Chapter 15 – Cupid on Christmas
Ui's POV
Wow…so it's Christmas once again. A time to spend time with your family as you open gifts, sing songs, and eat Christmas dinner together. Too bad Mom and Dad are out traveling again. But at least I got Onee-chan with me.
…
Speaking of which, I should go wake her up now. Don't want her to sleep through…
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, UI!"
"*shriek* O-Onee-chan, you scared me!" I yelled after Onee-chan had snuck up to me and wrapped herself around my body while shouting in my ear.
"Oops. Sorry, Ui. I'm just so happy that it's Christmas!"
"*giggle* I can tell. You're even up this early without me having to wake you up."
"*moan* I don't need my little sister to wake me up every day." Onee-chan pouted.
"So then, you'll actually use the alarm clock that I got you last year?"
…
…
…
"Ui…" She then whined as she cuddled up to me. A normal thing she does.
"*sigh* Alright. I don't really mind, anyway."
"Yay!"
Guess I better go return that alarm clock later…
"Oh! Ui! You remember what we're doing, right?"
"Yes, Onee-chan. I remember. Though, I am still a little upset that you told me this at the last minute."
"Hehhehheh. Sorry, Ui…" Onee-chan said while rubbing the back of her head.
What happened two days ago was Onee-chan came home and told me that we were hosting a party for Christmas. Turns out that it wasn't just Christmas today, but it's also Mikuru-chan's birthday. And she was originally going to skip that part of the day when Onee-chan convinced her otherwise.
At first, I wasn't on board with it. Mainly because it was two days before both of those days and there wouldn't be much food to get due to people buying a lot of it for Christmas dinners.
But then Onee-chan grew a sad look on her face and I played hook, line, and sinker into it.
It's really hard to say no to a face like that…
And so, we're not only hosting a Christmas party but also a birthday party. I was lucky enough to get enough food this last minute or else I would've been SUPER angry right now.
"Anyway, I'm going to start cooking now. Your friends should be here later this afternoon, right?"
…
…
…
"Uh…Ui…" Onee-chan said shyly.
"Onee-chan…how many did you invite?"
"U-Um, well…"
…
"…E-Everyone."
"E-Everyone?!" I nearly had a heart attack.
"W-Well, Miku-chan was going to skip her birthday! I wanted to make this one special!"
"Onee-chan..." I gained a sweatdrop. "...You're making it sound like this is Mikuru-chan's last birthday."
"Ui! Don't say such a thing! You might jinx it!"
"R-Right. Sorry. But even then…"
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"Huh? Someone's here already?"
"I'll get it." Onee-chan said as she rushed to the front door. Once opened, we saw Azusa-chan with two bags in her hands.
"Merry Christmas, you guys."
"Azu-nyan!" Onee-chan cheered as she grabbed Azusa-chan and began cuddling her as always. "Merry Christmas, my sweet little kōhai!"
"Gah! Y-Yui-senpai! Kn-Knock it off! I'll lose my balance with these bags!"
"*giggle* Sorry, sorry."
"Merry Christmas, Azusa-chan." I said. "But why are you here this early?"
"My mom's out of town. I had nothing else to do so I came here. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
"No, not really. I was just about to start cooking."
"I see..."
"What's in the bags, Azu-nyan?" Onee-chan asked.
"Presents, of course. I brought one for the gift exchange thing later on. But I got one especially for Mikuru-san. I hope she likes it."
"Oh, yeah! I got Miku-chan a gift, too! I really hope she likes it."
"What did you get her, Ui?"
…
…
…
"Uh…Ui?"
"I…I-I forgot."
"Huh?"
"I-I forgot…t-to get Mikuru-chan a birthday present."
…
…
…
"WHAT?!" Both girls yelled in shock.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I was just so busy and this whole thing was last minute…getting her a gift must've slipped my mind!"
"Ui…"Azusa-chan said.
"Don't worry, Ui. You can just write your name onto my present. It's fine with me." Onee-chan said.
"Thank you, Onee-chan." I said with a smile. But then a thought came to my mind. "Wait, hold on…what DID you get her, Onee-chan?"
"*giggle* You'll just have to wait until Miku-chan opens it, Ui." Onee-chan teased.
