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"I love you, T-Tsugumi-san."
It's the first time Sayo has ever said her first name out loud. Those few simple syllables are like music to Tsugumi's ears, a symphony of that sweet hesitant voice carefully sounding out each part of her name like it's precious. Fragile. Every stutter adds to the effect and makes Tsugumi's heart melt even more.
Sayo fidgets. Ah, Tsugumi left her waiting for a response, she must be nervous! "I love you too, Sayo-san! So, so much!" she says, leaning forward on the bed for emphasis.
The way Sayo perks up when she says it makes her want to laugh, but for the sake of her girlfriend's dignity she'll hold it in. She could swear there were perked-up ears and a fluffy, wagging tail attached to her. Sayo is so cute. She's like a puppy sometimes, even if some people never believe her when she says so! Maybe she should snap a picture to send to Afterglow. No, that'd be mean, and though Sayo doesn't seem to mind Tsugumi being a little mean to her from time to time she'll hold off for the moment.
(Should she ask about it now?)
Sayo's hands flex to find purchase in the sheets between them, seemingly subconsciously from the way her eyes are still firmly trained on the wall. Tsugumi smiles. She reaches out tentatively to tap the back of Sayo's wide hand with her index finger, feeling the other girl freeze up at the contact. Then Sayo's hand turns over, and her fingers slowly rise up and interlock with Tsugumi's own tightly, giving her the gentlest squeeze. Tsugumi looks up to see just a glimpse of a red cheek before Sayo turns away further. Aww...
(She really needs to ask about it as soon as possible.)
Sayo's bedroom is always cozy in an odd sort of way. Her decor is simple and utilitarian, but just look a little below the surface and you'll notice softer things hidden all around--cute plush dogs tucked into hiding spaces under pillows, old drawings from her and Hina's childhood preserved and slipped away in the closet, pretty monochrome dresses that Sayo's been building up the courage to wear out for months.
It's one of Tsugumi's favorite places in the world, right up there with Haneoka's rooftop at dusk and her family's cafe during the early pre-opening hours. She's always felt comfortable here, ever since the first time Sayo nervously asked if she'd like to come back to rest for a while after a sweet aquarium date together.
(She'd feel more comfortable if she could bring up the elephant in the room still looming over the two of them.)
"Hey, Sayo-san?" she mutters as quietly as she can manage.
Sayo looks her way warmly. "What is it... Tsugumi-san?" she says, almost stumbling over herself but landing on the name after a moment. Her eyes are curious and trusting.
"..." Tsugumi's not sure how to phrase this delicately. She doesn't exactly want to be rude about it, but at the same time she needs to make it clear that it's bothering her. She has to say something right now before it gets even weirder and even harder to bring up but just, oh my gosh how is she supposed to say this at all if Sayo doesn't see anything strange about
THE FACT THAT YUKINA MINATO IS IN THE ROOM WITH THEM.
Yukina flips through another page in her book, some advanced music theory guide with a library sticker on the spine. She's been reading it all day. At least during the times when she hasn't been staring at Tsugumi and Sayo in a way that makes Tsugumi's skin crawl a little. Well, it's not like Tsugumi hates her or anything! Not at all! She's always been really sweet--if a little curt--in the past when they've talked in the past about Sayo or about Tsugumi's sound in relation to Afterglow.
But why, Tsugumi thinks, near tears, is she in Sayo's room while we make goo goo eyes at each other!?!?!? Sayo brought Tsugumi back here about an hour ago, and Tsugumi only noticed Yukina sitting there in the shadows after twenty-five minutes or so had passed. But was she there from the beginning or did she slip into the house at some point?
DOES SAYO EVEN NOTICE HER!?
"Sayo-san," she whispers, "um... I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to bring this up, but... I think we both know there's something kind of weird going on. Er, I'm not sure how I feel about this, you know...?"
An intake of breath from Sayo. And then suddenly Tsugumi's hand is cold as Sayo's fingers slip out of hers and she draws her hand away, hiding it in her lap. "Of course, Tsugumi-san, I apologize. I should have asked for permission first before doing something so bluntly forward as taking your hand. I hope you can forgive me."
"Wha--!" Tsugumi blinks before reaching out and grabbing Sayo's shoulder with both hands. "No! No no no, that's not--I love holding your hand, Sayo-san! It's super nice, I didn't want to stop!"
