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…Am I in love…? Sayo paced around her room in endless circles, rubbing her arms anxiously as her thoughts spiraled.
No, that can’t be. I must be overthinking this. Although Maruyama-san certainly makes me… extremely happy, there’s no reason for me to jump to such outlandish conclusions like… love. I’ve had a very limited amount of friendships throughout my life, so of course I wouldn’t exactly be accustomed to such a display of affection from anyone. Besides, Maruyama-san is very friendly with everyone, her behavior isn’t something I should be interpreting as targeted towards me. …I’m making no sense. Of course it’s not targeted towards me! Nobody would do such a thing… …But if she… really does think of me as someone special… then— no! No, there’s no way. Why would she? Yes, I help her with various issues at school and everything, but there’s no reason for her to see me as someone more than a… friend.
She sighed tiredly, stopping in front of her window, looking up at the night sky as she tapped her arm in thought.
Maybe I should just wait and see if Maruyama-san’s behavior changes towards me at all. …It won’t, I know it won’t… since there’s just no reason for her to think of me that way… …But if she does… No, I shouldn’t even assume such a thing!
She pressed her forehead against the glass, furrowing her brows. I sound so pathetic. To think such a shallow, useless emotion can get to me, I mustn’t be so off-guard. There are other people who treat me like Maruyama-san does. Imai-san might be even worse. But… unlike Imai-san, Maruyama-san… I feel so different when I think of her. She makes my chest feel so tight, and I find myself gravitating towards her, finding excuses to be closer to her in class and breaks. I want to be with her…
“What… am I even thinking? Am I… really in—”
“—Love? No way, are you, Sis? With who?!”
Sayo froze in place— including her breath and probably her heart as well. She slowly glanced back at her sister dreadfully, her frown deepening. “...Didn’t I tell you to knock before you enter my room?” She spewed defensively.
“No way no way, you can’t just say this after accidentally speaking your thoughts out loud!” Hina raised her shoulders, crossing her arms as she grinned up at Sayo. “And a thought about love ? From you ? Now I gotta know!”
“...” Sayo turned back around, hiding her face from Hina. “...It wasn’t about love. I simply misspoke and you decided to complete my sentence yourself.”
“ Suuuuuuuuure you did. You’re blushing! I’m totally right!”
“I’m not. You’re imagining it. And stop assuming stuff you speculate purely on your own interpretation of a clear situation like this. Go back to your room or you won’t be able to wake up tomorrow in time.”
“...Sis, it’s Saturday tomorrow…”
“.............This is a dream—”
“Oh come on!” Hina groaned, shaking her head. “You can’t escape it now! Who is it? Is it Yukina-chan? Oh, oh! Maybe it’s Rinko-chan? Do you like Lisacchi…? Better not. Ooooooh maybe— nah, you don’t speak to Chisato-chan that much.” Hina gasped soon after, perking up. “Maybe Ay—”
Sayo swiftly turned around, gripping Hina’s shoulders with a death glare. “ Please stop.”
“No way.” Completely unsurprised and even unphased from Sayo’s grip, Hina covered her mouth in shock. “It’s Aya-chan? Really?”
Sayo’s glare intensified.
“You can’t even deny that! Woah, now that’s a surprise! So you really are in love with Aya-chan!”
Sayo let go of Hina and turned back around again, crossing her arms. “N-No, that’s… most certainly not… love …” She grumbled.
“Awww, c’mon! Nothing’s wrong with having a crush~ Aaaaaaaaaaand, if you waaaaaaaaant,” Hina stepped closer, leaning forward to see Sayo’s even redder face now. “Since we’re in the same band, I can always let you know of cute and silly stuff she does all the time~ I already have a mountain of pictures of her being stupid and cute!”
Sayo stayed silent, although Hina definitely noticed a change in her expression.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, I can also see if she has any sort of feelings for you, too~ But if you say it isn’t love, then—”
“...No, I… would appreciate it if… you… did. …And those… pictures you mentioned—”
“Oh?~ So you’re admitting you like Aya-chan?~”
“...I…I don’t… know yet, okay? I’m… not good at this… topic, at all…”
“That’s okay! I’m shocked it’s Aya-chan, though. Didn’t expect her to be your type. Oh I’ll give you those pictures I mentioned, though I thought you’d immediately say no to that~”
Sayo glared at her once again, causing the younger twin to chuckle.
“Sorry, sorry~ But, still, Aya-chan’s a bit of a hard nut when it comes to realizing something like that… so good luck getting through that—”
“...I don’t need you to tell me that.”
“...Say, Sis…” Hina hummed, leaning against the wall by Sayo. “If I’m already helping you out with your crush on Aya-chan— and this is absolutely NOT related to love whatsoever, right,”
“...Get to the point?”
“Um… do you mind doing the same for me with Lisacchi? Like, the telling me about stuff she does at practice part. …N-Not the figuring out if she likes me, obviously! I-It has absolutely nothing to do with that and—”
“...I see you are just as hopeless as I am.” Sayo sighed, shaking her head as she smiled softly. “But, sure.”
“H-Hey, I’m not hopeless! It’s not what you think!!”
“You’ve always been really bad at hiding your feelings, Hina. I wouldn’t be surprised if Imai-san already knew about your own crush on her.”
