It has been two months since Touko and Yuu started dating, longer if you count the times when Yuu would let Touko hold and kiss her and so far things have been going smoothly. So far they haven't been able to go on any dates since their work for the student council has kept them both busy but as Touko enters the student council building, Touko is determined to change that.
Stepping into the student council building Touko sees that today is a rare day when she is the last one to arrive. Sayaka looks up with a hint of sadness in her eyes that pains Touko but true to their words Sayaka hasn't interfered and Touko still treats Yuu the same as before in front of others. The fact that Yuu gets embarrassed when Touko gets affectionate in public helps a lot in keeping their relationship a secret. Yuu, Maki, and Doujima are talking about some work the first years have to do but as they talk Touko notices her girlfriend stealing glances of her as she walks towards the table.
"Good afternoon everyone and you will be gald to hear that our days of hard work and working late are over now," Touko smiles sitting down in her usual seat next to Sayaka. "We still have a busy day, but it should be nothing like before, so let's get started shall we."
True to her word the paperwork the student council has to do has been cut in half and working through it seems to be easier than before. Sayaka and Touko seems to be in their element completing form after form making it seem like the easiest thing in the world to the displeasure of the first years who can't even come close to matching their pace. Finally after nearly two hours of nearly nonstop writing the members of the student council can at last put done their pens.
"Even with this lessened load my wrist still hurts," Doujima moans rubbing his sore wrist.
"Do these need to go to the faculty lounge?" Maki asks as he starts to gather up the separate stacks of forms.
"Yes they do," Sayaka replies handing him hers and Touko's piles only for him to nearly dropping them. "Do you mind taking them for us?"
"No I don't mind," Maki says nearly dropping the pile only for Yuu to catch them.
"I'll help you," Yuu offers hugging the pieces of paper she caught close to her chest.
"Thank you," Maki says as the two of them leave.
"I think I'll head out now," Doujima states as he stands.
"Thanks for your hard work today," Sayaka tells him.
"Have a good day," Touko says as Doujima leaves.
Silence engulfs the room once the door closes and it's a silence that has become all too familiar to Touko and Sayaka as ever since Sayaka confessed her love the two friends have hardly talked. This gape that is threatening to turn into a canyon that has formed between the two best friends is another thing that Touko is determined to change. Touko wants her best friend back; she wants Sayaka to support her again with whatever venture she is pursuing. For Touko it isn't the same with Sayaka, Yuu may have said it was brave that she could move through her fear, but it was always knowing that Sayaka had her back that made it possible.
"Sayaka," Sayaka looks up, and as it's been for a too long now, Sayaka struggles to look her in the eye. "Do you want to go with me to Miyako's café sometime over the weekend?"
"Sure," Sayaka weakly smiles. "How about Saturday morning? I have some shopping to do later that day, do you care to join me?"
"Sounds good," Touko replies returning the smile as Sayaka starts to stand up. "So are you heading home too?"
"Yes," Sayaka nods. "I have a few things to do at home so I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye," Touko says as she watches her friend leave and soon finding herself alone.
Meanwhile, Yuu and Maki are returning from the faculty room. The teacher these two had to hand in the forms to wasn't there, so they just dropped them on his desk before leaving. Now both Yuu and Maki are back through the empty pathway that leads to the student council building. Yuu looks happier then usually, and Maki notes the slight glow of her skin and glimmer in her eyes, its such a change from the depressed look her once saw on her face. Maki has a good idea of what is going on and the small glances he sees Yuu and Touko making to each other only confirms his suspicions.
"So when did you and Nanami-senpai start dating?" Maki asks taking a step closer.
"I… I don't know what you are talking about," Yuu blushes looking away to hide her cheeks from her friend.
"So you too are struggling not to look at each other or seem happier for no reason what so ever?"
Yuu shakes her head not trusting her voice while silently cursing Maki's ability to read her like a book. Yuu prays for something to distract Maki and thankful she sees her prays has been answered in the form of Sayaka walking towards them. Sighing in relief and hopping her blush isn't noticeable Yuu waves her hand and calls out to her senpai.
"Are you going home Sayaka-senpai?" Yuu asks and is glad to see out of the corner of her eyes that Maki is no longer solely paying attention to her.
"Yes I am," Sayaka nods with a smile but Yuu still sees a hint of pain and sadness in her senpai's eyes. Touko told Yuu about Sayaka's feelings, and the two of them have been doing what they as to not upset Sayaka, but still, the pain remains in her senpai's heart. "We finished everything for today, so you two can leave to." Sakaya looks Yuu in the eyes before she playfully adds. "I'm sure the new couple would like some time together."
