It's come down to this.
Once Yusei was out of view, Akiza slowly treaded over to where Luna was sitting and took a spot next to her.
"You've grown quite a bit," the doctor said to break the ice. "But you're still the same timid little girl who just wants to be heard."
"And you're still the same old Akiza," Luna answered back. "Not the Black Rose, but the kind and gentle spirit who can be more than just a pretty face with a curiously large...endowment." The college girl had trouble trying to sugarcoat the fact that she knew that Akiza was probably uneasy through her teenage years of her chest size.
"You're one to talk," the red-headed woman jarred back playfully. "I mean, look at yours. Did you draw Yusei in with yours? I would hope that you at least advertised it in some way."
"Don't worry about that," the girl winked. "I guess my physiology decided to mirror yours in some way since you were the only older female around that I trusted and looked up to."
"That makes some sense," Akiza shrugged. The two shared a few weak laughs before that eerie silence wafted through the living room. After a few tense moments of quietness, Luna was the first to speak.
"Did he kiss you?" she asked directly.
"What now?" Akiza questioned back, taken off guard.
"You heard me," Luna tried to emphasize. "Did...Yusei...kiss...you?"
"He did," the doctor nodded.
"And...how did it feel?" Luna continued to investigate.
"Honestly?" the former psychic pondered before Luna nodded yes. "It was...an experience. Although I didn't have a chance to kiss him while we were all still together, it was exactly how I imagined it would be: strong, but confident. Just like Yusei."
"That's funny," the college girl mouthed in a low tone. "That's how I characterize what I shared with Yusei as well."
"I should've seen that coming," the doctor assumed.
"What am I supposed to do?" Luna voiced a few octaves below a shriek. "I mean, it was a dream coming true at first to just come home and bask in the changed scenery. Sure, back in school, I toyed with the notion that I could be with Yusei. At that time, it may have been a long shot, but there was a very small part of me that truly believed this could happen." In order to prevent the younger girl from breaking out into tears, Akiza scooted closer to her and deftly wrapped her arms around her shoulders in an attempt to keep her calm.
"We talked about this earlier," the older woman recapped. "You're just unsure of what you're looking for. While it may sound logical to go with the person who set the parameters for your ideal boyfriend, you're not leaving much room for qualities that set other guys apart from each other."
"Then where does that leave me?" Luna questioned her role model. "To me, Yusei's the ideal figure of perfection. And I want nothing less than perfection."
"Don't we all?" Akiza tried to agree with her. "But let me ask you this: if Yusei is what you perceive to be perfection personified, have you been able to find any imperfections about him that draw you in just as more?"
"What do you mean?" the college girl responded in a question.
"I learned this in medical school, and I still hold it to my standards to this day," the doctor explained. "As much as all women want to find that shining symbol of perfection, it makes even more sense to find someone that, while with desirable qualities, has some imperfections that mix things up or that can be fixed with a woman's touch."
"What I'm saying is that if you do want to be with Yusei, you may very well burn out quickly on him and realize later that getting exactly what you want isn't always a good thing," Akiza summarized. She looked down at Luna, who didn't have a look of despair on her face but a look of deep thought.
"Am I getting through to you?" the older woman wondered.
"You are," Luna affirmed. "I guess I never thought of it like what you said. But have I risked anything with Yusei yet, in your eyes?"
"Not exactly," Akiza wavered. "Since you and Yusei didn't commit to anything yet, the only thing you can take from this is that you know what being with Yusei was like."
"I guess," the college girl shrugged. "But that's what the world of love is about: taking chances with those you feel a connection to. I now know that while Yusei has a lot of desirable traits that other women would want, in addition to you and me, I don't see anything that I would want to help change about him."
"So does this mean you're gonna be returning to the open market, so to speak?" the doctor hypothesized.
"Don't worry," Luna tittered slightly. "I'll keep searching, and I want to thank you, Akiza. You helped me realize that sometimes getting what you want can be boring. I feel like my tastes will change and I believe I will find someone who'll mesh with me."
"Anytime, Luna," the doctor responded warmly. "We may not be related, but I feel that bond forming that people see between really close sisters." She gave the younger one a light squeeze before they got up and journeyed up the stairs to find Yusei.
The scientist was routinely typing away on his computer, blazer on the coat rack and tie untied, when he heard a series of knocks at his door. He looked up to see a resolute Luna and Akiza.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Very smoothly," Akiza responded first. "I helped Luna to change her tune."
"That you did," the college girl agreed. "I see now that you two are more compatible for each other. And as for me, I'll find someone soon."
"You must be some kind of magician, Akiza," Yusei praised her.
"That's not in my job description," the doctor laughed while reaching into her purse and pulling out a white card, pressing it to her lips, and flinging it to Yusei. "That's one of my business cards. I have to get moving, but I'll be back soon enough. You two stay sweet while I'm gone." She gave a wink to seal the "joke," gave Luna a quick hug, blew a kiss to Yusei, and jogged outside to a waiting taxi.
"It was nice while it lasted," Luna recounted. "Now that I think about it, it's better this way."
"I think you're right," the scientist agreed. "I got a message while you two were downstairs saying that all the paperwork has been pushed through. You start working for me tomorrow."
"Finally," she sang with her fists shaking in the air. "Are there any guys that I might want to look into?"
"That's for you to decide," Yusei shrugged. "The average age of the guys that work for me is between 22 and 23, so you have your pick of the litter." Luna strolled behind his deck, leaned down, and slipped her arms behind his back.
"I'll find someone," she assured him. "I will."
That's all she wrote, folks. Hopefully the wait was worth what you read here today. What happens after this point is what you want imagine it as, but the story is complete. If someone wants to continue it, just ask. The college dregs take a lot out of people. This may very well be my last story for a while. I have to see how my workload's going to play out. While I have a chance, for those in the path of Hurricane Irene, be sure to stay safe. Keep reading and reviewing my stories. And thank you to those who followed this one from the start. You guys rock. That's all for now.