"O-Oh, boy…" I said as both Azusa-chan and I grew a worrisome sweatdrop.
M-Maybe it isn't too late to go out and find one last minute…
I soon started the massive cooking preparations for the two parties that we're hosting for all of our friends. Because of this grand scale, Azusa-chan offered to help out. So, the two of us were in the kitchen preparing everything. And we were currently on the cake.
"Um…what kind of flavor does Mikuru-chan like?" I asked Azusa-chan.
"Well…Tamura-san said that she isn't that much of a sweets person. So, probably just plain vanilla it."
"I see…"
With everything else either ready to go or still cooking, we decided to take a short break by eating something. For me, it was the first thing I've eaten all morning.
"*sigh* So yummy. Nothing like a good Christmas breakfast to raise your spirits up, right?"
"H-Huh? O-Oh, yeah. Thank you for the food." Azusa-chan said. She looked like she was spacing out or something.
Maybe she's not in the mood?
"You okay, Azusa-chan? You seem a little down."
"Huh? Oh, no. I'm fine, really."
She's lying.
"Okay, then. Just know that I'm here if you need to talk." I said.
…
…
…
"Um…a-actually, Ui…"
I knew it...
"So, something is bothering you. But on Christmas? Are you upset that your mom isn't here?"
"N-No, it's not that. It's, um…something else."
"Something else?"
"W-Well, you see…" Azusa-chan began to blush. "I-I've actually…f-fallen in love with someone recently. A-And it's a girl."
"A-A girl? A-Azusa-chan, are you…"
"A-After thinking it over…y-yeah, I am."
"W-Woah…" I was completely shocked upon hearing this. Azusa-chan is…is…a-a lesbian?! I never would've thought that she would become one.
…
Though, I've had my thoughts on Jun-chan. Don't tell her I said that.
"Y-You don't hate me, do you?"
"Wh-What? Azusa-chan, that's ridiculous. I could never hate you because you like girls now. That's unfair to you."
"Really? You mean that?"
"Of course." I said with a smile.
"*sigh* Thanks, Ui. That actually makes me feel better. Because now I can tell you that…"
W-W-Wait a second! D-Does she plan to confess to ME?! Oh, nonononono! I don't swing that way! I'll end up breaking Azusa-chan's heart! And on Christmas, of all days!
…
St-Stall! That's it! I-I gotta stall! Stall it for as long as I can!
"U-Um…Azusa-chan. Why don't you tell me about the girl you've fallen in love with?"
"Huh?" Azusa-chan looked confused at first. "Um…okay, then. Well…she's nice, sweet, and caring. Although, a bit out there sometimes."
"Uh-huh…"
"She's a really good friend. And I often enjoy being around her a lot. Much more than the others."
"Okay…"
"A-And, well…she's my…best friend." Azusa-chan began to blush once more as she turned away from me.
Which made me think one thing.
Oh, my God! It's me! It's definitely me! Azusa-chan is IN LOVE with me!
...
O-Okay! C-Calm down, Ui. You just gotta…decline her. Slowly and calmly…decline her feelings for you. And then…hope for the best.
"I-I see..." I said. "A-Azusa-chan…I-I'm sorry."
"You're…sorry?"
"I-I'm sorry. I cannot return your feelings, Azusa-chan."
"Uh…" Azusa-chan looked at me with the biggest and grandest confused look I've ever seen someone make.
D-Did I…guess wrong?
"Ui…what are you talking about?" Azusa-chan asked.
"W-Well…a-aren't you…in love with me?"
"U-Ui…it's not you."
…
…
…
"I-It's not?" Now I was the one with the confused look.
"No. It's not."
"O-Oh. I-I see..."
"Why did you think it was you?"
"L-Look, can we not make this about me, please?!" I was so embarrassed that I grew a ginormous blush all over my face. "If it's not me, then who is it?"
That was when Azusa-chan grew a blush of her own as she turned away from me. And after letting out a deep sigh, she confessed to me who it truly was.
"It's…It's Miharu-senpai."
…
…
…
"Wha...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
And I was blown out of my mind.
"Shh! Ui, keep it down! You're gonna…"
"Ui! Are you okay?! What happened?!" Just then, Onee-chan rushed into the kitchen to see what was happening…
…wearing a…Santa dress, of some kind.
