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“Sayo, we are dating, right?” Yukina asked. Sayo felt her stomach churn with nervousness. They had been girlfriends since three months ago, when Sayo confessed her long-held feelings for her band leader. Things had been going well, Sayo had thought, but…did Yukina think the same? Was Yukina asking this because she was secretly discontented?
“If there is anything I am not doing right, please tell me, Minato-san. I shall improve to the best of my abilities.”
“I think there is nothing that you are doing wrong,” Yukina dismissed the idea with a wave. “It is just that when I told Lisa about our dating activities, she said that I was not romantic enough, and I ought to do better to keep you by my side.”
Oh please. Lisa’s idea of romance came from those cheesy soaps she binged on. They were hardly reliable references!
“I think Minato-san is just fine the way you are. You don’t need to pay too much heed to Imai-san’s suggestions.”
“Is that so?” Yukina looked down to the floor in disappointment. “I suppose I should just toss my notes away.”
Just what did Yukina take notes on? Whatever it was, Sayo still couldn’t bear seeing Yukina with such a sad expression. She should just go along with this. It couldn’t be too bad, right?
“Well…if Minato-san wants to spice up our relationship by trying something new, then…I guess that isn’t a bad idea.”
The way Yukina’s eyes glittered at Sayo’s response gave her a bad feeling about this…
Alas, Sayo had already promised. And there was no way she could go against Yukina’s will anyway. She was ushered out of the room while Yukina “made preparations”. For what? Sayo grew more suspicious as weird sounds rattled inside the room. It did not seem Yukina was just taking out a gift from her closet or something. Then again, seeing as Yukina was only meticulous where music was concerned, it would not be a surprise if her closet turned out to be a black hole for her to haphazardly toss her junk. Sayo hoped Yukina didn’t get flattened by a fallen box.
“I’m ready, Sayo.”
Sayo opened the door cautiously. She surveyed the room. A few things were out of place, but it didn’t look as though an earthquake had struck or anything. She took a step forward to inspect closer, and…
BAM!
Her leg caught on a low-lying rope, causing her to smash into the ground.
“Ah.” Yukina noted the scene with a short syllable out her mouth.
“What do you mean ‘ah’, Minato-san? Why did you trip me?”
“Sorry, I was out of position. I shall move closer on the next try.”
“There will be no ‘next try’!”
“But…Sayo was supposed to fall on me.”
“‘Falling in love’ and ‘falling on love’ aren’t the same thing!”
……………
After much discussion, Sayo finally managed to convince Yukina to avoid dangerous “acts of romance”.
“In which case…” Yukina said, handing Sayo an object. “You can have this.”
An umbrella.
“Err…thank you. But, why?”
“Sayo likes umbrellas.”
“I do?”
“Yes. An umbrella is indispensable for performing your character song. And don’t forget your solo event banner.”
“Minato-san, please stop breaking the fourth wall.”
Yukina nodded, then pointed at the umbrella. Sayo looked confused.
“You want me to open it up?”
“Yes.”
“But it’s not raining. And we’re indoors.”
“Does it matter?”
Oh dear. Who’d open up an umbrella for absolutely no reason on a day when there’s not a cloud in the blue, blue skies? Well, there was no harm, Sayo supposed. At least Yukina wasn’t trying to break her nose this time…probably.
Sayo slowly opened up the umbrella, just in case there was a trap in there somewhere. It seemed to be a normal enough umbrella. Yukina stared expectantly at her – she guessed that it was an indication for her to hold the umbrella above her head.
After Sayo held up the umbrella, Yukina scooted under to stand beside Sayo. Nothing happened.
“Umm…may I ask the meaning of this?”
“Sharing an umbrella is supposed to be romantic.”
“Is it?”
They stood in silence for a little longer.
“I did not have many friends, but I have definitely shared an umbrella with a couple of my classmates,” Sayo said.
“I have too.”
More silence.
“Maybe it’s only romantic in the rain…”
“Ah.”
Sayo did not like the sound of Yukina’s epiphany.
Yukina went to her desk, opened her water bottle, and poured the contents over herself.
“What are you doing, Minato-san!?!?”
“The protagonist usually gets wet in the rain first, then the love interest swoops in to save her with an umbrella.”
“I am sure a towel would be better for this situation! You’re going to catch a cold!”
“Don’t worry.” Yukina answered, only to make Sayo worry even more. She returned to her spot beside Sayo, then clung to her arm. “The couple cling onto each other while they share an umbrella, so it would be nice and warm.”
As much as Sayo enjoyed having her arm wrapped in Yukina’s… “Minato-san, you’re making my shirt wet.”
“I apologize. Let me rectify this mistake.”
And Yukina started unbuttoning her blouse!!
Sayo immediately slammed her hand to her eyes (except, well…peeking through the cracks of her fingers). “Please change out of your wet clothes in the washroom instead!!”
……………
This exercise sure was “spicing up” their relationship. Sayo hardly ever screamed at Yukina in the past. She had done it so many times today her throat hurt. For her part, Yukina remained completely unfazed while Sayo was collapsed into a heap by her side.
“Minato-san, let’s just call this a day?”
“Wait ten more minutes,” Yukina said, staring at her clock. She better not have set up a timed bomb.
Ten minutes elapsed. At least Sayo was still alive. “So?” she asked. Yukina pointed outside.
“Watch.”
There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. A crow flew by, croaking as though mocking them for being idiots. It also left a splat of white on Yukina’s balcony.
“Umm…I saw a crow…eject its waste?”
Yukina sighed impatiently. She got up from her seat and walked over to the sliding glass door leading onto the balcony.
For a moment - setting aside that imagery of crow shitting - the scene before Sayo looked gorgeous. The sun was starting to set, lighting the skies with golds and reds. It made Yukina’s usually cold and hard features soften with a warm glow. Her hair was fluttering in the breeze, in rhythm with her white dress – she was angelic. Sayo felt heat rise up her cheeks. If only Yukina stopped there, then indeed, this would have been so romantic…
But just when Sayo was about to step outside and join Yukina with a kiss, Yukina made a strange nod, then stepped a foot onto the balcony railing.
“Mi-na-to-SAN!!”
“All lovers must watch the sunset from a rooftop at least once.”
“No! And what did I say about not doing dangerous things?”
“It is not dangerous. Buyo used to do this all the time.”
“YOU ARE NOT A CAT!!”