eCre Orang am• Act. 8
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he new week started with a sunny day of half June. Our school spring uniforms had already been replaced with the summer ones and a strong wind of change blown across the institute. «Hey, Miyuki-chan, you’re late!», Yukino scolded me, turning toward me who had just arrived. «I didn’t hear the alarm clock», I panted falling on the chair. «I need you to let me copy your math homework», she begged. «Yes, here», I lent her my copybook, then I noticed an unusual excitement in the classroom. «What’s happening?» «Asakawa is back and some brave guys are trying to get her attention», replied Yukino, while she was all focused on copying the exercises for the next hour. «I see...», I noticed a little group gathered around Rei. Little by little, other onlookers added to them. «She’s in a good mood», I commented. «She really is! Can you believe I saw her smiling, too?», said Yukino incredulously. «Good», I felt relieved. Rei really looked in good shape and, despite her usual coldness, there was a shy smile on her mouth. «You got a text», Yukino drew my attention. «Haven’t you turned off your phone yet?» «I’ll do it now», I snorted while checking who had texted me. «It’s from Misato... even today she can’t have lunch with me» My mate became physically tense «What?», I looked at her confused. «No, it’s nothing», she frantically kept copying the exercises. «You liar!», I took the copybook off her pen. «Oh, no, please! I’ll be in trouble if I don’t finish it» «So?» «So... I heard that... You know, the captain’s often having lunch in the school garden these days» «What?», I suddenly felt something heavy lying on my chest. «Yeah... Sorry, I don’t even know if that’s true. They say that she’s always very busy preparing for the tests and that she eats and study at the same time to not neglect the basketball team» 180
«And... Do the rumors say if she has company?» Yukino beat around the bush, but as I moved to take the copybook off again, she hurried and answered: «They say that she’s always with that stupid Yamato» I was hit by a cold shower. In that moment, I didn’t know if it was jealousy or just resentment toward that boy, but of one thing I was sure: I wouldn’t have kept waiting for Misato to decide to talk to me! During lunch break I went straight to the spot Yukino showed me and, just like she said, on a cute small blanket, under the fresh shade of a tree, Yamato and the captain were eating their bentos. «Enjoy your meal!», I shouted. Yamato dropped his rice bawl from the fright, getting the blanket dirty. Surprised, Misato looked up from the book she was reading. «Miyuki?» «Yeah, that’s me», I crossed my arms blaming her with my look. «You could’ve told me that you did have time to have lunch with him, but not with me» Yamato went pale. «Come, we need to talk», Misato stood up coming to me. «Ah, girls, I... think I’ll just go...», said the boy embarrassed, running his hand through his hair. «No, please, stay», I stared at him. «I’d like you to hear, too» Yamato stood still beside his best friend. «What’s going on?», I said to the captain. «I have to study, I told you», she replied, puzzled. «This is just a pathetic excuse. Just tell me the truth... Is there something I need to know?», I crossed my arms to my chest. «This again?», she got nervous. «Ryo and I know each other since we were kids!» «Uh, really?», I laid my eyes on the boy, who immediately looked away. «Cut it off, now!», Misato lost it, getting between us. «You, rather! May I know what were you doing behind the warehouse with Asakawa?» I got caught up by her accusatory tone. 181
«I came to her aid. Rei was attached by three boys, don’t you remember?» «And you, by any chance, arrived just in the right moment!», she gave me a strange look. «Don’t you believe me?», I opened my eyes wide. «You think I was there with her to...» «A heart shaped box was found there, Miyuki», Misato bit her lips, barely holding her anger. «It seems like those jerks spoiled you the party, uh?», she hurt me, without even giving me the chance to reply. «I see», I took a breath, feeling dumb. «So, you reacted to that discovery holing up with him?», I looked Yamato in his face and he seemed even more ill at ease. «It was you who convinced her about that?», I asked him trying to be calm. «He has nothing to do with that!», the captain stood in the middle. «My teammate brought me the box» «Right, so they were the ones who set you against me?» Misato didn’t reply. «Awesome!», I couldn’t hold an hysterical laughter. «Is that all your trust in me?» «The facts are pretty