did this last year too, didn't they?"
"Yeah," Yuri replied distractedly. She was not so callous as to be totally disconnected from Kuroki's attempt at discussion, but she certainly had other things on her mind. At length she replied, "You don't really care about stuff like this, right Tomoko?"
The shy girl shrugged, answering, "I wouldn't say that exactly... I mean, I did technically put up a slip last year.
This got Yuri's attention, and she turned to fix Kuroki with an incredulous look. The loner had never struck her as particularly invested in the school's social structure-certainly not enough to participate in a holiday like Tanabata-nor did she seem particularly superstitious. "You had a wish?"
"Nah, not a wish." Kuroki replied, casually sweeping her gaze over the bamboo. "I just wrote a joke cause I thought it'd be funny."
Her expression shifting from incredulous to deadpan, Yuri asked, "did you even have any friends who might have looked at it and laughed?"
The shorter girl turned to Yuri as she began, "no, but..."
"Then who did you think was actually gonna see your punchline?" Interrupted the reserved girl.
"Oh who cares," Kuroki huffed.
For a moment she gazed out the window yet again before she turned to Yuri and asked, "Do you have any wishes, Yuri-chan?"
Without any change in expression the taller girl replied, "Even if I did, writing them down wouldn't make them come true."
Kuroki shifted in place, seemingly unsure of how to respond to Yuri's ruthlessly pragmatic outlook. "I mean, yeah, but..." She began before trailing off.
Well, I guess I shouldn't shoot her down entirely, the reserved girl thought. After a further moment of deliberation, she finally elaborated, "Mako and the others wrote some last year." Another moment passed before she added, "but I didn't bother."
Her brow furrowing, Kuroki asked, "But there are things you wish for, right?"
This gave Yuri pause, and for a moment she allowed her mind to drift over the past several days and her encounters and interactions with Hina. I guess there are a few things I'd like to see work out... and a few things I'd like to know.
At length she answered, "everyone has a few desires, so yeah."
Her lips curling up in an awkward-one might even say perverse-smirk, Kuroki said, "I figured. So what do you wish for? Money? Sex? Someone you want to see get screwed over?"
"I'm not telling you," Yuri answered.
I wouldn't even know what to say, she considered.
...
Hina sat at her desk in her classroom looking out the window. Y'know, she thought to herself, I could probably prop open this window and get a breeze ruffling through my hair. I bet that'd look kind of cool. Walking over the window-after checking to make sure Kuroki wasn't nearby to tease her-she pushed it open and allowed the cool afternoon wind to wash over her.
Smiling as she felt it glide across her face, she let her gaze fall onto the ground below... where it fell upon Yuri and the rest of her friends walking home.
With a start Hina wrenched her focus away from the window, squatting down onto the floor as she tucked her knees and head into her arms.
She left without me... she thought, pulling her legs closer to her chest with a pout. For a moment her expression darkened before she let out a sigh, thinking, I guess we didn't really end up deciding if we'd start going home together again, but...
Slowly rising to her feet again, she peeked through the window. For a moment she let her eyes roam the school grounds before accepting that Yuri was gone, likely blocked by nearby buildings or trees.
I'm not sure how to face her now... She thought, her fingers wrapping around the sill. Like... what was that on the train? Why did I do that? Her face flaring up, Hina's mind flashed back to the way Yuri had rested her head on her own. Why did she do that?
"Sorry for the wait! I had to take care of something, but we can head home now!"
Hina glanced over her shoulder, finding Akane standing at the entrance of the classroom with a broad smile. For a moment, neither moved, and the direct girl finally asked, "Is something wrong?"
Shaking her head in denial, the normally bright girl answered, "Nah, just... thinking of something."
"Oh?" Her friend inquired. "About what?"
After a moment, Hina finally replied, "I was just thinking how I need to talk to someone."
***Chapter 10: Good End***