A/N: Welcome to the third chapter, and thank you for making it so far! Again, you'll find some passages of anime season 1 backstory interspersed in the narrative, for reasons mentioned in the A/N to chapter 2. Don't worry, though: these flashbacks will fade out once we've met all the main players and covered the anime content that is essential to understanding characters and relationships.
Rating: For the first time, in this chapter, we'll have some profanity as Yumi loosens up a bit in the presence of a certain older Lillian alumna. Nothing earth-shattering, just a stray f-bomb or two. :)
Please drop me a line to let me know how this story is working for you so far. Since all your stories played such an important part in shaping mine, I'd love to hear what this one does (and doesn't) for you!
Chapter 3: Yumi
Entering the cafeteria of Lillian University, Yumi had no trouble spotting her date from across the hall. Nonetheless, as she always did with this person when she had the chance, she took a moment to take her in before walking up to her. The tall, thin blonde was alone. She sat with her back against the wall, casually leaning on her table while sucking on a soda through a straw. Her hair, which she'd cut short upon graduating from Lillian Academy, had grown back into a fierce mane that curled around the massive black headphones she wore before reaching down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a white tank top and a pair of tattered jeans shorts, granting a generous view of her long, flawless legs, which she'd crossed in a pose of throwaway allure. Her feet, in a pair of untied Chuck Taylors, were in motion, the right one tapping to an inaudible beat while the other swung restlessly in the air.
She was no classical Japanese beauty like Yumi's onee-sama—her frame was too imposing, her posture too slovenly, her face too expressive. But her features were unique, a felicitous blend of western and Japanese traits that made her the center of attention in any group. And she had a natural charisma, an animal magnetism the likes of which Yumi had never seen in another person.
She seemed lost in thought and music, oblivious to the world around her and the effect she was having on it. But Yumi knew better—her date was well aware of how she affected people and did her best to cultivate this impression. Still, for some reason that Yumi couldn't fathom, she was too self-effacing to acknowledge it, let alone bask in it. Yumi knew she was only sitting alone because no one dared intrude on her formidable aura—the occasional, furtive glances cast her way from other tables were proof of that—but if you'd asked the girl herself, she'd have said it was because no one liked her.
"Sei-sama!" Yumi called out as she approached the table. The girl, still wearing her headphones, seemed not to notice.
"Sei-samaaa!" Yumi propped herself up in front of the girl and wagged a finger in her face.
Sato Sei cocked up her head and fixed Yumi with a mock-annoyed glance. As she slid off her headphones, the screeching noise of an electric guitar clawed at Yumi's ears.
"I told you to stop calling me that."
Yes, Yumi thought, you did tell me. But old habits die hard. Sato Sei had been Rosa Gigantea the year Yumi entered Lillian Academy. Among the three Rose Families that made up the Yamayurikai, the Giganteas were the odd ones out. The Foetidas, to whom Yumi's best friend Yoshino belonged, were the well-adjusted family, perhaps most representative of the general Lillian populace. The Chinensis, including Sachiko-sama and her grande soeur Mizuno Yoko, were the most driven and commanding ones, usually assuming a natural leadership role on the council. But the Giganteas—and Sato Sei was a Gigantea to the core—were the rebels. They were misfits, charismatic outsiders who could be brilliant and erratic, kind-hearted and moody, mischievous and fragile in equal measure.
Sei-sama was the only professed lesbian Yumi knew. It was thanks to her existence that Yumi could even conceive of dating another girl. But the former Rosa Gigantea had done so much more for Yumi—and to Yumi—than merely exist. From Yumi's first day at the Rose Mansion, Sei-sama had adopted her as a kind of pet, cuddling, squeezing, and groping the younger girl whenever she got the chance, or rather, when other Yamayurikai members were around to take offense. Of course, this mostly meant Sachiko-sama, who had flown into a rage on more than one occasion as Sei-sama's tentacles ensnared her helpless and mortified petite soeur. Sometimes, Yumi wondered whether Sei-sama had cared more about irking Sachiko-sama or embarrassing Yumi herself. The answer was probably both.
