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She looked amazing.
That was quite literally the only thought that rattled around inside Maki’s head as she began her very first, very ill-fated, yoga class.
She had never considered herself to be someone who was easily distracted, especially when it came to exercise. If anything, she’d often been told she had a focus to a fault, dismissive of nearly any and everything that didn’t directly offer her any means of self-improvement. She’d been boxing for years at this point and she’d rather push herself to get stronger than waste time slacking off.
The problem was, despite her focus, Maki was stiff. Inflexible. Rigid in a way that was honestly surprising given how apt she was at everything else. She was told she needed to loosen up, add something beyond the small bits of basic regimented stretching to her routine. Work on smoothing out her movements to increase her flexibility. If she didn’t, it wouldn’t matter how hard she could throw a punch or how much weight she could deadlift, stagnation would set in and ultimately she’d fall behind.
And that was absolutely the last thing she wanted.
The suggestion was to pick up yoga once or twice a week and she’d agreed, reluctantly, even if she sort of found the idea of it to be a bit below her skill level.
It was just yoga. It was supposed to be easy. Simple. Rudimentary. Babies could do yoga after all.
Maki had fully expected to be able to mentally multitask. Zone out, plan out her week, decide which groceries to buy at the store later, figure out what night she should do her laundry, etcetera etcetera etcetera...
But honestly. This girl.
This girl.
She looked amazing.
There was something about the swing of her hips as she walked, the way she crossed her arms pushing her chest up just so in the pretty pink athletic gear she wore that left nothing to the imagination, the way her smile extruded such an air of confidence while being simultaneously so sweet looking. When she introduced herself to the class as the instructor and told everyone to make sure to keep their eyes on her, that was the moment Maki realized she was screwed.
And she vastly underestimated just how screwed she was.
In addition to being completely utterly distracted in a way she’d never exactly been before, Maki found that she was unable to do even the basics without a struggle. She couldn’t bend well. Her foot placement always seemed to be unequivocally wrong or just plain backward. And her balance sucked so bad that any time they had to extend and brace herself on one leg or one arm for longer than a few seconds, she staggered and fell over. She was honestly surprised no one yelled ‘Timber!’ by the 4th time she fell on her ass, disrupting the class with a thud.
(Although maybe that was because of the scowl on her face.)
Each time it happened, the girl -- the instructor -- would walk over, smile, and offer a few helpful tips like it would be really better if she placed her feet here and then she can adjust her balance like this, oh and also, make sure to bend her knees like this, not like that, before nodding, finally telling Maki she’s definitely got it now.
As soon as she turned away, Maki would get a full view of her backside, which looked just as beautiful, if not more so, than her front. And then she’d immediately forget every suggestion that had just been given to her. And mess up again. Which would cause her to come back and offer Maki more tips. Which she would then forget again a moment later. And thus a cycle developed.
After the hour-long class that felt like its own eternity ended, Maki shoved her things quickly and unceremoniously into her bag and stomped out the door without saying a single word to anyone or giving anyone the opportunity to say a single word said back to her in turn.
It was... The entire experience was...
It was all just so fucking embarrassing.
○○○
“I don’t think I quite understand the problem,” Yuuta said, eyebrows knitting together as he walked over to the small kitchen table where Maki was sitting and deposited a large pancake from the pan he was holding onto her plate.
It was two days later. Sunday. Which meant it was Pancake Day.
Maki never really understood Yuuta’s insistence about wanting to have meals together. He claimed it was mostly a means to keep up with the going ons in each other’s lives, especially once their schedules began to misalign more and more. She told him that the whole concept of it all was stupid since they literally lived together and saw each other every single day but he remained persistent because Maki , seeing each other isn’t the same as talking to each other and he liked talking to her, after all. By the end of it all, what had started as particularly annoying ended up becoming strangely endearing in that very specific Yuuta way that he somehow always pulled off one way or another. Her justification to herself for caving was that there was no good reason to turn away free food, especially free food she didn’t have to make herself or do any of the dishes for.
So, yeah, it was Pancake Day.
“What’s there to get? I’m not going back,” Maki said, poking the fluffy breakfast food once with her fork before reaching over, grabbing the syrup, and dumping a generous amount on top of it.
