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One day at lunch, while Yukina was trying to find the kitty that had escaped her cuddle, she found Maya lying underneath a bench in the school courtyard.
“Yamato-san?”
“Mi…Minato-san!?” Maya looked really awkward, her smile stiff as plaster while sweat poured down her head. When Yukina just stared, she sweated even more. “This…This isn’t how it looks, I swear!”
Yukina tilted her head in confusion. “How it…looks? Am I supposed to see something other than Yamato-san lying underneath a bench?”
Maya didn’t know what to think. Would she rather Chisato be the one to find her, give her a weird-out face, and respond with some barbed implication that she was a pervert trying to spy on people’s panties? Or would she rather this – Yukina stating word-for-word what was happening, making her feel like an absolute idiot?
“I just like tight spaces. Thought this one was perfect.” Maya found the need to explain even if Yukina never asked. Yukina just nodded.
“Cats like tight spaces too.”
“Right? They are wonderful! Makes you feel so relaxed, so secure, a personal paradise in the busy city.”
“I see.” Yukina’s expression was neutral when she got up and turned away. “I shall leave Yamato-san to your sanctuary then…”
“Wait!!”
Yukina turned back with an irritated look. “What is it, Yamato-san?”
Maya couldn’t quite believe Yukina’s obliviousness. One would think if Maya had been able to move, she wouldn’t have let Yukina discover her in such a compromised state.
“Would…Would you please help me out of this bench, Minato-san? My leg has cramped up. I can’t quite escape on my own.”
……………
The incident made little impression on Yukina until a day in March when she showed up to practice, a small gift in hand for Sayo’s birthday. Lisa had asked everybody to show up early so they could decorate the place for Sayo’s party. It was unnecessary, Yukina thought. While Sayo would certainly be happy for a celebration, even if she wouldn’t admit it, she was a practical person at heart, and a few balloons wouldn’t lift her spirits as much as thoughtful words for the occasion. When Yukina arrived, she found the room empty. Had she come too early? She decided to use the time to rest briefly, seeing as she had stayed up the entire night working on their latest song.
She tried to pick a place to sleep. The room was rather empty, meant for rehearsals rather than recreation. She could go to the lounge instead, but if she overslept, the others wouldn’t know to find her there. She settled on a big cardboard box in the center of the room. What was it doing there anyway? It was open at the top and looked to be empty. Kittens would love them. Well, Yukina wasn’t a cat (she couldn’t be one even if she had wished so), but there wasn’t anything stopping a human from sleeping in a box. Maya had stuck herself into a tight space before. There was nothing wrong with finding such spaces charming.
And so, Yukina climbed into the box and curled herself up to lay on her side. Obviously, it wasn’t soft and fluffy like a bed, but it was surprisingly snuggly. As Yukina got drowsier, she closed the lid on the box to block out the light. Perfect indeed. The cardboard wasn’t sealed too tightly, allowing for air circulation, but it was insulating. Warm and cozy, Yukina fell asleep.
……………
“Alright, I got the soft drinks. Rinko, how is it on your end?”
“The food is ready.”
“Great! And Ako?”
“You can see for yourself, Lisa-nee. Look at my handiwork! Tis the art of inferno, hellfire lasting an eternity…”
“I don’t really see a fire anywhere but I think that’s for the best. Good job.”
“But…Ako-chan…the present box…it hasn’t been wrapped yet…”
“Did you even put the gifts in yet, Ako?”
“Of course! ….I think…Anyway, let’s wrap it up. We don’t have much time till Sayo-san comes!”
“Fine. Fine. By the way, anyone seen Yukina?”
“I…I haven’t…Sorry.”
“Me neither.”
“Gosh, did she forget about this? It’s her girlfriend’s birthday, for goodness sake. I’m gonna give her a call…Whaa?? Out of service? She forgot to charge up her phone again!?”
“Can you come and help us, Lisa-nee? The box is heavy.”
