i tried to proofread this one but i suck
Quinn had skipped out on hanging out at tennis practice that day, Yumiko having asked if she had wanted to help bake a few pies. Quinn had heartily accepted. She had had quite a lot of fun with the tennis team after the preliminaries, and it had been just the thing to keep Valerie's mind off of her father's declining condition, but what Fuji had said had rattled her a little more than she was comfortable admitting.
"You should hear how people talk about you, Palmer-chan."
It had sounded innocent enough, but if she sat still too long, Quinn found herself dwelling on it and wondering what he could have possibly meant by it. He hadn't treated her any differently since, though, so she assumed it was a positive thing.
Perhaps she was just thinking too hard. Gray areas seemed to be an unavoidable side effect of being around him. Still, she couldn't complain. She had Eiji and Fuji, and Airi as well, but they were really her only friends at school so far. Quinn thought that probably it stemmed from a fear of speaking English or interpreting her mangled Japanese, mostly, except for maybe her classmate Honda, and Quinn knew for certain why Honda didn't really like her. Fuji may have mostly existed in gray areas, but he had made it fairly clear that he didn't approve of Honda's assumptions, and that had essentially made Quinn an enemy before the American had even done so much as look Honda's way.
Quinn briefly wondered how Valerie did it, navigating Hyotei with even fewer friendly faces.
"Now!" Yumiko's voice pulled her back to the present, and Quinn snapped to attention. "You can buy premade pie crust but we don't do that here. I make all mine from scratch."
Yumiko's deft hands kneaded the pie crust and then she motioned for Quinn to do the same. The blonde obliged, feeling a little clumsy but trying nonetheless. The pie took shape and when it was time to finally put it in the oven, they heard a rustle come from the next room over. "Probably Syusuke," Yumiko said offhandedly, and when Quinn looked at the clock, it seemed like Yumiko was probably right. Impulsively, Quinn looked to the bag of flour and then at Yumiko, who nodded encouragingly, a conspiratorial smile on her lips.
When the door opened, Quinn spun around, pulling flour from the bag and tossing it at the open door in one swift movement, realizing just a little too late that it wasn't her classmate coming through the door.
Quinn didn't think she had ever been so mortified.
"I-I am s-so sorry." The blush that came over her face was one for the history books, and the boy who she had just covered in flour didn't even look mad so much as confused and a little shell-shocked.
"Who the hell even are you?" he sputtered out, and Quinn bit her lip.
"Oh, Yuuta, you can't blame us," Yumiko said reproachfully. "You never said you were coming home tonight so I told her it was probably Syusuke."
"That doesn't really answer my question, Yumiko-nee-san." The boy, Yuuta, sighed, and wiped a line of flour from his forehead.
"This is Palmer Quinn, Yuuta. She's a classmate of mine, and a good friend." Of course, Fuji had shown up just afterwards. Quinn scowled.
Fuji brushed some of the flour out of his hair, and Yuuta practically growled, "Aniki."
Quinn's eyes widened, and her shame was momentarily forgotten. "You have a brother?" she asked Fuji, surprised. "I had no idea!"
"It never came up," Fuji said innocently, "Although I suppose I should thank him for saving me from such a fate."
Yuuta stalked past the three of them, Yumiko looking into the oven shortly before standing up. "Dinner will be ready in an hour or two, Yuuta."
"Okay," he said, and then disappeared into what Quinn assumed was his bedroom.
She looked sheepishly between Yumiko and Fuji. "I'm sorry. I thought that would be funny. I didn't even know anyone else lived here.
"Saa… it's not your fault, Palmer-chan. We never know when he's coming home. He goes to a boarding school." Fuji was quiet for a moment. "The pie smells great, nee-san."
Yumiko shook her head. "It was mostly Palmer-chan. I just supervised, although clearly not very well, since there's flour all over the place…" The older woman trailed off, and winked at Quinn, who was making a point out of not making eye contact with anyone.
"L-let me know if you need anything else, Yumiko-chan," Quinn mumbled softly and then made a beeline for Fuji's room, hoping to be spared any further embarrassment. She heard Fuji chuckle quietly behind her, and if she didn't know better, Quinn would say he almost found her embarrassment amusing.
"Okay anyway," Quinn coughed as he followed her in. "I'm sorry about kind of assaulting your brother. I thought I was pulling a prank on you. I apologized to him too, but he, uh, didn't seem receptive."