“Oh, c’mon,” The oil in the pan hissed as Yuuta added more batter in, “You went, what? Once? Twice?”
“I can’t focus,” She said simply, cutting off the corner with her fork and taking a bite, “S’too mush happenin’.”
“Mmmmm...” Yuuta frowned, not really buying that answer, “Well, I don’t think your coach would tell you to do something if he didn’t think it would be a good thing for you.”
Maki chewed slower than she normally would, not wanting to remove the convenient excuse for not having to answer that.
“Also, you dodge punches and kicks directed at your face all the time,” Yuuta continued, “You’re literally the most athletic person I know. I just don’t get how so much is happening at something like yoga.”
“It’s not about being athletic,” She swallowed. Yuuta opened his mouth, about to add something else to that thought, when she shot him a look that meant she was not interested in giving any further explanation. He frowned again.
“I’ve never known you to be the type to give up at anything, least of all something like this.”
Maki did her best not to wince as she looked back down at her pancake. That stung a little.
“What about trying a different instructor?” Yuuta offered, turning back to the stove where he flipped the contents of the frying pan with a spatula before he snapped his fingers. “Oh, or, maybe Toge could give you some tips. He’s really, really flexible, actually.”
Maki stopped poking at her pancake at the same time as the sound of a fork hitting a plate in a jarring clank came from the other end of the small table. She looked over towards the other person sitting at the small kitchen table, who had looked up from his own plate and stared back at her in turn.
Toge Inumaki, Yuuta’s long-time boyfriend, could essentially be considered their third roommate with how frequently he was over.
When Yuuta and Maki had moved in together partway through college, it had been out of necessity, both having had various degrees of falling outs with previous roommates around the same time and in need of someone else to split rent with. Yuuta had acquired Toge into his life shortly after that and it had been something like 5 years since then.
Maki often wondered why the two of them didn’t just get their own place. It made sense at this point. She couldn’t see either one of them having a problem living together, considering they already basically did that . She concluded it likely had something to do with the fact Yuuta didn’t want to leave her roommate-less after all this time, even though she felt he would be well within his right to do so.
She always knew Yuuta was too nice for his own good.
But she also knew how thin their apartment walls were. And exactly what kind of flexibility Yuuta was probably referring to.
(She’d purchased earplugs shortly after they’d gotten together for a reason.)
Even if Yuuta’s suggestion had been nothing short of pure, absolutely innocent in every way, an attempt to be nothing but helpful, but Toge on the other hand...
The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. Maki narrowed her eyes back at him.
No, absolutely not.
“Toge, if you even so much as think about making any sort of gesture at me, I will break your fucking hand,” She huffed before jabbing her fork into a particularly large bit of pancake and shoving it in her mouth.
○○○
She went back. Against her better judgment. Mostly to get Yuuta to shut up about it.
There actually was a different instructor this time, which surprised Maki a bit. It made enough sense in retrospect. She hadn’t actually looked up any sort of schedule or anything before she’d flown out the door and then subsequently decided to give it a second go. The studio had to have more than one person running the classes, especially since they had multiple blocks every single day.
Even still, she couldn’t help but feel just a little bit disappointed. Just a bit. A miniscule amount.
The instructor this time had cropped blue hair and an overabundance of pep that grated on Maki immediately in a way she couldn’t quite place. Maybe it was the way she clapped her hands. Or something about her smile. Because that smile that definitely seemed to falter and warble with something akin to fear every time she came over to try to offer Maki help. By the 3rd time Maki fell over, she sort of just stopped trying to help all together.
Overall, the entire class was even more frustrating and useless than before.
To: yuuta
> still bad
> worse even
From: yuuta
> ☹️
> dont frown face @ me
> ☹️
> yuuta
> Could you talk to them about it?
> The instructor
> Instructor(s)?
> no
> No?
> no
> ☹️
> no
> Okay
> What about anyone else?
> else?
> How about
> Your coach?
> no way
> will get chewed out
> Okay
> Someone in the class?
> u think i talked 2 anyone there
> Alright fair point
> How about
> Is there anyone else you trust?
> In general
> trust?