clear to me, Miyuki!», she replied nervously. «I should’ve followed my instinct from the start» «Your... instinct?», I repeated stunned. «If you don’t have anything more to say, I have to go back to my class now», she concluded colder like I’d never felt her before. Yamato, behind her back, looked uncertain on what to do. «Wait...», I stopped her, feeling disappointed and embittered by her behavior. «Those cookies were for you. I was coming to the gym to make you a surprise, but on my way I heard some noises behind the warehouse. I got suspicious and ran to see», I told. «You may not believe me, but that’s how it went» Misato faltered. «Sorry to barge in...», Yamato stepped in at that point. «but, maybe you should talk about this properly, without jumping to conclusion, don’t you think?» 182
«It seems like your dear friend already drew her own conclusions. I’m leaving!», I looked at them with a scornful gaze. Only when I turned to go back to class someone grabbed me by the arm. «Miyuki», Misato called me. «Ryo’s right, can we talk this properly?» «Ryo-is-right...», I repeated irritated. «Is it possible that you don’t realize it?», I stepped towards her feeling the anger burst in my chest. «If you have a problem, you run and hide behind him; if he tells you to do something, you’d do it... If Yamato dates a girl, then... you get jealous of her and she becomes your enemy! Why don’t you two stop to make fool of everyone and finally get together?», I attacked her, leaving the both of them shocked. «I already cleared it up! We’re just good friends!», Misato stood up for herself. «Is that so, Yamato? Are you two just good friends?», I talked to the boy, looking daggers at him. He didn’t answered. «Ryo, what’s up?», Misato shook him by his arm. «Why aren’t you saying anything?», she looked at him confused. «Because Miyuki-chan is right», he finally confessed. «I haven’t thought of you as a friend a long time now», he dealt with Misato. «But... no way...», she blabbered in shock. «Why would you have been with Asakawa, then? And why would you have asked Miyuki to go out with you?» «To not keep on destroying myself...», he declared very serious. «I know my love is impossible. I’m just trying to get over it and move on to not spoil our friendship», he contracted his facial muscles. «I asked Miyuki to go out with me before knowing that you asked her the same. It was a coincidence to be attracted by the same girl...», he turned toward me, mortified. «Trust me, this is the truth Miyuki-chan, I like you a lot... But I don’t want to suffer anymore, that’s why I let you go so fast» «I know that you didn’t want to make fun of me», I clenched my fists stepping back. «At this point, though, I’m leaving. The two of you are the ones who need to clear things out», I nodded to the both of them before leaving. Misato stood still near her dear friend Ryo. 183
*** “Maybe our relationship has come to an end”, I closed the door of my house behind my back: I was devastated and I wanted to cry a lot. “I didn’t think it could end this way, though”, I felt overwhelmed by the sorrow. I left my schoolbag on my desk, I wore my school uniform off and I locked myself in the room used as a dojo, with the intention to break free from this bundle of feelings struggling inside of me. “I need to clear my head”, I repeated within myself, trying to focus on the breathing exercises, then I heard the door open: «There you are. Come down, you have a visit», my mother called me. I got up reluctant and looked out from the stairs: in the hall, with a big bouquet of red roses in her hands, Misato was waiting for me. My mother poured some tea into the cups: «Why don’t you stay with us for dinner, Misato-san? We’d love to» «Another time maybe, thank you», the captain put a shy smile on her face. «I just came by to talk with Miyuki for a moment, I didn’t tell my parents I wouldn’t have come back home», she kindly refused. «Fine, next time, then. I’ll leave you two alone», my mother left. Misato was still wearing her school uniform. She was staring at me, sadly, while the roses she gave me were showing off on my desk. «I’m sorry», she broke the silence. «I was a fool» «How is it going with Yamato, did you two cleared things up?» «We talked and... we cleared up», she lowered her watery and reddened eyes. «Good, I’m happy for you», I said avoiding her look. «Miyuki, I was wrong. I should’ve come to you right away instead of...», she bit her lips. «I assure you that between me and Ryo there never was and never will be nothing more than friendship», she said trying to be convincing. «At least, for me...» «Then, why did you go to him, instead of facing me? You accused me of something very grave...», I answered back resentful. 