(A/N: Really enjoyed writing this one. As you can tell from the chapter title, we're jumping ahead a bit to the one month anniversary from when Juri and Shiori started dating. You'll notice a... progression in heir relationship. So, let's get to it)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 9: One Month Anniversary
As far as things stood, Juri thought they were going rather well between her and Shiori. The two of them had been dating regularly for several weeks now. And if she were honest with herself, Juri had never known such joy.
Never did she think she would be here, dating the girl she had loved and desired for so long, but all things considered, she thought things were progressing with Shiori nicely. And as far as she could tell, the violet-haired girl indeed really was committed to this relationship and seeing if they could make it work.
Outside of classes, club activities, and Juri's duties to the Student Council, she and Shiori spent most of their time together. Thus far, they continued to keep their relationship a secret from everyone else, with the exception of her fellow Student Council members, but they still managed to arrange dates to go on, on at least a weekly basis.
"You're smiling far too much all the time, "Nanami told her one day during a Student Council meeting. "It's weird. I liked you better when you were more broody."
"Nanami, leave her alone," Touga lightly scolded. "She's entitled to her happiness."
His sister simply placed her hands on her hips and looked away. "I'm not saying she can't be happy; I'm just saying it's strange to see her looking so happy all the time."
From where he was writing a new melody for a new song, Miki just sighed. "Nanami, you really need to choose your words more carefully. Sometimes they make you sound snobbish and condescending."
The blonde girl's eyes widened at having the truth so blatantly spelled out for her and quickly went into little sister mode as she turned to Touga. "Big Brother, are you going to let him talk to me like that?"
Sighing, the red-haired boy gave her a look of mild disapproval. "Now, Nanami, don't come crying to me because your own words painted you in a negative light and someone pointed it out to you. Miki was merely offering you some constructive criticism on how you speak to others."
Pouting, Nanami turned up her nose. "Well, he didn't have to be so rude about it."
This time Miki sighed. "No, you're right, I'm sorry. I'm just having my own sister problems. Kozue has been very… needy lately."
Kyouichi scoffed as he swung his kendo stick. "You both spoil your sisters too much; it's no wonder they're so entitled. I certainly wouldn't do that if I had a sister." He glanced at Juri. "I hope you don't spoil your sister too. Or your little girlfriend."
Juri threw him an irritated look. "That's none of your concern."
Kyouichi just shrugged and went back to swinging his kendo stick; he had been practicing a lot more than usual in preparation for the upcoming dueling tournament. Many students were eagerly looking forward to it, whether they were participating or not.
While Juri was excited for it as well, she was more interested in some good competition rather than actually winning. She was actually eager to dueling her fellow Student Council members since she had never gotten to face them in the Dueling Game, and anticipation that still lingered.
Shiori was rather looking forward to the tournament as well. She'd always had a competitive streak, a sperate one from her inferiority complex and desire to beat Juri, and so was taking the tournament very seriously, determine to see how far she could go in it. She even asked Juri to help train her outside the fencing club, something the orange-haired girl was all too happy to do, and not simply because these practices often led to heated make out session; apparently, seeing each other duel was a major turn on for them both.
Those make out sessions never went too far though, nor did any others that occurred when they were together. Juri always made sure to put the brakes on before they reached the point of no return, keeping things to above the clothes play. It wasn't easy though, as she desired the violet-haired girl fiercely, to the point where she thought she would go crazy if she didn't have her.
And yet she still somehow managed to find the strength to not bed her. She had meant what she had said to Shiori. She wanted their first time to be special. And while there was no doubt that any time between them would be special, no matter where, when, or how it happened, what she really wanted was for Shiori to work through her feelings first.
But that wasn't just her being considerate, there was also a selfish side to Juri's actions. Shiori may have agreed to give a relationship between them a chance, and while that was going well, what Juri ultimately really wanted was the violet-haired girl's love, not just a physical relationship between them. And a part of her feared that if she did take Shiori to bed before she had it, that as much as she would treasure that time, if Shiori decided that she couldn't love Juri as anything more than a friend, then her heart simply wouldn't survive, not after getting to know her intimately. Even having a relationship without sex was greatly putting her heart at risk, but some risks had to be taken for a worthwhile payoff.