“I’m not crushing on her! I’m—”
“Hina. You’re blushing.”
“...” Hina crossed her arms, sighing as she looked down. “Man… you can’t just reverse my tease back on me…”
“It’s fine. Since you’re helping me out, I don’t mind doing the same for you. But with one other condition.”
“...Hm?” Hina turned to her sister, raising a brow. “...Yeah?”
“You absolutely, no matter what , keep quiet about this. Nobody is allowed to know of this, alright?”
“Wooooooooow,”
“Hina.”
“Fine, fine! I’ll keep quiet about your massive crush on Aya-chan for you.”
“And I’ll keep your massive crush on Imai-san secret for you, as well.”
“Hey! You didn’t have to do that, that was mean!” Hina pouted, mockingly punching Sayo’s arm.
“Alright, now that we’ve got a deal , get out of my room.”
“Ay ay, capt’!” Hina saluted, skipping out of Sayo’s room with her usual cheeky grin, before closing the door and letting Sayo be alone with her thoughts once again.
…That sure was a… turn of events. …I don’t know if I like her yet, but… if Hina is willing to help me out like this… I suppose admitting I might have feelings for Maruyama-san is… okay. But I should still explore my feelings a bit more before rushing stuff. I should wait at least a few weeks with this.
Sayo was glad she was in the same class as Aya. She could silently observe her, test how she herself feels about certain things she does and sometimes even end up talking to Aya, whether it’s about Hina or school related stuff. She was always happy to help her with schoolwork, and since she offered it so often, Aya started just approaching her in the student council room in case she was available.
It felt… fun. Sayo was enjoying her time with Aya, and although she didn’t show it much, or at all, she was happy. Their study sessions have become the most enjoyable part of Sayo’s days, and eventually, they started drifting slightly away from the study part of their sessions. Despite the rules Sayo has set herself and has been following for years now, she was softening up and making her classmate and friend an exception from her sometimes harsh judgment and treatment. She didn’t know if anyone noticed, but a part of her didn’t care either. She was happy to just have Aya around.
Exploring her feelings… her emotions and unfamiliar sensations… it felt like diving into unknown, icy waters. But soon, she found that feeling of love to be… relaxing. Warm. Even delightful in a way. It made her feel good.
It was undeniable now; She liked Aya. She didn’t know what to do with it, but she at least knew those feelings were genuine. Those few weeks she waited in the shadows and carefully observed Aya in… it all suddenly felt like a blur. She didn’t need to analyze it anymore— She was definitely in love.
She decided that maybe Hina could help her figure stuff out. She helped her figure out her feelings better towards Aya, surely, despite her lack of experience in romance from what Sayo knew, she could help her in romance as well [biggest mistake ever].
“Romantic advice?” Hina hummed, tilting her head at her sister as she sat on her bed with her guitar propped up on her leg. “Ohoho~ So you’ve finally figured stuff out…” Hina chuckled in the most dramatic way she ever has and rubbed her chin, a smug grin spread across her face. “Sure! I can give you that!”
Sayo sighed quietly and walked inside Hina’s room, closing the door after her in case their parents accidentally overheard them. It didn’t matter much, but Sayo still felt a bit embarrassed to admit to this feeling of love. And besides, there was no need to inform them of this until stuff were official, anyway. Now she just had to find out whether or not Hina’s advice would be genuinely helping or… disastrous.
“I tried thinking of stuff… but anything I thought of just came down to a dead end in planning…”
“Well, that’s your first mistake! Planning!”
“...Are you seriously saying I should just throw myself into a situation without knowing what I’m doing?” Sayo frowned in pure offense.
“Kinda, yeah, but that’s not it…” Hina put her guitar down and turned her entire body to face Sayo. “It’s your overthinking! Y’know, stuff won’t go exactly like you want them to…”
“...But I can be prepared for what could happen.”
“That doesn’t make sense, though. There are endless possibilities, you can’t just prepare for every single one of them, now, can you?”
“...Then what should I do?”
“Be charming!”
Sayo nearly choked on her own breath. “Charm?!” She spewed. “How am I supposed to just have charm?”
“I don’t really know… but you can definitely just improvise! Say she, for example, I don’t know… trips! Yeah. So say she trips, be the one to immediately help her up and worry about her! If she ended up scraping her knee or something, just help her with that, but in the gayest and romantically tense way possible!”
“Hina… that’s just called human compassion.”
“Not the gay part! Romance is something else! Best thing you can do is politely kiss her hand or something. Gayest thing you could ever do.”
Sayo rolled her eyes, sighing. “It’d look weird.”
“Well… how about spending more time with her? Going out on a date? Or, like, disguising a date with a normal meeting just with, y’know, intense romantic tension .”
Sayo perked up at the word date . “Where could I… theoretically take her on a date?”
“Maybe go out to eat? A café or something. Oh! Tsugu’s place! Might as well get coffee at morning~”
“Hazawa Coffee… yes. That sounds perfect.”
“Yay!”
“...Thank you, Hina. If not with you helping me like this, I wouldn’t be able to even plan this. I’m extremely grateful… and kind of surprised you know that much about romance.”
“Hey! I’m a perfect romance expert!”
“...What about your interest in Imai-san?”
Hina cringed. Oh, she definitely wasn’t an expert at romance. Not at all .
“I’m… sure you’ll manage.”