Fuji laughed, but didn't say anything on the matter. In his silence, Quinn kept speaking. "I started the poster for our project. Yumiko-chan helped me with some of it, so if any of it's wrong, you can take it up with her. Also, is this festival plan still on? Because I like Sakuno-chan and all, and I'll be more than happy to go to the festival with her, but I really would like to know what's going on." She was babbling now, still uncomfortable after the incident with Yuuta, and Quinn wondered briefly if Eiji was always uncomfortable and if that was the reason why he talked so much.
"Why wouldn't it still be the plan?" Fuji asked as if the thought of cancelling had never even crossed his mind, and Quinn sighed in relief. "Eiji was really excited."
Quinn chuckled. "That sounds like him. Airi-chan and Valerie are excited too. Airi is going to take the two of us out to find something to wear."
"Saa… I can imagine traditional wear wouldn't be the easiest for a foreigner to adapt to."
"I don't understand, Airi." Quinn sounded desperate, and Valerie was feeling similarly. They'd been out and about the city for a few hours now, long ago having dropped speaking Japanese because Valerie got worse at it when she was frustrated. Specialty after specialty store, and Airi seemed to have friends in all of them.
"Look, we can stop once we find the perfect one for you. Just because we found Valerie's an hour ago doesn't change anything," Airi snipped, and Quinn sighed. The blonde had thought she'd been able to choose on her own (how silly of her!), but every one that Quinn had taken an interest in had been "cheap," "the wrong color," or, Quinn's favorite, "just wrong! How will you ever seduce Fuji-kun in that?"
That, of course, had just brought back memories of the conversation she'd had with the boy outside of the Kawamura restaurant, filling her stomach with warmth that she didn't quite understand.
Regardless, she let Airi drag her along, babbling about yukatas and how she was so excited to see Quinn in one and just when Quinn thought it was never going to end, Airi let out a reverent gasp.
Quinn had begun dissociating for another dressing, not even looking at what Airi had found for her lest she get attached and not be allowed to have it. At Airi's outburst, though, Quinn had to look in the mirror, and even she was a little surprised at what she saw.
"That's the one. It must be the one. Don't you think, Valerie?" Airi asked, and Valerie nodded enthusiastically, although Quinn was sure it was just so they could all be done with the ordeal. Quinn snuck a glance at the price as it was rung up, and her eyes bulged.
"On second thought," Quinn said nervously, "Maybe this isn't the one…"
"Nonsense!" Valerie interjected quickly as Airi's gears started switching back to shopping mode. "It's on me!"
And, well, Quinn supposed she couldn't complain, because she got the yukata she had wanted and it was even free at the end of everything. Just a step behind Valerie and Airi, who were chatting happily, Quinn briefly wondered how she was ever supposed to leave such good friends behind, an image of Eiji and Fuji flitting across her vision, too.
"A-ano, Palmer-senpai, you have to sit still, or else this is going to hurt…" Sakuno had been more enthusiastic than Quinn had thought she would be about attending the festival, and even after Airi had cancelled, Quinn had had high hopes. Airi had said she was sick, and Quinn had believed her, especially after all the babbling through tears she'd had to endure over the phone. Only after ten minutes of reassurance did Airi finally apologize one last time and hang up.
"Yeah, Quinn, if you don't sit still, bad things are going to happen," Valerie grinned wickedly. Quinn shot her a glare. While Airi had cancelled completely, Valerie, too, was going to unceremoniously ditch Quinn once the three of them got to the festival.
"Yeah, um, is it okay if I leave you guys when we get to the festival?" Airi had asked, at least having the decency to look sheepish.
"Why?" Quinn was sure she had almost whined back, getting the news just off Airi cancelling.
Apparently Quinn hadn't been wrong about the spark between Takashi and Valerie, and the boy had asked if she'd like to attend the festival with him. It was hard to be mad at her then, Valerie's cheeks fired up and red. Quinn was happy for the other girl. Valerie had been having a lot of trouble making friends at Hyotei, an exception being some second-year that she'd met in one of the music rooms that she played piano with almost every day.
Valerie hadn't taken nearly as long to get ready, but Sakuno was having a lot of trouble with Quinn's hair, and the process was further slowed by the freshman stopping every five minutes to apologize for it taking so long.
"I'm just having trouble with the texture," Sakuno apologized again, "Nothing is sitting how it's supposed to."
Quinn waved off her apologies with a smile, and, when the blonde finally found herself looking in the mirror, she was almost speechless. When she didn't say anything, Sakuno, ever worried, started to apologize again. "I'm so sorry if it's not okay! I can do it again if you want me to!"
Quinn shook her head fervently, and gave Sakuno a radiant smile, and kissed the girl on the forehead. "It's perfect, Sakuno-chan. Perfect. Thank you so much."