Fortunately, things did seem to be going well for them. But as of yet, Shiori still hadn't worked out her feelings. Juri was patient though, understanding just how complicated all this was for her. Shiori already had a lot of complicated feelings towards Juri, and that wasn't even taking her inferiority complex into consideration, which Juri was seemingly the cause of, or at least had greatly contributing towards. Not to mention her exploring her bisexuality for the first time, dating another girl for the first time, nursing whatever heartbreak was left over from Ruka, acknowledging how cruel she had been in the past and trying to change, not to mention her desire to maintain her friendship with Juri and her fear of losing her.
Yes, Shiori had a lot going on internally and had a lot of complicated feelings and issues to work out that would take time. Juri understood and accepted that, no matter how hard it was to wait. Just getting this chance to be with her romantically felt like a miracle already.
However, for some reason, Shiori seemed rather fidgety when Juri had picked her up for their date tonight. Juri wasn't sure why though. They had been going out pretty regularly for the past month, and Juri couldn't remember Shiori being this anxious since their first date. Tonight, she had gotten permission for them to leave the school and go into town again, this time with the intention of going dancing at a club.
A frown crossed Juri's face as a thought occurred to her. Thus far, their relationship was still a secret. Was Shiori afraid that people would realize they were together with all the hanging out they've been doing and all the times they've left the school? Juri had been willing to let their relationship be a secret until Shiori was comfortable letting it become known, but was she actually… ashamed to be dating another girl, or embarrassed?
Well, maybe ashamed wasn't the right word. Maybe concerned was more accurate. There were many close-minded individuals who would condemn or look down on those in same sex relationships. So such a worry would be a natural concern. And with Shiori's inferiority complex, she might be doubly worried about being looked down on or judged negatively; Juri already knew Shiori had been stress eating since they started going out.
But no, that didn't seem to be the case. She recalled how Shiori had reacted when she had kissed her in front of those three boys on their first date. Shiori hadn't seemed bothered to have it be known that she was dating another girl then. But then again, there were several possibilities there too. Maybe this worry hadn't started until later, or maybe she hadn't cared what those boys had thought because she didn't know them and they didn't go to their school. Or maybe she had been too bewildered by the kiss Juri had sprung on her to worry about anything else.
Or maybe, Juri considered, was just overthinking things and worrying over nothing. Maybe whatever was bothering Shiori had nothing to do with their relationship and was about something else entirely. She would have to ask her about it later. For now, she just wanted to enjoy their date.
Exiting the car, they began making their way towards the entrance to the club. Juri couldn't help glancing at Shiori, noting how alluring she looked in her outfit; not that she didn't also look absolutely adorable in her school uniform. She also noticed that Shiori seemed to be more relaxed now than when she had picked her up. Was it because they were away from the school and anyone they knew who might see them?
"Are we old enough to be allowed in here?" Shiori asked suddenly. "This isn't one of those twenty-one or older clubs, is it?"
Pushing her nagging thoughts aside, Juri just gave her a smile. "It's fine, we're old enough. But even if we weren't, I have connections." She gave her a wink. "Don't worry, I wouldn't take you anywhere inappropriate."
A light blush filled Shiori's cheeks. "I wasn't worried, just curious."
Then, as if to prove her point, she grabbed Juri's hand and pulled her inside. They were greeted by loud music and flashing lights in a large, dim room. Teenagers and young adults filled the dance floor, moving to the beat. It was definitely different from the fancy balls that were held at Ohtori Academy.
Next to her, Shiori was practically bouncing with excitement. Juri couldn't help but think how adorable she looked in her eagerness to get on the dance floor. And when she turned to her, her eyes were shining with excitement.
"Come on, Juri!" she practically squealed, the music drowning out her voice.
Grasping Juri's hand in both of hers, she all but dragged the orange-haired girl towards the dance floor. Juri couldn't hold back her smile as she let Shiori pull her into the crowd of dancers. And once they had sufficiently merged with the crowd, she immediately began moving to the beat, quickly picking up the rhythm.