> I mean I can tell you don’t want to talk to me about this
> Which again
> ☹️
> And I know you don’t want to talk to Toge about this either
> Which again, again
> ☹️ ☹️ ☹️
> But I still don’t think you should just drop it all together
> There has to be someone else
> Someone you know
> Who could give you a better suggestion than I could?
> Motivation
> Or at least
> Some alternative understanding?
> mmm
> Mmm?
> idk
> maybe
> A maybe is better than no!
> debatable
> What’s the worst that could happen?
> that
> is rly hard 2 say honestly
> but
> But?
> maybe i do know someone
To: mai
> sry about txting u so suddenly
> but
> i think
> i need help
Maki’s phone buzzed about an hour later. She looked at the notification, more than a little surprised she’d gotten a response at all.
From: mai
> Wowwwww
> Wow
> You?
> Contacting me?
> Out of the blue like this?
> It’s not even a major holiday
> i dont know who else 2 ask
> and
> even if u might not think so
> i trust u
> so
> What catastrophic event occurred
> That would cause you to reach out to ME for help?
> its small
> just looking 4
> a 2nd opinion about smth
> Wait
> Wait
> Wait
> Hold on
> Hold ON
> ?
> Is this about yoga?
Maki narrowed her eyes at her phone. Although at one point in their lives it could be said that she and her sister seemed to be eerily in sync to the point of telepathy, she did not think that was the case this time.
> how do u know about yoga?
> Oh god
> Kasumi called me in tears yesterday
> Told me my big scary sister came to her class
> Looking like she was about to murder someone
> When she almost fell onto her face doing some bird thing
> Sounded like you gave her a heart attack
> And as funny as that DID sound
> Don’t go around killing my friends
> At least not the cute ones
> Especially not the cute ones
> oh
> the other girl
> i didnt know u knew her
> she knows me?
> ive never met her before
> We’re twins dummy
> Or did you forget?
> I mean I’m the pretty one
> Obviously
> But
> Kasumi’s not dense enough to miss that resemblance
> Regardless
> Maki
> You called her the ‘other girl’
> Which means
> You’re texting me about someone else
> mai
> So
> What does she look like?
> This other-other-not-Kasumi girl
> I’m so curious
> Send me her @
> I wanna see
> her @?
> Her name
> Handle
> On social media
> Whatever
> You know, that thing you’re supposed to use to find people
> The thing
> Literally made for situations like this
> Doesn’t matter the platform
> She's absolutely got one
> She probably wrote it down on some board at the studio somewhere
> oh
> i didnt get it
> or c it there
> either
> Ok then send me a photo
> photo?
> Yes
> A photo
> You took one right?
> i
> i didnt
> Wow
> Wow???
> Maki
> How am I supposed to help you then
> With no point of reference
> You’re as useless at Kasumi
> Wait
> Wait
> Wait
> Hold on
Mai buzzed her phone again not a minute later, a series of messages pinging in rapid-fire succession.
> Her?
> HER???
> Maki?
> FR?
> Kasumi’s so so so much cuter wtf
> Look at this side by side
> LOOK
> You can’t seriously tell me she’s not
> This other-other girl is so REGULAR looking
Maki’s phone made a different sounding ping than normal, then it downloaded a photo.
It was a selfie. Of the two of them. They were dressed up. Out somewhere. At night. Maybe at some party? The photo was blurred enough along the edges from either the camera or the filter that Maki couldn’t really tell. Wherever they were or whatever they were doing, they were clearly enjoying themselves. The blue-haired girl’s eyes were closed, face squeezed into a big grin as she flashed two victory signs with her hands. The first instructor’s face was half-smirking, eyes locked with the camera in a way that seemed a bit like she was looking directly through the screen.
‘Regular looking’ was not a descriptor Maki would use. Not at all.
> she looks great
> shut up
As soon as she sent those messages, Maki grit her teeth, immediately realizing her mistake and the conversational trap she’d tumbled headfirst into.
> So you admit it
> You think she looks great
> mai
> Ohohohohoho
> Wonder what it is
> Was it something with her face?
> Her boobs?
> Her ass?
> Or did she just happen to look at you extra sweet?
> Is that what you like?