184
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«I got scared. My jealousy makes me so volatile», she paused getting nervous. «The thing is... there’s an old story regarding Asakawa and... it looked like it’d keep happening» «An old story? Be more specific», I asked exasperated. Misato filled with gloom. «Asakawa got in the way between me and a person who I was in love with», she confessed. «You mean that... you two fought over a girl?» «Something like that», she had a weird expression. «You and that girl were together?» «Yes...» «Are you trying to tell me that your ex cheated on you with Rei?», I asked being shocked. «I’m sorry, but... I don’t feel like talking about this right now», she answered in a whisper, looking away. «Do I know her?» Misato took a breath: «It would make any difference if I told you who is she?» «Of course not... It was just mere curiosity», I tried to pull myself together from that revelation and to keep control of myself. «We’re still getting to know one another, that’s why there’s was this misunderstanding», I tried to take the edge off. «Yes, that’s right», she got closer to me. «Please, give me another chance» «Only if you give me your word that it won’t happen again» «I promise», the captain finally smiled, leaning on me. Misato was sweet, soothing... When her strawberry-like mouth kissed me, the sensations I felt were so different from the ones that Rei had given me... “Is this love?”, I wondered looking in her eyes, feeling my heart beating faster. “So then... what’s that I feel for Rei?” «Miyuki, what are you thinking about?», she looked at me in a strange way, like she had read my thoughts. 186
«Us...», I lied clinging onto her, kissing her and taking refuge in her arms. Misato didn’t tell anything, but suddenly I felt her body turning on. I moved aside and I saw her face in agony. «What is it?», I worried. «You see...», she lowered her eyes, then I felt her hands caressing the cloth of the light tracksuit I used to wear for training. «You’re very attractive in “martial arts” version, too», she smiled slightly and slowly put her hands under my shirt. Then she lift her look to view my expression. «My mother is at home...», I whispered, getting her intentions. Misato stopped and stared at me. «Is this bothering you?» «I didn’t say that», I felt my face on fire. «Really?», she asked in a whisper. «So... Can I go on?», she started to touch lightly my skin again with her delicate fingers. «It’s just that... I don’t want someone to barge in the room right in this moment», I closed my eyes fighting against my embarrassment. «We’ll be careful», she said in a breath, kissing me on the lips. Her mouth went down on my neck, then, and she unhooked my bra with an easy move. «Misato, please...», I blabbered trying to stop her, but she didn’t listen: she took my hand and brought it to her chest. «Here... like this», she whispered, half-closing her eyes. «Keep going...», she let slip in a moan. Misato was lingering while she was leading me, teaching me how to pleasure her. Her breasts were soft and firm, I could see them through the neckline of her shirt, tight-fitting in a blue embroidered balconette bra. I was agitated and confused. «You seem so worried...», said Misato, pushing me gently to the edge of the bed. «Please, just relax», she whispered, kissing and touching me again. She seemed so secure, so experienced that for a moment she reminded me of Rei. “No, I can’t think of her right now!”, I pulled the image and the memory of her away, which was still capable to trap me in its crush if it wasn’t reined in. 187
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«Miyuki...», moaned the captain, biting sensually her lips. «Is everything alright?» I looked myself in her hazel eyes: Misato was gorgeous. Her sweet insistence was proving me how much she cared, how much she liked and lust after me... There was nothing wrong. There wasn’t a reason to be nervous. «Y-Yes... it is», I clumsy answered, while my heart was beating fast in my throat. «Are you sure?», she caressed me on the cheek, when a mobile ringtone took us back to reality. «S-Someone is calling you...», I stammered. «Yeah...», sighed the captain, getting up against her will to pick up the phone from her purse. I turned toward the clock which was ticking on the 8 p.m.: it was really late. I pulled myself together, still panting. «I gotta go», said Misato, buttoning her shirt. «Will we see tomorrow?», she asked smiling. «Of course. I’ll wait for you» Misato