“Ahaha… thanks, Sis… b-but anyway! I’m suuuuuuuper happy I was able to help! …Ah, but if you end up in a relationship… the agency must never know of it… I think the rules for idols being in romantic relationships is super strict since… y’know… gotta keep up the fans’ fantasies for profit or whatever. Absolute bullshit, but not that me, Aya, or you can just change.”
“To keep up the fans’ fantasies?” Sayo frowned at that.
“Yeahhhh… if an idol is in a relationship, or even worse, married, they can’t fantasize themselves in that place.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Yup! But go figure. The idol industry sucks.”
Sayo crossed her arms, looking away. “But for… Aya’s—”
Hina immediately gasped loudly, leaning closer to Sayo. “No way! No way, you call her by her first name?! No way!! No way. N—”
“Hina!!” Sayo barked, holding onto Hina’s shoulders to keep her distanced and at bay. “Relax!!!”
“Okay. Okay, I’m normal. I prommy.”
“...You are not normal and never say that ridiculous word ever again. Anyways, for Aya’s sake… I’ll do what I can to be careful.”
“Mhm!”
Finally, Sayo took a deep breath, leaning back and puffing her chest out in an attempt to calm herself. I finally did it.
Opening her eyes, she looked down at her phone. She finally managed to invite Aya out, excusing it with just wanting to thank Aya for all the support she has been providing Sayo for a while now, and especially in the council.
10:34… I wonder if something—
“Sayo-chan—!” Sayo perked up at a loud whimper coming from her side, turning to face the girl responsible for it.
“Maruyama-san. …Are you alright?” Sayo tilted her head slightly, watching as Aya ran over, bent down and held onto her knees, trying to catch her breath.
“Sorry!! I woke up late and didn’t know what I should wear and got nervous and—”
“M-Maruyama-san, it’s alright, don’t worry. …You…” Sayo’s gaze drifted away awkwardly as she scratched her nape. Aya looked absolutely gorgeous. Sayo could honestly get lost staring at her and admiring her. “Your outfit is very… prepossessing.” Why in the world would you even say that!? Who even knows that word?! I hope she doesn’t!!
“U-Um… is that… a good thing?”
“...Yes. …You look… pretty.”
“Oh! O-Oh, thank you…” Aya chuckled, averting her own gaze from Sayo as a blush spread across her cheeks. “I… um… chose it especially for today… s-so I’m glad you like it!”
Sayo gave her a small smile, although she was screaming inside. She wore it especially for this occasion? Such a pretty outfit… for this? “I see. Well, shall we go?”
Aya nodded enthusiastically, grinning up at Sayo. “Yes!”
They sat down at Hazawa Coffee in awkward silence. Sayo was extremely nervous, and it seemed like Aya was just as anxious as she was— but Sayo didn’t know why. It was quite a busy day, so it made sense it’d take a while until they got serviced, but that also left a lot of room for Sayo’s own anxiety to grow. What if she accidentally said something wrong? What if this didn’t go to plan at all? What even was her plan to begin with?!
Snap out of it. This is just an outing, this isn’t a date or anything like that. …Hina said she couldn’t exactly figure out if Aya liked me as well, so it’s only natural I try finding it out myself— but… now what? …Although part of me suspects Hina just wanted to push me and trick me into acting myself instead of relying on her. Still, that’s—
“...Sayo-chan,” Aya began, holding her handbag in her lap. “S-So, thank you for inviting me out. It really surprised me, actually…”
“How come…?”
“W-Well, I just… never thought you would… but I’ve always wanted to hang out with you like this! So I’m… really glad you did…”
What… does she mean by that? “Ah, really? I’m pleased to hear you say that. This is to thank you for everything you’ve been doing for me, though.”
“Hello! What c— …Aya-san?”
Aya squeaked, shoulders jerking up in surprise. “E-Eve-chan—” I completely forgot she works here!!! Oh god, oh god… what do I do?! Relax, Aya!! This… isn’t a date or anything like that… I don’t think Sayo-chan would see me like that…
Eve’s smile widened. She didn’t seem to question the two’s reasons for coming here together, which was good for both of them, truthfully. “Nice to see you two here! So, what can I get for you?”
“I’ll… have today’s special, please. With, um… oh! A latte coffee sounds good, yeah.” Aya relaxed, pointing down at the menu script set in front of her.
“Mhm! And for you, Sayo-san…?”
“I…” Sayo pondered. All of a sudden, she felt a booming voice ringing in her ears.
Remember, Sis! If you go on a date with Aya-chan and it’s to a cafe or a restaurant, just order whatever she does! But Aya-chan reaaaally likes sweets and like, a looooot of it… so… you’ll have to tolerate being seen eating that if it happens. Good luck!
Sweets, huh… Sayo looked down at the menu, frowning a bit. The dish Aya was pointing at was a honey cheesecake with raspberries and syrup on top. That actually sounded pretty tasty to Sayo, now that she thought about it. It definitely wasn’t something she could finish all on her own, but that actually gave her the opportunity to share it with Aya, which was something Hina had advised her to do before. Although, as part of the student council and a role model, she strictly refrained from allowing herself to be seen consuming foods like sweets. But… for Aya……
“I’ll… have the same.”
