Organizing and reorganizing 'documents' that were probably just old student council flyers from last year, Mei pretended to ignore Himeko's concerns. But of course she couldn't help pausing at the "If it… If it helps, she came back to school right before classes started."
It doesn't. I lost. Even if Matsuri twisted the circumstances to suit her, what do I do? It's clear Yuzu won't be chasing me again… not that anything she said was completely untrue. I could explain what happened, but then what, in the slim chance she believes me it's not like this changes the fact that we can't be together. I can just leave things like how it is… we'll eventually be civil… but there's no chance we'd ever be 'together'… In the best cause scenario Matsuri's genuinely interested in Yuzu, obviously she'll do anything to possess her… maybe even protect her (?), in the worst she's just playing some manipulative game, once I give up without a fight she'll get bored and leave.
Whether it was fear or self-pity that drove Mei into the defeat of wishful thinking, over the course of the next few weeks things followed with the artic 'civility' that she predicted, her resolve to remain quiet only strengthening in the distance that grew between them. However this stagnation left everyone unsatisfied, as can be proven by the way Matsuri relented at the first mention Harumi made of going home within the second hour of their 'date'. This being by now the third week of Yuzu staring off into the distance as Matsuri clung to her arm playing the part of the perfect loli-esk girlfriend. Although it became very easy very fast to ignore Harumi's constant glare, it prevented the speeding up process some aggression could have brought to their relationship.
"Hey I got to head to the convince store before I get home so I'll just leave you two to it" Harumi said waving them off with a yawn and walking in the opposite direction.
Ugh, even she thinks I don't have a chance anymore… can't say she's wrong either, Yuzu won't even react when I push up against her, it's no fun if she won't carry her weight in this!
Matsuri still clung to her arm, although her grip had loosened over the past few days. Yuzu just gave short halfhearted responses, and only ever started to act like her old self when her 'sisterly' instincts acted up, then you couldn't get her to shut up. To be honest Matsuri could easily pull out the offensive when they're alone like this, but what's the point when she already knows it'll just be another rejection.
As they walked up to the station steps Matsuri let her hands drop and barely bothered to wave goodbye,
"Ah shit, like I wanna be stuck for another two hours, don't waste the energy kid the four o'clocks delayed." An office worker shouted, she recognized the old groper from her almost daily ride to the city. This… could get interesting.
"Did you hear that?" Matsuri looked at Yuzu with those innocent downcast eyes she mastered so well. Already Yuzu's protective impulses were acting up, it didn't hurt that Mei was tied up with student council this evening, "Can I come over to your place? I mean I know its just around the corner… I could probably just wait here though…"
"What're you talking about, we'll hang out home" Yuzu said grabbing her arm and leading Matsuri to the apartment building, as though Matsuri hadn't shown up on her door step a few weeks ago.
"I'm home! Mom? Oh yeah, she's probably working late too Want some tea or anything?" Yuzu asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"Nah I'm fine, why don't we just hang out on the couch, come on" Matsuri dragged Yuzu from the kettle,
"Huh, ok, what's up"
Matsuri pulled Yuzu down an promptly rested her head on her shoulder.
"Onee-chan, do you like me?"
"This again Matsuri, we-"
"I'm not joking" finally opting for a serious expression, Matsuri made sure to maintain physical contact with her folded knees leaning on Yuzu's thighs and her hand on Yuzu's shoulder.
"We went through this already" Yuzu's eyes softened, "You're still very special to me, just my sister" as Yuzu said this Matsuri leaned in millimeter by millimeter till their lips brushed, Yuzu didn't pull back, but Matsuri did.
"You know I won't if you don't want me to. It's just… I don't think you're being fair to me." Matsuri leaned forward, not so that they were any closer, but now she was almost on Yuzu's lap.
"Do you think I'm cute?"
"Well, of course you ar-"
"And aren't I always gentle with you? And didn't I stay with you the whole time you were sulking this month?"
