Azusa lay on her bed. Again, she had failed to deliver her letter. Throughout clubtime, she kept stealing glances at Yui, her heart aching. Burying her face in her pillow, she screamed and kicked. You coward! You spineless coward! She then looked up at her calendar. We're a third of the way through the year. If I don't tell her soon, I'll never get the opportunity again. Sitting up, she sighed. Why is it so hard?
Her thoughts drifted towards Yui. Her heart ached again, causing her to clutch her chest. Yui-sempai, if only you knew how much I loved you. There was a knock at her door. "Yes?" The door opened and her mom entered.
"Azusa sweetie. Is everything okay with you? You haven't seemed your normal self lately." Her eyes spotted the envelope on Azusa's desk. Heading over, she picked it up. "What's this?" Azusa flew over and grabbed it, then moved away. "Azusa?" Her daughter stayed silent. "Was that a love letter?" her mom said jokingly.
She then saw Azusa trembling and stopped smiling. Heading over, she turned her around and was startled to see tears. "Sweetie, what's wrong?" Azusa then threw her arms around her mom and broke down crying. Unsure what to do, her mom simply held her.
They stayed like this until Azusa began to calm down. Worried about her daughter, Ms. Nakano led her over to the bed and sat her down. Pulling out a handkerchief, she wiped away the tears. After Azusa had calmed down, she told her mom everything (except the name of who she loved).
When she finished, Ms. Nakano held her. "Honey, no-one ever said love was easy. The thing to remember is not to rush. Otherwise you'll make mistakes."
Azusa was silent for a brief moment. Then she spoke up. "I know that. But I have to tell her before she graduates. I won't get a second chance."
Her mom sighed and pulled her up. "It's frustrating, I know. It's okay to lose courage each time you try. But you shouldn't let those failures get to you. Just think of them as extra chances. You still have most of the year. I know you'll be able to confess to her when you're ready. Just take things one step at a time."
"One step at a time..." Azusa repeated.
"Yes. Let things happen, and when you feel ready, let her know."
"But what if she rejects me? That's something else that's keeping me from trying."
Her mom smiled. "Well, at least you'll know that you gave it your best. Maybe she just won't be ready herself." Azusa looked away. "Of course, I can't say that for certain. I'm sure she'll be ready to accept you with open arms when you make your move. Try not to lose hope, Azusa."
Azusa managed to smile. "Yeah. I can't lose hope." She looked at her mom again. "Mom, thank you. I feel a lot better now. I think... I might just be able to do it this time."
Ms. Nakano smiled back. "I'm happy to hear that. I'm always here if you need me, sweetie. You're my daughter after all." The two hugged again.
Later on, Azusa lay in bed. Okay. Tomorrow I will give the letter to Yui-sempai. I will give it to her. Her eyes closed.