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The feeling of cool water around her feet makes Riko shiver as she stands in the shallows of the ocean gazing out to sea. The sun is starting its descent beyond the horizon and it’s casting a beautiful orange light over the water, causing it to sparkle like glistening gemstones. The clouds have seemingly disappeared from the sky letting her absorb in how graceful the scene really is. Above her, she can hear the cries of birds returning to their nests for the night.
A splash of water hits her from the left and she almost loses balance at the surprise of the action. She turns to see You standing there in her school uniform minus her socks and shoes, a large grin plastered on her face.
“You, what are you doing here?” She turns to face the diver, shaking the shock from her face.
“We’re having a sleepover at Chika’s place, remember.” You giggles as she says the words. “I saw you out here and wanted to see what you were doing.”
“Oh, right. I hadn’t forgotten, I...” Riko feels her lips curl into a smile. “I often come out here to collect my thoughts. The water feels calming to me and helps me relax.”
“I do that too sometimes.” You turns towards the sunset. “When I’ve finished diving, I stay in the water for a bit, let the ripples wash over me and it’s almost like I have someone to vent my problems to.”
“What sort of problems do you have to deal with?” Riko feels her cheeks start to tingle slightly and she opens her mouth again. “You… can always talk to me.”
“I um…” You’s cheeks fill with a light red and she seems to back away slightly. “I-It’s not really something… you could help with.”
“Oh… okay then.” Riko feels her heart tighten slightly in her chest. Can she not trust me? The smile fades from her face.
“I didn’t mean that in a way of…” You starts and then catches herself. “It’s… embarrassing to talk about. If I had something I could talk to you about, then I would.”
Riko feels herself relax a little at this. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended or anything.” She forces a smile onto her face. “Should we get back to Chika?”
“I don’t see why we need to go back yet.” You kicks some of the water, splashing it towards the setting sun. “Besides, knowing her she’s probably fallen asleep. Why don’t you tell me what you were thinking about, I might be able to help?”
Riko looks in the direction of Chika’s house, before back to You. “I guess I could, it really isn’t much.” She walks back out of the water and sits down on the sand, digging her toes under the wet granules. “I’m thinking about how different things are going to be now. It’ll only be the three of us, and we’ll be in a completely new city, in different classes and… will we still be able to stay as close?”
You sits down next to her as she listens, staring at Riko’s eyes as she talks. “Of course, we’ll still be close.” She reaches out and places her hand on the pianist’s shoulders. “Look how close we’ve gotten over the last two years, we spend all our time together. Even if we make other friends, I’m sure that we’ll still spend plenty of time together as a trio.” Her thumb gently rubs Riko’s shoulder through her shirt. “Plus, you know how Chika is, she’ll never let us grow apart. She’s like the glue that stuck us together and it’s going to take a whole lot of force to pull us apart.”
As You’s words wash over her, Riko feels her lips curling into a smile. She’s completely right. The gently rubbing on her shoulder allows her to relax tensed muscles she didn’t even realize were strained. “I didn’t really think about it that way.” She looks over at the horizon, watching a boat silently sailing back to shore. “I’ve been focused on the negatives, of how we’ll be spending time apart and how it might drive something between us.” She looks back at You and finds the girl staring at her. “I guess I never looked at how this could strengthen our relationship.”
You’s hand squeezes her shoulder in agreement. “I’ve also been thinking about similar things, which helped me to come to that realization.” She shifts slightly closer before her gaze falls away from Riko and out to sea. “I don’t ever want to lose our trio, it feels to me like ever since you moved, you added something that was missing, something that made a close duo into a perfect trio.”
“I admit, I’ve never been close to anyone before you two.” Riko lets her body fall back into the sand, causing You’s hand to fall from her shoulder and to her arm. “I would always find a few friends and then… I’d feel like an outcast, they’d all know each other like the backs of their hands, but they never seemed to know me.” She reaches out her hand towards the sky. “But then I came here, and I met Chika, and it turned into this wonderful thing. I was able to get over my fear of the piano and even join Aqours. It all felt like a dream in the moment, but now that it’s over it feels like something that I’ll never forget.” As she says the words, her outstretched hand clutches the air like it grabbed an invisible object and she moved the hand to her chest.
