Mei tried to cheer Yuzu up the night before, but it did not work. Yuzu was depressed because their anniversary as girlfriends was on a school day, which meant they couldn't go to Kyoto to tie the enmensubi they promised each other when they were 15. It pained her to see her sad. She was sure her gift would put Yuzu on cloud nine, but it was Yuzu herself who asked for the gifts not to be revealed until the evening.

They walked hand in hand to the station. Yuzu tried to walk to their usual platform, but Mei pulled her.

"Today, we're using another train." Mei said, showing Yuzu two tickets: Kyoto.

"What? Do you mean we're skipping class?!" Yuzu marveled.

"I told the professors we had a family engagement… They agreed to give us the material they will cover today, since both of us are serious students. Don't get me wrong; we're spending Saturday in the library..."

"As long as I'm with you," Yuzu hugged Mei's arm, "it doesn't matter where I spend my Saturday."

"Unless you're with Harumi, or Kyoji, or Natsumi, or-..."

"Meiii! It's you who don't want to come with us when we hang out."

Mei kissed Yuzu on the nose. "We have that discussion everyday. Today is about you and me, and nobody else."

Yuzu chuckled. "I love you." Yuzu put her arm on Mei's shoulders. "Happy 4th anniversary. Thank you for the gift..."

"Happy anniversary, my love," Mei whispered, putting her forehead on Yuzu's. "I'm sorry this is the first time we're celebrating it."

"Don't apologize," Yuzu said, "instead, let's make it count. Next year is on a class day too."

"We'll ask for permission then too. If they don't give it to us, we'll skip."

"My God, I turned you into a bad girl."

"You did, and I love it!" Mei kissed Yuzu. "Let's go. The train will be here soon."

They locked their arms and went to the platform.

Mei reminisced about the day of their high school excursion to Kyoto. How she couldn't bring herself to wake Yuzu up, and how she met Sara and Nina. She remembered the feeling of disarray.

Yuzu recalled how she thought Mei didn't value her. She felt guilty in retrospect. "Mei…" Yuzu put her head on Mei's shoulder. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you on that school trip."

"I gave you more trouble than you've given me," Mei said. "I'm sorry too. I think we should apologize to Himeko and Harumi, too."

"Guess what? Harumin told me she knew I was in love with you when we were on the trip."

"I'm not surprised. Himeko knew I was in love with you before I knew it myself. She said I fell for you before the very first exams we had together. I think I started to fall for you before that though… I don't know when exactly, though..."

"Really? When did you tell Himeko about us?"

"Let's get on the train and I'll tell you once we're settled."

Yuzu and Mei had many memories together that involved boarding trains. They never failed to have telepathic moments when a cue presented itself. They saw a lady who had a blanket on her knees.

"Did you know? I didn't forget my blanket that day." Mei admitted.

"I think everyone figured you out on that one." Yuzu giggled. "Like you would forget something."

"My God! Was Harumi trying to distract herself from us?"

"For the thousandth time, Harumin doesn't think of me like that!"

"Yuzu, Yuzu… I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. Remember? Today is about us." Mei tried to calm Yuzu down. Few things riled Yuzu up. Mei's insistence that Harumi harboured feelings for Yuzu was one of them.

"Sorry." Yuzu apologized. Yuzu was defensive about that subject, not because she was annoyed with Mei's jealousy. She understood jealousy better than anyone. She just couldn't muster the courage to ask Harumi for a proper answer. Therefore, she wasn't able to clear Mei's suspicions. The way Harumi told her "I love you Yuzu-chi… As a friend, y'know." when she came out to her didn't sit well with her.

"So… Back to what we were talking about..." Mei fished for a change of subject. "I told Himeko right after you confessed to me."

"Wow!"

"What?"

"I didn't tell Harumin until the start of the third year. Like two weeks after we got back together."

"That's more impressive than mine."