Sakuno's grandmother had offered to drive them to the festival, and Quinn was struck by how much nicer she seemed whenever she wasn't yelling at people playing tennis. "Thanks for the ride, obaa-chan!" Sakuno exclaimed sweetly.
"Call me if you need me, Sakuno-chan." With that, Ryuzaki Sumire sped off, and Quinn finally took in the sensory overload of the festival. Great-smelling food, bright lanterns as dusk had already started to fall, and the sound of laughter all around left Quinn feeling almost like she was at a state fair with an Asian theme. It wasn't nearly as different as she had worried, although she did wonder if Valerie had ever been to a fair or if that was beneath her parents' wealthy standards.
The wide-eyed wonder with which she was absorbing everything led Quinn to believe the latter. When Valerie finally snapped back to reality, she scanned the crowd, face lighting up upon seeing Takashi. She waved enthusiastically to the boy and started walking towards him, turning slightly to wave goodbye to Sakuno and Quinn. Even from a distance, Quinn could see the blush tinge Takashi's cheeks, Valerie's wide smile not wavering.
"They're cute together, ne, Sakuno-chan?" Quinn asked the freshman, who agreed wholeheartedly. Moving on, she asked, "What do you think we should do first?"
"Well," Sakuno pressed a finger to her lips, "Do you want to get something to eat? The main event is the fireworks, but that won't be until it gets much darker."
Quinn nodded. "What about that stand over there?" The American pointed to a stand with a mid-sized crowd around it. "It smells great."
"Oh!" Sakuno lit up. "I love yakitori. That's a great idea."
While Quinn figured out what yakitori was, and Sakuno was happy to explain, on the other side of the festival, Echizen Ryoma was having an incredibly underwhelming time.
"Senpai, why are we here?" Ryoma was asking Fuji, but Eiji was almost always the one to answer, spouting some nonsense answer about bonding with teammates. Of course, Fuji mused, Eiji didn't even really know why they were there. The prodigy hadn't really expected Quinn to be a matchmaker, but her unexpected entrance into his life had been a surprise unto itself.
Oddly, she had somehow worked her way from "acquaintance" to "fairly close friend" in a rather short period of time. Even Yumiko had taken a liking to her, although that wasn't too strange. Yumiko got along with nearly everyone she came in contact with.
As the three tennis players weaved their way through the festival, Ryoma stopping every now and then and Eiji darting off at any distraction, Fuji did briefly wonder if it was easier to have more "normal" friends, or rather, friends like Quinn.
As though the thought of her summoned the girl, Eiji was the first to see Quinn at a yakitori stand, arm-in-arm with Sakuno, both girls smiling brightly.
"Ah! Quinn-chan, you look so pretty! Almost Japanese, nyah!" Eiji shouted cheekily after bounding towards them, grabbing the blonde in a hug. Quinn laughed brightly. Dressed in a cotton candy pink yukata with light blue flowers adorning it, she would have been indistinguishable from any local from the back if not for her blonde hair, which was even pulled up into a traditional style as well.
If Quinn was being kind to herself, she thought she would almost pass for pretty. Despite what Eiji had said, she didn't exactly trust the redhead's judgment.
Sakuno had clammed up the moment she saw Ryoma, and Quinn knew, once and for all, that her assumptions about the freshman's feelings for the boy had been correct. Quinn chattered blithely with Eiji, Fuji standing quietly with them, and kept an eye on the freshmen all the time.
"P-Palmer-senpai?" Sakuno's voice sounded shakier with Ryoma around, and Quinn turned, waiting for whatever Sakuno had to say.
"Yes, Sakuno-chan?"
"A-ano… I saw a clip at one of the other vendors that I'd like to buy. Do you think we could stop there next?"
"Of course, Sakuno-chan!" The opening was perfect, and Quinn seized it. "Why don't you and Ryoma-kun go on ahead? I just want to finish up my conversation with Eiji-kun and Fuji-kun."
Sakuno looked like she wanted to argue, but when Ryoma started leading the way, even giving the brunette girl a small smile, she began to walk away.
Eiji cocked his head to the side. "It's not like we're talking about anything important, Quinn-chan-"
Quinn slapped a hand over Eiji's mouth and shushed him. "Don't worry, Eiji-kun. This is all part of the plan."
"Plan?" Eiji asked, and then visibly wilted in fear. "Don't tell me that this was Fujiko-chan's idea."
The brunette boy shook his head, small smile in place as always. "Saa… Eiji, do you really think so lowly of me? Palmer-chan thought it would be cruel if we didn't try to get Echizen and Sakuno-chan on a date together."