“Huh!” Aya turned to Sayo once Eve stepped away, a now relaxed smile spread across her oh so pretty face. “I didn’t know you like latte coffee, Sayo-chan! You totally look like the person who would just drink dark coffee…”
Sayo leaned forward on the table, reflecting the same smile Aya had. “Doesn’t hurt to try something new once in a while.”
Aya giggled, crossing a leg over the other and sitting a bit more comfortably as she leaned forward with her elbows, holding her cheeks in her hands with a goofy smile. “Oh! That’s so nice!~”
“So…” Sayo mentally took a deep breath. She could do this. She could start a conversation and be interested in Aya’s daily life. She could— “...I… heard from Hina that you’re working on a new song. How is it going with that?” And… she was back to talking about music.
“Oh! It’s going pretty well! …H-Hina-chan didn’t tell you more about our rehearsals… right?”
“She did tell me about how you tripped over the microphone cable yesterday.”
“Uuuue…” Aya whimpered, leaning back away with a bitter pout. “I can’t believe it! I told her to keep it a secret!!”
Sayo giggled into her hand quietly, making the latter pout even more as she crossed her arms. “Next time perhaps try convincing her with sweets. She might comply if it’s something she likes.”
“Oh… I never thought of that… b-but this isn’t funny!” Aya whined.
“My apologies, it’s just… I—” Find it very adorable… but I can’t just say that out loud…
“...You?”
Sayo glanced around— finally, their food was arriving just in time. “A-Ah, nevermind that,” She laughed awkwardly, leaning back when their food arrived. “...This…” Sayo furrowed her brows slightly. “Looks like… a lot .”
“Oh, well,” Aya said in between bites, looking up thoughtfully. She had a bit of syrup already smeared at the side of her lip, but Sayo restrained herself from commenting for now. “If you want, I can definitely help you with whatever you don’t finish!”
“...Are you sure it’s good for you? Won’t Shirasagi-san be mad if she finds out how much of this you’re going to eat…?”
“Ack—”
Sayo sighed, raising a brow as she idly pushed around a raspberry with her spoon. “I understand getting carried away with sweets. I may not be an idol like you, as part of the student council I am an example to the student body… but with how often Imai-san makes cookies and feeds us so much…”
Aya leaned forward once again, her smile turning smug. “Aren’t you the one who always gives in to that?”
“...” No way. No way, did Hina sell me out on that? …Bastard. She must’ve known I will take her advice about food. “...I… suppose.”
Aya giggled once again, causing Sayo’s heart to just outright explode with happiness. Gosh her giggle was just so cute.
“Your laugh… is really adorable, Maruyama-san.” YOU FOOL!!! WHY WOULD YOU JUST SAY IT OUT-LOUD?!
“...Y…You really think so?” Aya looked so determined suddenly. Her shoulders were slightly raised, her fluffy pink hair brushing against her cheeks as she looked up at Sayo pleadingly. Was she expecting her to continue? She looked so insecure it made Sayo want to prove her laugh was adorable. Somehow. …Anyhow.
Sayo’s face heat up, forcing her to turn her head away to hide her growing blush. “...O-Of course, I…I mean, you are an idol s-so I— …yeah.”
“Aw… thank you, Sayo-chan! I’m glad you find my laugh .. adorable… ehehe…” Aya looked away as well, scratching her cheek awkwardly as she too blushed at the compliment.
They sat in a slightly awkward silence, both too embarrassed to bring anything up.
“Um… s-so, Sayo-chan—” Aya finally began after a few long agonizing minutes of silence. “How’ve you been? We don’t get to hang out like this often…”
“Ah, it has been alright. I’ve got practice this evening since Roselia has a concert soon.”
“Oh! That sounds exciting! Ohhhh… I hope I can make it there…”
“...If you want, I can make sure to reserve you a ticket. I’m doing the same for Hina, so might as well do it for you.” Thank goodness I can plaster Hina as an excuse here…
“R-Really?!” Aya beamed, eyes sparkling with joy. “Yay! …Y-You don’t have to, though…!”
Sayo shook her head, taking her cup of coffee into her hands. “No, I want to.” She took a sip, hiding away her absolute (gay) panicked state as she closed her eyes. She had to take hold of herself. She couldn’t just reveal she has a crush on Aya immediately… and she was failing that task really quickly.
“I…If you say so… that is so nice of you, Sayo-chan…”
“It’s really no problem. But me aside, how’re you doing?”
“Well… just fine, I suppose… I’m extremely happy I got to take today off work and be with you, though…”
Huh… Sayo’s eyes widened a bit. “...You are?”
“Yeah! And I get to eat this amazing cheesecake, so that’s a double win!” Aya beamed, spooning more of the cheesecake into her mouth. She looked so happy and excited… Once again, it made Sayo’s chest feel so warm and fuzzy that she could barely think about anything other than the gorgeous girl in front of her.
At last, however, the syrup still smeared at the side of Aya’s lip was tempting and distracting enough to make her body move into action.
“...Maruyama-san, if you’ll excuse me—” She started quietly as she grabbed a napkin. Aya curiously watched as she reached forward, wiping off the syrup. A blindingly charming smile spread across her lips when she backed away. “You had a bit of syrup there.”
As soon as Sayo finished speaking, Aya’s entire face exploded with red, her mouth slightly parted with shock and bewilderment.