Juri didn't join in, not right away. This was a rare sight that wasn't seen too often at Ohtori Academy. Everyone was always meant to be on their best behavior, behaving prime and proper all the time. But right now, Shiori was letting many of her inhibitions go. Eyes closed, hands in the air, head going side to side, hips moving with the beat, Juri loved seeing this side of Shiori. So free, not restricted to how they were always expected to act.
Cracking an eye open, Shiori realized that Juri was just standing there and playfully bumped her hip into hers as she swayed to the music. "Come on, Juri, dance with me!" she said, talking loudly to be heard over the music.
A somewhat shy smile grazed Juri's face. Truth be told, dances like this weren't her cup of tea. She could dance, sure, but these loud, booming, rave-like scenes weren't for her all that much. She actually preferred the fancy ballroom type of dances Ohtori Academy held, and even those she could take or leave. But she'd wanted to take Shiori out dancing, she'd wanted to watch her really cut loose and have fun. That alone was worth putting up with any discomfort these kinds of dances gave her.
And Shiori wasn't really giving her a choice in the matter over the whole dancing with her thing. She shifted so she was standing right in front of Juri, her back to the orange-haired girl's front, and proceeded to dance against her, enticing her to join in. Juri's smile grew a little wider as she began to move in time with the beat, matching Shiori's rhythm.
Truthfully, she felt a little shy to be out here like this, dancing among all these people in such a tightly confined space. She was usually always the center of attention whenever she was around others due to her popularity, an exhausting aspect if she was honest, and so almost felt as if everyone was always watching her. Yet no one paid her or Shiori any mind as they danced among the colorful, flashing lights and moving bodies.
Slowly, Juri allowed herself to get lost in the music, feeling the shyness and tension slip out of her body. Shiori continued to dance directly in front of her, brushing up against her quite often. The more Juri danced, the more she felt herself relax and have fun, getting caught up in and taken away by the atmosphere.
Without her even meaning to, her hands found placement on Shiori's hips, drawing her back until they were dancing against each other to the fast pace of the music. Shiori didn't seem to mind, and even seemed to press herself even closer, heedless of anyone seeing them or what they might think. Her own hands even moved to cover Juri's as she danced against her, maintaining contact.
And it was an intimate contact, no doubt. Had anyone been paying attention to them amongst all the moving bodies, they would have seen that the chemistry between them was undeniable. One could even call it seductive, with Shiori all but tempting Juri with her dance moves and the orange-haired girl responding in kind.
Shiori suddenly whirled around, taking Juri's hands in hers, all but forcing Juri to dance along with her. She swung Juri's arms about as her laugh was drowned out by the music, but as she looked up at the orange-haired girl, her eyes were shining with merriment. Juri felt her joy and smiled right along with her. Feeling playful, she brought up their hands and twirled Shiori around. The violet-haired girl laughed joyfully and interlocked their fingers, pushing their bodies apart and then pulling them together.
Like so many times before, Juri was overcome with the urge to kiss her. The dimness and colorful, flashing lights did nothing to hide the flushed look on Shiori's face or the way her perspiring skin seemed to make her glow, and the happy, joyful look on her face just made her seem even more enticing. God, she wanted her, and it was getting harder and harder to hold herself back.
Shiori twirled herself around again, this time keeping hold of Juri's hands, resulting on her arms crossing around Shiori in an embrace as the violet-haired girl faced away from her. They were flush against each other now as they proceeded to dance. Shiori pressed Juri's hands against her just below her ribcage and released them. Juri kept her hands there as Shiori's arms rose up over her head and reached back to tangle her hands in Juri's hair.
If their dancing had been intimate before, it was even more so now. Juri held Shiori close as they moved together, their sexual chemistry practically palpable. Shiori turned her head to the side so her head was almost resting on Juri's shoulder as she leaned back against her. The orange-haired girl nuzzled into the crook of Shiori's neck, breathing in her scent, resisting the urge to nibble at her skin.
Once again, Shiori spun around in Juri's arms. Her own arms wrapped around Juri's neck, their foreheads pressed together. Juri's own hands were locked around Shiori's back, keeping her close. They were face-to-face, chest-to-chest, still moving to the beat of the music. Shiori's eyes remained closed, but Juri's were open, watching her with ever-growing desire, and the mood and the atmosphere was only serving to amplify it.