Not gonna question that right now…
"Um…everything's fine, Onee-chan. Just, um…excited about today being Christmas, that's all." I lied.
"Huh…okay, then. Just don't scream like that. You really scared me."
"Right. Sorry, Onee-chan."
While Onee-chan was going back to her room (doing who knows what), I was able to calm down from what Azusa-chan had just told me. And it took longer than usual.
"S-So, Azusa-chan…you're in love with Miharu-senpai. How did that happen?" I asked.
"I'm…I'm not sure. At first, I didn't feel anything towards her besides a friend. Meeting up with her after school, kinda-sorta practicing with her, and then mainly speaking French with her. I like how it helps her not miss her home completely, you know?"
"Yeah, I understand. You're a really good friend for doing that, Azusa-chan."
"Y-Yeah. W-Well…"
"What?" I was confused.
"That…"friend" part. That's what started bugging me recently."
"Oh…"
I think I'm starting to understand...
"It started back at the welcome party. Miharu-senpai and I were talking and, well…some things were said. Things that can't tell right now, but…"
"I understand. What happened after that?"
"W-Well…" Azusa-chan began to blush again. "…A-After all of that, Miharu-chan told me…that I was her best friend."
"And that's bad?"
"D-Don't get me wrong! I don't think it's bad or anything! But once I got home and thought about it, hearing it made me feel…sad. For some reason."
"I see..."
"So then I…kinda-sorta…asked Mio-senpai about what it means…"
Kinda-sorta?
"…All she said was "follow your heart". Which, to be honest, I thought was really cheesy. But then I gave that some thought and…and it made sense to me. And that's how I realized it. That I'm in love with Miharu-senpai."
"Wow. That's some story, Azusa-chan."
"Yeah. A-And, so…today I'll need your help, Ui."
"Huh? My help?" I was confused.
"I need your help because…I want to confess to Miharu-senpai…today."
…
…
…
"Wha…WHA…" And before I could shout out in shock again, Azusa-chan covered my mouth with her hand and kept me quiet.
"Man, you do not take surprises well." She then said with a sweatdrop.
"Y-Y-You want to confess?! Today?! O-On Christmas?! Wh-Wh-Why?!"
"I don't want to bottle these feelings for such a long time. This story isn't going to be long enough for that and I'm pretty sure the readers are sick and tired of such an overdone cliché."
"A-Azusa-chan…" I said with a huge sweatdrop. "…Please stop breaking the 4th wall. This isn't Yuru Yuri."
"Well, they get to do it all the time. How come we can't?"
"There's a very valid reason as to why we don't break the 4th wall."
Because our lives are not as crazy as theirs…
"Hmph. Then maybe I should head over there."
"You're missing the point…" I said with an even bigger sweatdrop.
"Anyway. I want Miharu-senpai to know how I feel. How I truly feel. A-And, uh…I-I've never really…confessed to anyone before."
"And you think I have?"
"Well, according to FanFiction…"
"I'm about to tape that mouth shut." I started getting angry.
"Alright, I'll stop. For now."
"I heard that." I retorted.
When did she become so bold?
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
"Oh. The cake's done."
*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*
"And just in time, too." Azusa-chan added.
"I sure hope Mikuru-chan likes her birthday cake."
"S-So, you'll help me right, Ui?"
"You were serious?" I asked in an exasperated tone.
"Come on, please! I'm scared that I'll mess it up! And with Jun here, she'll never let me hear the end of it!"
That is true…
"*sigh* Okay, Azusa-chan. I'll…think of something."
"Yes! Thanks, Ui! You truly are my best friend!" Azusa-chan then went silent for a bit. Then she grew a smirk on her face. "Just don't fall in love with me, okay?"
"I-I-I won't!" I yelled with a blush on my face.
"*giggle* I'm kidding."
"Geez. How can you joke about your own problem?"
"Ui! Azu-nyan! Come on out! We're about to do the gift exchange!"
"Coming, Onee-chan!" I responded. "So, shall we go?"
"Yeah, I guess. I'm hoping Mikuru-san likes my gift. Based on her personality, I think it suits her."
"I see…" Hearing that made me remember that I'm sharing my gift with Onee-chan. And a simple thought came to mind.