…Did I… go too far…? “Maruyama…san?”
“I-I’m so sorry!! Oh god—” Aya swiftly looked away, fanning her face vigorously to calm herself down. “I-I-I didn’t… n-notice—”
Even before Aya finished panicking, Sayo let out another soft giggle. “Maruyama-san… there’s nothing for you to apologize for. I simply wiped it off.”
“S…S-Still…” Aya rubbed her cheek, her shoulders tensed with embarrassment.
It’s one of the things I really like about you. This silliness and your carefree attitude… Sayo almost planned to respond with that, but her mounting anxiety and embarrassment stopped her from doing so. She took a mental deep breath and braced herself. “The syrup aside… would you… like to walk around town for a bit after this? Just to take a breather and all…” I’m so desperate… it feels so weird and out of character for me to act like this… but… Hina mentioned that being in love does… change how you behave towards the one you’re in love with, which makes sense, but… I never thought I’d… get to this point of even having such a thought as finding someone so mesmerizing and significant I want to spend more time with them…
“...O-Oh! I’d love to!” Aya immediately nodded enthusiastically. Her embarrassment quickly went away, replaced with a smile Sayo might’ve just called godly. It at least relieved her own growing anxiety. Maybe today could go even better than she thought.
…So we ended up walking around town for so long, huh.
Sayo glanced up at the darkening sky, letting out a quiet breath.
I didn’t even notice we have been out for this long. It’s already five o’clock… but at least we’re already heading home.
“Sayo-chan…? Are you okay?”
Sayo snapped out of her thoughts, looking aside at Aya. “...Oh, oh— Yes, I’m alright, my bad.”
Aya gave her a gentle smile, turning back, watching the sun slowly drift below the horizon as they passed by a clearing towards the sunset. “I think I already said it today, but thank you for inviting me out. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to relax this much. And I don’t have many opportunities to hang out with someone for so long like this…”
“I’m happy this gave you the opportunity to, then.”
“Mhm! And…” Aya looked down, her smile tender now as she fumbled with her handbag’s strap. “I’m… even more happy I got to spend it with you .”
Sayo blinked, pointing at herself in confusion. “...Me?”
“Of course! You’re… always so kind to me and help me out whenever I have trouble in anything, you always look out for me and even comfort me when I’m not doing so well… And I’ve wanted to hang out with you like this for a long time… with just us together. B-Besides, I don’t really even know how to repay you for all your kindness. I thought maybe I could at least help you relax a bit since you don’t give yourself much time to do that…”
“You… didn’t have to do this, I help you out as much as I can because you’re my— …friend, and so I do not wish for anything in return.”
Honestly, Sayo was surprised she even managed to get this sentence out. She nearly sold herself out with the word friend , but just this alone already was absolutely astonishing.
Aya sighed quietly, holding her handbag behind her back. “You’re really silly, you know.”
“...Excuse me…?” Sayo raised a brow, glancing down at Aya. She looked so… sincere and calm… Sayo was simply mesmerized. And it got even better when Aya giggled in response to her confusion.
“Oh, nevermind. But seriously, thank you.”
“...Thank you for spending so much time with me today. It was truly… relaxing. You made me really happy just being with me. I don’t think I would be able to relax this much with anyone else.”
“Are you… sure I’m the one you feel this happy with…?”
“I wouldn’t be saying any of this if I didn’t mean it. I don’t like wasting time telling pointless lies.”
“W-Well, yes, but… surely there are other people who you can—”
“Maruyama-san, other people don’t matter here right now. You do.”
“...But… so many other people deserve this treatment better than I do… I-It’s not like I’ve… done anything special for you yet, either, I just…”
“No,” Sayo stopped in her tracks. They were already quite close to Aya’s house, Sayo could definitely afford to drag this conversation a bit on. “You underestimate yourself, Maruyama-san. You matter to me a lot, and just your smile alone already makes me happy. You never fail to make me smile, either. You really do shine, even more than you think you do.” Sayo turned to face her, her gaze gentle. At this point, despite her logic telling her she shouldn’t, she had to express herself the best she could right now.
“Sayo-chan…” Aya looked down, and the worried and conflicted look on her face made Sayo’s heart ache.
Without even thinking this time, Sayo stepped closer to Aya, taking her hands in her own. “Maruyama-san, look at me… Please, show me your brightest, most beautiful smile. That’s all I want to repay me for all I’ve done for you.”
Aya looked up at her, hands shaking slightly in her grip. Her face flushed, she lightly smiled. Sayo squeezed her hands to comfort her, and the two subconsciously drifted even closer.
“Even when my worries are getting to me again, you manage to… make me feel so comforted… Sayo-chan, you really are amazing…” Aya whispered, smile widening. She let go of Sayo’s hands, instead wrapping her arms around her shoulders as if it were the most natural thing to do in the world.
It felt so right to be this close. Usually, Sayo wouldn’t be comfortable being anywhere near this close to another person, but when it was with Aya, it made her feel something she hasn’t really even thought she would get to experience; it made her feel in love.