> mai
> God this is so interesting
> And weird
> I’d expect this this kind of thing
> from almost anyone else except you
> Never in a million years did I think my sister would text me
> Because she met some girl
> And didn’t know what to do
> mai
> I don’t think I’ve ever seen you compliment anyone before
> Straightforward like that
> I mean
> You’re nice to that guy you live with
> Sometimes
> But even I’m not dimwitted enough to believe that ever became anything
> Romantic like
> Have you ever even had a crush on anyone before
> Ever?
> Ever once in your whole life?
> Oh my god
> Did you know Todo thought you two were together
> You and your roommate
> For the longest fucking time
> Like YEARS
> I swear
> That man wouldn’t be able to recognize hopeless lesbian from his own foot
> God
> You should have heard some of the things he said about THAT
> Bet you would have torn him a new one
> Would have LOVED to see it
> Maki?
> Maki?
> Hello?
> Did you die?
> Do not leave me on read
> Do not
> ur jumping to conclusions
> Look at that
> She lives
> And am I?
> Am I?
> Truly Maki???
> yes
> i just wanted to ask for ur help
> with yoga
> that was it
> ur blowing this up
> like always
> Tell yourself whatever you want
> This is way deeper than you wanting help with yoga
> Or whatever the fuck
> I can tell
> You
> Dear sister
> Have a stupid crush
> On this girl
> Which
> Okay seriously tho
> What’s with her hair?
> I can’t tell if that dye job is tragically on purpose
> Or meant to be a half-assed cover-up
> If this is what you’re into
> I swear you have no taste
Maki scrolled up to look at the photo again. Her hair was a light brown, clearly not her natural color but containing nothing that would indicate it was an afterthought either. She was wearing it down in the photo not up in the two little messy buns Maki had seen in class. It was cropped into an asymmetrical bob that framed her face nicely. Her eyes matched, too. Brown. A bit like caramel. And sort of sweet. Both had a unique shine that didn’t seem to be part of whatever filter this particular photo had on it. Even at just a glance Maki sort of felt her whole look looked... Put together... Posh... Pretty.
She frowned and sent one final response before exiting out of the conversation completely.
> maybe u have no taste
○○○
“This place is kind of small, don’t you think?”
The voice cut through the ambient chatter of the studio like a gunshot as it caught in Maki’s ears. She looked up from where she was unrolling her mat, gaze falling upon someone she never expected to see.
“Mai... You’re here?”
Her sister hefted a small duffle bag off her shoulder and plopped down next to her on the floor.
“Yeah,” Maki didn’t miss the mischievous glint in her sister’s eye as she pulled out her own mat and began unrolling it next to Maki’s. “I am.”
Maki had decided to come back because of a multi-layered sort of nagging feeling that just wouldn’t let her go. It was partially Yuuta’s fault. And partially because of her own penchant for not wanting to feel like she lost at something-- It had nothing to do with the fact she had looked at that stupid photo her stupid sister sent her for a stupid length of time. So what if she had actually decided to look up the schedule online this time to make sure she was going to the class with the hotte-- better instructor.
(Her name was Nobara, by the way. Maki had uncovered that bit of information when she found the schedule. Kugisaki Nobara. Fully Certified. Been working here for 3 years now. Her profile even had five little stars next to it. Respectable. Cute.)
Mai... well...
Maki concluded Mai must have showed up out of a sense of insatiable curiosity. Her sister had this overwhelming desire to know things firsthand and once she became fixated on something, she could never quite let it go until the understanding was grasped in full.
(Nosey was another way she’d heard people put it. In all honesty, it was something Maki sort of liked about her sister’s personality... but only when this particular type of drive wasn’t acutely directed at her life. Which, unfortunately...)
“Why does the size surprise you?” Maki said, in an attempt to dismiss the airs her sister was already permeating, “Haven’t you been here before?”
“No. You think I’d let Katsumi teach me anything?” Mai scoffed then exhaled a breath that almost sounded like it might be a laugh, “Haaaaah... That’s a good one.”
The idle chattering from the rest of the class petered out as the front door swung open and Nobara entered with a cheery, “Hey everyone!”
Her hair was tied up again and she was wearing a similar but definitely different set of pink workout gear, one that, Maki noted, looked just as nice on her, if not better than the set she’d been wearing the first time. Nobara walked to the front of the room, raised a hand, and then indicated with a smile that class was about to start.