I'm going to regret sharing that gift, am I?
Miharu's POV
Soon after everyone showed up, we exchanged both Christmas gifts and birthday gifts for Mikuru. Of course, with it also being her birthday, she got the most. Most of them were nice.
But a select few…
"A-Are you sure you do not want your alarm clock back, Hirasawa-san?"
"No, Mikuru-chan. It's fine. After all, Onee-chan doesn't want it."
"Ui, please! I said I was sorry!"
"If you were sorry, then you would've never done it."
Yeah…turns out Yui's "gift" to Mikuru was an alarm clock. The thing is...it's the same alarm clock that Ui had gotten her last Christmas and she never used it.
And Ui is pissed as all hell.
"A-Anyway…" Nodoka took over the current conversation. "…Are you enjoying the party, Mikuru-san?"
"O-Oh, yes. Very much. Th-Thank you all for celebrating my birthday with me. E-Even though it is on Christmas."
"Don't worry about it." Jun said. "Christmas is a rather slow day, anyway."
"We've spent the morning with our families. Now we're here for you." Ritsu added. "After all, we are friends."
"O-Oh, my. Th-That's rather sweet of you all."
"At this rate, you won't have to worry about being alone when school starts, Mikuru." Yoriko said.
"Oh, that reminds me, Miku-chan. What school are you going to?" Yui asked.
"Oh, yeah. You two never told us when the results came." I said.
"Well, we wanted to keep it a surprise for a little longer, but… you wanna tell them, Mikuru?"
"W-Well…o-okay. St-Starting in March, I will…u-um…w-well…"
"Ooh! The suspense is killing me! How long is the wait going to last, Miku-chan?!" Yui asked.
"You would know if you had an alarm clock…"
"Ui. Let it go." Azusa and Jun said to her.
"I-I will…b-be going to…S…Sa…S-Sakuragaoka! *shriek*" Mikuru then hid her with her arms due to her shyness.
"Mikuru…" Yoriko gained a sweatdrop.
"Woah...you're coming to Sakuragaoka?! That's awesome!" Ritsu cheered.
"Yeah, totally!" Yui added. "Hey, Ricchan. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Sure am, Yui."
"Maybe Mikuru can…"
*BONK*
"No!" Mio yelled after hitting both girls in the head.
"You two don't give up, do you?" I asked while exactly knowing what they were about to say.
Mikuru would NOT fit in this weird-ass club.
"Congratulations, Mikuru-chan. I'm sure you're really excited." Mugi said.
"Th-Thank you, Kotobuki-san. I-I actually am excited. I am going to the same school as Mother did."
"Have you thought of any clubs yet?" Jun asked.
"Hey, hey, Mikuru. I know of a special club that's really easy to…"
*BONK*
"What did I JUST say?" Mio said after hitting Ritsu again.
"Well, it's still too early to say. She does have to wait until April." Yoriko said.
"April? Wait, that's when a new school year starts over here?" I asked.
"That's right." Nodoka said. "Here in Japan, we have three terms. 1st term is from April to July. With August being summer break. 2nd term, which is when you transferred in, is from September to December. Specifically today. And then the 3rd term is from January to March. And after a week or two, the cycle starts back up again."
"So, that's…11 months of school? Is that really normal?"
"Well, there are holidays in between. But that is the case."
"Geez. I've had it WAY easier back home."
"How long is a school year in France, Senpai?" Ui asked.
"Uh…40 weeks."
"That's…10 months."
"No way! You get an extra month off?!" Ritsu complained.
"I guess. I mean…school starts in September, ends in July. Middle and high schools have half-days every Wednesday. While elementary students are just off completely. We get two weeks off every six weeks. So...every October, December, February, and April. What else...?"
"O-Okay, Miharu. We get it."
"All of that compared to us going for about 39 ½ hours a week...for 6 days a week...and with limited holiday breaks...it makes us look overworked." Nodoka said.
"Damn...hearing all of that makes me wish I was born French." Jun said with a disgruntled look. "You sure had it easy, Miharu-senpai."
"Hehhehheh...yeah, I guess I did." I replied while rubbing the back of my head.
"You know...it kinda makes me wonder why you moved to Japan in the first place, Miharu-chan." Yui said.