She held onto Aya’s waist, watching quietly as she latter reached up to match their height, now standing on her tiptoes. Without saying a word, or even thinking much, they closed the already miniscule distance between them with a gentle kiss, closing their eyes as they both eased into each other’s touch. Sayo never felt this happy before. She never thought she could even feel this happy to begin with— and to share that happiness with another person? It was absolutely beyond her. In no case scenario did she ever imagine this day going in this direction— and she thought of many . Breaking their kiss, they looked into each other’s eyes, both too stunned and shocked by their own actions to even speak for a long time. The only reason they snapped out of their silence was because of a distant chatter that came rather abruptly.
“Maruyama-san I… think I’m in love with you.” Sayo whispered, their faces still only slightly away from each other.
“I… I think I’m in love with you…as well, Sayo-chan. I…I’ve… dreamt of this day and moment for so long now… I—” Aya whispered back, nuzzling her nose against Sayo’s. She closed her eyes again, ready to reconnect her lips with Sayo’s once again— only to freeze in place hearing a horrifyingly familiar voice coming from afar.
“Holy shit. No way.”
They turned the voice’s way, Sayo’s expression no less mortified than Aya’s. Frozen how they were, there was no mistaking it, they were just about to kiss again.
“...Aya-chan…?”
Aya squeaked. Chisato’s voice never sounded this confused in such a weirdly intimidating way.
“Wow, I’ve never seen Aya-chan’s face glow this red before! That’s interesting~” Hina’s grin widened. The rest of Pastel Palettes stood by her, and unlike Hina’s absolute smugness, everyone else looked just as shocked as Sayo and Aya were. Except… Sayo couldn’t even move. Or blink. Or breathe.
“Hina-chan, what’s going on…?” Chisato frowned at the guitarist, suspicious of the fact she wasn’t even surprised they all just witnessed her sister and bandmate kissing.
“Maybe you can ask these two instead of me~” Hina’s grin widened into a playful smirk, directing it at the pair [of homos].
The moment Chisato was about to address Aya, she let go of Sayo and swiftly dashed behind her, hiding away from her band and subsequently leaving Sayo to take all of the responsibility. Much like Aya, Sayo couldn’t speak at all. Her face was just as red as Aya’s was, actually.
“Sayo-san!!!” Eve rushed over, taking the confused guitarist’s hands into hers and lifting them up. She looked so fired up and determined— her eyes were sparkling . “Did you just kiss Aya-san?!”
“I—” Sayo’s shoulders shot up. Her forehead was already sweating. She was surprised she could even function.
“That is so wonderful!!! I’m so happy for you! So you pledged yours—”
“W-Wakamiya-san, please, i-it’s not—”
“Aaaaaaya-chaaaaaan~” Hina skipped by Sayo, peeking at Aya as the latter knelt down and covered her head in embarrassment, and the only noise she could make was whimpering. “You were just about to kiss my sisteeeeeeer agaaaaaain ~”
“Hina.” Sayo glared down at her sister, stretching her arm to sort of barricade and shield Aya from her troublesome sibling.
“A…Aya-san we…we were looking for you—” Maya added quietly, sliding her glasses back up as she looked around anxiously. Such a bold public display of affection surely would have drawn attention. They were lucky not many people were around this area. But still, for someone like Sayo to allow this…? It seemed a bit weird, even if Maya didn’t know her too well.
“...H-Huh?” Aya looked up, blinking in confusion.
“...Aya-chan, did you… forget that we have practice today?”
“Ah— …Aha…ha…” Aya staggered up, still finding a way to hide away from Hina at least. “I’m… s-so sorry I… forgot…”
“Yeah, we figured~” Hina teased again, peeking at Aya from Sayo’s other side. Somehow, she became a wall between the two. And honestly, she didn’t know what to do about it. She was too disoriented from the sheer embarrassment she had just experienced. Did she really just kiss Aya? Was she about to do it again? Just like that? In the middle of the street? What was she even thinking?
“...Sis?” Hina looked up at Sayo, shaking a hand in front of her face to bring her back to reality. “You okay? I mean, you aren’t, but are you?”
“...May I… take Maruyama-san to the side for a moment…? I-I promise it won’t be for long, I just—”
“Mhm! Don’t worry, Sis~” Hina winked at her, rushing the other three members of Pastel Palettes away, despite Chisato’s disapproval.
Being left alone, Sayo gently took Aya’s hands into hers and led her behind the corner of the fence, hiding away from prying eyes.
“...So, I…” Sayo looked down at their hands, losing her words and thoughts as quickly as she gained them. Thankfully, Aya continued those for her. She gripped Sayo’s hands, looking up at her pleadingly.
“Did you… mean it? …Th…That you’re… i-in love…” Aya looked down, her face burning red. “...With me…”
“...Do you think I would be dishonest about such an alien feeling to me?”
Aya stayed quiet, expression unchanged. She felt… so weird. Her self hatred was definitely getting in the way of her happiness, but also…
“...Aya.” Sayo whispered, gently lifting her chin up to look into her eyes. She looked so surprised suddenly, but Sayo couldn’t blame her. She did just drop the honorific address to Aya’s name. She was surprised she even did it herself, actually. “We’ll… talk about this in private when we have time… is that okay?”
Aya nodded. She pulled Sayo into a gentle hug, pressing her head to her collarbone. “I’m just… so happy…”
Stunned for a moment, Sayo froze in place— but after the shock, she returned the hug, a small smile spreading across her face. “Me too. We’ll talk about this later. …I must leave for practice myself now.”
