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It's a little cliché, Chihiro thinks as she steps in shallow puddles that hold no reflection, that she's ended up walking with Sayaka underneath her umbrella.
( Like something out of a romance film. )
The thought embarrasses her right away, and she bites on her bottom lip. She does that often, really. She ends up embarrassing herself though her thoughts belong to her and her alone. She thinks that she's an embarrassing person, awkward and squirrely. She feels that way when she thinks about Sayaka Maizono. She feels that way right now, comparing this scenario to a movie.
"Are you okay, Fujisaki-san?" Sayaka prompts, as her voice (like something saccharine, always sweet and dripping with honeysuckle) snaps the programmer girl out of her flustered trance. She feels that her cheeks are hot and looks up at Sayaka, who holds her umbrella in her porcelain grip. It's Chihiro's umbrella, a light pink one decorated with a faded flower pattern. She's too short to hold the umbrella above both of their heads, so Sayaka holds it instead.
"Mmm, yeah." Chihiro answers softly as she steps in another puddle that makes the faintest splashing noise under her feet.
"It's just that you were so quiet! I thought you may have felt sick or something... but that's good." Sayaka pauses, and her eyes linger on Chihiro for a moment before she starts up again, upbeat, "It hasn't rained in such a long time! It's refreshing, don't you think?"
Chihiro nods. "The flowers are probably really happy... they finally have something to drink."
Sayaka giggles. It makes Chihiro's heart jump for joy, or maybe it's nervousness. It's probably both, Chihiro musters after a second.
"That's true. They're getting all their energy back so they can bloom even more beautifully when the rain stops! It's a happy thought, isn't it? Do you like flowers?"
Chihiro nods again. She doesn't really know what else to do. The rain pours harder from the sky and taps the umbrella with noises that sound like quickly fleeting fingers on the roof of the umbrella. "Yeah. I think they're really pretty... and there's so many of them." She says carefully, as though watching her words. She pauses and Sayaka hums underneath her breath. Chihiro wonders if she means to do that, or if she's naturally inclined to be melodious as she is. Her voice can barely be heard over the pouring rain.
"-- They're so fragile. I never know how to touch them or... how to talk to them. I've heard it's good to talk to flowers so they can feel happier and grow faster. They're living things, so it's no wonder...I think anything that lives would get lonely if nobody ever talked to them." Chihiro muses, her voice trailing off.
"Really?" Sayaka says.
"Yeah! It's kind of silly for me to sit around talking to flowers though, right...?" She whispers, and feels her cheeks blister with dreaded pink again.
"No! It's not silly at all!" Sayaka exclaims, "It's nice of you to take that into consideration and spend some time with them. It's not silly at all...it's a really good thing to do, Fujisaki-san. Because it's like you said, every living thing must get lonely."
Chihiro plays with her hands and smiles softly. "So it's not silly... I'm glad."
It's silent for a few minutes as they walk to their destination. Sayaka begins to hum again, and Chihiro listens contently. Sayaka's like some kind of pixie, Chihiro thinks. She's like some kind of radiance she's never seen before. She's so cheerful all the time and she lights up to room with just one smile. She's admirable and beautiful and charming and she's never really met anyone like her. She thinks all these things as Sayaka continues to serenade the raging winds and pouring rain.
Finally, they stop.
"Well, this is where we part ways, I guess! You have to go meet up with Asahina-san and Oogami-san, right?"
"Mm... yeah." Chihiro speaks softly as Sayaka steps underneath shelter from the rain and hands Chihiro her umbrella back to hold. Sayaka smiles at her once more. Chihiro's lost count at how many times she's seen the curve of her lips tilt upward, looking at her, smiling at her.
"Really, I can't thank you enough. I would have gotten soaked coming over here if I hadn't run into you! You're my savior!" Sayaka giggles, and tilts her head.
Chihiro smiles gently and giggles as well. "I'm really happy I could help."
Chihiro holds her umbrella and readily begins to turn on her heel. She halts when Sayaka gives a, "Oh, hold on!" and she pauses and turns back towards her. Sayaka is still smiling, her eyes gentle. Chihiro blinks.
"If it even rains again, and if you don't mind...I'd like to share an umbrella with you a second time! I like talking to you." She says, and Chihiro's eyes widen and her heart begins beating and she feels like she's going to pass out. She briefly wonders how the weather is so cold but she feels so warm, like there's a fire underneath the soles of her feet. She stares right past the idol for a few moments before she nods, almost frantically.
( What do I say? What do I say to her? I don't know what to say, I don't know what to say! )
"Yeah...I'd like that. I like talking to you too, Maizono-san..." is what she says in the end.
"Right! That's great! It's a date then!" Sayaka giggles, and Chihiro double-takes. Between the beating of her heart and trying to catch her breath (when did she start holding her breath?) she doesn't realize Sayaka slips away into the parlor, and leaves Chihiro standing underneath the shelter of her umbrella. She's left starry-eyed and flustered in the street, bottom lip trembling. She wonders when she'll be able to move again; if people are staring at her frozen frame.
( ...This sort of thing, Chihiro thinks, it really is like a romance film. )