"Well, it makes sense if you think about it… Himeko and you were closer than Harumin and I… She's your childhood friend. I met Harumin when I transferred. Still… I didn't think you would tell her."

"I needed to give her closure… Plus, did you really think she didn't hear us when you were in my bed?"

"Sorry about that…" Yuzu had an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry I stopped you." Mei smirked,

"Whaaat?"

"In fact… To make amends, I booked us the same room. You have to finish what you started, don't you think?"

"Then we have to call Himeko and have her sleep on the other bed. I won't get in the mood otherwise."

"Okay, I know I said that you can experiment on me however you wanted, but it seems I need to draw a line…"

Yuzu laughed. Both of them were shy in bed when they started. The time they spent apart made them more careful. However, after Yuzu tried something crazy in the bathroom, Mei had an unusual reaction. She thanked Yuzu and told her to do whatever she wanted with her from then onwards. Yuzu tried her best to pace herself, but Mei's reactions were too cute.

When they arrived at Kyoto, Mei pulled Yuzu aside.

"I always wanted to pick you up like Nina did that day..." Mei said.

"You can't do that!" Yuzu said.

"I can carry you in another way…" Mei mused. "How about a bridal carry?"

Yuzu was beside herself. Mei rarely suggested to do things in public. She had the habit of checking over her shoulder before kissing Yuzu.

Yuzu took Mei's backpack, and prepared herself to be carried. Mei put her arms around Yuzu's upper back and the bend of her knees. Yuzu threw her right arm around Mei's shoulder. Mei, who had looked up the way it was supposed to be done the day prior, wondered if Yuzu read the same page. She was about to ask her exactly what she did. Mei wore pants just for this. She spread her legs, slightly squatted down, and lifted Yuzu. It was easier than she anticipated. They looked each other in the eyes.

"You're so strong!" Yuzu said in an exaggerated marvelled voice.

"I thought you were heavier than this." Mei said.

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No! No!" Mei, who already made the mistake of questioning Yuzu's weight once, got alarmed. "Please don't get mad. I can't carry you to the Shrine like this."

"Relax!" Yuzu laughed and kissed her. "Thank you, my prince."

The exit of the station is as far she could get.

"Let me do it too!" Yuzu got excited.

"No. We have a room tonight, remember? One of us has to conserve her energy." Mei begrudgingly denied her.

"Aww! I was on top yesterday…" Yuzu complained.

"You weren't supposed to be when we started. You always ask to be the bottom but you always end up on top…"

"It's you who give up the top position too easily! I try to resist just to spice things up a bit!"

"Since today is special, I'll be on top for a bit."

Yuzu laughed. "Remember when I ran after you here?" Yuzu asked when they arrived near the spot where Mei was waiting for Sara four years ago. "We struggled to understand each other."

"We still do sometimes..."

"Yeah, but sex makes everything easier, doesn't it?"

"You had to ruin the moment, didn't you?"

"And now, our 542th picture as girlfriends!" Yuzu hugged Mei when they arrived at the spot they took their first photo as girlfriends. Mei put her lips on Yuzu's cheek in a prolonged kiss and didn't let go until she heard the shutter of Yuzu's phone. Mei loved that Yuzu kept count of their photos together.

They walked again. When they were nearing the spot where Yuzu confessed, Mei slowed down and let Yuzu walk ahead for a few steps. When Yuzu turned around, Mei jumped, tackling her to the ground.

"I love you, Yuzu," Mei said, "and these feelings will never betray you. So, Yuzu, if you feel the same way.." she closed her eyes and offered her lips to Yuzu, mirroring what Yuzu did four years ago. "Please, kiss me."

Once the surprise wore off, Yuzu cupped Mei face and kissed her.

It was one of the longest kisses they ever had.

"I don't think we need an Enmusubi anymore." Yuzu said looking deep into Mei's eyes.

"You're just saying that because you're turned on and want to go to the hotel as fast as possible." Mei said, smirking.

"Now, who's ruining the moment? Not gonna deny that, though."