"…O-chibi-chan likes Sakuno-chan?"
"Not yet!" Quinn said, matter-of-factly. "I think with time he will though!"
Quinn briefly wondered if Sakuno would be upset with her for the abandonment (the plan, of course, had never been to actually follow along), but Eiji, with his short attention span, quickly took her mind off of it. The redhead bounced around the festival, Quinn and Fuji in tow, and Quinn suddenly realized that, although it wasn't altogether unexpected, she was having a great time. Homesickness and culture shock aside, the brilliant moments outshone the horrible, and Quinn was sure that even Valerie, who had had a considerably rougher time adjusting, would agree.
Almost as though thinking of her summoned her, Valerie appeared, side-by-side with Takashi, whose blush appeared to have become permanently fixed on his cheeks. As quickly as they appeared, though, they were gone, never mind that Eiji's eyes never missed a thing.
"Eh, Fujiko-chan, was that Taka-san?"
"Ah… I'm not sure, Eiji. Perhaps you should go check and see?" As far as Quinn could see, Takashi and his date had already disappeared, but Eiji was off after them, and before Quinn knew it she was left alone with Seigaku's prodigy, who, she had to admit, looked even prettier once the moon came out.
Fuji didn't seem perturbed by it. In fact, once, Eiji was gone, Fuji took one look around and said, "The fireworks should be starting soon, Palmer-chan. I think they have a little different atmosphere here than at your Fourth of July celebrations."
If Quinn didn't know better, she would think that Fuji had almost wanted to get her alone, and she wasn't sure why, but the thought made her blush. Although, she mused, blacks and whites had always faded to shades of gray when Fuji was around, and while it sometimes left Quinn wondering where she stood with the genius, it gave Fuji a mysterious air that certainly explained why so many girls had taken a liking to him, even discounting his obvious aesthetic appeal.
"Eiji was right, you know. In traditional clothes, you look almost like a local," he said, and Quinn twirled a lock of blonde hair (one of the small bits left out of the updo Sakuno had put it into) around her finger, looking down at her feet.
"I do wish I fit in better here sometimes," Quinn admitted. "Most people at school won't even talk to me. I think my accent makes them nervous." Quinn hadn't really meant to confide in Fuji, but the words were just coming out now, and even with warm lights all around them, Quinn felt a little chilly. "I miss my family a lot. My sister was my best friend, and I used to tell her everything, and Eiji's great and all, but I can't really get him to stop talking long enough to confide in him." Quinn gave Fuji a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I guess you didn't really sign up for this when we agreed to go to the festival. I kind of dumped everything on you."
Quinn wasn't sure when it had happened, but when her gaze rose from her shoes to his face, Fuji's eyes were fixed on her, somehow gentle and intense all at once, and when he smiled at her, she met his gaze.
He was like a force of nature, and next to him, she felt like she was just lucky to know his name, let alone be his friend.
His eyes never closed, though, and as the fireworks began to explode in the air above them, Quinn chuckled nervously. Fuji still didn't speak, but his expression was warm, and Quinn supposed she would try her luck.
"…Fuji-kun?" Quinn asked, her eyes now trained on the skies above. She was sure, though, that she could still feel his gaze fixed on her.
"Palmer-chan?" He acknowledged her question, and when Quinn looked away from the fireworks, she met his eyes again.
"Do… do you suppose-" Quinn paused before she started over. "Would it be okay if I asked for a hug?"
He nodded, smiling like he always did now, back to the mask he always wore, and Fuji was even kind enough to act like he didn't notice the few tears she spilled on his shoulder, and when she finally pulled away, Quinn let her head rest on his shoulder. When he didn't protest, she left it there, staring up at all the lights in the air above them, breathing in the festival around them.
Having long forgotten that the intent of coming to the festival itself had been to set Sakuno and Ryoma up on a date, Quinn sighed blissfully. She switched to English, hoping that she could be more expressive in her mother tongue, and whispered, "Thank you, Syusuke." In that moment, she didn't feel so homesick.
Fuji's lips parted briefly, the sudden switch taking him slightly off-guard. "Of course, Quinn."
He wasn't surprised very often.
oops long time no see! i had my 21st birthday this week and my life got away from me. it was a great time but i'm glad to be back! thanks to neko1234, the anonymous reviewer. i appreciate everyone who reads this story, as it's kind of a great guilty pleasure of mine. i hope you enjoyed this chapter. let me know if everything sounds good, especially the pacing. i love to hear what you think!
thanks for reading!
-syrasha