You’s hand slides down her arm and interlocks her fingers with Riko’s as she two lies back on the ground, listening to the other girl. “I have to admit that when you first moved I felt sorry for you. With Chika constantly pestering you to join us it really felt like all we were doing is annoying you. But then there was the day that we went diving to listen to the water and as I watched you, it was like there was a spark igniting in your chest. Little did I know that that spark would grow into a roaring fire.” Her hand tightens around Riko’s for a second, before her thumb draws small circles into the back of the girl’s palm. “Those eyes appear from time to time and every time I see them I can’t help but smile as I know that it means that you’re about to put one hundred percent into whatever it is your about to do.”
Hearing You’s words, causes Riko’s eyes to close and she lets the words wash over her, her smile widening. “You have a similar quirk, whenever you’re excited you always get a gleam in your eyes. When I first noticed it, I couldn’t tell what it was, but as I started to see it more, I realized it occurs when you get a chance to help your friends.” It was Riko’s turn to squeeze You’s hand now. “That’s the thing I love about you most, it’s one selfless act after another, you’ll sacrifice anything to help your friends, even at the cost of your own enjoyment.”
The noise of shuffling sand can be heard from Riko’s left and she re-opens her eyes to see You is lying on her side, watching her. Their gazes align, and she finds her own body shifting as well. The two stay like that for a while, both lying on their sides, their hands interlocked, and their gazes intertwined, listening to the rolling waves of the ocean retreating away from them.
“Sorry to burst your bubble of me then, but I’m going to have to ask something selfish.” You’s body slides slightly closer to Riko’s.
“What… is it…” Riko can feel her cheeks tingling and wishes she could do something to hide it, but she can’t. Her body is frozen, entrapped by You’s gaze as if it was turning her body to stone.
“Can I… kiss you?”
Riko feels her body start to heat up. Did I… hear that right? She replays the words in her head. “Yes.” The words are barely audible from her lips, and for a second, she worries if You hasn’t heard her. But then she sees the girl start to shift even closer, and her free hand reaches up to cup Riko’s cheek.
“Are you sure?”
Riko nods in response, unable to form any words.
Within seconds, Riko feels the soft skin of You’s lips against her own. Her hand instinctively tightens around the diver’s and she feels her other hand moving to the girl’s hip. The second thing she notices is a feeling of electricity running down her spine and then throughout her body, making her feel like everything she’s ever cared about has led up to this moment. She feels her hand pull You’s body flush against hers and their legs start to intertwine.
When they break apart, Riko feels the spark inside her burning brighter than ever. “You…” I could stay like this forever. She re-opens eyes she didn’t realize were closed to find herself staring right into the ocean blue pupils of the diver. I never knew it felt… like that.
After a few seconds pass, Riko sees You’s eyes close once more and her face start to lean in again. She quickly mirrors the action and soon enough, she is washed over by that same feeling of electricity. She notices the smell of sea salt in the girl’s hair, mixed with a hint of a perfume that makes her think of the ocean. She felt herself smile into the kiss. It’s a very You smell… She then feels You’s lips part slightly and her tongue slowly slips past Riko’s smile and into her mouth. It feels weird for a second, but then, as she moves her tongue to meet the girl’s, she feels even better and a feeling of excitement washes through her body. The hand on her cheek slides behind her head and pulls her deeper into the kiss.
The two finally break apart, panting to catch their breath. They lie there, foreheads touching, eyes closed, feeling each other’s exhales gently brushing their lips and with their bodies flush together. By the time they open their eyes, the sun is no longer above the horizon, the faint remnants of orange light linger in the sky.
“Now you have another reason why we aren’t ever going to be separated.” You’s voice is a whisper and she punctuates it with a kiss to Riko’s forehead. “This… is what I’ve been thinking about.”
Riko feels herself smile when she hears the words. “I see why you couldn’t talk to me about it then…” She giggles and pulls You in for a peck on the lips. “I had no idea you thought about me this way.”
“I never knew if you liked me back or not, so I… I kept it hidden.” You slides her hand from behind Riko’s head to start brushing loose strands of hair from her face. “Are you free tomorrow? I want to take you out to dinner.”
“Well, I am after the sleepov-” Riko’s eyes widen as she remembers. “You… we were meant to be at Chika’s a whole hour ago.”
You shifts away. “I completely forgot. I guess we got a little distracted.”
“It was a good distraction though,” Riko says as she sits up and slowly pushes herself to her feet.
“The best kind.”
The two share one more quick kiss before slowly heading towards Chika’s house, hand in hand.