"Yeah, and I appreciate that but-"
"I love you"
It was harder to play off these words as simple childish confusion on Matsuri's part… what with her suddenly looking so much mature now and all.
"Can I kiss you?"
The whole act of asking first made it that much harder to respond, I don't think anyone's ever asked that.
"Um" wasn't a positive, but it wasn't a negative either. Matsuri didn't completely kiss her, but hearing the rustle at the door she brush her lips barely touching Yuzu, and simply hovered there, for what seemed to be one of the longest thirty seconds of Yuzu's life.
From Matsuri's position the look that dawned on Mei's face as she saw their almost-kiss didn't wasn't lost on her, nor did she let the opportunity for her signature glare of unrestrained provocation escape her.
Yuzu hadn't even registered that Matsuri was straddling her lap in the middle of the couch, let alone Mei's footsteps rapidly approaching before Matsuri was shoved stumbling backward on the floor.
"What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can force yourself on-" Mei's frighteningly clam expression and killer eyes couldn't stop her from being cut off.
"I would never force myself on her! Or anyone else! I'm not like you" Matsuri clenched her fists and put on her most sincere eyes that just happened to glance own at Yuzu's stunned face mouth agape, drawing her into acting as Mei rapidly closed the already slim two feet gap between them.
"If you think I'm going to let you-"
"You don't have to 'let' her do anything." Yuzu jumped up, turning Mei around with a sharp tug on the shoulder, "She wasn't forcing herself on me, not that I can say that about everyone. Get your bag Matsuri, we're leaving"
Yuzu lead the way to the door as Matsuri followed passing around to couch, and of course turning around to fix the same look on Mei, but licking her lips and adding the suggestive smirk for good measure.
And that's where Mei, defeated as she was, breaks a little.
"Yuzu wait, you don't understand, she looked at me over your shoulder in this way… I thought she was manipulating you! This has nothing to do with what I did in the past, and you even know the reasons why I did what I did, I'm sorry." For the first time Mei found herself begging, and still Yuzu wouldn't relent, bending down to put on her shoes, while Matsuri already unlocked to door ahead of her.
"Yuzu…" there was that distinctive break in her voice that you can only hear when someone is close to crying, "I-"
She wouldn't let herself stay to hear the rest of that sentence, Yuzu walked away from her once again, but it was too late. Although her will was strong, she couldn't help that her emotions were already fractured.
She kept pace with Matsuri but barely looked at her, "I love her too… Mei… It's just becoming harder and harder to trust her" the strange thing was she wore a smile as she said this, she was already so close to hearing what she had to say, all it took was a few words and Yuzu was filled with affection and sympathy.
Matsuri picked up quite well on this, and as Yuzu drifted into thoughts of the times when Mei was gentler, talking aloud to no one in particular, Matsuri gentle brushed their hands together until they were eventually clasped. As the image of the first time Mei genuinely smiled to her crossed her mind she felt Matsuri's warmth, and the calm heart beat from her fingertips. As she thought of Mei holding on to her while they rode Harumi's bike to the airport, she felt the gentle pressure from Matsuri's head on her shoulder.
Matsuri kept up these gentle embraces as Yuzu rapidly felt the depth of her love again, spilling her emotions into the night's air just outside the station. Until it was time for Matsuri to leave, all Matsuri had to do at that point was look into her eyes as Yuzu remembered her first kiss with Mei.
Maybe the distance and anger, and mostly pain, she felt for Mei over the weeks made her detached. Maybe she was still mad when she did it. Maybe she just got caught up in the chain of actions Matsuri created. Maybe it was the romantic night and the words she almost heard Mei said.
Whatever the reasons Himeko couldn't say. All she knew was that when she was out for a walk with Pucchi that night, she happened to glance Matsuri leaning in half the way, and Yuzu herself closing the rest of the gap. Even more surprising, it pained her to relay this information to the president the next morning. But she fulfilled her duty.