"Sayaka-senpai," Yuu gasps her face burning hotter causing her senpai to giggle at her reaction and Maki to smile.
"Well I better be heading home," Sayaka says leaving the two freshmen alone. "I'll see you both at the next meeting."
When both Maki and Yuu reenter the student council room Yuu's cheeks are bright red and as Yuu sites down Touko has to fight the urge to take a picture of the cute way she sees Yuu trying to hide her embarrassment from everyone. As Touko's hands grip her phone, she has to tell herself repeated not to take it out, but in the end, she decided to wait until Maki leaves before sneakily taking a photo finding the urge to document the moment too much to resist. She is thankful that Maki leaves early and Yuu is too distracted to notice, but in the joy of the moment, she forgets to turn off the flash that alerts her girlfriend to her activity.
"Hey, did you just take a picture of me?" Yuu asks jumping up.
"Yeah," Touko smiles turning her phone around to show Yuu the picture she just took. "How can I not want to immortalize a sight like this? And besides, it's not like you don't take photo's of me."
"But I don't keep them as my phone's lock screen," Yuu counters.
"It's not a big deal," Touko tells her. "I wouldn't mind it if you used a photo of me for that purpose."
"If I did you would blush just like when I use your first name Touko," Right on cue Touko does indeed blush and get slightly flustered. "You still can't take what you dish out."
"That's because…" Touko stops herself mid-sentence and shakes her head. "Well never mind that anyway Yuu are you free tonight?"
"Yeah, why?" Yuu replies.
"I was planning on going somewhere and wondered if you would care to join me," Touko answers with a smile growing on her face.
"Sure but I'm going to have to drop my bags off first," Yuu says.
"Ok, and I have to do the same so how about we go to your house than mine before heading out," Touko suggests and Yuu nods her head in agreement.
The trip to Yuu's house goes as the freshman expected, Yuu found that her parents weren't in and was greeted by her grandmother as they passed through the store and teased by her sister when they entered her home above the shop. Touko talks with Rei as Yuu puts her stuff in the room and hurry's to change. When Yuu returned wearing a plain white T-shirt and blue jeans she sees her girlfriend and sister joking and laughing about something but they never say what it is they both just say goodbye and leave the house.
The walk to the train station Yuu cannot avoid noticing that Touko is happy about something. Even though Touko is holding her hand and that normally makes her smile Yuu knows that there is something more to the smile her girlfriend is wearing. As much as Yuu wants to question her about it both she and Touko arrive at the train station quicker then she expected and had to hurry to catch the train, so she never got the chance until she and Touko are sat side by side inside the train cart.
"Why are you so happy Nanami-senpai?" Yuu asks her curiosity becoming too much to contain.
"Because this is the first time you will be coming to my home," Touko answers with a smile, and suddenly Yuu realizes that is exactly what she is doing, she is going to her girlfriends home for the first time and meeting her parent's.
Suddenly Yuu is worried about what to say and what Touko's parents will be like. The only time Yuu saw her girlfriend's parents were during the play, and that is enough to make her worried. To Yuu Touko's mother seemed friendly and caring but her girlfriend's father gave off a strict aura, but he did seem moved by the play no doubt seeing the link between Touko and the character she played as Yuu and Sayaka did.
"Oh, I guess it is the first time I'll be in your home," Yuu nervously says.
"Are you nervous?" Yuu simply nods her head to the question. "Well you don't have to worry I live in a normal home, and my parents are out of town until Monday."
"And there goes the safety barrier stopping you from trying anything," Yuu comments.
"I do have some self-control," Touko counters making Yuu smile.
"But not with me right?" Yuu asks.
"I can't help that," Touko tells her wrapping an arm over Yuu's shoulder before pulling her girlfriend closer. "Besides it's your fault too for letting me get away with it, and you never complain."
From the train station, it doesn't take long for them to reach Touko's home. They could see the apartment building from the train station the walk there was pleasant with Touko still holding on to Yuu's hand while she politely greets the people they walk past in the streets. Once they step inside Touko leaves Yuu while she goes to change in the main room of her home. As soon as Yuu sees Touko close her door once again, she finds her curiosity getting the better of her, and the young lady soon starts to look around the room until her eyes fall on one picture hanged on the wall.
"So this is her sister," Yuu thinks taking a closer look of the picture.
Touko could pass for her sister's twin with how well she imitated her looks. Both Touko and her sister have the same hair color, and style, same eye color and they look roughly to be the same height and weight. Soon though Yuu finds her eyes drawn to a younger Touko who clings onto her older sister as she hides behind her too afraid to look up at the camera. Yuu smiles at the sight of her girlfriend acting in this manner seeing she isn't the first victim of the student councils president clinginess.