As like with all the other songs, the current one ended, but immediately blended into the next. As it did, Shiori's eyes finally opened, looking up into Juri's. The orange-haired girl's breath hitched as she saw in Shiori's eyes that she was feeling the same affects as she was. Her smile widened as she dropped her arms from around Juri's neck and stepped out of her hold.
There was now a new look in her eyes and smile on her face. Both were familiar to Juri. They were normally reserved for whenever Shiori was planning something nefarious, but this time there was no maliciousness in her eyes or smile. Rather, it was more mischievous and playful.
Without a word, she grabbed Juri's hand and suddenly pulled her along, weaving through the crowd of dancers they had gotten mixed up in. Juri wondered where she was leading them and thought Shiori was taking them to get a drink when they approached the bar; the non-alcohol kind of course. But instead, she pulled her right passed the bar and into the women's restroom. Did she have to go? Surely Shiori didn't need her for that.
There were other girls in the bathroom, which wasn't unexpected. They appeared to be friends talking and laughing as two of them stood in front of the mirror adjusting their makeup while the third waited. Shiori had halted a few steps into the bathroom, not moving, not letting go of Juri's hand as she simply stared at the three girls, her expression giving away nothing.
Did Shiori know them, Juri wondered. No, she didn't think so, as her face gave no sign of recognition. The three girls showed no sign of recognizing Shiori either when they took notice of the two of them. The violet-haired girl said nothing though as she simply stared at the three girls, seemingly waiting patiently, still not releasing Juri's hand.
"Can we help you?" one of the girls asked.
Shiori simply shook her head. "No."
She said nothing more. The three girls exchanged confused looks, one of them muttering, "Ok." They then seemed to decide that their makeup was good enough and made to leave. The Shiori turned to them as they walked by, and they glanced back at her before slipping out of the bathroom.
Releasing Juri's hand, Shiori bent down and did a quick check under the stalls, then hopped over to the door and locked it. She then turned back to Juri and let out a small squeal before practically running at her and leaping into her arms. Juri caught her on reflex, and before she had a chance to say anything, Shiori kissed her.
The kiss was deep and fierce. Juri staggered back, both from Shiori leaping into her arms and the intensity of the kiss, managing to catch them before they fell into a stall. Shiori seemed heedless of their near-fall as she attacked Juri's lips. Evidentially, she had been even more affected by their dancing than Juri thought. Shiori tightly wrapped her arms around her neck to help hold herself up, her legs locked together on either side of her waist as she kissed her fiercely.
"Shiori, what–" Juri began as she managed to tear her mouth away.
"Shut up and kiss me," Shiori insisted, and her lips found hers again.
Getting over her surprise, Juri stopped resisting, kissing her the way she had wanted to since their date began. One of her hands went below Shiori's skirt to her bottom to help hold her up as her other hand pressed against her back to hold her to her. They kissed with a frenzied need, practically devouring each other's mouths. If this were a heated movie scene, Juri would have expected them to go at it right here in the bathroom.
Mindful of where they were though, they managed to keep things to heated kisses and touches above their clothes, though those clothes were moved about to grant them access to more skin. Outside, the music continued to blare loudly, providing cover for the whimpers, moans, and breathy sounds they made to those outside, not to mention their tumbling about against the walls and stalls doors.
Juri didn't know how long they made out for as they got lost in each other, but it was at one point where she had seated Shiori on the counter, standing between her legs as they kissed that an insistent pounding at the door finally registered to Juri over the music.
Pulling away from Shiori's lips, she glanced at the door. Of course this wouldn't last. They were in a public bathroom in a club full of people. People would have to go eventually, and while locking the door kept them out, it wouldn't empty their bladders, or whatever they required the use of the bathroom for. They really should unlock the door.
Her attention was diverted back to Shiori when she felt the violet-haired girl's hand on her cheek, turning her head back to face her. Shiori looked almost delirious as she stared at Juri dreamily.
"Ignore it," she told her.