"Now that I think about it…you never did explain why you moved here, Miharu." Mio said.
"O-Oh. U-Um…well, you see…"
Crap! I didn't think they would bring it up now! I'm so not ready for this! What to do?! What to do?!
"Oh, look. A Christmas movie is on. Let's all watch it together." Mugi said while sitting near the TV."
"When did you…"
"Oh, hey! I LOVE this movie!" Jun interrupted Yui. "Especially the part where the guy gets kicked in the dick by a giant dancing fishman."
"The hell?" Mio, Nodoka, and Ui asked.
"Japan has some really weird humor..." Yoriko gained a sweatdrop.
While everyone gathered up by the TV, I was able to calm down and forget the topic ever being brought up.
"Thanks, Mugi." I said to her.
"*giggle* You're welcome, Miharu."
Azusa's POV
"*sigh* Oh, mon Dieu. That movie was freaking weird." Miharu-senpai said as the two of us were sitting outside looking at the snow.
"Yeah, it really was. I truly don't understand how Jun loves that movie. I think I saw the others just as confused as I was."
"Huh...either Jun would watch absolutely anything or Japan has a weird sense of humor."
"Probably both." I said with a sweatdrop.
"Anyway...this view here is nice. So, this is what snow looks like up close, huh?"
"You've never seen snow before, Senpai?"
"It doesn't snow much where I'm from. I mean, it gets cold. But not to the point where it snows. Seeing this for the first time is truly amazing in my eyes."
"You know, Senpai. When it snows on Christmas, they usually call it a White Christmas."
"White Christmas…huh. Sounds romantic, don't you think?"
"R-Romantic?!" I began to blush from shock. "U-Um…s-sure, Senpai. I can…totally see it. Hehhehheh..."
Miharu-senpai looked at me with a confused look for a bit before shrugging my reaction off. A good sign on my end.
Geez. Freaking Ui. I begged her to help me confess to Miharu-senpai and yet she's watching that nonsensical movie with Jun. How am I supposed to go into such a topic? Especially with how I just reacted when she called this scenery "romantic".
D-Do I just…wing it? And hope for the best?
Hmm…
"Azusa?"
"H-Huh?! Y-Y-Yes, Senpai?!" I came out of my deep thoughts in a panic.
"You okay? You were spacing out deeply just now."
"O-Oh, um…I-I'm fine, Senpai. J-Just, uh...thinking about some things."
"I see..." Miharu-senpai went silent for a bit. "Hey, Azusa. Speaking of which, I've been thinking..."
"Huh? About what?"
"What I told you. Back during the welcome party."
"Really?"
"It seemed kinda a lot of self-bio to just drop on you so suddenly. And then making you keep it a secret. I didn't mean to drill the stuff into your head or anything."
"Don't be ridiculous, Senpai. I enjoyed the talk we had. And I'll definitely keep everything you've told me a secret. No problem."
"I see…" Miharu-senpai went silent again. "…Even the part where I said I was your best friend?"
Cr-Crap! I already told two people about that!
"U-Uh…w-well…"
"*giggle* It's okay, Azusa. I already know."
"A-Already…know?" I was confused.
"Ui told me shortly before the gift-giving."
"Wh-Wh-What?!" I then gained the biggest blush on my face since that time when I was forced to wear those cat ears back when I first joined the club.
Wh-Wh-What the hell, Ui?! THIS is how you help me?! By completely rating me out?! What kind of expert are you?!
"It was quite the shock, to be honest."
I didn't know what to do at this point. Miharu-senpai ACTUALLY KNOWS that I love her. Do I just flat-out tell her in order to confirm what Ui told her? Do I deny it completely? So many thoughts were running through my head as I tried to figure out what the hell I should do.
But soon enough…I came to a conclusion. It was the only reasonable one, to be completely honest. There was really no other choice.
And so…I took a deep breath, turned to Miharu-senpai, and said the words that I'd been wanting to say for a good while…but at the same, I didn't want to.
"Miharu-senpai. I…I…I-I love you! Please go out with me!"
Oh, God! I said it! I actually said it! What's she thinking right now?!
"Azusa…that's really sweet. But I should tell you…I'm not a lesbian."