Bump, bump, thud
“What did you put in there, Ako? I just bought her a pair of shoes! They ain’t made of lead!”
“I-I-Imai-san, Hikawa-san just came through the front door and is making her way here!”
“Almost done! Just…Just turn off the lights first, Rinko. I think I got this!”
The room then turned dark and quiet. Nobody knew Yukina had been sleeping in the box all this time. She had nearly woken from the ruckus, but now that everything was still and silent again, she just shifted a little and proceeded to sleep some more…
Pop Pop
“Happy Birthday, Sayo!”
“Happy Birthday, Sayo-san!”
“Happy Birthday, Hikawa-san!”
When Sayo entered the room, her surprise birthday party began. Ako tried spraying dealcoholized champagne. Didn’t really work, and Sayo had to step in to open her own beverage. Lisa was cutting up the cake. Rinko was far quieter and more subdued, but nonetheless kept Sayo company throughout. It was a bit disappointing, if not worrying, that Yukina hadn’t shown up yet. Nonetheless, Sayo tried to enjoy the party to show her gratitude for their goodwill. They had decided that if another half hour elapsed without Yukina’s appearance, they would go look for her together.
“Sayo, still worried about Yukina?” Lisa asked.
“I…I apologize for my poor attentiveness. I really appreciate the efforts you have all made in throwing this party for me. But…I really would like to make sure Minato-san is okay.”
“We…understand, Hikawa-san. Let’s go look for her.”
“I’ll clean up now!” Ako volunteered, running over to the food to pack it all up. Rinko rushed to join her.
“The present box is sort of heavy, so maybe you should take the items out first before we leave the studio.” Lisa suggested. “Here.” She pushed the box over with some effort. “Happy Birthday.”
Sayo smiled and tore messily into the gift wrapping. It wasn’t the politest, but she couldn’t help the worry in her heart that was pushing her to act more quickly. At last, the wrapping was off and she could take off the lid…
There, in the box, was Yukina.
“Ugnnn…” Yukina mumbled, sitting up much to everybody’s shock. “What is going on?”
Lisa was the first to recover, a wicked smile adorning her face. “Did you make yourself a present, Yukina? That’s bold!”
Yukina was too busy rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes to comprehend what Lisa just said. “What?”
“Cute.”
Everybody turned to the person who had just spoken. It was Sayo, her face really red and her hands trembling. She reached them towards Yukina, big watery eyes looking at her adoringly like she was the most precious thing in the world. If this were a sit-com, there would be “awwwwwwwwwwwww” sound effects going off Sayo’s head.
“You know, this box can fit two people!”
“Wh-What are you doing, Imai-san!?”
“Rinko, Ako, come and help me shove Sayo into the box!”
“Sh-Should we really be doing this?”
“Don’t worry about it, RinRin. I’m sure Lisa-nee has a good reason for this.”
“YOU’RE ALL CRAZY!!!”
Sayo’s scream disappeared into the void…err…the box, as they dumped her inside with Yukina and closed the lid again.
Alone, literally lying atop Yukina with entangled limbs trying to fit themselves into the cramped box, Sayo was at peak awkwardness. If it weren’t so dark in here, Yukina would be able to see how her face glowed like a traffic light. In contrast, Yukina was rather calm. Just confused. One moment, she had been sleeping in a box, and the next, her childhood friend had led the other members to shove Sayo in here with her. No matter. Lisa would probably let them out sooner or later. She would lose a few years of her life if she were to get angry at every nonsense Lisa pulled on her regularly since they were five.
“Sayo.”
“Y-Y-Yes, Mi-Mi-Minato…shan!?”
Yukina didn’t know why Sayo was acting so weird. She reached around to placate her, pulling her into an embrace and kissed her gently on the lips.
“Happy Birthday, Sayo.”
Happy birthday, indeed. Instead of placation, Sayo might’ve fainted from happy embarrassment. At least she didn’t burst a blood vessel! The true end is a good end, praise the gods.