leaned on me to kiss me again. I smelled her perfume all over me again and I let myself carry away. When I saw her in the hall with that bouquet of roses, I was barely believing it. I thought that our relationship was ended and that she had preferred Yamato over me, but... «Honey, what happened between you and Misato-chan?», asked my mum, as soon as she went away. «Nothing happened. Why?», I tried to escape her. «With a bouquet of roses that big it can’t be nothing», she pried. «We had a little fight», I admitted. «But it’s all good, now» «Really?», she insisted. «Yes, and stop it now, please», I quickly went back to lock myself up in my room. I took a breath and dropped onto the bed, thinking again to what had happened: 189
“We took a nice step further”, I bit my thumbnail feeling my heart race. “Misato... was so bold. Did she go all the way with that girl?” I clenched the pillow on my chest and an image popped up in my thoughts, upsetting me: Rei and Misato clenched to the body of a faceless girl, with whom it seemed to be something so intense they didn’t even want to tell. The day after I woke up a little gloom, but luckily I managed to recharge myself inside the kitchen, where I prepared a special dessert: «What do you think, how is my chocolate tiramisu?», I asked sipping my cappuccino. On the other side of the counter, Misato was tasting the dessert I offered to her. «It’s delicious!», she said. «With such a delight it’s a very good day» «I’m happy to hear you say that», I smiled and took a little bite of the brioche I was eating: I had waited for Misato to have breakfast with her, on purpose. «Miyuki, you got something on here», she leaned her fingers, cleaning me from the powdered sugar I got on my cheek. «Oh, damn», I blushed. «Don’t do that, or everyone will notice that you’re blushing» «Are you kidding me?», I snorted, and in that moment two figures who had just entered the shop drew my attention: «Good morning, Ritsuko-san... Rei...», I made a huge smile to them. «Good morning, dear, is your mother here?», the woman came closer with her usual slow and sensual stride. «Sakura went to call her. You can take a seat in the meantime», I said, while analyzing the strange atmosphere that had gotten up: Rei was sitting at the counter, on the stool near Misato’s, with a worried expression on her face. The captain, instead, after an awkward moment , got up to say hello to my class rep’s mother: «How are you, Ritsuko-san? You look mighty fine», she said with her usual delicate tone. «It’s a pleasure to meet you again. I still need to thank you for calling me when that bad thing happened to Rei», she looked at her with a mix of gratitude and sweetness. «You were really lovely to take care of it» 190
«I just did what I had to», replied Misato, while her cheeks were blushing. I got myself caught up in their talking. It was unusual to see Misato so clumsy, but I couldn’t blame her: Rei’s mother did that to a lot of people... including myself; her gentle attitude, her flute-like voice and her astounding charm, caught me by surprise embarrassing me most of the time. Suddenly, I felt my finger wet and getting in touch with something soft: «Ah!», I jolted while Rei pulled herself together after eating what had remained of my brioche. «Delicious», she cleaned her mouth with a paper napkin. «Are you insane?», I got angry feeling my face on fire. «It’s not my fault. You were distracted and the jam was dripping. It would’ve been a shame if it went to waste», she said with a smirk. «You’re still the same», I scolded her. «Asakawa, do I need to teach you how to keep your mouth to yourself?», intervened Misato annoyed, sitting back on the stool. «Don’t be that mad, Miyuki was focused on looking at you... otherwise, she wouldn’t have let me eat from her hand, would she?», she glared at her. «Girls, is everything ok?», Ritsuko came close, putting a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. «Yes, mother. We were just joking a bit», replied casually Rei. Misato remained silent. «Very well», she smiled. «There’s Eriko!», exclaimed, looking beyond my back. «What a nice group», commented my mother, coming next to me. «Sorry for making you wait, Ritsuko» «Don’t worry about that», winked her Rei’s mother. «And as for you girls, eat all that you want. It’s on me today», she concluded turning toward Misato and her daughter. «Oh, no, there’s no need. Really...», the captain got agitated. «I insist. It’s the least I can do, buying you the breakfast», Ristuko made one of her irresistible smiles, then left and went to take seat at a private table in a corner of the bakery, near the window. 191