"But…" Juri muttered, knowing that if they didn't unlock the door soon that somebody would inform someone in charge of the club with keys and that they would come unlock the door. Then they would have some explaining to do about why they'd had the door locked, which surely wasn't allowed.
The hand on her cheek moved to the back of her head as Shiori drew her in. "Ignore it," she repeated in a hushed voice, and kissed her again.
Unable to resist, Juri decided to throw caution to the wind. If Shiori wasn't going to worry about it, then neither would she. Kissing her back, she wrapped her arms around her as Shiori's legs tightened around her waist, her arms around her neck as their passion resumed.
But just as Juri predicted, a few minutes later, the sound of the lock on the door clicking was heard over the muffled music. Juri quickly broke the kiss and pulled away from Shiori just as the door opened, revealing an irritated looking bouncer and a few equally as irritated looking girls who had obviously needed to use the facilities.
"This door is to remain unlocked," the bouncer scolded the two of them.
Juri glanced back at Shiori. The violet-haired girl caught her eye and smiled mischievously before turning to the bouncer as she slid off the counter and began straightening her outfit. "Sorry. We just needed a bit of privacy."
Juri had to hold back a chuckle. Requiring privacy in the bathroom could mean so many things. However, as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, based on her and Shiori's kiss-swollen lips, flushed features, and disheveled hair and clothes, it was fairly obvious as to what kind of privacy they had required.
The bouncer though was either oblivious from irritation or feigned ignorance. "There are other people who need to use the restroom. If you need to lock the door for something, do so elsewhere."
"Yes, sir. Sorry," Shiori replied, not looking or sounding the least bit apologetic. "Let's go, Juri."
She grabbed the orange-haired girl's hand and pulled her towards the door. The bouncer and the girls waiting to use the bathroom gave them disapproving looks, though that was likely for them having locked the door. One of the girls, however, muttered under her breath, "Disgusting," as she and Shiori passed.
That gave Juri pause and she stopped walking, forcing Shiori to as well. She then fixed the girl who had made the derogative comment with a glare. "Do you have something to say?"
The girl glanced away, backing down from the potential argument, but also unwilling to apologize. "No, not at all."
Juri's eyes narrowed. "Then I suggest keeping your mouth shut unless you're willing to say things to a person's face."
The bouncer cleared his throat, effectively preventing anything else from being said. "If there's going to be a problem, I'm going to have to ask you ladies to leave."
He glanced back and forth between Juri and the girl who had made the comment, letting them know that he was speaking to both of them. Juri just continued to glare at the girl in question as she felt Shiori tug on her hand.
"Juri, let it go," the violet-haired girl told her.
Throwing the other girl one final dirty look, she allowed Shiori to lead her away. They didn't just leave the scene though, they left the club itself, the mood of the place having been soured by the intolerant comment. There were other places they could go where they could have fun.
"I sure am hot," Shiori said, fanning herself as she wiped her damp forehead. "What do you say we go ice skating to cool off a bit? I know a nice ice rink nearby."
Juri glanced at her and offered her a smile and a nod, yet she still silently fumed all the way to the car. She knew it was stupid to let a single comment from a single intolerant girl get to her so much. She chalked it up to her having gotten so worked up from their make out session with Shiori suddenly getting diverted to anger.
Her love for Shiori was nothing short of beautiful, and it was sad that some people couldn't see it. But this had been different than from the likes of Nanami. The blonde girl simply personally found same sex relationships to be gross, but didn't actually have a problem with them in general and even supported them. That girl in the club though, there had been nothing short of intolerance and discrimination from her, as she clearly found her relationship with Shiori to be wrong, and blatantly disapproved of it. As if she had any right to judge anyone.
Shaking her head, she put the intolerant girl out of her mind. She wasn't worth her time getting upset over, especially when she could much better spend her time having fun with Shiori. And as it turned out, the ice rink was indeed an enjoyable way to spend the rest of the date, even if they did have to rent coats to wear in the chilly dome.
But while Juri got over the intolerant girl fast enough, it did resurface her concern from earlier about why Shiori had seemed to be on edge and if it was related to any intolerance they might face if their relationship became known around the school. But once again, her behavior back at the club seemed to indicate that that wasn't the case.