Yukina takes a cursive look over at the commotion before turning back to her book.
"...You're sure, Tsugumi-san?" Sayo asks after a pause, searching Tsugumi's face for any sign that she may just be claiming that it's fine. Tsugumi makes sure her confidence shines through. When Sayo sees it, a small smile starts to creep onto her face. "Alright, then." Her hand moves out and gently covers Tsugumi's own again. It's warm, like a comforting blanket.
Tsugumi basks in it for a moment despite herself. Then she collects herself and tries to get back to where she was. "Sayo-san, um, so it's not anything to do with you or me! But... Sayo-san, I'm sorry but you have to notice that something weird is going on right now...?"
"...?" Sayo stares blankly.
"..." Urgh, she's going to have to stop coming up with ways to skirt around the issue. Tsugumi nods her head awkwardly to the side to indicate where Yukina is still sitting on the other side of the room. She's just paused her reading to take a sip of tea. When did she even have the time to go make that!? "Why," Tsugumi whispers under her breath, "is Yukina-san here?"
"Oh, is that it, Tsugumi-san?" Sayo says, relief in her tone as if Yukina sitting right there wordlessly as the two of them hold hands and whisper sweet nothings is nothing out of the ordinary. "I apologize, I should have let you know beforehand. Minato-san was lonely."
MINATO-SAN WAS LONELY?
"Yukina-san was lonely," Tsugumi repeats to get a feeling of the words as they leave her lips. Sayo nods with a calm smile. "Ah, I see."
...
Tsugumi pulls out her phone and opens it as discreetly as possible, hiding the screen where Sayo won't see what she's looking at. She opens her chat program and searches around until she finds her target. The only person who could possibly help her right now, saved into her friends list as 'Lisa Entertainment Imai.' She types out a message as fast as she can as Yukina flips another page.
coffeebean: Lisa-senpai oh my god please help
coffeebean: I'm with Sayo in her room and something really weird is happening and I don't know what to do
unleashedgyaru: Tsugumi...
unleashedgyaru: ...isn't this something your parents should have talked to you about?
She makes a yelping noise loud enough for Sayo--and Yukina, from the way her sharp eyes momentarily flick over to the bed--to take notice. Sayo squeezes her hand. "Is everything alright, Tsugumi-san?"
"Just fine!" Tsugumi squeaks out. Then she goes back to the chat.
coffeebean: That's not what I'm talking about!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!
coffeebean: What I'm trying to say is
coffeebean: Yukina-san is here and I don't know why and she's just kind of LOOKING at us!? Lisa-senpai please I don't know how to deal with her but YOU DO and I need helpppp
unleashedgyaru: ...
unleashedgyaru: [ATTACHMENT:image-053498303]
Tsugumi opens the photo and stares at it. It's a screenshot of an Animal Crossing villager, little doggy paw up to accompany an apologetic but firm expression, with a text box below it reading out Lisa's reply: 'Sorry, I don't want any part of this. Good luck!'
She's been betrayed!? Augh, Tsugumi will have to get Lisa back somehow after this! Maybe she'll go hunt down that Rei girl that Lisa's been swooning over and tell her all the embarrassing little secrets that have been relayed from Yukina to Sayo to Tsugumi over time. Grrr. It takes a minute before she realizes how tightly she's gripping Sayo's hand.
"Um, Tsugumi-san, it's starting to hurt a little..."
"Ah, sorry!" she says, quickly loosening her hold. She rubs Sayo's hand with her thumb as an apology and the bashful smile on her girlfriend's face grows wider.
"..." Sayo looks down at the space between them. "Tsugumi-san," she starts, quieter, "I apologize if the situation is uncomfortable. I should have mentioned it before I invited you over, it's just... I happened to see Minato-san hanging around near the studio, and she looked lonely. So I said she was welcome to read her book at my place. I didn't think things through properly."
"Sayo-san..." Tsugumi starts to reply, "...um, well, I can't say it isn't awkward. But if that's the case I think you did a good thing?" Sayo is so always so kind to her friends. Tsugumi can't help but feel the tension start to slip away.