“So that’s her?” Mai leaned over and whispered into Maki’s ear in a way that wasn’t exactly quiet. “I guess she looks a little better with her hair up, don’t you think?”
“No comment,” Maki responded, as she stood up on her mat and turned towards the front of the room, away from her sister.
“So that’s a yes,” A fox-like grin curled up on Mai’s face as she stood up and looked forward herself.
Of the three classes, this one was definitely the worst. Not only did Maki have her own ineptness to combat while trying not to get distracted by Nobara’s butt, but the addition of Mai’s less than helpful comments every few minutes was making everything ten times more difficult.
“I didn’t really believe it, honestly, but now that I can see, yeah, you suck,” Mai said as she followed the series of poses they had been instructed to do flawlessly as she watched Maki attempt to match, shifting her feet almost three times in the process as she tried not to stagger. “How can you bench press like 400 pounds and do a perfect roundhouse kick but you can’t fucking bend over backwards even a little bit.”
“Shut up,” Maki huffed. “Not all of us were born flexible.”
“I gotta say. Definitely matches your personality.” Mai said as she lifted her right leg up and extended her arms outward to counterbalance, swinging them a little too far into Maki’s space, nearly hitting her in the face.
“Mai, I swear to god--” Maki said, swatting at her with her own arm.
“Watch your foot sis--”
“Urg--”
“Hey, stay on your own mat--”
“Hold on--”
“If you knock me over with your horrible flailing I will--”
“Just give me your hand for one second--”
“NO don--”
It wasn’t so much of an instantaneous crash as it was a tumbling disaster in slow motion. Arm locked in arm, foot in foot, half-caught up in each other, one limb pulled downward and another thrown upwards as both their backs hit the floor simultaneously with a matching Oof!
Mai let out a frustrated grumble, Maki an exasperated sigh, and then from above them a small ahem sound cut through both their discontent.
“Um... Are you both done?”
They both looked up to see Nobara looking back down, hands on her hips, a sympathetic look on her face.
“You know,” She began, eyes meeting Maki’s. “I thought it was kind of nice that you brought a friend this time, but you two sure are chatty.” She glanced over at Mai. “And... well, not entirely the most graceful.”
“That certainly describes one of us,” Mai huffed out under her breath. Maki turned and frowned back at her.
Nobara sighed and called back at the rest of the class.
“Okay, let’s stop here, everyone! Thank you so much for coming!”
The chatter from before filled the space again as Nobara turned back towards the sisters. She extended a hand down to Maki, which Maki grabbed and then was pulled back up to her feet. Her hand remained clasped on Maki’s.
“I didn’t get to introduce myself last time because you always left so quickly. But I’m Nobara.”
“Maki and--”
Nobara released Maki’s hand and then reached a hand down to Mai as well, but Mai waved it off, opting to pull herself up on her own.
“Mai,” She smiled her prettiest smile as she recollected herself. “And we’re sisters, not friends.”
Nobara squinted, not looking entirely convinced. Mai’s smile faltered with a twitch.
“We’re twins,” She offered.
Another beat.
“I can sort of see the resemblance,” Nobara said slowly, tilting her head back and forth between the two of them, “A bit.”
“We’re identical,” Mai’s voice fell an iota, cracking the false sweetness she’d been extruding.
“I think it’s a little hard to tell with all that makeup you’re wearing.” Nobara tapped the side of her own eye with a finger, “Which is smudged, by the way. Pro-tip waterproof doesn’t always mean sweat proof. You should check your products.”
Mai’s hand flew up to her face. Maki looked over at her sister and noticed that, yeah, she did seem to be wearing makeup. Huh.
Before Mai could snap any sort of response back, Nobara began talking first.
“I think that distracted me a little. Makes your eyes look kind of weird.” Nobara broke into her own little smile, one that almost mimicked Mai’s from moments ago, “I guess it just means Maki is the prettier one between you two without even trying.”
“Prettier?”
Mai’s face was red now. Maki blinked, taken aback, and a little impressed at this effortless subversion to her sister’s usual charms.
And--
Wait, had Nobara just called her pretty?
“Seriously, who are you trying to impress with all that extra effort?” Nobara crossed her arms, and shifted her weight onto one of her hips, “It’s a yoga class?”