Unless it really was only in the presence of her fellow students where her reputation could be damaged that she was concerned with. In fact, as they made their way through Ohtori Academy for Juri to drop Shiori off at her room, the violet-haired girl once again seemed to be on edge, which only seemed to backup Juri's suspicions.
Should she address the issue, or just let it go? If it was a concern for Shiori, maybe she shouldn't pry. But then again, they were a couple. Weren't couples supposed to work out things together? Shouldn't she maybe not directly address the matter, but open the door for Shiori to say something if she chose to? She wasn't sure how to handle the situation; this was her first relationship after all, so she was still learning as she went along.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," Shiori told her when they reached her room. "Same time next week? There's a new movie coming out that looks good."
Deciding to test the waters, Juri gave her a look of concern. "Shiori, are you alright?"
A look of genuine confusion crossed the violet-haired girl's face and she cocked her head to the side, giving her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"
Juri chose her words carefully. "I noticed that you've seemed a little… on edge at certain times. Is there something bothering you?"
Shiori frowned, now looking sad, and lowered her eyes. "Oh, you noticed that."
Juir nodded. It was just as she had always known, Shiori was a bad actor. "If there's something wrong, you know you can tell me, right? I could even help you; I'd be happy to."
But Shiori just shook her head. "No, it's nothing like that. It's just… well, I think I might have done something bad."
Juri raised an eyebrow. "Something bad?"
"Not on purpose. I was just… Well, hold on, I guess I'll show you. Wait here."
She unlocked her door and stepped into her room. Juri waited outside, wondering what she was doing. One thing was for sure though, it seemed she had been jumping to conclusions about what had been bothering Shiori. That was a relief.
The violet-haired girl returned less than a minute later, and she held a small rectangular box in her hand. A blush was present on her face and her eyes remained downcast as she shyly held out the wrapped box.
"It's our one-month anniversary in two days, so I got you a present," she explained as she handed the box to Juri.
The orange-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise. "You got me a… But I didn't get you anything. I didn't know we were doing a monthly anniversary thing."
Shiori's blush deepened as she fisted the front of her skirt. "I know. I just… wanted to get you something for it. I wasn't expecting anything in return."
Juri felt touched. "That's so sweet, Shiori. Was this why you were nervous? About giving it to me?"
More fidgeting, and now Shiori looked uneasy. "Well… yes and no. I wasn't nervous about giving you a gift, just… what the gift is."
Juri's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the gift is?"
The violet-haired girl nodded, now looking somewhat ashamed. "It seemed like a good idea at the time when I ordered it. But when it arrived today, I started to realize that it might not be such a good idea."
This only served to confuse Juri further. What could be so bad about a gift that it would put Shiori on edge the way it had? She looked down at the small, carefully wrapped box, then back at Shiori. "May I?"
Biting her lip nervously, Shiori nodded, and Juri went about opening the present. She tore the wrapping paper off and opened the box. She froze when she saw what was inside, her eyes widening in surprise.
Shiori turned her head away, almost looking ashamed. "Remember how you said that I was innocently cruel. How I did cruel and hurtful things without meaning to or even realizing that I was doing them. Well, I was afraid that I was doing it again, that's why I got nervous about giving it to you."
Yes, Juri could certainly understand that, along with what had had Shiori so concerned. For in the small box was a brand-new locket, one identical to the one she had always worn and secretly carried Shiori's picture in. With hands that trembled ever so slightly, she lifted the locket out of the box, letting it hang in the air for a few moments before opening it to find a smiling picture of Shiori inside, a much better one than the one she'd kept in her old locket.
"After you told me your old locket got destroyed, I thought about getting you a replacement," Shiori explained, keeping her eyes averted. "But after I finished wrapping it, I began to wonder if getting you a new one would be in poor taste. Your old locket had so many… unpleasant memories regarding our relationship, and I know it served as a symbol of sorts that tied you and your feelings to me, even though you wanted to escape them. I was worried a new locket might make you feel… trapped again, just like before."
Once again, Juri could definitely see how such a gift could be in poor taste. And yes, under different circumstances, or even current circumstances, Shiori getting her a present like this would be an example of how she could be innocently cruel. Attempting to do something nice by getting her a new locket, only for that locket to bring up painful memories and have unintended implications, that would definitely fall under the category of innocently cruel.