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«Ritsuko is such a classy lady», slipped me admiring her. «You can’t say the same of her daughter», whispered Misato, turning back to her tiramisu. «What an unhappy joke, Fujiwara-san», Rei looked askance at her. «Enough you two!», I snorted. «Could you cut some slack this morning at least?» «Actually, I came in peace», said Rei, picking up a picture from inside her bag and showing it to me. «But this is...», I flushed. «Can I see it?», Misato took the picture from Rei’s hands without asking for permission and in an instant her face softened. «You are so cute, Miyuki», she exclaimed, changing completely her tone of voice. «May I know where did you find this?», I asked to Rei. «It was in an old hard drive. I have a lot more of that, you know?», she smiled at me. In the picture there were Rei and I as children, while we were bathing. I really couldn’t understand what’s gotten into her mind: why did she bring out something like that in front of Misato? «Can I keep it?», asked the captain staring at me. «Y-Yes, of course», I tried to be calm. «After all, you can print it again for me, can’t you?», I asked to Rei. «Yes, but...», she turned towards Misato, taking the picture from her hands, thereafter she bent it and split it in two parts. «Here, this way you will have only the part with Miyuki», she gave it back to the captain. «There was no need to rip it like that... I would’ve cut it later leisurely», Misato reproach her, taking back that memento and again the tension between those two filled the room. «Hey, don’t you think that you two are going too far?» «Can I have a slice of that dessert that Fujiwara’s eating?», Rei smiled at me, pretending not to hear me. «Okay...», I grimaced to her, bringing what she asked. On the other side of the room, sitting in a table aside, Ritsuko and my mother were having a rich breakfast, too. They looked like they were lost in their own world. 193
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«Miyuki, you didn’t finish eating», Misato called my attention. «What are you staring at?» «I was watching my mother. She’s so happy when Ritsuko come to visit», I commented. «Anyway, I can only finish to drink my cappuccino, since someone ate my breakfast», I gave Rei a squint-eyed look. «Don’t get mad, here, take it», she leaned on, offering me a spoonful of tiramisu I had just brought her. «Open your mouth», she said with her usual arch tone, like we were the only people in the shop. «Stop it, are you insane?», I leaned back feeling my heart beating like crazy in my chest. «Asakawa, you’re starting to annoy me», Misato got irritated. Rei stood still and finished her dessert, drinking the cup of steam tea she had ordered. «Don’t get so heated, you could give the impression that you’re afraid of me», she turned toward the captain with a provocative demeanor. «Should I?», asked Misato, assessing her. «Who knows...» «So, you’re getting serious» «What do you think?» «Stop it!», I intervened on the edge. Rei and Misato glanced at each other one last time, before getting back to their breakfast. I really didn’t understand what was going on: why acting so stupid? «Miyuki, would you like to come over tomorrow? I’ll make you see the other pictures», asked me Rei out of the blue. I looked at her in amazement. «Just think about it», she concluded, cracking a smile, then she turned to the captain. «I think it’s time for me to leave», she got up staring persistently at her. «What makes you think that Miyuki can come over to your place tomorrow?», Misato rose up intimidating against her. «Don’t get heated», replied sharp Rei. «I’m not forcing her. It’s her choice», she ended cold. «This isn’t right», the captain got angry. «Miyuki and I are together, if you haven’t figured it out!» 195
«Uh, really?», Rei let slip an ironic laughter. «So, tell me, Fujiwara-san... when someone is taken, they cannot be courted?», she looked daggers at her. Misato lost color from her face and didn’t reply, leaving me even more confused. «May I know what was that in the pastry shop this morning?», I asked to Misato, while we were entering my room. She was staying over for lunch, but she barely spoke the whole time. «Asawaka is hitting on you!», she got riled up. «Are you concerned about that?» «Will you go to her place... tomorrow?» «No, I won’t», I looked at her on bemused. «What’s the matter?» «Will you go some day?» «Misato, are you really so jealous of her?» «Of course I am!» «Rei was just trying to tease you», I sighed. «You shouldn’t mind her so much» «She’s not joking at all!» «Calm