“Mhm!” Aya grinned at her, before joining her band. Hina immediately started teasing her, but Sayo couldn’t do much about it. Now she just had to wait patiently.
The next day, being a Sunday, Sayo came over to Aya’s place. At first she thought they could have this talk at her place, but that meant risking Hina being around to overhear them and tease both of them. Or worse, interrupt them.
She was anxious. The anticipation and excitement she bottled inside her since their kiss yesterday… it made her chest almost hurt with all of those weird feelings. She was clutching her bag’s straps the entire time— but she suddenly stopped in her tracks, glancing to her right.
A sweets shop…? …Maybe I could… get her something, just as a small gift…
Ugh… they teased me so much yesterday… especially Hina… I couldn’t think about anything much, either… I hope Sayo-chan has had it easier than me…
Aya sighed tiredly, idly scrolling through her social media as she lied in bed, propped up on her pillow.
I’m so lucky mom and dad went out today… I can have enough time to be with Sayo-chan all alone… …When was she supposed to come over? Ten…? What time is it…?
She glanced to the upper left side of her phone to check the time— 09:50 .
“CRAP!” She squealed, falling out of bed and rushing over to her closet. “Oh no oh no oh no!! I need to find what to wear and clean my room—” She took an exaggerated inhale, holding onto the sides of her closet. “Crap!!!”
“Okay. Relax, Aya. …What would Sayo-chan like me to wear…?” She hummed as she held up a few skirts and pants over her pajamas, ultimately settling on a cute, fluffy pink skirt and putting on a matching white shirt with pink flowers printed over it. It was simple, yet detailed enough to make it unique and pretty.
Yup. Looks good. Now, my room…
She quickly got everything in place and order, shoving all the plushies on her bed to the corner and making it a much more comfortable place. She assumed they’d be sitting in the living room since they were all alone… but who knows, maybe they’d be more comfortable in her room.
“Phew…” Aya let out a sigh of relief, backing away to the door to see her handiwork. It looked good for a rushed cleanup in her opinion, and that was enough, honestly.
Just in time, she heard a very quiet knock on the door. Her entire body perked up and she rushed over to the front door. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it beating in her ears now. Opening the door, her smile widened immensely. “Sayo-chan!”
“Good morning. Sorry I’m late—”
“Sayo-chan… you came two minutes late… I-I don’t think that’s really called being… late .”
“...Still.” Sayo looked away sheepishly, a small blush already spreading across her face. Aya giggled at that, but then noticed something else.
“...What are you holding behind your back…?” She tilted her head. Sayo was holding her arms behind her back, very clearly hiding something.
“...Ah, well,” The guitarist coughed into her hand, composing herself and taking a deep breath. She brought forward a small box of chocolates neatly wrapped with a pink bow to keep the lid in place. Looking away again, her blush quickly returned. “...This is for you.”
“M-Me?!” Aya looked down at the box with widened eyes, taking it when Sayo offered it. “Y…You didn’t… have to, though…”
“I wanted to.”
“Gosh…” Aya shook her head, pressing the box to her chest. “You’re too nice…”
“I just… knew it would be something you’d… like. …May I come inside?”
“O-Oh! Yes! Yes, sorry—” Aya moved away, letting Sayo in and closing the door after her. The latter looked around, walking past Aya towards the living room.
“...Are your parents out…?”
“W-Well… i…it’d be uncomfortable if they were here…”
“...A-Ah… you’re right, yeah.” Sayo laughed nervously, sitting down on the couch. Aya soon joined, holding the box of chocolates in her lap. She looked down shyly, unsure of what to even begin with.
“S…So, um…”
“...I hoped to have a better confession than what ended up happening yesterday, truthfully.” Sayo sighed quietly.
“...I…I still… find it so… surreal? I-I mean, I’ve…I’ve been in love with you for a while now and yet— …I never… thought you’d… like me back…” Aya’s tone became quieter the more she spoke. When she was done, she gazed down in what almost seemed like shame.
“...Aya.” Sayo began, gently putting her hand on one of Aya’s to draw her attention to her. “...I couldn’t do this on my own. I didn’t know how to even speak to you about anything like this, let alone approach you with the words I’ve said yesterday. …Hina had to help me figure my feelings out. That is why she wasn’t surprised…”
“Why… would you spend so much time and energy on… me?”
Sayo slid closer a bit, leaning towards Aya so she could look directly into her eyes.
“Because I’m in love with you, Aya. And since you feel the same way towards me…” She took Aya’s hands into her own, her smile tender. “I want to experience this new and alien feeling. I want to explore it together, with you .”
Aya sat in silence, staring into Sayo’s ever so determined and sincere green eyes. It took her a while to even comprehend what Sayo was saying. When she did, her face quickly heated up with a fierce blush, her hands shaking a bit. “...W…With… me…?”
Sayo nodded. “With you.”
Aya didn’t even know what to say. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her cheeks as she silently continued to stare into Sayo’s now slightly concerned eyes.
“Wh…What’s… wrong?”
Instead of responding, Aya threw herself at the guitarist, embracing her in a tight hug.