Being alone with Sei-sama was a completely different story. She never made Yumi feel uncomfortable in the slightest when alone. On such occasions, the equally enticing and exasperating pain in the butt that was Sato Sei transformed into a thoughtful older sister figure who often went out of her way just to help Yumi out. In Yumi's first year, when she and her grande soeur were still cautiously circling each other like animals from different species, Sei-sama had intervened again and again to bring the two closer together, be it by arranging sleepovers at the Ogasawara Mansion or by giving Yumi absurd assignments that were sure to make Sachiko-sama laugh.
One day, just before Sei-sama's graduation, Yumi had found herself alone in a Lillian classroom with her. She'd thanked the older girl for having taken her under her wing. Jokingly, Sei-sama had suggested that Yumi repay her with a kiss. Yumi had laughed and headed for the door, but then, much to her own surprise, she'd stopped, turned around, and planted a small peck on the corner of Sei-sama's lips—Sei's lips. It was the first—and only—time that Yumi had kissed a girl like that.
"Sorry." Yumi couldn't hide a little smile. "I meant Sei."
"Much better," Sei replied with a wink. "C'mon, let's get out of here." She grabbed Yumi by the hand and made for the cafeteria exit. As they left the hall hand in hand, Yumi saw several heads turn to watch them. That'll give them something to talk about, she mused.
Outside, a pleasant breeze tickled Yumi's skin. The weather was lovely, sunny but cooler than yesterday during her visit with Sachiko-sama. As she allowed Sei to lead her who knew where, she took in her surroundings. The grounds of Lillian U were neat but unadorned, the university buildings functional and drab. The whole campus was a letdown compared to the elaborate English gardens and collegiate gothic buildings of the high school.
In fact, Yumi pondered, the entire university was little more than a footnote in Lillian history. It had been founded about 20 years ago thanks to a donation drive by wealthy parents who realized their daughters—the eligible bachelorettes of Japanese high society—were no longer getting married straight out of high school. Intended to provide a respectable holding pattern for such girls while they awaited a suitable match, the university lacked the reputation for moral discipline and academic excellence that had made the high school a household name since the early twentieth century.
In a way, Yumi thought, it was ironic. High society girls had been Lillian Academy's original clientele, and most Japanese people still thought of them when they heard the school's name. But in the wake of World War II, with the rise of a new middle class, the high school had opened its gates to the daughters of low-born but socially ambitious parents—parents like Yumi's. The new girls had faced plenty of scorn from their aristocratic peers, who ridiculed them as climbers, but their self-sacrificing work ethic had lifted Lillian Academy into the top ten of Japanese high schools, elevating the institution from a prestigious finishing school to a genuine academic powerhouse. And now, while many high-born Lillian graduates went on to the pointless Lillian U, strivers like Yumi wouldn't even dream of settling for it.
Yumi herself had used Lillian as a springboard to get into Tokyo University, one of the top schools in Japan. So had her friend Yoshino. Sachiko-sama was at the other end of the spectrum: her family was old money even by Lillian standards, and since they'd engaged her to Suguru long ago, they hadn't bothered to send her to college at all. Sei, however, was an enigma. She came from a prominent family, but her marriage prospects in Japanese high society were nil—even if she hadn't been a lesbian, which Yumi doubted her family knew, her mixed race literally put her beyond the pale. Grades weren't an issue, either—Sei could have easily gone to Tokyo University, or even abroad. So, if it wasn't about grades, marriage, or social class, what was Sato Sei doing at Lillian U?
"Here we are." Sei pushed open a creaky metal door to reveal an expansive terrace. They had arrived at the top of a university building—the tallest one on campus, as far as Yumi could tell. The space was deserted and almost completely bare save for some metal chimneys, air conditioning outlets, and other functional equipment. The only safeguard at the edge of the roof was a knee-high ledge, and Yumi felt pretty sure students weren't allowed up here. But there were no prying eyes, the breeze was cool and stiff, and the view was expansive, granting a panorama of Tokyo all the way to the center.
"One of my secret lairs," Sei said as she led the younger girl onwards. Behind a row of chimneys, Yumi glimpsed an old beach chair strategically placed just by the ledge to catch the best view of the city. They walked up to it.