down, now», I invited her to seat next to me on the bed. «She gave you a picture of me as a child, after all», I tried to defuse. «Really funny!», she got irritated: she looked really upset. «I’m just saying that... your reactions are strange when it comes to Asakawa», I brushed her hair. «Would you like to tell me properly what happened between you two?», I tried to bring the subject up again. «Letting it out could make you feel better» «Asakawa... got in the middle me and the person I loved. There’s nothing more to say about it!», she got even more nervous. «Okay, don’t get mad» «I’m not mad. It’s just that...», she took my face within her hands. «I don’t want to think about it anymore», she came closer to kiss me. «Alright, I get it», I leaned back a bit, tying my eyes with hers. «I wish you will tell me that story one day, though», I insisted. «I know that girl was important for you and... for Rei. Otherwise, you wouldn’t act like this» 196
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Misato looked away avoiding me. «I’ll wait, obviously», I put a hand on her cheek, finding her eyes again. «I need to understand who and what we’re fighting, to defeat them together», I ended looking intensely at her. The captain stood still while I was hugging her. She wasn’t mad about Rei, but she still looked agitated. Maybe I didn’t have to insist with that story, but I felt that, if I wanted to go on with her, I needed to set her free from the skeleton in her past. «Would you like to go out a little? There’s a nice movie at the theater, we could go and watch it and then...» «I want to be with you», Misato stopped me. Her lips overwhelmed me all of a sudden, leaving me breathless. «Me too, but... you’re still upset about what happened before. We need to calm down first, don’t you think?», I tried to talk sense into her. Misato bite her lips, then she leaned her head on my shoulder: «I like you, Miyuki», she pulled me, kissing in a whole different way that she did till then: I could clearly feel her desire. With a simple act, she moved me making me straddling her, my pleated skirt lift up, embarrassing me. I was dazed, I didn’t want to make her angry again, but I was feeling in a box. “Why is she acting like this, now?”, I asked to myself just in time to feel her hand moving up under my shirt. «Mi-Misato, wait...», I grasped her again trying not to lose my balance, but the captain didn’t listen. She kissed me with passion, she took my shirt off and unhooked my bra dropping it on the floor, then she sank down my chest, taking my breath away. «No... please», I weakly said feeling her mouth pressing on my breast. Misato, once again, didn’t seem to notice my uneasiness and for that, despite what she was doing, she looked very far away from me. Her hand moved under the wrinkles of my blue skirt: I widened my eyes and suddenly everything became blurred, I couldn’t see her, I couldn’t see anything anymore, I just could feel her mouth, her tongue, her fingers going beyond. «Misato, stop!», I brought my hand on my face. 198
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«Miyuki...», she suddenly stopped. «What’s up?», she looked at me worried: she seemed to be herself again. «Stupid!», I burst out, surrounding her neck with my arms. «I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to», she helped me to hook my bra and to wear my shirt again. «I just got carried away. It’s your scent... I couldn’t resist», she wiped my eyes with the back of her hand. «We’re not alone in the house, and...» «You’re right», she gently kissed me on the lips. «I’m sorry...», she looked at me concerned again. «Please, don’t make me feel like this» «Like what?» «Like a rookie», I lowered my eyes, feeling the tears filling my eyes again. «I know you already did it with that girl and that you expect certain things from me, but...» Misato kissed me again hindering me to complete the sentence. «I didn’t want to push you», she looked at me mortified. «So, that’s how it is?», I stared at her. «That girl... was your first time?» Misato stood nailed on my gaze but didn’t answered. That tacit approval got me a deep discomfort and the angst relentlessly threaded its way through my uncertainties. That weekend had been really hard: the captain’s weakness facing a past still unsolved, and then Rei’s attitude, unclear as usual to me. “She’s just keeping on playing”, I sighed going down the stairs to make a cup of hot tea. I didn’t feel well at all. Rejecting Misato had left a nasty taste in my mouth, but on the other hand things had got off on the wrong foot right from the start that day. “When Misato and I said goodbye, we were both more relaxed”, I switched the light on in the shop. “Though... there are too many things that are unclear to me”, I poured the water in a teacup and added a spoon of cherry blossom flavored green tea. I leaned on the liquor cabinet staring at the counter where I served Rei and Misato that morning. “Who’s that person they’re fighting over?”, I lightly bite my thumbnail. Despite I didn’t want to think it over, that question was 200