"Er, and there was one other reason." Embarrassed, Sayo focuses on the bed even harder and tightens her hold on Tsugumi's hand a little more. "I wanted... Tsugumi-san, I decided last week that I had to start calling you by your first name. And I was quite set on doing it but every time I tried I just..." She taps her chest lightly. "I felt very strange. Anxious. And the only thing I could think of to rectify that situation was... being around Minato-san. Her demeanor always puts me at ease."
Oh, Sayo... Tsugumi leans over on impulse and leaves a kiss on her cheek. Just a quick, simple moment of gratitude that leaves her inching back bashfully as Sayo's mind appears to go completely blank before her eyes.
"Thank you, Sayo-san," she says with a smile, "I never knew my name could sound so pretty, but it does when you say it."
"T-Tsugumi-san..."
...Yukina's staring straight at them again and making no effort to hide it. Tsugumi does her absolute very best to pretend she doesn't see. After a moment, the intruder takes another slow sip of tea and turns back to her book.
Hey. Wait a second.
The book... last time Tsugumi glanced over, Yukina was over halfway through it, but now she's nearly back at the start! She watches the way Yukina scans the page--the slow movement, the glaze in her eyes--and knows absolutely for sure. She's not reading. Just pretending to. She probably finished the book ages ago.
Is Yukina worried that if she makes that fact obvious, Sayo and Tsugumi will expect her to leave? Tsugumi feels a little bolt of sympathy. The girl is so much like a cat, curled up at the foot of the bed just far enough to leave plausible deniability of its affection for its owner.
...
Tsugumi knows what she has to do.
"Hey," she says in a louder tone of voice to make sure it's clear she's not just talking to Sayo right now, "this is really nice, isn't it, Sayo-san? But the bed does feel a little empty as it is. I think it'd be nice if we could fill it up a bit more, don't you think? And your other hand must be feeling pretty cold right now..."
"Tsugumi-san?" Sayo asks, utterly baffled, and Tsugumi taps her lips with her index finger. Yukina's phantom cat ears must be pricked up and pointed at them by now.
"I just think it'd be really nice if somebody could hold your other hand for me!" she says as she scoots a little further down the bed, pulling Sayo along for the ride so there's room open on the other side of her girlfriend. "Wouldn't that be great?"
...A long pause, during which Tsugumi feels the awkward atmosphere intensify to a degree she could have never imagined before. New unexplored horizons of uncomfortable tension stretching out as far as the eye can see. But then...
Yukina closes her book with a quiet clap.
She puts it down carefully and takes a final sip of her tea before standing up. Then she crosses the room quickly and silently before coming to a stop in front of Sayo. Yukina makes eye contact with her and sends over an unspoken question. Sayo, is this okay? her eyes say, and after a long pause Sayo nods. So Yukina settles down beside her and slips her small hand into Sayo's to hold it tight.
Tsugumi can instantly feel the effect it has on Sayo. Her grip on Tsugumi's hand tightens for a moment, then loosens again before her fingers start to flutter a bit like she's full of electricity. Her expression is somewhere between embarrassed and blissful with two of the most important people to her on either side. It's absolutely adorable. If there was ever a time for Tsugumi to take a picture, it's now... but she won't. This side of Sayo is just for her--and apparently, Yukina--to see.
...
"...Hmm. Perhaps if we continue like this you'll feel relaxed enough to call me by my first name as well, Sayo," Yukina says curiously, completely unprompted. She taps her chin. "We'll find out, shall we?"
Sayo freezes up and turns to face Yukina fast enough for her hair to fly out from the motion and nearly smack Tsugumi right in the face. "M-M-Minato-san!?"
Calmly watching Sayo scramble for a response, Yukina reaches out to move a lock of Sayo's hair out of where it's fallen onto her face. "There's no reason to be so surprised. I've wondered what my name would sound like if you said it for quite a long time, I imagine hearing it would be very gratifying." She leans back, thinking hard before giving Sayo a soft smile. "But I suppose your reaction just now made me feel happy as well."
As Sayo continues to sputter, Tsugumi starts to come to a realization. A fact that forms in her mind fully formed and nearly sends her reeling off the edge of the bed. Maybe it should have been obvious already, and the more she thinks about it she can't say she's really all that upset or opposed to it; especially if the result is that she gets to see this flustered side of Sayo...
...It just feels very odd, thinking about
THE FACT THAT YUKINA MINATO IS CRUSHING ON HER GIRLFRIEND.