"Have a seat," Sei offered.
"Thanks." Yumi sat down in the chair and stretched her legs out over the ledge. Sei plopped down on the floor across from Yumi, with her back to the view.
"So." Sei squinted at Yumi, the sun in her eyes. "Where's the fire?"
"I… I'm sorry I called you so late last night, Sei. You must have been worried."
"You know constant apologizing is one of your less attractive traits, right?"
"So I've been told." Yumi smiled. She had barely slept all night and gotten up feeling like she'd been run over by a truck. But now, lounging in this comfy chair with a bird's eye view of the city, the sun warming her skin while the breeze cooled her down, she could feel herself start to relax. "Did you bring this chair up here?"
"All by my lonesome."
"And nobody stopped you?"
"What can I say?" Sei shrugged. "People let me get away with things."
"I wish I'd been that lucky yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?"
"Oh, nothing, really. I just confessed my undying love to Sachiko-sama and she threw me out the door."
"You what?" Sei coughed violently. "Damn, girl, I almost choked on my own spit!"
"Yup. That's what I did."
"Yumi, I…" Sei crossed her legs and leaned closer to Yumi. "I don't even know where to start. I mean, I know you've been crushing on Sa-chan for years, but a formal declaration of love? That's bold."
"Yeah, I know. I think the wedding invitation pushed me over the edge."
"That would do it, I guess." Sei paused. "But does that mean… you've decided you're into girls?"
"No." Yumi grimaced. "I mean, maybe. I don't know. I haven't thought about it… globally, you know? I found out that onee-sama was getting married, and I just needed to do something, say something."
"And she kicked you out?"
"Yup. It was tough. I didn't know what to do. I was mortified my parents would notice something. I locked myself in my room. And then I thought of calling you."
"At four in the morning."
"Yes." Yumi suppressed the urge to apologize. "I couldn't get a wink. I just kept thinking of…" Her lips were starting to tremble. "… of how stupid I am. I spent five years with her, Sei. And I did nothing. Absolutely nothing. And then I just show up and spring this on her, completely out of the blue? I mean, how did I think she'd react?"
"Shh." Sei put a hand on Yumi's leg. "It's not your fault."
"Yes, it is!" She couldn't hold in the tears anymore. "I fucked up! I knew how I felt about her all along—I guess everyone knew—and I did nothing! What did I expect, that she'd just wake up one day and throw herself into my arms?"
"Hey. Go easy on yourself. We're talking about Sa-chan here. I think you can be forgiven for being a little… hesitant. And besides, how do you know that telling her earlier would've made any difference? How do you know she'd even be interested in girls that way?"
"I just do, Sei. I felt it." Yumi didn't know how, but she had. "I mean, I don't think she's gay…"
"More like asexual," Sei mused. "Or should I say anti-sexual?"
"…maybe, but with the right person, I know she'd be open to it. But I never made the effort to become that person."
"You?" Sei laughed. "You never made the effort? You spent more time with Sa-chan than anyone besides the help!"
"Yes, but I wasted it! I spent all that time trying to be her petite soeur, trying to make her accept me in that role. She never got to see me as anything else!"
"Okay, settle down." Sei moved around Yumi and put her hands on the younger girl's back, gently rubbing the tension out of her shoulders. Yumi let herself relax into Sei's touch. A sigh escaped her lips. There was always a physical spark when she was around the former Rosa Gigantea—Yumi knew that by now, and she was used to it. Sei handed her a tissue and Yumi proceeded to dispel any tenderness in the moment by blowing her nose in the most unladylike way imaginable.
"What exactly did she say to you?" Sei asked. "I mean, she must have said something."
"Let me see. At first, I tried to talk her out of the marriage without telling her how I felt. I mean, she can't want to get married to him, right?"
"Course not. She's just doing it because she's supposed to."
"But she wouldn't have any of it. And then she yelled at me for telling her stuff she already knew."
"Sounds like Sa-chan, alright."
"So I just decided to go for it. I mean, I hadn't prepared anything to say, I hadn't thought the whole thing through at all. I suppose I was too afraid to even think about having that conversation. I guess I thought I'd just know what to say when the time came."