resounding thunderous in my head: who and how was the girl they had been desperately in love for, to the point that they still had all that resentment? Could she be from our school? Maybe someone who graduated the year before? «No, I must not wonder about her!», I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. «Stupid, stupid, Miyuki! », I snorted agitated, then something drew my attention: «And how did this get here?», I held out my hand behind the faucet of the sink grabbing the picture Rei had ripped that morning. «So cute», I looked again the little Rei, with her hair gathered up with a cute pink hairpin, while she was holding a rubber duck in her hands. «It seems almost impossible that they’re the same person», I drank a sip of tea and my mind rushed again to the argument my two schoolmates had, to the adult Rei that was eating the brioche from my hand, not caring about the people around us, including Misato. I opened the cabinet door were the trash can was, ready to get rid of that photograph. I stood like that, still, with my outstretched arm for time that seemed very long to me, but in the end I didn’t have the courage to do it. “Maybe Misato has her reasons to be so suspicious about me...”, I went back to my room, disconsolate. “Why... when Rei touches me I don’t understand anything anymore and... I don’t care if I get caught?”, I flopped down on the bed picking Tora-chan between my hands. “You know that this is not good at all, don’t you?”, I let go the stuffed animal and covered my eyes with my arm, protecting them from the light of the lamp. I liked Misato, she made me feel safe and I was fine with her. I couldn’t trade that happiness to be destroyed by that seducing and unstable old childhood friend. “I need to get her off of my head”, I concluded opening the drawer of the bedside table and dropping inside it that photo with the intention of forgetting about it, the I fell deeply asleep. That night I dreamed a gorgeous girl, with dark hair gathered up in a half tail and with strawberry lips. She was moving with self confidence and she was holding Rei’s hand on one side, and Misato’s hand on the other. The three of them were walking along a path which led to a river, 201
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which could be seen from afar. The girl was laughing happy and my two mates had eyes only for her, they were so caught up by her that they didn’t even consider the idea of being victim of a two-timing game. «Rei! Misato!», I screamed. For a moment they all turned towards me. The brunette girl smiled to me: she didn’t seem worried by my presence, while Rei and Misato were staring at me with a surprised look, as if they really didn’t know who I was. «Don’t you know me?», I cried out in despair, feeling torn apart. Misato gazed at me puzzled, then she went back to look towards the brunette. Rei, though, was still keeping her eyes on me. Her face darkened in an instant, then she seemed to understand: «Miyuki!», she cried out as if she was suddenly remembering my name. «Yes, it’s me», I said, stuck in that position, unable to move. Misato recognized me, too. They both seemed torn, uncertain on keeping on going along that path or coming back to me. Misato looked restive at me while the object of her desire was whispering something in her hear holding her to herself. Rei, though, took advantage of that distraction to let go the dark-haired girl’s hand and reaching me. «Where are you going?», she recalled her before she could go too far away. «Do you really want to tell her everything?», she asked mellow to my beautiful class rep, thereafter she turned toward me. «And you... will you be able to accept it?», she gave me a sinister smile. I woke up with a start and sat up on the bed, wiping with the palm of the hand my forehead bathed in sweat, while the light of the dawn was breaking through the window.
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Orange Cream di Scarlett Bell
with drawings by Aeryn Sun
English translation by Sakura21 from micettescans.blogfree.net Quality check by Kitsune
TO BE CONTINUED...
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