“Um…” Before Maki could finish articulating whatever thought that was going to be, Mai’s hand grabbed hers and all but yanked her towards the door.
“C’mon Maki lets go.”
Maki craned her head back towards Nobara just in time to see a large smile grace her face.
“My next class is Tuesday! See you then!”
○○○
“I’m sorry about my sister.”
That was the first thing that came out of Maki’s mouth on Tuesday, once class ended.
“It’s not a big deal,” Nobara waved her hand dismissively as she crossed her legs and took a seat next to Maki on the studio floor. “She’s hardly the first hot person with a bad attitude to walk in here. I just don’t like them in my class, you know?”
That declaration gave Maki pause.
“You...think she’s hot?”
“Oops,” Nobara stuck out her tongue in a way that didn’t exactly look like she was sorry. “You caught me.”
Something about the way she said that almost threatened to make Maki feel something sickening in her gut, something she’s never exactly felt before, but before she could emotionally parse that thought, Nobara added:
“But I meant what I said about you looking better, though.”
Maki’s golden eyes met Nobara’s caramel ones. Maki swallowed.
“You said... ‘pretty’, right?”
“Did I?” Nobara chimed back as if she didn’t already know the answer and not even trying to hide the playfulness in her voice.
Maki never really placed a ton of value on looks. Well, her looks anyway. ‘Pretty’ was admittedly more Mai’s thing and, more often than not, opinions of the two of them reflected that. She’d never actually been called ‘pretty’ before. Tough, solid, tenacious, yeah sure, but ‘pretty’...
“I’m okay.”
“Okay!?” Nobara almost shouted as she exclaimed, breaking a bit of her cool facade. “Have you seen your abs? Your arms?? Your thighs??? Your face! They’re perfect! You’re literally an Amazonian goddess! I thought I was going to die when you first sat down in my class!”
Maki couldn’t tell if she was blushing or not. She’d never been in a situation that called for blushing, but she figured maybe this could be considered one of those times and, if so, she might be doing it.
“I box--well, kick box. It’s all just sort of derivative of that.”
Nobara leaned in, eyes sparkling, help up a hand to the side of her face and whispered.
“Can I touch them?”
Maki blinked back at her.
“Touch... what?”
“Your abs, duh!”
“Oh,” Maki had never been asked that before. And she wasn’t sure if it was a weird thing to be asked, but she found that even if it was, in this moment, she decided she didn’t care. “Yeah, sure.”
“Whoa,” Nobara said, reaching out and placing a hand on Maki’s stomach in awe.
Her fingertips traced Maki’s skin lightly, dipping up and down around the muscles there. It didn’t tickle exactly, but Maki was used to hard punches and sharp kicks, she wasn’t used to anyone touching her in a way that was actually kind of... soft.
Maki wondered if the sudden flutter of butterflies in her stomach were tangible enough to be felt.
“I’ve always been a bit soft in the middle, I’m so jealous,” Nobara said, removing her hands moments later and leaning back on her feet. “You’re literally so cool.”
“I still can’t touch my toes, though. Never been able to,” Maki admitted out loud for the first time ever, then added. “So I’m jealous too. That you can do that. ”
Nobara’s eyes widened a bit, then she turned her head and her lips quirked into a smile, one that almost makes her face glow.
“I’m absolutely sure you can, but it takes time. Like doing the splits. Work a little at it every day and you’ll be able to do it in no time.”
“Can you do the splits?” Maki asked, raising an eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of her in the moment.
“Oh yeah,” Nobara stuck her tongue out again but accompanied it with a small wink this time, “Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”
Well, if she wasn’t blushing before, Maki was absolutely sure she was now.
“I think I’d like that.”
“It’s weird though,” Nobara tilted her head and looked Maki up and down. “You’re clearly super fit, like, insanely so, but you act like a baby deer taking its first steps when you try to move in any way that unplants your feet. I’ve never seen anyone who so clearly knows their way around the gym be so inflexible.”
Maki leaned back on her hands and sighed.
“That’s part of the reason I’m here.”
“Mmmm,” Nobara hummed. “Only part?”
Maki didn’t really feel like she had to lie about this as she smiled back for the first time since the conversation started and said,
“Yeah, only part.”