"So… what? You just said I love you?"
"More or less. And I…" even Yumi had to smile at this part. "I called her Sachiko."
"Ha! A big step for you, a small one for mankind."
They both laughed hard at this. Actually, Yumi thought, it was more sad than funny that she couldn't even call the woman she loved by her name. But Sei was the kind of person who'd rather laugh at her own folly than cry over it, and right now, Yumi could see the merit in that. She felt their laughter begin to soothe all the heartache building up in her since she'd received the invitation. But Yumi wasn't the only one relaxing; she sensed that the laughter was helping Sei as well. Now that she thought about it, the former Rosa Gigantea had seemed unusually subdued while listening to her little story. Had Yumi hit a nerve? Had she, perhaps, reminded Sei of her own first time confessing to a girl, only to be turned down? Had she reminded Sei of Shiori?
"And then she kicked you out." Sei had pulled herself together again. She sat back down across from Yumi.
"Yes," Yumi continued. "She apologized, though. She said she wasn't feeling well."
"She wasn't angry?"
"No. It felt more like she was in shock. I think it was too much for her. She had the driver take me home."
"So she didn't actually tell you…"
"No." Yumi felt surprised by this, as if she'd only just thought of it herself. "She didn't actually say she didn't want me. In fact, she even thanked me. She told me it must have taken a lot of courage for me to tell her what I did."
Sei didn't say anything.
"I wonder what she meant by that," Yumi went on. "Did she mean that I have the courage, but she doesn't? Maybe she wishes she had it too. Maybe she sent me away because she was afraid of what she'd say if she didn't. Sei… do you think I might have a chance?"
"I…" Sei seemed flustered. "I don't know."
Yes, Yumi thought. I've definitely hit a nerve. The story of Sei and Shiori was Lillian legend; sooner or later, every Lillian student who crushed on another girl heard about it. Sei had been in her second year when it happened; she'd fallen hard for an underclassman by the name of Kubo Shiori. They'd started spending all their time together, and rumor had it they'd even become lovers. But Shiori was preparing to enter a convent, and her relationship with Sei, which she regarded as a grave sin, weighed heavily on her conscience. Eventually, she'd started avoiding Sei. But Sei had confronted her, right in Lillian chapel, and dared Shiori to say to her face that she chose Maria-sama over her. Wavering in her resolve, Shiori had relented. They'd vowed to run away together, agreeing to pack their things and meet up at a train station the very same evening. But Shiori had never shown up, neither at the station nor at Lillian, ever again. She'd decided to follow her calling after all. By all accounts, Sei had never been the same after that night. Does she see herself in me? Yumi wondered. And does she see Shiori in Sachiko-sama?
"But I wouldn't give up until I was absolutely sure." The uncertainty in Sei's voice had given way to resolve.
"Sei, there's nothing more I can do. I spilled my guts to her. It was humiliating."
"So what?" Sei asked irritably. "You can't be humiliated twice? Your pride is so precious to you?"
"What about you?" Yumi shot back. "Did you go after…" Her voice trailed off as she hesitated to finish the sentence. She'd only talked to Sei about Shiori once—it hadn't been a conversation, really; Yumi had been curious, so Sei had told her the story—and that had been years ago.
"Go on, ask. I won't bite."
"Did you keep pursuing Shiori after she stood you up at the station that night?"
"No." Sei turned her head, looking out over the vast, anonymous expanse of downtown Tokyo. "I thought I'd changed her mind but I was wrong—it seemed pointless to try again." She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe my pride was too precious as well. Or maybe I couldn't risk the pain of another rejection. Or maybe I was afraid that she'd look at me differently—some desperate loser who can't take no for an answer and hounds her all the way to the convent!" She snorted.
"I can't imagine anyone calling you a loser."
"That's kind of you," Sei whispered.
"But what about your friends? I mean, I get that you couldn't go yourself, but didn't anyone try to talk to her?"
"Nope." Sei turned back to Yumi, smiling wryly. "We were a scandal. They all thought she was better off in the convent than with me."
"And Sachiko-sama? Is she better off married to Suguru?"