“I-I’m sorry I just—” She sniffled, propping her head on Sayo’s shoulder. “I’m… so happy… I-I…I never thought anyone would… or even could love me like that…”
After a little bit, Sayo embraced her back, patting her back slowly. “That is ridiculous. You’re one of the kindest, most caring people I’ve ever met. You care for my sister and everyone around you. You put all of your effort into helping others and elevating them no matter what. And you have a shine I could never even dream of having. Aya, you’re sparkling in my eyes.”
“Sayo-chan…” Aya sniffled, weakly gripping onto the back of Sayo’s shirt. It made no sense to her. Why was Sayo saying any of this? There was no way she actually… loved her, right? Why would anyone? It just didn’t make sense.
“...I guess I’ll just have to prove it, won’t I?”
“H…Huh?”
Sayo let go of Aya and pulled away from her, instead cupping her cheeks and wiping some tears with her thumbs as her smile grew. “If words don’t work, won’t action work instead?”
“Wh…What are you… talking about…?” Aya squeaked, holding the hem of her skirt now.
“May I kiss you?”
“I…” Aya fell silent again. Does she… really like me that… much? “...Y…Yes.” She gently placed her hands on Sayo’s, sniffling in a sob.
Sayo closed the distance between them in a soft kiss, caressing one of Aya’s cheeks lovingly. Now that they were alone, it felt infinitely better. Nothing to interrupt them, nothing to worry about and no pressure of time crushing them down. Sayo felt so weirdly at peace, and so did Aya all of a sudden.
Breaking the kiss, they looked into each other’s eyes quietly.
“...Did that… reassure you?”
“I-It’s…” Aya averted her gaze, her expression quite bittersweet. “It’s… still hard to think that I deserve your love, but… yes.”
“I’ll just continue reassuring you I do, then. …Ph…Physical affection might not be my… strong suit… b-but I will do my best. For you.”
“Gosh… Sayo-chan…”
“...If…If we’re in a relationship… I think we can start using each other’s name without honorifics. …I-If you want! Of course… a-and you don’t need to in public s-since it can spark drama a—”
“Pfft—” Aya snorted, wiping her tears as she saw Sayo’s bewilderment. Seeing her confusing and intensely blushing face made her giggle. “Sayo… you’re so silly…”
Sayo leaned away, scratching her nape sheepishly. Her blush only became stronger. “I-I just… want you to be comfortable and know that… I really, really do love you.”
Maybe… just maybe… I really can be loved…
Aya leaned closer to Sayo instead, her smile widening. “Thank you, Sayo. Truly. I may not deserve this… but I’m happy you see me this way. it makes me… extremely happy…”
“I’m glad… and… thank you for seeing something in me as well.” Really have to thank Hina for pushing me this hard. “...Aya.”
“H-Huh? Yeah…?”
“...I’ve… been working on a new song for Roselia and have a sample for the guitar… …Would you… like to hear it…?”
“...O-Oh! Are you… are you sure you want me to hear it…?”
Sayo sighed quietly, shaking her head as her smile widened again. “Aya, you’re my…” She coughed into her fist. “Ahem… girlfriend . S-So I…I’d really like you to hear it.”
Aya perked up, grinning up at Sayo. “I’d love to!”
Sayo waved goodbye, leaning on the wall of the entry to the lobby as she watched Aya walk away. She let out a sigh of relief, turning around to go back up to her apartment—
“So, so?! How was it?!”
“AHH!” Sayo jumped, nearly hitting her head on the wall. “HINA!!” She yelled, glaring at her oh so smug sister.
“How did it go? Did it go well?!”
“H-Hina, please—” Sayo caught her breath, relaxing herself. “Stop sneaking up on me!”
“I didn’t! You were just sooooo in love and focused on Aya-chan that you didn’t even hear me behind you!”
Rolling her eyes, Sayo dodged past Hina and clicked on the elevator button. Walking inside, she looked away from her sister. “Sure. …It went fine.”
“Yay!”
Sayo glanced back, raising a brow. “...I haven’t heard anything from you about Imai-san lately. Is everything okay between you two?”
“...Oh! Ahaha, yeah! Yeah everything’s fiiiine~ Hey!! I’m not the subject here!”
“...Suspicious. You aren’t honest.”
“Siiiiis it’s totally fine, I’m telling you!”
“...If you say so.”
“So, so!! Tell me more!”
“Wh-Why do you want to know about it so badly?” Sayo spewed, walking into their apartment. Hina followed behind eagerly, even up to her room.
“Because! It’s exciting to know you’re not bitchless anymore!”
“...What?”
“It’s exciting to know you and Aya-chan are together, is what I meant.”
“...Sure.”
“So,” Hina simply walked into Sayo’s room, completely uninvited, and sat down on her bed. “...Are you happy?”
“I…” Sayo closed the door and sat down by her, sighing quietly. “...I’m… it feels weird. I felt so happy and relaxed with her, and just seeing her smile and hearing her giggle made me so… excited.”
“Ohhhh her giggle is so cute, I get it! Are you gonna tell anyone?”
“Hina… we only got together today .”
“Right, right~ Sorry~ …But, still, Sis, I’m very happy for you.”
“...Thank you, Hina.” Sayo stood up, walking over to the window. She stared at the setting sun, a small smile widening across her face. “What happened yesterday… kind of felt straight out of a cheesy romance movie, honestly… It felt so weird. …I never thought I would say something like this, but I’m very happy I fell in love. And I’m even happier I fell for her.”