Next to that picture is a framed copy of the picture taken during Touko's election campaign and Yuu sees that her girlfriend hasn't changed that much as she can see Touko trying to fight her fear. Thinking back to that day Yuu realizes that was the first time she held Touko's hand, at the time Yuu didn't think she just acted after Touko started shaking next to her but remembering that day Yuu can't tell whether it was the camera or herself that made Touko that nervous.
Before Yuu could spend any more time thinking about that day Touko returns and quickly distracts her, Touko is wearing a blue shirt tucked into a grey skirt that reaches just above her knees and the sight of her standing while rays of sunlight baths her makes Yuu freeze unable to talk or move. Unable to free herself from this trance that has her trapped Yuu can only stand there and watch Touko's lips move but unable to hear her words. Seeing Yuu like this Touko makes smile as she walks towards her.
"Hey Yuu," Touko says more firmly finally snapping Yuu out of her trance. Touko patiently waits as she watches Yuu first blush then shake her head. "Are you ok now?"
"I'm fine," Yuu replies failing to hide her embarrassment. "Are you ready to go now?"
"Yeah I'm ready," Touko nods once again taking Yuu's hand and leading her towards the door.
Touko leads Yuu through the streets with a smile on her face until the couple starts to leave the urban area of the town and enter a more rural area. Slowly trees start to replace the buildings, and the path turns from concrete to dirt, but Touko keeps leading Yuu down the path. Yuu starts to become aware of the scent of flowers and the birds starting to sound louder than the traffic that has become so quiet that Yuu is struggling to believe they are still close to town.
When Touko finally stops Yuu finds herself face to face with a field of white flowers and see's no one else anywhere around her. The wind carry's the beautiful scent of the flowers, and Yuu struggles to come up with the right words to describe how beautiful the sight in front of her. Touko smiles as she watches Yuu's reaction as she tightly grips the flier in her pocket, she hadn't brought Yuu here to show her this sight, but Touko doesn't complain seeing how happy her girlfriend is staring out into the field.
"It's beautiful," Yuu mutters.
"My sister used to take me here all the time," Touko says to Yuu taking out the flier advertising the Student Council's play. "I would help her practice up here, and then we would make crowns of flowers for each other." Touko starts walking towards a tall tree off to the side and Yuu follows after her. "We would sit under this tree and eat picnics or take naps." Touko kneels down and tucks the flier under a rock at the base of the tree as she starts to cry. "I… I wanted to leave this flier her but… But I couldn't… Not by myself. I'm sorry for dragging you here with me."
"You don't have to apologize," Yuu tells her as she kneels down next to Touko putting an arm around her shoulder and feeling her girlfriends head lean to rest on her shoulder. "If you need help then I will support you even if like now you need someone by your side I will still be there for you."
"Yuu," Touko turns her head and places a quick kiss on her girlfriend's cheek. "Thank you."
They stay like that for a few minutes until Touko has dried her tears and is feeling better. The whole time Yuu stayed with her holding Touko close just like she promised. When they finally stand up again, they notice for the first time the weather has changed. The blue sky with only a few white clouds has turned grey, and when the couple looks up, they feel the first drops of rain splash against their faces. Quickly the two girls start to run as the rain gets heavier and by the time they reach Touko's apartment they are both soaked and out of breath.
"I'm sorry," Touko says once she's caught her breath. "I should have checked the weather."
"It's not your fault," Yuu assures her. "Neither of us would have thought the weather would change like… Achoo!"
"you should take a shower before you catch a cold," Touko suggests. "The bathrooms through there and if you leave your clothes out I can put them in the dryer for you and find you something to wear while they dry."
"You won't try anything will you?" Yuu asks while staring at her girlfriend who wears an innocent smile.
"I promise I won't," Touko says blushing slightly. "I do have some self-control."
"Then I'll take you up on your offer," Yuu agrees hoping she won't regret it.
"Just leave your clothes by the door for me, and I'll get them dried," Touko says before Yuu heads towards the bathroom and Touko towards her room.
Touko steps into her bedroom and walks over to her draws where she smiles as her eyes fall upon the framed photo of her sister before she opens the top drawer and starts rummaging around for something to fit Yuu. Finally, her hands find that elusive piece of clothing and Touko pulls out a white night dress. This dress is one which Touko thought she lost years ago when she was in middle school, but she is glad she found it as the dress looks like it will fit Yuu perfectly.