It was true what Shiori had said. Her old locket had served as a symbol. Metaphorical chains that prevented her from moving on, clinging desperately to the hope that Shiori would either be hers one day or her feelings for her would go away. It hadn't been until her locket had been destroyed, breaking those metaphorical chains, that had allowed Juri to move on.
So to be given a new locket to replace the old one, it was almost like being presented with new chains for Juri to once again hold her captive. That would most definitely be cruel. And since that cruelty was unintentional, the gift given out of kindness without realizing the pain it could cause, that was where the innocent part of the cruelty came from.
But it was good that Shiori had recognized that. It meant that she was making an effort to be more aware of her actions and the consequences they could cause, whether intentional or not. But, truth be told, since most of Shiori's innocent cruelty stemmed from Juri loving her but being unable to have her, there had been little to none of it lately.
As for this new locket, if their situation had been different, then Juri would have indeed considered it Shiori once again being cruel without meaning to. But in light of their current relationship, things were different, and so the locket didn't have the cutting edge it could have had.
"It's fine," she assured Shiori. "I appreciate your concern, really I do, but things are different now. I'm not clinging to the hope for something I know I could never have. Those chains have been broken; they can't hold me back anymore. Neither can this new locket. It may be the same kind, but it holds very different meaning."
Snapping the locket shut, she placed it around her neck. The minuscule weight of it resting against her chest was familiar, but it no longer carried the burdens and pains of her original one. She grasped it in her hand and kissed the back of her knuckle before giving the violet-haired girl a grateful smile.
"Thank you, Shiori," she told her sincerely. "I'll treasure it even more than the old one."
A smile spread across Shiori's face, and she seemed genuinely happy that Juri liked her gift and relieved that it hadn't upset her. "Really? I'm so glad. And look, we match!"
She held up a second locket, the same one as the kind she had given to Juri, and opened it to reveal the orange-haired girl's picture inside. She then slipped this locket around her own neck and beamed at Juri.
"Now we'll always be together, even when we're not," she declared happily.
Juri gave a small nod of agreement. "Yes, always together." She then stepped forward, quickly looked up and down the halls to make sure the coast was clear, then gave her a lingering kiss before resting her forehead against hers. "Thank you, Shiori. I'm just sorry I didn't get you something too. I'll make it up to you on our actual one-month anniversary."
Shiori just smiled. "I'm just happy to be with you, Juri, and glad that we can be so close." She hesitated a moment before her smile widened. "Closer."
Juri nodded against her. "So am I." She reached up and stroked her cheek. "Good night, Shiori."
It actually took great willpower for her to pull herself away, but she somehow managed to do it and began making her way down the hall. She hadn't taken more than ten steps though before she heard Shiori call out to her. "Hey, Juri."
She paused and glanced back at the violet-haired girl. "Yes, Shiori?"
There was a deep blush on Shiori's face as she shyly fidgeted about. "Um, about that whole ultimatum you gave me. You know, about how we had to give dating a try if we were going to remain friends. Well…" she turned a darker shade of red before taking a deep breath, "I'm glad you gave it to me."
With that, she quickly darted into her room and slammed the door shut. It had happened so abruptly that it took Juri a few moments to realize what had happened, and for Shiori's words to sink in. But once she processed the girl's words and her reaction to admitting them, Juri smiled.
Reaching up, she grasped her new locket as she turned and continued her way down the hall. And yet despite everything that had happened, she felt a sliver of apprehension. While what she had said to Shiori regarding the locket was true, she feared that despite things going well so far that if things didn't work out between them that she had indeed willingly just bound herself with the same chains she had struggled to break free from for so long.
(A/N: Ok, so, one month in and things are going well between them. Not just well, but pretty great actually. Pretty heated too if their time in the club is anything to go by. I really enjoyed writing the dancing portion of their date and the chemistry between them. Yeah, an intolerant comment dampened the mood a bit, but the night was still salvaged. And what do you think about Shiori's gift to Juri? Was it in poor taste? Let me know, and stay tuned for next time.)