"O-Oh. I see." I gained a depressed tone. "Sorry for creeping you out…"
I then was interrupted by the most unexpected thing to ever happen to me. Miharu-senpai had reached out to me and…k-kissed me. Sh-She actually kissed me. O-On the lips, too.
M-My…My first kiss. It's so…blissful. But…
When she finally broke apart from me, I was no doubt confused. Don't get me wrong, the kiss was wonderful. But…she just said…
"M-Miharu-senpai…"
"*giggle* Surprised you, didn't I?" She said with a smile.
"B-B-But, I thought…I-I thought you weren't a lesbian."
"I'm not."
"Huh?" I still didn't get it.
Then, while holding up the peace sign, Miharu-senpai said…
"I'm actually bi."
"Wh-What?"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
"Huh?"
We both then looked at the door and saw it just slightly cracked. It was because everyone was secretly watching our entire conversation. And Ui had just blown their cover.
"Geez, Ui. You don't take surprises well at all." Jun said to her.
"Wh-What the hell?! You guys were watching the whole time?!" I yelled with a faint blush of embarrassment.
"S-Sorry, Azusa-chan." Ui said. "Tsumugi-senpai kinda ringed the info right out of me."
"Classic Mugi." Miharu-senpai said with a sweatdrop.
"I'm right here, you know." Mugi-senpai grew insulted.
"No way! Miharu's bi?! And she and Azusa are going out?!" Ritsu-senpai yelled. Still in shock.
"To be honest, you were really crappy at hiding it, Azusa." Mio-senpai said.
You're one to talk, Mio-senpai…
"*whine* You're lucky, Miharu-chan! I wanted to take Azu-nyan's first kiss!"
"Yui…you're not even gay." Nodoka-senpai said to her.
"I know, Nodoka-chan. But every girl should kiss another girl in their lifetime. That's like, the law."
"Wh-Who told you that?"
"Sakurako-chan. She claimed to be an expert about it, too."
"Oh, is she now?" Nodoka-senpai grew slightly pissed.
Even in a "completely different universe", Sakurako's lies can screw with people's minds...
"Ugh. And here I was hoping to let Miharu-senpai know about my feelings. Not the entire group." I said. Still upset that everyone was spying on us.
"Oh come on, Azusa. It's not that bad." Jun said. "In a setting of teenage girls going to an all-girls school, there should've been a lesbian amongst us a long time ago."
"She's right." Nodoka-senpai. "Although, I am surprised that it was Azusa-san and not you, Jun-san."
"Wh-Wh-What are you implying, Senpai?!"
"Huh? Wait, you mean you're not gay?" Ritsu-senpai asked.
"What?! No! What made you think I was?!"
"Well…" We all said.
"Hey, girls. Mikuru fell asleep. So, we're gonna call it a night." Tamura-san said as she walked up to us with a sleeping Mikuru-san on her back.
"Alright, Yoriko. We're coming." Miharu-senpai said.
"S-So…S-Senpai. D-Does this mean…" I asked.
"*giggle* Sure, Azusa. You're a cute girl. I'll totally be your girlfriend." Miharu-senpai held up another peace sign.
"Can you not act so casual about it?" Mio-senpai complained.
"Wait, girlfriend? Did I miss something?" Tamura-san asked.
"We'll explain on the way home." Mugi-senpai said.
"S-Senpai…th-thank you." I said as I hugged my new girlfriend. "This really makes me happy."
"Je suis content que tu ressens ça…Azusa."
With her rubbing the top of my head, Miharu-senpai's soothing French was like music to my ears. So sweet and caring…I truly never want this new bond of ours to end.
Even after…well…I rather not think about that right now.
…
…
…
"So, is no one going to explain why you all thought I was a lesbian?"
"Shh! Don't ruin the moment, Jun-chan!" Ui said to her.
"B-But…aw, forget it."
Author's Note: Miharu and Azusa are now a couple! Fun fact, this was the original concept for the story. But soon after the first chapter was uploaded, I had second thoughts on it. It was one of the main reasons it was taken down the first time. That and I was super busy at the time.
After this chapter, this story will be going on a break for a while. 15 chapters is a good stopping point for now and I can focus on others stories. But it will return soon. With a time skip, of course.
Thanks for reading. Later.