Returning to the bathroom, Touko sees Yuu's clothes neatly piled outside the door, and she can hear the shower running. Cracking the door open slightly and with a shaking hand, Touko puts the nightdress on a hook attached to the door while fighting the urge to try and sneak a peak. Shutting the door Touko tells herself "I promised I wouldn't look," and when thoughts like "Maybe just a quick look" entered her mind Touko became determined to show Yuu she can resist the urge to peak. "If she sees I can resist then maybe next time we could take one together and I could…" Touko cuts her thought of as she blushes a bright red.
"Yuu," Touko calls through the door.
A few seconds pass before she hears a reply. "Yes."
"I left you something to wear hanging on the door,"
"Ok," Yuu responds. "Thank you."
Touko quickly collects Yuu's discarded clothes and heads to the kitchen where she loads the damp clothes into the dryer pausing when she sees the childish jellyfish print on her panties. "Yuu really likes marine life," Touko thinks as she adds them to the machine. Touko then starts to strip out of her own damp clothing before adding them piece by piece into the dryer alongside her girlfriends and switches the machine on. Standing up Touko grabs a freshly dried towel from on top of the dryer and by the time she wrapped it around her body Yuu has emerged from the bathroom.
"Um, Touko…" Touko turns to see her girlfriend red in the face and desperately tugging at the hem of her dress. Just like Touko though Yuu does look good in the nightdress, she selected, and there is something that she finds pleasing seeing her girlfriend wearing her clothing. "Thank you for the clothes but this dress is a bit short, and I haven't got any…"
"Oh sorry," Touko checks start to match Yuu's as she realized that the bottom of the dress only reaches the tops of Yuu's thighs. "I'll get you a pair of shorts to wear." Touko quickly returns with a pair of her gym shorts in of her hands a set of clothes in the other. "I'm going to take my shower now so make yourself at home."
As Touko disappears into the bathroom, Yuu pulls up the shorts she was given finding them to be a loss fit but better than wearing the dress alone. Soon the shower starts up again and Yuu smiles while thinking. "So she can restrain herself," Part of Yuu never believed she would ever think that after all the times Touko has pushed her for kisses and cuddles, but it makes Yuu happy knowing that Touko can hold herself back when she wants too. It wouldn't have surprised Yuu if Touko decided to join and Yuu is glad that she kept her word and not tried anything, but she also can't ignore the disappointed feeling that came with that fact.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Blanketing the countryside,
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the morning sun.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Flowers in full bloom.
Yuu pauses hearing Touko's voice sing those words. Touko's voice is so sweet when she sings, it is so peaceful, and the way she flawlessly sings those words makes Yuu believe she is hearing an angel sing and not her girlfriend. Yuu had heard Touko sing in the past before they were dating and she was only indulging Touko's love for her the student council went to a karaoke room, but she never heard Touko sounding the way she does right now. Yuu shrugs her shoulders putting it down to just Touko being nervous, or she played down her abilities for some reason.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Across the Spring sky,
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the air.
Come now, come,
Let's look, at last!
Yuu steps away from the door and decides to let Touko sing away in privet while sitting down on the couch. Yuu closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep quickly finding herself more tired then she thought she was or maybe, maybe it was the angelic voice she hears that eased her into this slumber. Yuu doesn't mind or care which it is as long as she can rest her eyes.
When Yuu awakens to the sound of her ringtone, she doesn't know how much time has passed only that it has stopped raining and outside the window she can see its now night. Next, to her, she feels someone shift and nearly jumps when she sees that Touko fell asleep next to her. As Yuu grabs her phone, she watches Touko's eyes slowly open before they widen upon meeting Yuu's eyes and a small blush appears on her face, but before Touko can say a word, Yuu answers her phone.
"Hello," Yuu says before a frantic voice replies to her.
"Yuu where are you?" Yuu can recognize the voice belonging to her mother. "We have been trying to call you for nearly an hour now."
"I fell asleep at Nanami-Senpai's house and only just woke up," Yuu tells her. "I'm sorry for worrying you."
"Are you going to be spending the night there?"
"Spending the night?" Yuu pauses, and Touko smiles overhearing that last part.
"You can if you want to," Touko shyly says.
"Yeah are you going to be spending the night over at your senpai's?" Yuu's mother repeats. "You already missed the last train, and it would be safer than walking home."
"Um…" Yuu looks to her girlfriend and sees she is eagerly awaiting her reply. "Yeah, I'll be staying over."
Yuu sees Touko's face light up hearing that.
"Ok I'll see you in the morning and don't forget you have to watch the store tomorrow," Yuu's mother reminds her.
"I won't forget," Yuu replies.
"Love you,"
"I Love you too," Yuu says before hanging up.