"Sacrifice"

Pairing: Nozoeli

The school bell rang for the last time, the ringing sound would only be her last memory of Otonokizaka.

Rows of students piled out of the school gates, some crying and some laughing, but all holding graduation scrolls.

Emerald eyes looked around for a blonde that wasn't visible within the crowds.

Where could Eli be?

The members of Muse had her surrounded in no time, Rin and Honoka had brawled their eyes out.

Nozomi couldn't help but wonder where had the storm in lover duo went.

"You're really not telling her aren't you?"

Sonoda Umi had her cornered right after graduation speech.

"Maybe…"

"It's unfair of you to do that."

She swore a little in Russian.

"Umi… How am I suppose to tell her that I like her when I'm going to leave?"

Why couldn't she understand its for the best?

"Well you will be back in the end, right?"

Umi had looked at her with a frown, her amber eyes betraying a hint of fear.

The silence had bit into her skin, and she could feel her skin crawl the longer she tried to deny her answer.

"Tell me you'll be back."

"I can't tell you that…"

Umi had grabbed her blazer, as she steeled herself from not breaking down.

She could tell Eli about it, but it wasn't her place to tell.

All she could do is to sob into Eli's blazer, crying for a reason that Eli would never know.

They had sent her off with a smile.

They had smiled till the last trace of Eli disappeared within the boarding gates.

It was what they do best after all.

Nozomi's natural talent was to smile as if nothing matters.
Umi's natural talent was to pretend that everything was fine.

Yet at this moment everything wasn't fine.

"Why didn't you tell her till the end? Maybe she wouldn't have left…"

"Umi… How am I suppose to tell her that I love her when she's going to leave?"

Emerald eyes had looked at her with so much pain, Umi could feel herself breaking.

"It was a sacrifice that had to be done, I'm sure you know that too well Umi."

And for once Umi was left speechless.

It was a feeling she knew too well.

A/N: S2's airport scene broke my Kotoumi heart and I dropped the show for a while ;A;